Night fishing on Boone Lake

It had been a long time since I had done much fishing aside from trout fishing.  As a kid I spent countless nights on the banks of rivers and lakes around Gastonia, NC fishing for catfish with my parents.  I have many fond childhood memories of those nights.  Then while serving in the US Navy during the mid to late 1990s I was stationed in Norfolk, VA.  I was lucky enough to have my sister and brother-in-law living close by.  My brother-in-law and I fished the coastal waters of VA and NC every chance we got.

So in hopes of allowing my own children to create some of those childhood memories of their own, my wife and I decided to plan a night fishing trip with the kids.  We took the three oldest of our children, leaving our youngest with my wife's parents and headed to Boone Lake after I got off of work Friday evening.

The TWRA, Johnson City Parks and Recreation and other donors have built a very nice fishing pier on Boone Lake at Wing Deer Park in Johnson City.  I don,t know the exact length but I would say it is several hundred yards long and runs from the park, under Bristol Highway to the TWRA boat access.  In the center is a very nice and quite large gazeebo.

We got to the lake around 7:00 PM and set up under the bridge.  We fished there for a couple of hours with little success.  Jordan and Colton did catch several bluegill while wondering up and down the pier.  As dark approached, the people that had been fishing in the gazeebo headed out so we decided to move into it.  There was a little rain coming so it all worked out for the best. 

Things didn't pick up until around 10:30 or so.  I wouldn't exactly say that we had a hot night of fishing but did have fun.  We wound up catching one small catfish, about 12 inches long and three striped bass, each about 10 - 12 inches long.  Everyone seemed to have a great time, even Misty, who didn't fish.  I definately think we will have to do it again sometime soon.  It may not be as much fun as kayaking but it was good to get out with most all of our kids. 

⇒ Click here for an album of pictures from the trip. ⇒ Click here for a slideshow of pictures from the trip.

Above the pictures from the trip and a slideshow of those pictures.

Kodak Easyshare Sport C123

Let me start by saying what I was looking for in a camera.  I wanted a camera that would obviously take above average photos, was waterproof, compact, yet buttons were easy to get to with wet cold fingers, had the ability to do video and was not too expensive.  The expensive part was the most critical for me.  There are plenty of cameras out there that I looked at online and in stores that met all of the above but were a little too pricey for me.  Price was such a major concern for me due to the fact that where this camera will be primarily used there is a better than average chance of it getting lost at the bottom of a river or lake.  I would much rather spend a little less on a camera and have to replace it due to loss than have to replace one that cost several hundred dollars.

That being said so far this camera has worked out very well for me.  The camera in question is the Kodak Easyshare Sport C123.  This camera was bought for me as a birthday present from my wife so that I could have a camera other than my cell phone while kayaking, fishing and doing whatever else we might do while outdoors. 

The camera came in the package with a standard wrist strap, USB cable, 2 AA batteries and user manual.  Unfortunately it did not come with a SD card or a floating wrist strap as some did.  I picked up a 4 GB Sandisk SD card for about $12 along with the camera and plan to get one of the floating wrist straps at some point.  Here are some of the specifications for the camera from the Kodak website:

Effective Pixels - 12MP (4026 x 3026)
Zoom - 5X Advanced Digital
Display - 2.4 in. 112K TFT color LCD
Dimensions - 3.6W x 2.6H x 1.2D
Weight - 6.2 oz with batteries and SD card

You can find the full specifications on the Kodak site at the link above.

The first time the camera was used was by my wife on our kayaking trip last week.  We were on the water for about 6 - 7 hours and over 180 pictures were taken.  The camera performed remarkably with no problems at all.  The pictures turned out great and some can be seen in my Kayaking Photo Album.  I was very impressed with how well the camera took action photos.  Several pictures my wife took of Jordan fly fishing caught the rod in motion with no blur or anything.  She also snapped a picture of some geese taking flight that looked like they just froze in midair. 

The camera buttons were very easy to get to even with my larger hands.  There are not a lot of buttons on the camera to push which is a bonus in my opinion, especially how this camera is used.  It was easy to use and the menus were not over loaded with too many features to make them hard to get around in. 

The LCD stayed clear all day even with the heat of the sun and cold temperatures of the water.  It was also very easy to make out the display in the glare of the sun.  I was very impressed by this as most electronics like cell phones and such are next to impossible to read in the glaring sun.

The camera didn't spend a huge amount of time in the water but it was splashed several times and hanging from my wife's PFD it was submersed a few times when she got out of the kayak.  I also intentionally dipped it a couple of times just to see how it would react.  It never appeared to get any water or condensation into the camera itself.

One thing of note that the camera does that I have yet to try out is take underwater pictures.  There is a mode just for this.  I have read a few things online about this mode that says it works quite well.  Although we never used this option it does take pictures looking into the water quite well for not having a polarized lens. 

