Lake Bastrop again

I'm telling ya...  Lake Bastrop is really growing on me.

The trees around the lake are pine.  The shores look well established but there's huge stump fields and lots of brushy lay-downs. The lake itself has been around since 1964 so it doesn't have that "built in the last 30 years" look like some of the other lakes in the area.

RV Fishing Adventures?

So most of you know that Sarah and I are full time RVers and that we are selling our house (yeah! It's still for sale!), and some of you may know that we have been promoting RV Fishing Sites as something for people to use to find fishing sites.  Well, over the past few months I've been agonizing over the fact that using RV Fishing Sites as a means of something for people to follow our adventures was not only self serving, it really didn't make sense.

Enter RV Fishing Adventures.

Update and our Hike and Fish at Tejas Camp

Mike being a little nervous about fishing 12 feet above the
water since it wasn't that long ago he lost enough
weight to stop having issues with vertigo!

Since this blog is turning into more of a personal blog than anything else, I am going to start making smaller posts with pictures much like I do on Instagram.  Of course, I will still be posting larger posts such as the Fishing or Actually Catching series I am still working through.

These pictures will generally come in two or three pictures and there may be several posts in a row over the course of a week. I'm hoping by posting like this I can get back into the habit of blogging more.  It's been so busy the past year not to mention life has been extremely distracting.

This is no excuse for not keeping my readers up to date, and I apologize for that!

No, we're still here!

Stop for lunch at Inks Lake.

Just an FYI to all those who might think we've dropped off the face of the earth...

Well, maybe we did, but actually I think we simply got too busy.  With the house still not selling due to complications we are still struggling with that problem after 3 months of not knowing what is going to happen, we are still in the same boat!  Nothing has really changed in spite of everything that has been tried.  That said, anyone in the market to rent a house in the country in Central Texas?  haha

On other fronts, we've gotten some fishing time in and were able to spend some time fishing a few fishing holes around here.  We focused hard on getting decent fish for the Yak Tribe tournament during the month of October (one reason we've been so busy!) and it helped put me in the top 20 overall and 3rd out of the bass only anglers. Sarah actually got all her 8 fish this time!  Woo hoo!

Keep reading to see some of the pictures we took so everyone can share some of the fun we had!

New sponsor of Geeks Fish Too - goTenna!

Yes, you've got it!   We are now being sponsored by goTenna!

We are working on an article here and we're working on a full feature video showing how we used them out in the "wild".

One thing I can say right now...  they have an awesome product!   They are expanding it too with new products coming out very soon.

Stay tuned as we bring you more info on this really cool product!

Tight Lines Y'all!

Mike&Sarah
@GeeksFishToo
@RVFishingSites
@QuiltingAngler

Fishing or actually catching? Taking it to the next level - Part 2

Was a tough day due to muddy water,
but still managed to catch something!

PART 2

Click here to read Part 1

Fishing can be a very easy past time.  You put a lure on your line and throw it in the water.  

For many fishing means putting a bobber and a worm on your line, throwing it in the water and waiting.  This is nice for that person who needs a stress reliever and is tired from working hard.  For those of us who work hard at sitting in an office chair, we need something more physically challenging.

Enter the sport of catching fish. This concept takes fishing to a completely different level that requires us to use our brains and try our best to outsmart a fish.

In this multi-piece article I will share with you some of the ways I find fish. If you are an armchair-fisherman and you want to take your game to the next level, the info here should help you do just that.

RV buying and why you need to research

Holding our new goTenna's in our 5th wheel.

Lately I've been talking a lot more about our RV lifestyle and less about fishing. This is mainly because RVing and fishing are becoming closely tied together for us.  As we are now promoting RV Fishing Sites, we are attempting to visit as many RV campgrounds where there is good fishing. On this blog we will be alternating between RVing and Fishing but I also realize that I am due to write a fishing article. The next one will be about fishing...  I promise!

....

We are ready for a new RV.  It's only been 2 years since we got this one, and we really like the layout for the most part, but there are very specific reasons why we want a new RV.  About 10 or 12 specific reasons... or maybe more by now.

You're probably wondering how someone can say "specific" and not be certain about the exact number.  Well, let me tell you how that works...

