Mandatory introduction post!

Hello all - long time lurker first time poster from Bodega Bay/Sonoma Coast.

I grew up kayaking. My dad and a few of his buddies were into freediving abalone, and the kayaks were means to ends. He got me a safety yellow Prowler in 2010 in hopes I'd get into ab diving. It didn't work, a wuss in a cool new yak is still a wuss, but he was a good sport about it and I had fun catching rockfish instead, or just enjoying a paddle. We used to watch the Kayak Fishing Show with Jim Sammons and get pumped up about catching big ones.

It's 2026 now. The doctor likely would not approve of my dad diving or paddling, abalone is closed, and although I have had a few other kayaks and boats through the years, I still keep coming back to the Prowler. Boat engine broke? Yak time. Got invited to a lake house for the weekend? Better throw the yak on the car. College won't let me store a 17' Gregor on premises? No fear, a kayak hidden behind the apartment is here!

I decided this winter it was time to quit fighting destiny. I can cast off a beach, or fish off a boat, but I am a kayak angler, I was from the start, and likely always will be, and although I really like my pedal kayak the Prowler is My Kayak So I decided this winter the Prowler needed a makeover - cut off all the old bungee, deflated seat, and crusty rope, gave her a 303 protectant treatment to bring that new kayak shine back, and re-rigged my kayak to be a tidier, more dependable ocean fisher. The image below is the Prowler rigged for crab & sanddabs, taken by a fellow angler I met at my "home beach" at Doran. 

I look forward to seeing some you on the water - I'm excited to make some more connections, enjoy a good paddle, catch my girlfriend some of her favorite dinners, and document it all so dad can live vicariously through my trips.

I'm also in FnS on Facebook, so if you recognize me from there... 

Party on! And thanks for having me.

- Sam Winglewich

Welcome Sam to NCKA 

Welcome aboard Sam  . Thanks for the nice introduction.

Welcome to NCKA
I still have my old yellow Prowler 13 too.

Welcome to NCKA

Welcome! Hope to see you otw

Great intro!

Let’s go Sam!  Paddle power to da max!

Great intro, Sam.  Welcome to the community.   

Welcome Sam. Hope to see you OTW sometimes.
-Thanh

Welcome! Doran is my "home" location as well! The wife works at Fishetarian so I am out there ALOT! Tight lines and hope to see you out there!