The only draw back that I found to the camera was the battery life.  As I said earlier the trip lasted about 6 - 7 hours and a little over 180 pictures were taken.  By the end the battery meter was showing half way.  this was with turning the camera off and on quite often.  I am sure that uses quite a bit of battery life so I will have to try it some time with just leaving it on the entire trip.

Overall I am very pleased with this camera.  At a price of about $70 it is well worth every penny.  There are better out there I am sure but at a much higher cost.  I would highly recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for one with uses much like my own.

Trip down for my birthday

My wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday so I told her that all I wanted was two things.  The first was a new waterproof camera to take kayaking with me and for her to go down with me and Jordan.  So Saturday morning we set out from our normal put in below Siam Bridge.  Jordan and I were doing a little fishing as normal and Misty was was just there to enjoy the float and take some pictures with my new camera.

We started out slow letting her get used to the kayak.  She had only been in the kayak once before at Watauga Lake and that was only for a few minutes.  She was nervous but settled in fairly quickly.

We made most of our normal stops to do some fishing and to let Misty put her feet on dry land a little.  For some reason I wasn't catching any trout at all.  In fact I didn't start catching any until about half way through the trip.  That was alright though because it gave me a little more time to spend helping Misty get used to the water and Jordan was catching plenty for the both of us.

I will say this about Jordan.  He has been using his fly rod a lot while we float the river here lately and has gotten very good with it.  It's impressive to see how good he has gotten in such a short amount of time.  That boy loves fishing!

We stopped about half way at Hunter Bridge for a quick lunch.  Jordan and I took a quick dip in the water to cool off.  We tried to get Misty to get in but she complained about it being being too cold.  That's a woman for ya!

We had a great day and I think Misty really enjoyed it.  I was glad that she decided to go down with us.  I had been trying to get her to go with us since we first started last summer.  She had a lot of fun with my new camera also.  She wound up taking over 180 pictures with it.  I will have to do a write up on the camera later on.

Overall Misty did real well on her first trip down Watauga River.  She never dumped the kayak a single time.  I can't wait until the next time she decides to make a float with us.  I might even have to get her fishing license and make her start fishing some. 

We finished up the trip getting out at the bridge in lover's lane.  It was a wonderful day on the water and I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present.

Siam Bridge To Lovers Lane

Another trip down Watauga River

We set out a little before 9:00AM on Saturday morning to do a little fishing on Watauga River.  It was pretty overcast to start out the morning but I had checked the weather and it was supposed to be a nice day.  The fishing finally seems to be picking up as right off we started catching some trout.  Supprising though not many others were on the water this far up river.

We continued down river with out much happening.  In one of our favorite holes just below where Stoney Creek joins with Watauga River, Jordan caught his first trout using his fly rod.  It wasn't much of a trout but as we always say "A fish is a fish".  He finished the hole by catching 2 more off of his fly rod.  I spent a good bit of the time helping him and even caught a decent little rainbow with Jordan's fly rod while showing him how to cast a little better. 

We still hadn't seen anyone else on the river until we got to Hunter Bridge.  There were half a dozen people wade fishing in this area.  Once we got down past this section we did have a group of kayakers come down behind us.  They weren't fishing but were out just enjoying the river.  They were going fairly slow so we stayed fairly close to them for the rest of our trip down river.  We also met up with another group of two kayaks and 4 guys on pontoon float boats.  I am still amazed at the lack of people who kayak fish on the Watauga River. 

We had a great day on the water and the fishing turned out to be one of the better times we have this summer.  Can't wait to get out next weekend if the weather permits.

Watauga River, Siam Bridge To Blackbottom

Here is the track for the trip.

Watauga River Information

I felt it was time to add a little bit of information on where we kayak and fish. We spend the majority of our time on Watauga River in Elizabethton, TN. Although Watauga River starts in North Carolina, my only experience is with the sections within Carter and Washington Counties of Tennessee. The river starts as it flows out of Wilbur Dam and flows for approximately 20 miles until it converges with Boone Lake. There are two sections that we primarily float. The first section, which I refer to as upper section is approximately five and a half to six miles long. It starts just below Siam Bridge and stops at Riverside Park at the Elizabethton Twins ball field. The second section is the trophy section and starts at Riverbend boat ramp and stops at the CSX railroad bridge in Watauga, TN and is approximately four to four and a half miles long.

Watauga River is kept in the low to mid 50s all summer long due to the release of water from Wilbur Reservoir. During the summer kayak and rafting season the Tennessee Valley Authority maintains a fairly consistent generation schedule that can be found HERE with daily release info found HERE.  Normally you can expect the generation to begin between noon and 1:00PM, Monday through Saturday with Sunday being free from generation.  These times are subject to change if power is needed so always check the daily release information.

The river conditions themselves are fairly mild even for the new paddlers.  We were able to paddle the river, under generation our first time down with no experience at all with no problems.  When not generating, which is the best time to fish the river, it is a very easy and relaxing trip.

