The New Kayak!

 After going out several times fishing in the Challenger inflatable Kayak,  I discovered a few of the "Limitations" that a small ( Focus on the small....) Inflatable kayak has.   And having had it for over a year, I felt I had enough information and experience with the "inflatable Kayak" realm to make an informed decision for an upgrade. 

I at least knew what I wanted and what I wanted to improve upon.   Since I was using my kayak mostly for small fishing ventures, I figured I would focus on that.  Walmart has a number of decent looking kayaks that were dedicated to fishing.  And they were inexpensive!  (Usually under $300!) 

But a hard shell Kayak was not what a really wanted.   Ok,  Technically I "wanted" it... But I did not like the burden of transportation... Meaning: I did not want to carry it on a trailer or the top of my Subie.  And looking at car top carriers that would give me a comfortable level of confidence, I noticed that would usually more than DOUBLE the price of the kayak....  So, No thanks!

I looked at folding kayaks.    Being an Origami guy,  you would think that the novelty of a folding Kayak would be a perfect fit for me.   It could be folded to the size that would easily fit in my car and would be expanded in a few minutes with minimal equipment!   But alas, there were things ( including price) that seemed to have additional limitations.   And I really did not like the looks of it that much...

So, I decided to go with another inflatable kayak.   A bit larger this time.  With a higher weight limit and more air chambers.  And I was not about to pay thousands of dollars for it!

The Intex Excursion 2 Fit the bill!  A kayak designed with fishing in mind.   It has two pole holders, a rack for portable mounts, and a Cell phone holder!  ( Not that I would use that... but maybe for a fish finder....)   I got the delivery on Monday and headed  to the water Tuesday morning!

Overall!  A success!   The pole holders were in an unusual location,  but at least I had them!   The kayak is designed with two passengers in mind, but I wanted the higher weight and durability of the pro one.   And when I found out that you can set up the two man kayak with a single seat, I was sold!  Best of all!  I would get in and out of the kayak without getting wet and muddy!

The only down side that had to be addressed was the seats. 

All of the revues pretty much said the same thing..  The seats are rather uncomfortable. And I know the kayak was affordable... But it did not feel "cheap"....  except for the inflatable seats.  

Now, I understand that there is possibly NO scenario where an inflatable cushion is comfortable.  You are basically sitting on a balloon.  And balloons are not known to be the best for support.   So your back and butt will hurt after a while.  But I also read that people purchased special kayak seats and replaced the inflatable ones with them.   So I looked into upgrading the seats.   Preferably with a decent back rest. 

And that is when God stepped in and provided the Perfect replacement.   A fold-able beach chair! 

I invited Dave out on Thursday for a test run of the new chair design.  I also wanted to test out my pocket sized Fish Finder!  In about an hour,  we landed a dozen fish and had a ball.   Dave used the Challenger and said he actually found it more comfortable than the Hard Kayaks he usually sits in. Unfortunately, he also found it to be nearly impossible to exit solo.   It helps to have a buddy pull you onto dry land if you don't want to get muddy.  

But best of all,  it folds up and fits inside the car! 

There are lots more features, but I do not want to turn this into an unpaid sales pitch.   Let's just say I am pleased with the purchase and look forward to making additional modifications and taking it out on some more adventures.  

I cleaned the fish last night and Dave and I enjoyed a few of them for lunch today.   Fish and Chips Friday!  A wonderful Wisconsin tradition that I have grown very fond of. 

 So maybe I can convince Dave into getting one and joining me on these little adventures.    After finally  saying goodbye to his big boat... Perhaps a smaller, simpler method of flotation would be a welcome change.  Then again,   he is a busy man and may not experience the same freedoms or space limitations that I do.  So,  that choice will be one  that may require a little more thought.  

