Item reviewed: Malibu Stealth 12 Condition: New Number of trips used: 6-10 trips Gear Review Submitted by:Just Fish
How it performed: I purchased the new Malibu Stealth 12 after owning an X-Factor and a Malibu Extreme. My plans were to get a smaller kayak for my river trips since I seem to be fishing the river a lot more than the lake and I already have an 09 Ride that goes to the lake with me.
The Stealth is wide and stable for all big guys and is great for kayak fishing. It is shorter than the X-Factor but built with the same design features. The thing that I like the best is the storage capacity that the Malibu kayaks are known for and the new cockpit design is designed so you are able to stand up and fish if you desire.
This past weekend I was called on to host three fine gentlemen from the state of South Carolina on some of our Georgia rivers. Their earlier plans got canceled because of the recent heavy rains in their home state, causing their rivers to be “blown out”. This was an excellent opportunity for me to meet some of my fellow “Riverbassin.com” friends I had yet to meet. The “invaders” were Boyscout (Derek), TygerRiverWalker (Rich), Redfishguide (Jack) and Rich’s dog (Tucker). Derek and I talked on the phone swapping information about the newly planned trip to Georgia like where and when we would meet up to do the shuttle etc. Our Friday morning started out with us meeting at MAC’s Grill in Thomaston to eat a hearty breakfast (grits, eggs, homemade sausage and biscuits). Ummmmmm good!!!! Their excitement level was high and the anticipation of catching some of Georgia’s Shoal Bass was through the roof.
On day #1 we fished the Flint River which is a site for sore eyes and on day #2 we fished the Ocmulgee River which is one of my favorites! Come along with us and share in our adventure! Hopefully you will enjoy yourselves as much as we did! If the opportunity to host some of your Riverbassin.com friends ever presents itself, you need to take advantage of it. The rewards of new friends and the fishing experience together will leave you with life long memories.
People are always asking me what is the best lure to use on the river and it isn’t a simple question to answer. There are just so many variables to consider when choosing a lure, like water clarity, temperature, time of year, current speed etc. What I will try to do is share about my top five favorite river lures that I use at different times of year.
Before I get started I’ll begin by showing you the results of a survey I conducted in the summer of 2007. This poll was asked to river fisherman only and the question was,”What is your top big river bass producing lure?” The results were very interesting and fairly diverse. Continue Reading
People have always asked me how I know if a river is fishable – which basically means that it is clear and low enough to reasonably expect to catch fish, and is safe enough for watercraft navigation. All of this can generally be determined by the river gauges even if you have never been to or seen the river! All you have to do is simply learn how to read the gauge and understand a little bit about what lakes and dams are built for and have to do with the water that comes in from upstream. If there is no dam, it is even easier to read the gauge and figure out what is going to happen from a rain event. Continue Reading
By John Japuntich AKA Sumtershoaliefan
Wading the shoals and fishing for black bass can be one of the most enjoyable and productive methods of river fishing. Whether your quarry is redeye bass, shoal bass, spotted bass, smallmouth bass or even largemouth bass, wading the shoals at certain times of the year can yield big results. Of course, like any other art form, it must be done carefully. Before an angler just jumps right into the shoals, there are several things that should be considered beforehand. Some of the things that bear discussion are safety, equipment, moving through the shoals, tackle and tactics. These may sound like basic items but when looked at closely, these things are essential to a productive outing. Continue Reading
About: Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is the most common and versatile black bass there is. There are two recognized subspecies, the northern largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and the Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus). The Florida version is known to reach bigger lengths and weights. The largemouth bass is considered the most versatile because Continue Reading
Tarpon 120 – This is a very solid kayak that has been around for a while. It was one of the original, most used boats by river fisherman. The popular 140 and 160 versions are commonly used by saltwater and lake fisherman. The brand has been around for a long time and is a proven commodity in the kayak world.