The next step... RVing has become a way of life.

Many of you know that over 2 years ago we

abandoned the normal world of being tied to a spot and bought a 5th wheel RV.  This blog post is about that decision and where we are now.  Hopefully this will explain why our posts have been somewhat sporadic lately - our apologies!

Where did June go?

Where are we going?

Many of you probably wondered where in the world Mike and Sarah went last month.  Well, there's
b6been many things keeping us preoccupied.  We've barely been able to keep up with our social media sites let alone blog like we should.  Sarah has a bit more time on her hands than I do so she's been keeping up a bit better, but me on the other hand.  Well, here's a status report....

RV Fishing Sites is close to being ready!

As mentioned previously, we are launching our new site, RV Fishing Sites, in the month of June. We hope to have everything done by the middle of June, but it's possible it will take through the end of June to complete all the tasks.

However, we recently were able to complete much of the functionality on the test site and at least have a working model now.  The glue is still needed to piece everything together but we are definitely getting close!

Keep reading for some of the things we hope to include on the site!

Tribute to a year of 10's of firsts starting today

Just a short note that today 10 years ago, I met my wife as the hostess of a memorial day picnic for the young adults at our church.  I'll admit that I wasn't interested in her at first, but it was on this day
10 years ago that she moved into my radar.  :)

This year is going to be a year of 10s.  10 years since we went on our first date.  10 years since we bought the rings. 10 years since I proposed. 10 years since... well, you get the point.  It will be a lot of 10s.

I just want to say I'm very happy with the wife the Lord gave me and I hope to be a special blessing to her in the months and years ahead.

Happy first 10th to my lovely wife!

- Mike

Fishing or actually catching? Taking it to the next level - Part 1

Fishing can be a very easy past time.  You put a lure on your line and throw it in the water.  

For many fishing means putting a bobber and a worm on your line, throwing it in the water and waiting.  This is nice for that person who needs a stress reliever and is tired from working hard.  For those of us who work hard at sitting in an office chair, we need something more physically challenging.

Enter the sport of catching fish. This concept takes fishing to a completely different level that requires us to use our brains and try our best to outsmart a fish.

In this multi-piece article I will share with you some of the ways I find fish. If you are an armchair-fisherman and you want to take your game to the next level, the info here should help you do just that.

Choosing a kayak - Update

So as many of you know, my wife and I are selling our house.  It goes up for sale today with a realtor.  If all goes as it normally does we should be seriously kayak shopping within a month.

I've still yet to ride a Coosa HD, but I've had one offer so far to meet up with someone to try it out.  I've also got some idea of trying out an ATAK by Wilderness Systems.  Seems like a pretty nice kayak.

Jackson Coosa HD or Feelfree Lure 13.5?

Somebody help me please!!!  

Choosing a Kayak and Austin Canoe & Kayak Demo Days

So you're getting ready to buy a kayak for fishing and you don't know what to get or what features are important.  Well, I don't profess to know everything about the subject, but I recently went to the Austin Canoe & Kayak Demo Days in Austin and got to ride on some of the best kayaks out there.  I'll see if I can accurately recount my experiences here.

Announcing RVFishingSites.com - a place where RV and Fishing come together

Howdy folks!  We want to announce that we are starting up a new site.  This is why we've been kinda quiet this month.  Well, more on that later.  It's been an exciting month though and hopefully over the next few days I'll get to tell you all about it!

Top-secret Top-water Fishing - when or when not to use? That is the question!

For those of us down south, many of us have been fishing top-water lures for the past couple weeks.
 The weather has warmed up to where the air temperature is higher than the water temperature and the bugs have shown up in force.  For those of you up north, you may still have a few weeks before the water and the air temp starts to warm up enough to really start using top-water lures.

In this article, I'm going to explore some of the concepts of when to use top-water. I'm also going to discuss some of the myths around top-water and why so many fisherman miss out on some fantastic fishing.  At over 5,000 words, this article is quite long, but if you want to explore the world of top-water, you need to read this technical explanation of the empirical evidence I've amassed over the past 4 years.

Coleto Creek Tournament Re-cap and Thoughts

The Coleto Creek Reservoir kayak tournament went pretty well. It was one of the better tournaments I've had since starting KATS.  Though I still didn't limit, I actually caught several fish.

