Kayak Fishing with the Hook 1 Crew

We would like to introduce you to a group of kayak fishermen who are positive, enthusiastic for the sport, knowledgeable and great fishermen.  We are proud to have them representing Hook 1 Kayak Fishing Gear.  If you see them on the shore say hello.  These are the type of guys who would be happy to answer a question or two.  If you would like to contact one of them, e-mail us and we will put you in contact with them.
Click on the pictures for a larger view.

Arne Rovell - "Arne" - California
A Pair of Yellowtail, Photo by Dan Bensen

John Near - "Cabo John" - California
It doesn't matter what boat you have or fished on... NOTHING is as rewarding as catching a fish from a kayak! It's pure 100% excitement!
Kayak Fishing is more than a hobby or sport - It's a way of life!
Experience's and times I remember most
- When Kailey caught and landed her yellowtail.
- When Hook 1 pushed me out of my kayak to get his "Floating" Waterproof Camera! lol
- Fishing with my buddies (Loco Pescadores / BOLA, LJ, San-O, SC Island, Catalina.....
- First time night fishing T-man for lobster.
- LOL - Seeing your buddies flip in one foot surf - PRICELESS! Good advice - Wear a PFD, Fish with a buddy, rig your kayak right the first time and ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
What I enjoy is seeing New-bees get hooked on kayak fishing. Helping them get started SAFELY! I enjoy spending my time answering questions and talking kayak fishing!
Location: Southern California

My ideal day:  Kayak fishing with a few friends; catching a few fish; eating a good meal afterward; and sharing stories and tips with one another.
I have been fishing for over 30 years, predominately inshore and bays for over 20 years, specialty - Halibut; local water expertise - Dana Point, Newport and Cabrillo.
I enjoy fishing with my two daughters, coaching soccer and watching someone new to kayak fishing get the bug!
Location:  Southern California
Dpliska

Greg Tsujiuchi - "Grego" - California
White Sea Bass - La Jolla California
Picture by Paul Lebowitz - www.kayakfishingzone.com

Joel Lotilla - "Mooch" - California - born and raised in the Philippine Islands.  Started out fishing at age 9 using a bamboo pole, mono tied at the tip with a rubber float made out of a rectangular piece from a flip-flop.  "It was a simple set up but deadly to the catfish". At age 16, migrated to the US in 1986 after the Marcos vs. Aquino revolution.  Lived in Santa Monica for a year and then relocated to San Francisco.
Re-discovered the love of fishing at a local pier in the small town of Pacifica.  Years went by and the fishing "fever" grew into "Madness"; Bought a float tube and began fishing for trout, bass and bluegills all over the foothill lakes of the Bay Area.  Did not get to finish College cause education got in the way of fishing (kids - don't do this!).
2001 was the year of discovering the fishing kayak!  Sold the float tube and got a kayak = the "Madness" got worse.  Got involved with the online fishing community in the Bay Area and hooked up with a great group of local kayak anglers.  Built a relationship with the community and helped form "Nor Cal Kayak Anglers"; otherwise known as NCKA.org.... and the madness continues...

Mission: To spread the love and camaraderie of kayak fishing.
First fish caught off the kayak - King Fish out off Santa Cruz, Northern California.
Biggest fish caught off the kayak - 27 pound King Salmon off Moss Landing, Northern California.
Dream catch - A King Salmon over 30 pounds.
Other hobbies besides kayak fishing - doubles beach volleyball - snow boarding - mountain biking - back packing - consuming large amounts of Sushi.

Location - Half Moon Bay, Northern California
Message to newbies - "WELCOME TO THE MADNESS"

Congratulations Joel -Angler of the Year- 2006 - Nor Cal Kayak Anglers!

Keith Martin - "Cucamonga Keith" - California
Digging through a box of old family photos I found a snapshot  dated May 1959 of me as a young boy fly fishing in Florida.  As I sat there looking it over, it dawned on me that although we live in a world where everything seems to have changed (including fishing), some things remain the same. The adventure, anticipation and sheer fun of going fishing is timeless.