And finally,  the finished Origami Dragon.   ( I was going to use the folding kayak as a segue. but it is late and all of my clever prose are fading....)   I did not like the head very much.   And as a result, I gave it away to a coworker who mentioned she would be thrilled if I had a dragon.  I used Wire to give this one support, but the wire was a little too heavy for my taste.   I could not hide it effectively.   So...  Best o get rid of it before I throw it away.   

And besides.  I can always fold another one. 

Tomorrow is a Warehouse event at the Haribo.   Associates and one guest or family member can pull up in a car and fill your trunk with Candy!   How cool is that?    

I originally thought Dave would be interested, but one of the Temps from Haribo wanted to go.  ( Temps are not associates..so they do not qualify.   Unless an associate brings them along as a "friend". )  So  together we shall fill our trunks with Gummy bears and twin snakes.   Maybe even smurfs! I don't really know what to expect.  It could be a couple boxes or a Full Pallet!  Or any number of combinations in-between.   We shall see how things go.  And if they are blogworthy,   I will hopefully have something to write about tomorrow. 

As for now,  I week flew by and I am ready for the weekend. I'm not sure what I will be able to accomplish this weekend , but I will do my best to make every second count.

Another Fast Week!

 So much to Blog about that got missed last weekend.   But...as the night presses on, I find myself losing motivation...  so I will do my best to remember all of the things I accomplished this week.   So let us begin!

I went fishing again...  at the Pond with the Big Bluegills.   I have beeen there several times and discovered that if I manage to get up early... I can squeeze in an hour of fishing before work!  Pretty cool! 

So what can I catch in a mere hour?   Well,  The best I have done so far was 13 fish.   Many of them around 9 inches!   That does not include the occasional small one or bass that I toss back.  ( because the bass help keep the population of bluegills healthy!)   I can inflate the portable Kayak in around 5-10 minutes and be in the water in less than 15.   (With all my gear!)   As the autumn month press on,  the mornings have been getting colder, but I will see how long I can continue before the first frost.  

The problem with the inflatable kayak is that it is rather difficult to get out of.  Getting in is fine and fairly easy... but getting out is like pulling your self up out of a pit!  With no foot or hand holds!  And that is if there is a shore. 

The pond where I fish is surrounded with these trees with these velcro seed pods.   I honestly have never seen this tree anywhere but here.   And I remember I once Identified it.. but forgot the name.  Or the key words I used to find it on the internet!    But since it is late, I will have to ID it later.   

In the mean time, just know that this tree is a fisherman's nightmare to walk and fish through.   The cones grab onto everything and tangle it up so it is impossible to cast from shore.  For this reason, I have the inflatable kayak. 

But with only one access point,  the options for dismounting the kayak are limited.   I get wet every single time!   And not in a good, light hearted way.    The water drops off from 6 inches to about 15 inches of muck within the first 2 feet from shore.   That means if I try to stand up,  my foot sinks into quicksand that is black and smells terrible!.   And trying to beech the kayak while I'm in it is nearly impossible.   

But all of this is worth the difficulty when I am able to catch a dozen nice fish within a single hour.   And on light line (2 lbs test)  They are a lot of fun!

But what good is catching them if you are not going to eat them?   And I have had the luxury of having "fish and chips" twice this week!   I can see the appeal some people have towards making food for others.   I make a wonderful "Traditional Pub Food" meal and I have no one to share it with.   Kind of sad. 

I have also been making cornbread.   For some reason,  I had a box of this in the cupboard, and I used some for my fish fry mix.   But later, I bought some just to make it, since I love cornbread and have not had any in a long time.  

I added some blueberries that the Hinz gave me from their trip to Michigan.   The blueberries have been in my freezer for a while now and adding them to the cornbread seems like a good option.  I also have some local honey I purchased from the Farmer's Market last week...  Nothing is better on Cornbread than honey and butter.  ( Or Honey and Milk!)   

