The new Panama City Beach Pier

The new pier at Pier park in PCB is now open, it really is beautiful. Here is a short video about it and there is even a shot of Ernie & I fishing in our yaks under it. It was awesome having the pier to ourselves these last few months. I guess we have to share now....lol

crazy day in the kayak- lesson learned

Well the morning started out normal, got up early, had some coffee, then loaded up the yaks. Got to the water, our last launch at the new pier(it opens Sat morning so I hear) The surf was a little rough but managed to enter with no issues. ernie headed one way I headed another. I hung out with a big loggerhead for a while - he was cool!

I went to target flounder but the June grass was terrible. I did manage 1 keeper but lost him yakside. So I decide to venture out and fish for kings . I caught a few hardtails & started paddeling out. My rod goes off and I end up catching a King.

While paddeling back in for a live bait I am looking down into the water and see a school of Tarpon right underneath me, I yell to Ernie & at that moment a Tarpon jumps 5 feet in front of me, I can only think my yak & my yelling startled him? That was an awesome sight! I get another live bait on and start paddeling, Ernie & I are sort of chilling talking about something when, I am not exaggeratng, a cuda w/ my bait in his mouth jumps 15ft into the air between the 2 of us. HOLY crap - I'm thinking this cuda may jump in the yak, so I finally bring him close in, he towed me out some, & get him next to my yak. I can't wrap my hand around his tail like a King but I've never caught a Cuda from the yak so I wanted a pic. I misjudged his size (he was FAT)and that's where it all went wrong I tried to lift him up and leaned just a little to far and yes ,over I go!! My first instinct is to grab my rods but then I remember I have a huge cuda swimming around me and I don't want to flail my arms or legs and gash myself with his teeth, or worse get wrapped in the line. My yakak is turned over but Ernie manages to keep me calm. I flip my yak back over & then climb back in. It's amazing how fast you can do that when adrealine is pumping. I lost 3 rod & reel combos, cell phone (waterproof case was open cause we had the camera out to take a pic) a tackle box and a bunch of little stuff in my crate. So I hope all you yakkers read this and don't get complaceent like i did. Lash everything down, keep a knife in case you need to cut line or rope, & don't become over confident in your yak. Anything can happen, I will be taking much needed precautions from now on. So if any one sees a Cuda swiming around with a short spiral wrapped rod with a 320 gti hanging from him youll know what happened:banghead. I also lost 2 exspensive combos that I shouldn't have even had out there. LESSON Learned!

Fighting the cuda... before I went over

Random pics

Flounder the kitty, relaxing

Linda w/ a redfish

Releasing

Lauren at Shipwreck Island waterpark hanging out in the shade

Hannah & her friend Anne being goofy

cathing tons of flounder lately

A Birthday King

Ernie turned 40 today, & to celebrate his day we got up early & launched our yaks in the surf to see what we could find. I fished around my honey hole for some flounder( which are still there) while Ernie headed out with some hardtails in tow. He caught a decent King and while it was splashing around his other line went off. Put the King in the yak and fought what turned out to be a nice blacktip - to big to do anything with. 2 guys from sunjammers were out there and caught a blacktip as well. Tried to beach it but I never saw it on shore, so not sure what happened. Fun morning and eating steak at Longhorns by 12:30 =)



Ernie fighting a big blacktip shark

Lauren playing the drum

hangin out w/ Lauren

Hannah gets Baptized!

This evening Hannah, along with over 100 others from our church got baptized at St Andrews State Park.