Cool Kayak Float

 



After two productive days of bass fishing in a small lakes (more on that in a later post), the folks from Hobie-Fishing changed things up yesterday with a cool float down the Coosa River through a section of river that's far wilder and prettier than I would have expected so close to Montgomery, Alabama. I know from pictures I'd seen that the river contained some formidable rapids, but the whole character of the river had a sense of being much farther from city life than was the truth.

 

I was also impressed by how the Hobies handled the rapids. The MirageDrive petal system and rudder hang down, so you can't engage them over shallow shoals. They're quick and easy to lift, though, so it's simple to switch to a kayak paddle when needed. The kayaks are also light enough to portage when necessary, so we carried those over feistiest part of the biggest rapid.

 

The fish weren't overly cooperative yesterday. I caught two spots and no one in the group caught many. That was fine, though. The float would have been cool with no fishing rods. Apparently, with the right water levels and approaches and the bite on, the spotted bass fishing can be quite extraordinary where we were. In fact, some local anglers who know the river well believe the next world record will come from that stretch of river.

 

Despite good intentions, very long days got the best of me, and I failed to keep blog posts flowing while I was on the road. I'll write more about other aspects of the trip in the next day or two, and then it's on to the White River for trout!