Positives: It is very solid and abrasion resistant to handle more wear and tear than some other brands. Even though it is not really a boat I would endorse standing in, it is still a very stable boat. Continue Reading
Local flow getting boring? Want to branch out and explore some new water? We’ve all been there, and trying to locate some new productive water is really a fun game within the game. In fact, I spent about three years of my life exploring every single river, creek, ditch and trickle that held shoal bass. I struck out many many times when searching for them, but when I hit pay dirt and caught a shoalie in a new place, there was no better feeling. That has to be one of my favorite chapters of my life, because it reminded me of my childhood days where I used to explore the creek behind my house. The only difference was that this time I was exploring drainage’s that spanned hundreds of miles and three states. Exploring new water is what brings that kid out in all of us and keeps the sport of river kayak fishing new and fresh each time. I know I will never get bored of this pastime because there is always something new to see and explore. Continue Reading
Sometimes when people see all the pictures of big bass on RiverBassin.com, they think that river bassin’ is easy and better fishing than their local reservoir, small community lake or farm pond. Truth is, sometimes it can be, and sometimes it is brutally tough, but either way the effort it takes to do it can be physically demanding. The work involved is never mentioned or spoke of through all the nice pictures and it deserves to be. River bassin’ has a lot to do with what suits your personality, because the truth about river bassin’ is that it can be very time consuming and exhausting. Hooking a bass boat to the truck and driving it to the launch is easy. Cranking up the outboard and driving to wherever you want to go on a lake is physically easy. There isn’t too much physical labor involved in traditional boat fishing. River fishing, if done from a boat ramp and traditional boat or jon boat can be similar. Continue Reading
Congratulations to “smfisher,” Alan Richie, who is RiverBassin.com’s basser of the month for June 2009. Smfisher has been a guy that has always been drawn to river fishing and the challenge fishing the flows have over still water. He has promoted the sport of river fishing most of his life through word of mouth and taking people fishing. He also has been working hard to educate people to practice catch and release in order to keep a viable fishing resource in Kentucky.
The nominators are kept anonymous but this is what a fellow river basser had to say about smfisher in a recent nomination submission.
“While I have only known him for a relatively short time I have found him to be a true mentor. He is selfless in opening the world of fly fishing up to others. As well he is a true Continue Reading
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Item reviewed: Malibu Stealth 12
Tarpon 120 – This is a very solid kayak that has been around for a while. It was one of the original, most used boats by river fisherman. The popular 140 and 160 versions are commonly used by saltwater and lake fisherman. The brand has been around for a long time and is a proven commodity in the kayak world.
Local flow getting boring? Want to branch out and explore some new water? We’ve all been there, and trying to locate some new productive water is really a fun game within the game. In fact, I spent about three years of my life exploring every single river, creek, ditch and trickle that held shoal bass. I struck out many many times when searching for them, but when I hit pay dirt and caught a shoalie in a new place, there was no better feeling. That has to be one of my favorite chapters of my life, because it reminded me of my childhood days where I used to explore the creek behind my house. The only difference was that this time I was exploring drainage’s that spanned hundreds of miles and three states. Exploring new water is what brings that kid out in all of us and keeps the sport of river kayak fishing new and fresh each time. I know I will never get bored of this pastime because there is always something new to see and explore. 
Sometimes when people see all the pictures of big bass on RiverBassin.com, they think that river bassin’ is easy and better fishing than their local reservoir, small community lake or farm pond. Truth is, sometimes it can be, and sometimes it is brutally tough, but either way the effort it takes to do it can be physically demanding. The work involved is never mentioned or spoke of through all the nice pictures and it deserves to be. River bassin’ has a lot to do with what suits your personality, because the truth about river bassin’ is that it can be very time consuming and exhausting. Hooking a bass boat to the truck and driving it to the launch is easy. Cranking up the outboard and driving to wherever you want to go on a lake is physically easy. There isn’t too much physical labor involved in traditional boat fishing. River fishing, if done from a boat ramp and traditional boat or jon boat can be similar. 
