Oceangrip Deck Padding

I wanted to customize my PA14 a little more beside the regular stuff everyone has on their boats. I wanted to go the route of deck padding and there were two choices guys were using, Seadek and Oceangrip. It seemed Seadek was on a lot more boats but with some research I found some guys who installed the Oceangrip and were happy and they said it was the same as Seadek. My buddy Chris has the Seadek in the Army Camo and is very happy with it.

There was quite a bit cost difference between the two. Seadek costs $150.95 for the front half of the boat and Oceangrip was $130.00 for the entire boat. To me it was a no brainer especially if the padding was the same. Oceangrip also seemed to have more colors already cut and ready to ship then Seadek who only have two colors at the time.

I ended up speaking to a employee of Oceangrip on facebook who answered my questions and I ordered up the full deluxe kit in storm grey. Three days later the padding arrived and I installed it in my shop. Chris helped me, as he had already installed his Seadek, and he said it was pretty much the same products. Fitment was good but some areas it was a hair off, like around the rear hatch. It was fairly easy with tow people and it could be a one person job but the extra hands help, especially with someone who knew what to do.

Overall I am very happy with the product and also it was priced right. It changes the whole look and feel of the Pro Angler and can't wait to bloody it up!

Dry fitting all the pieces

A Bittersweet Day

Today was a bittersweet day. I sold my Hobie Outback, but she went to a good home. I spent the past 3+ years with her and I fished her hard, very hard. From togging bridges, road trips to far away fishing grounds, and catching monster stripers she has never let me down.

But with every door closed and new ones opens and I am happy to say that I am now a Hobie Fishing Team Member! A big thanks to Pat at Jersey Paddler in Brick, NJ for hooking me up with a brand new 2014 Hobie Pro Angler 14 and getting me on the team!

I spent Sunday morning fishing the Manasquan River for fluke and blues with some fellow Googans. Chris and I drove up together and planned on swinging by Jersey Paddler on the way home to say hi. We caught some flatties on bucktails and gulp and a bunch of blues on plugs and poppers, which was a blast. My only regret was not having the GoPro running when a chopper blue jumped at Chris's popper a foot next to his boat!

After the fishing frenzy we stopped by to talk to Pat and he surprised me by saying I will drop the Pro Angler off tomorrow at my shop, unless ya wanna take it now. I said sure! We loaded the new rig up, still in her shiny white bubble wrap and strapped my Outback on top for the half hour ride home.

I got her home and it was time for the unwrapping. It was pretty straight forward and easy to get everything together. The wife and kids were down the street at the lake so going out fishing was out of the question. Next best thing was taking the kids out for her maiden voyage!

Peddling was a dream and I think it was easier then in my Outback. Standing was great too and there was so much room. I am 100% happy with the boat and can't wait to get her slimed up! 

I put the Outback up on a few websites and had some interest in it. It sold 8 hours after I listed it for a price I was willing to let her go for. She was going to a good home to a good fisherman. She has lots of mojo and a ton of fishing left to do with her new owner!

Heroes on the Water - North Wildwood

Many of you may have heard of Heroes on the Water and that I am a volunteer for this wonderful organization. I have met a lot of awesome people, both vets and volunteers, and many of them I fish with on a regular basis. If you have never of hear of HOW, simply put we take vets out kayak fishing. We supply them with a kayak, paddle, safety gear, rod & reel, and all the tackle and bait they will need. They also get lunch, water, snacks and drinks for their day of fishing and everyone helping is a volunteer and everything is 100% free to the vets and their families.

All the gear rigged up

This past Sunday was the first saltwater event of the year. The Kayak Fishing Store in North Wildwood was gracious enough to host us again and Chris and his crew do a  great job. Chris and I left at 5am to head down and arrived around 6:30am or so. There were already a few guys there setting up and prepping kayaks, rods, bait, and lunch. A while later we had our meeting, the vets showed up, and we got everyone on the water.

Chris, Kevin, and I were paired up with the Cooper Family from PA. There were 6 of them and they were a great group and we had tons of fun fishing with them. Brian was the high hook with a 23"er and a short all on a white S&S Bucktail tipped with squid.

Fishing was slow but some fish were caught. Most of were using S&S Bucktails tipped with Gulp, squid strips or mackerel. Everyone had a great day on the water and a few keeper fluke were put in the coolers, but most importantly we got some vets on the water for a day of relaxation.

Kevin, Bob, Me, Chris, and Yim

Dennis and Paul

Congrats to Dennis "Homer" who put the whole event together. He did a fantastic job and put a lot of time and effort into it. Nice job Homer!