I think of kayak fishing in pretty much the same way; it's old and  new at the same time. A local guy termed it modern-primitive fishing and I guess that describes it pretty well.  There's something special about it that defies definition so I won't bore you with the attempt here.
See you on the water
Keith Martin

Keith - Business World - Intramedia is an Emmy award winning film, video and digital media production company founded in 1993. The company also provides NTSC and HD video production crew and equipment services for other production companies located  outside southern California and the U.S.: Video Crew Southern California.  Intramedia hosts and maintains www.fishingkayaks.net as a service to the kayak fishing community.

RetroFish Interactive produces kayak fishing related educational and entertainment content for distribution on DVD, CD-Rom and other digital media.
Since pre-historic times, man has ventured out in kayaks to fish in waters from the ice caps to the equator. The Kayak’s balance of simplicity, stealth and oneness with nature make it an excellent platform for fishing.  Modern fishermen are migrating back to this ancient practice in increasing numbers making kayak fishing one of the fastest growing trends in recreational fishing worldwide.
Our new series of interactive guides on CD-Rom are high quality, state of the art technology that provide an easy to follow, cost effective way to get started in the sport.  Avoid wasted time and money on mistakes; get a RetroFish Interactive guide!

Jeff is the owner of www.rhynobar.com home of the Rhynobar.

Steve Mullins - "Crazy Yak" - Texas

Black Drum - Caught and Released
Location: Houston, Texas
Areas Fished: Upper Texas Coast (High Island to Port Aransas)
Species Targeted: Offshore (Sharks, Bull Reds, Jack Crevalle, Kingfish and Tarpon); Bays (Redfish and Speckled Trout).
Kayak: Wilderness Systems Ride 135 and Tarpon 140
Accessories: Adventure Technology, Werner, Seairsport, Scotty, Eagle Electronics, Extrasport
Tackle: Penn, Shimano, Allstar and Okuma Rods
Why Kayak Fishing? Simply put - being part of the action both above and below the water. There is nothing better than setting out before sunrise knowing a great day on the water is ahead of you. Kayaking offers a means to become involved in the excitement of sport fishing at sea level. Whether stalking fish in the Bay or chasing after Sharks and other pelagics offshore, kayaking is a way to experience the outdoors from a totally different perspective.
For more information regarding kayak fishing in Texas, visit: Texaskayakfisherman.com

Chris LeMessurier - Michigan

14 lb King Salmon from Lake Michigan
Location: Berkley, Michigan
Being born and raised in Michigan, I've spent many days chasing fish on the Great Lakes. My kayak has allowed me to reel in tasty Walleye, sight-fish for Smallmouth Bass, troll for Northern Pike as beachball sized chunks of ice float down the river, and get towed by King Salmon faster than you could paddle. The experience of being part of the water is truly unmatched by any other form of fishing.

Philip Ruckart - North Carolina

Also known as "Yak4Fish" on all of the kayak fishing forums is a Heritage Endorsed Kayak Fishing Guide, a member of St. Croix Rods Pro Staff, Quantum Fishing VIF Staff and offers fresh and saltwater trips through the largest paddle-sport shop in North Carolina - Get-Outdoors, Greensboro, N.C.

Philip has been an avid fisherman for over 35 years and has been paddling for nearly 20 years. He's always loved to be around the water and fish. Aside from fishing out of a canoe, his initial pursuit of kayak-fishing came using a white-water kayak in the early '90's. Needless to say, this was less than optimal, so he moved onto sit-inside kayaks. While this proved a better method of merging the two passions, it wasn't until the development of sit-on-top kayaks that he passion, or obsession, really took off. Philip was the winner of the 2006 Cape Fear Kayaks fishing tournament series conducted in Wilmington, N.C. Though he still fishing the occasional tournament, his greater interest is in promoting the sport and enjoyment of the outdoors through clinics and demos.

