This amazing kite comes to us from the Bali Kite Festival in Indonesia. This seasonal religious festival is intended to send a message to the Hindu Gods to bless the crops and provide an abundant harvest this year. Over 1000 traditional kites were flown during the festival, but only one bad ass shark.
via The Denver Post
I just had one of the most epic adventures of my entire life. The day before Independence Day I set out for a four-day kayak fishing excursion to the Texas coast. I would end up pushing my limits to the max, having a brush with death, and catching some amazing fish in the process. This was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. Here is my story…
I loaded up the kayak and all of my fishing and camping gear and began the long journey from Dallas to Corpus Christi, TX. I arrived after dark and drove along the beach to my campsite. Straight off shore on the horizon I could see the blinking lights of my destination: the Mayan Princess oil rigs. I pitched my tent near the water and climbed in, thinking of nothing but the adventure that lied ahead.
When I awoke the conditions were ideal: the surf was flat, the wind was calm, and the water looked like glass beyond the breakers. I was amazed at the beauty of this place; it was not at all what I think of when I hear “Texas coastâ€. The sand was white, the water green and clear, and hardly any seaweed in sight. At around 7:00 AM the guys I was meeting began to arrive so we loaded up our kayaks and set off into the surf.
The three mile journey to the oil rigs could only be described as pleasant and serene. I saw a piece of trash floating in the water so I pedaled over to grab it and throw it in my kayak. My hand stopped inches above the bag when I realized it was not a bag but a huge Man o’ War. I looked up and realized they were everywhere. Needless to say, I elected not to go for a swim that day.
I was trolling on the journey out, and as I approached the first rig, BOOM one of my reels starts screaming as the line peels off the reel. I grabbed the rod, tightened the drag, and held on for the ride. The water clarity this far out was simply incredible. A half hour into the fight, I looked down and could see a beautiful shade of yellow and gray over 20 feet below me.
I had hooked into a gorgeous Jack Crevalle. This thing put up an incredible fight. I pulled it up into the boat and was grinning from ear to ear. I had landed my first deep-sea fish from the kayak, and it felt amazing.
The Bassassins are back again with another fantastic video. While fishing some of their favourite spots on the Rideau River for bass they hooked into this trophy 47″ musky on a soft plastic! That’s a huge musky on what looks like a medium action spinning rod. Can you imagine the fight?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPYl-ZVa4rM
The weather has been all over the place this summer and that has been moving the water levels up and down in some of our favorite fishing spots. Today we were finally able to hit our home stretch for some bass and ended up with this HUGE surprise in the shallows of the Rideau. She must have been hungry to hit Basstards soft plastic but we won’t complain. PB for the Bassassins at 47″ and a fish we won’t soon forget.
My good friend Phil alerted me to this fantastic swordfish tattoo by artist Matt Adamson. It’s difficult to understand the placement of the tattoo from the photos below but it looks to me like the tops of the shoulders, as if the swordfish has gone through the neck.
Matt is now stationed at Jayne Doe tattoo studio in Essex, and if you’re nearby and looking for tattoos I would definitely recommend you check him out. You can see more of Matt’s amazing work and follow him on Instagram. Another great shot after the break with elements of the original drawing.