Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3810 April 26- May 10 2019 | Page 15

Apr 26 - May 10, 2019 VOL.38 • ISS. 10 13 Spotlight On Kayak Fishing... Sponsered by Kayak City in Citrus Heights, CA Kayak City.Com 916.565.1400 I Took The Plunge… By Cal Kellogg No, I didn’t fall out of my kayak! Instead, I finally laid my money down for a product I first saw back in July at ICAST, the big fishing product show in Orlando, Florida. As a result, I’m the proud new owner of an EGO Tackle Box Backpack. The pack is made by the same folks that make those great telescoping EGO nets that have become standard equipment for fresh- water anglers here in California and beyond. Why did I need a backpack tackle box and why am I writing about here in the Fish Sniffer’s kayak column? If you’ve been following this column you know that I fish out of a Hobie Pro Angler 14. Further you also know that my fishing partner is a 65 pound Labrador retriever named Lucy. The rear deck of the kayak belongs to Lucy, so having a crate style tackle storage system strapped down on the The EGO pack’s lower internal back deck of the kayak like a lot of anglers compartment is large enough to run is a no go. hold four 10 x 7-inch tackle storage My tackle storage solution has been to boxes. Right now, Cal is going with carry a backpack pack tethered to the kayak 3 boxes. Note the internal mesh zipper pouch on the inside of the that sits right behind my seat. The location is drop-down panel. perfect and accessing the pack is easy. Photo by CAL KELLOGG, Fish Sniffer The problem is that I hate all the packs I’ve Staff. used. The cheapo Walmart day pack I’ve been running with most recently doesn’t fit my compartment boxes properly. Beyond that, when I’ve actually worn it backpack style at boat ramps and such it just doesn’t ride right. The straps are constantly slipping off my shoulders and I end up getting annoyed. Yes, I’m a pack snob, I own that title. My office is strewn with five backpacks right now that range from high end to super high end, yet I don’t think I’m asking too much of even a low end pack for the shoulder straps to stay in place…’nuff said. The lid of the pack unzips The moment I revealing a large internal pulled the EGO storage area. Photo by CAL KELLOGG, Tackle Box Fish Sniffer Staff. Backpack out of its shipping box and ran my hands over its Krytek camo 1000 denier nylon skin and felt the robust quality of the pack’s shoulder straps, I knew I’d made a sound purchase. The pack has 5 external pockets. Three of them are pouch style pockets that utilize G Hook Style closures and the other two zip shut. The bottom face of the pack zips open, revealing four 10” x 7” compartment boxes. The top of the pack zips open. Inside you find a large internal compart- Here we see Cal Kellogg’s EGO Tackle Box ment. On the top of the pack’s Backpack loaded and ready for action! “lid” there is another zipper that Photo by CAL KELLOGG, Fish Sniffer Staff. opens into a slim pouch where you can store flat compact items and things you want to access quickly. On the outside of the pack there are large expanses of Molle loops where you might attach Molle compatible tool holders and pouches. At this point I’ve only had the pack for about 48 hours. It’s loaded, ready to fish and I’ve attached my tether to it, but I’ve yet to take it out onto the water. I know it’s going to provide great perfor- mance and should I decide to jump on a friend’s boat, I’ll grab my EGO pack and I’ll have everything I need to land trout, kokanee, kings black bass and more! If you’re in the market for a high perfor- mance, high quality fishing pack for traveling, kayaking or bank angling, look no further than the EGO Tackle Box Backpack. You can pick one up via the EGO online store at www.egofishing.com. This is a side view of Cal’s EGO pack. The large lower pocket zips closed while the upper pocket utilizes a G Hook system. Cal is impressed with the robust quality of the pack’s shoulder straps. Photo by CAL KELLOGG, Fish Sniffer Staff. PINS MINNOW SERIES ™ 1946-2019 Our 73nd Year of catching fish! Pins Minnows have been on the fishermen’s list of favorites for over two decades now with no signs of slowing down. It is well known as one of the most effective lures with the most realistic patterns and colors ever made. With new colors and features, the Pins Minnow is out to catch even a wider variety of fish. The Thomas BUOYANT spoon is un-surpassed as one deadly trout and salmon lure! The Buoyant is an erratic-action wobbler that imitates the darting motion of a frantic, fleeing baitfish. This action, combined with jewelry-quality finishes creates a spoon that entices even the wariest of trout and many other types of game-fish into striking. Cast or trolled, deep or shallow, the Thomas BUOYANT has been a favorite of successful anglers for over 70 years! Stainless Steel rings and extra-strong hooks. Yo-Zuri.com 3803 info@thomaslures.com www.thomaslures.com • 1.800.724.6768