Yak Tribe Tournament almost over!

So the Yak Tribe tournament is almost over.  Any of you who do not know what Yak Tribe is, you need to get over to Yak-Tribe.com and become a member of the group!

Today's IT Related Technology and Fishing

Good morning everyone, I'd like to thank Mike and the GFT team for granting me the opportunity to be a contributor to this blog. Some of you may already know me as I also contribute to my fly fishing blog, Native Waters Fly Fishing (NWFF). Yesterday I published a story/article on NWFF in relation to how IT related technologies have made their way into the old world of fishing. Upon discussing the article with Mike, he wanted me to share it with you all here. I hope you enjoy!

Today's IT Related Technology and Fishing

Part of the fishing experience as a whole is the adventure of scouting for new fishing spots or honey holes as some call them, sharing those spots with your friends (or not) and telling fishing stories.

 I remember as a kid, looking at a map and following a creek to where it seemed to widen then hopping in the Jeep with my Dad to go and find it.. Now we have the luxury of computer mapping systems. This has become much more time efficient with the use of Google Earth or even just basic old Google Maps. Scrolling around on a computerized map has become the way of scouting for many anglers today. You will see screenshots of maps copy and pasted to most any fishing forum now days with lines and circles drawn on them (pencil color of choice: Red) showing you in many cases exactly where to fish!

   It is interesting to see how IT related technology has influenced fishing over the years. The use of fish finders/depth finders, GPS units, phone apps and web-based satellite imagery are standard operating procedure when pre trip planning or while out on water. Now some may harp on the electronic involvement interfering with the wholesomeness of fishing but I have to say, I believe those interested in fishing are more involved in fishing due to the presence of fishing related technology.

   I sit a many of nights looking over Google Earth, chatting on fishing forums, watching fishing tips and tricks on YouTube and planning my next outing. I enjoy actively researching my hobby rather than watching tv any given night. Something I’ve also noticed in many of the fishing forums I’m a member of is the number of first time fishermen asking for advice and making connections in their local fishing communities. I often wonder if these folks would never have had an opportunity to become introduced to the wonderful world of fishing if it hadn’t been for the internet..

  I have to say that I love the influence of modern-day technology as it relates to fishing today.. It maximizes my time on the water in respects to time and productivity. Who can argue with a more a productive time on the water!

 -John

..you can find more about John and Native Waters Fly Fishing using the links below:
  Website Facebook Twitter

House for sale? Huh?

Nope!  We're not moving! The link on the bar above does not mean we are leaving!

Water Wolf by Okuma - A new sponsor of Geeks Fish Too!

I'm pleased to announce that I am now officially pro-staff for Water Wolf. They are relatively new and bring the ability to anglers to record fishing catching video. This video is good enough not just for the replay factor, but also for research purposes - "WHY didn't my bait work properly?"

Keep reading to see some video links to some awesome video!

Houston County Lake Post Mortem

It was a pretty tough day for many folks. The numbers of fish caught were even worse in some ways than the fish caught at Lake Bastrop. Some of the top guys didn't catch any fish worth noting while others who won prizes didn't catch anything last time.  

Next tournament: Houston County Lake

Just in:  Mike and Sarah have registered for the Kayak Angler Tournament Series event #2!

OH... it's ON!

Tournament Synopsis:
This tournament should be more of a level playing field.  The lake is pretty much the same temperature all over the lake due to there not being a power plant.  This means the fish will be more susceptible to weather patterns but should be more evenly spread out over the lake. Slight changes in water temp will be important, but with the warmer weather for this week it could start a feeding frenzy due to the bass feeling the urge to fatten up for spawning.  If this happens it could be a much more interesting event. If the warm weather pattern continues it will make this even more interesting!

Kayak Angler Tournament Series First Round at Lake Bastrop

I never thought I'd do this.  Crowds of people don't usually thrill me and having other people around when I'm fishing is generally annoying, but this time was different!  I was competing in a tournament and my skill was on the line.

Georgetown Mortgage and GeeksFishToo!

It is official!  There's a new team in town and we're going to the Kayak Angler Tournament Series!