Siam Bridge to Riverside Park (Upper Section)
On the upper section there are no areas that would give any concern as long as you pay attention.  As with any thing done on moving water you need to always take caution and be prepared for accidents, however as long as you stay alert it is a great river to float and fish.  Our first few times down we did take a couple of spills due to getting caught on rocks and then getting the kayak turned in awkward positions.  None of these resulted in more than getting wet and having to drag the kayaks to the side to drain water out.  The biggest piece of advice I could give is keep everything you don't want to lease on some sort of leash.  I keep everything from water bottles to tackle boxes on lanyards attached with carabiners. 

Depending on the water level, which varies throughout the summer with rainfall, there are several areas which may or may not require you to have to get out and drag the kayak through the shallows.  The great thing is many of these areas are also nice spots to stop and do a little wade fishing.  There are several areas that are over a persons head but for the most part these sections are very calm and can be paddled through with ease.  Overall the upper section is our go to section for fishing and just plain having fun.  The fishing, even on bad days is excellent, usually resulting in a dozen or more trout being caught between a couple of fishermen.

One of the nicest things about kayaking this section of the river, especially for the inexperienced kayaker is that you are always in sight of houses and normally there are others on the water either fishing or boating.  If something were to happen, help is on hand.  There are several rafting companies located on the rivers edge as you head down river and on more than one occasion the weather has gone bad on us and each we were offered a spot to get off the water at these rafting companies.

Riverbend boat ramp to CSX Bridge (Trophy Section)
The trophy section of Watauga River is about the same as the upper section as far as the skill required to float it.  It is however a little deeper with fewer areas where you are able to get out of the kayak and wade fish.  It is also much more secluded, with areas where if something happened you would pretty much be on your own.

The fishing itself is on par with the upper section, with the main difference being the potential size of the trout.  As per the name the trophy section is stocked with larger trout than other sections of Watauga River.  With this in mind there are a different set of regulations that one must adhere to while fishing this section.  Check the TWRA site for the most current regulations. 

Overall both of these sections are a lot of fun to float and as long as common sense and a little caution is taken then you will have a great time on the water.  There is only one spot that I would not recommend the novice kayaker to attempt and that would be at Sycamore Shoals right before you reach Riverbend.  There is a drop off in the water that I will not even attempt yet.  This is why I do not paddle the short section between Riverside park and Riverbend.  Other than this one section I highly recommend anyone to give this river a shot.  The trout fishing is outstanding, the water relaxing and scenery breathtaking!

Feel free to check out the About Us page for how to contact me if you have questions or would like more detailed information.

Trip to Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Our three oldest kids were out of town on a church trip so Misty and I decided to take Abby down to Gatlinburg, TN for the weekend. While down there we took a drive into the Smokies and headed to Cades Cove. The weather was great albeit a bit on the hot side. This was actually Abigayle's second time in Cades Cove, although her first time she was only a few weeks old. So I guess it had been five years ago give or take a week or so. Needless to say she didn't remember much about it, however if you ask her she will tell you all about her first time there (the one 5 years ago). Got to love the imagination of a five year old.

We spotted quite a few deer while in the cove and even got to see several bear with their cubs. We also hiked out to Abrams Falls which was a first for all three of us. Abby was a trooper and made it the entire 5 miles round trip with minimal complaining.  The hike itself was not the hardest Misty or I had made before but it had been quite a while since either of us had done any hiking.  I will freely admit that we were both wore out by the end and are feeling it today.  It was all worth it however.  Any time spent with the family like that is always worth every moment.  We saw some beautiful scenery and got some much needed exercise to boot.  Who could ask for more?

After the hike up to the falls we went back to the car and found us a nice spot to have a quick little picnic.  After that we finished the loop through the cove and headed back home.  It was a great little vacation and hopefully we will get a chance to do it again sometime soon with the rest of the family.

⇒ Click here for an album of pictures from the trip. ⇒ Click here for a slideshow of pictures from the trip.

Cades Cove Abrams Falls

Here is the track for the hike out to Abrams Falls.

Short trip down Watauga River

We hadn't been on the water the last couple of weekends so Jordan and I got up late Saturday morning and decided to hit the river. We got everything loaded up and set out fron Hunter Bridge on Watauga River. We usually put in farther up river but since it was around noon when we got started and generation was to start at 1 PM we decided to make it a shorter trip.

Right away we started catching fish. There is a great little hole just past the bridge and between the two of us we caught 13 trout out of it. All of them were rainbows between 10 and 14 inches. We moved on to let some of the folks wade fishing get a little action.

The next few holes we normally fish turned out pretty hot just as the first one was. I finally got the chance to snap a photo of a trout as Jordan was getting the hook out. It seems like every time he catches one I am not able to get a picture and it's pretty hard to get a picture of one I have caught.

We didn't make it far down the river though when some storm clouds rolled in on us. We barely got out of the river and had my wife meet us where we were before the rain unloaded. It wasn't a long float but we had a good day anyways.

Short Watauga River Trip

Here is the track for the trip.