Philip's perspective on guide fishing might be somewhat unique, in that his purpose is to provide the best on the water experience possible, not necessarily catching the biggest or most fish. Granted big fish are fun, "but if you're not enjoying the whole experience, you're missing the point", in his opinion. Paddle-fishing locations locally are the rivers and lakes of the Piedmont as well as the coastal waters surrounding Beaufort and Swansboro North Carolina. Basically, if it has fins and swims, it's on the catch list.

As you interact with the environment, be it paddling, fishing, hunting, hiking or camping, you're inclined to reflect on your stewardship of the resources you utilize and he encourages you to consider what you can do to protect and preserve them for future generations. Philip resides in Mebane, North Carolina with his wife and three sons, his "tackle snatchers", who have all been bitten by the fishing bug.

Check out Philip's Website: Yak4Fish

Erick Bell

Location - North Carolina

Erick is a 12 year kayak fishing veteran and has been affiliated with Hook 1 through his sponsorship as part of his kayak fishing team for the past 5 years. He originally started the team to fish in the Extreme Edge Kayak Tournament Series. The original team, Team eAngler placed in the Top 3 in several events, took home 2nd place in three events and finished 1st in one event. The original three members, (Erick, Todd Llewellyn and Mark Michael) have finished in various events across the country both as a team and individuals. Todd and Erick won the Florida Sportsman Super Lure Tournament as the only kayak anglers competing against a field of 29 other teams in power boats. The first time in that particular event and winning in a respectable fashion by weighing in two redfish that bested the field by almost 3 lbs. Erick is also a past 1st place winner in the redfish division of the Osprey Bay Kayak Tournament. He also competes in other tournaments, including the world renowned Jacksonville Kayak Classic, where he has never won, but for the past few years has had the privilege and honor of being one of the judges.

His current team is now Team Wildy, part of the Confluence fishing family with Wilderness Systems and AT Paddles. He continues his affiliation with Hook 1 in that capacity, along with using rods and reels from Quantum. The team competes mainly in individual events today, as well as taking part in other kayak fishing related events. He is also active in several online kayak fishing communities posting either under his real name Erick, or as erayyak.

Erick is best known for "The OLC" or "The One Lure Challenge". A kayak fishing tournament series that he started 5 years ago on a whim to see what gold spoon caught more fish. The single event turned into an annual 4 event series that offered kayak anglers the opportunity to participate in a fun, yet competitive challenge. Each angler is only allowed to fish with the lure chosen for that particular event within certain boundaries, therefore eliminating many of the advantages someone may have by using their favorite lure, or fishing their favorite fishing hole. Hook 1 has been a loyal sponsor of that event from the very beginning.

After leaving Florida, "friends" from the kayak fishing community at www.paddle-fishing.com held the first "Erick Bell Memorial Tournament" as part of their PFTS (Paddle Fishing Tournament Series). Although, still much alive, it follows a similar formal to the OLC series he started down in Florida. He looks forward to that hopefully being an annual event, because it is a pretty good reason to go back each year for a great time with good friends and to fish in a tournament. Plus, he wants to make sure everyone knows he has only moved and still has a passion for kayak fishing.

Gabe Martin

Location - Southern California

The story goes like this: When I was born, my father's first words were "I now I have someone to go fishing with." As long as I can remember, I have always had a passion for fishing

Then came kayak fishing. At first, I enjoyed being on the kayak as the sun rose, the solitude, not having to worry about life in general, just relaxing, and then being woken up from a day dream by a screaming drag. Nowadays, fishing with friends that I have made on the water and sharing in each others catches is priceless. The anticipation of being in the right place at the right time, combined with the adrenaline of hooking and fighting a nice fish adds to the excitement.

Remember to be safe, have fun, and enjoy your time out on the water,
Gabe

Todd Llewellyn

Location - Florida

Todd's Bio will be coming soon...