With my morning now being dedicated to the fishing thing... I have let my mushroom hunting laps a bit.   I am not terribly bothered, because I still have a fridge filled with Summer Chanterelles!   And I have been slowly eating them up in the form of stew that I cook with the crock pot.  That has been the main staple of my Haribo Lunches for the past two weeks.   Easy to make... lasts several means and I just scoop it out and seal it up in a container.   Easy prep time!  

That being said, I still go out at least once each weekend to see if I can stumble upon something good.   Today, I discovered that I missed another Chicken of the woods.   A place I have been checking all summer where I found them before.   This one was too old, so I will have to wait until next year for another opportunity.  

Today,  I started the day with a trip to Carthage Collage for a Haribo Tailgate Party.   I have really never been to a tailgate party before...so this was new to me.  I got a chance to visit with a couple of co-workers before heading out... I didn't stay for the game.   And from the looks of it, neither did many of the other folks.  But it was a good opportunity to meet up with a few of the office folks.  ( I usually never see them, except when they are leaving or at one of the plant meetings.)   And the food was good... and free!   ( Free food is almost always good!) I did have to bring my own beer... but so did a lot of the other people.   It was a fun experience. I'll have to see if I can get the group photo pic off the news event post on the Haribo site.

And lastly,  I kidnapped Christina's Dog again and we went out for a nature walk.   No mushrooms were found, but there was a dead rabbit on the trail.   It looked like it had just recently died and there was no damage to it.   Rabbits don't live long,  so it is possible that he just "died" of natural causes.  Either way,   Ladybird wanted nothing to do with him...   Which is unusual, since she usually chases them if they pop up on the trail.   Guess dead ones are not as much fun as the live ones. 

It was a pretty good week at Haribbo.    Busy, but we were able to stay on top of most things and never really fell behind.   A sense of accomplishment and pride is beginning to creep in and I get more familiar with my surroundings, my job description, and my co-workers.   We are beginning to jell as a team.  

And I know once we begin to get routine and comfortable,  things will inevitably change.  Hopefully for the better.   But for now....  I will finish this post,  finish my beer,  and prepare for tomorrow.   Because every second counts.  

Fishing Sunday and Monday.

 I was a little disappointed with our fishing trip last Saturday.  I had figured we would catch at least one  fish of note... that was not an exotic, invasive species... And Small!    So.. To cheer myself up,  I went out again on Sunday.  On another exploratory mission!

 There is a small lake with a bunch of facilities around it.   Lake Andrea rec plex or something.    There was a beer garden and live music... But I wanted to go fishing. 

After nearly an hour in the kayak,  I decided that the wind and weeds were enough.  I did manage to catch a small perch and a few bluegills.   I actually caught the larger sunfish while fishing from the shore.   Either way, I discovered that this lake might be worth exploring some time  in the future.  

But three small (-ish) fish will not be enough to make a meal!   So I went out to the pond where I know there are some jumbo bluegills!   After only an hour, I managed to catch 9 decent sized fish.   On light line while drifting in a Kayak on a calm morning..  it was quite a lot of fun!.   

I brought them home and put the bucket in the fridge to cool down, firm up, and clean later... Because I had to go to work.  

Today,  after soaking them in buttermilk overnight,  I fried them up and had them for lunch!  I even added some fries for the whole "Fish and Chips" experience.  Perhaps I should try to make this a "Thing" that I do once a week.   It may be good for my mental state as well as my need to get outdoors.  

It is Wednesday already.    Actually,  it is Thursday, as of the writing of this post.   That means it is late!  SO I should cut this one short.  

And before I sign off,  I wanted to show off the latest origami Dragon that I folded for one of the office people at Haribo.   I actually took the time to shape it correctly this time.   And even though I had some average paper,  I think it turns out pretty well.    I hope the guy will like it.  

Thirsty Thursday tomorrow!  Though I doubt I will be heading out to any bar after work.   Getting out at 11:30 does tend to limit your options for the after work "party".   (Or social gathering...) Either way, I can still come home and have a beer at home.   And enjoying a brewsky at home, surrounded by peace and quiet is not a terrible way to make every second count.