Stevens Creek, Cupertino 4/10

Got my feet wet at 9AM. Took the Flatstalker out on it's maiden voyage http://www.flatstalker.com/

I sat on the removable console that has live-well / cooler and paddled away...and in about 5 minutes, I stood up and paddled along the shoreline for about 5 hours. It's truly amazing how stable and how cool it was to be able to sight fish. I saw a couple of turtles chasing each other in circles and then saw a soft shell turtle swimming around some sunken timber. The water vis was down to 10 feet. I also came across a healthy 4-5 pound LMB and LOT's of BIG CARP (20 pound range). I tried to get the LMB to bite but it simply ignored the only plastic I had on = berkeley saber tail. Being able to see all this from the flatstalker made the day very interesting. Despite the fact that this craft paddles painfully slow - IT'S NOT A KAYAK - as I had to remind myself. Would I use it again? ABSOLUTELY It takes a while to get used to the stability and I did enjoy the fact that I got a full body work out paddling this craft around the lake. I'd like to take this craft in the smaller lakes like Shadow Cliffs or the Forebay and do more sight fishing. I did manage to catch 3 pan sized rainbows in the cove right next to the picnic grounds. I caught and released 'em tossing a rooster tail (yellow coach dog).

Unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera So I have no photos to post. I did meet a nice fella named Jerry (a new NCKA member) at the ramp as I was packing up. Got my feet dry by 3PM and headed to Fisherman's Warehouse to buy my abalone license ($18.00).

One thing I'd like to report to Mr. Roy Sanders (the inventor of Flatstalker) is to maybe add on a retractable skeg to help it track better AND to have an adjustable paddle  so it can be shortened when the user is sitting down. The weight is also an issue but when I met Roy in Santa Cruz last week, he and I hooked up with legendary wind surfer turned pro surfer "Randy French" of Surftech and talked about making the Flatstalker a little lighter   We shall wait and see what the future holds for the flatstalker


If anyone wants to demo a flatstalker, send me a PM.

Joel -

for fly fishing that thing would be the bomb. Nice report and glad you hooked some fish.

Scott

I'm glad you posted.  I drove past SCR after lunch today and saw somebody on a weird thing that looked like a fat surf board with a moulded console...really strange looking.
 
I figured I'd never know what it was but then I saw your post and link....if yours is bright yellow, I saw you about 12:30-ish in the cove between the launch ramp and the picnic area.

There are pics on the flatstalker website showing a trolling motor on the back...looked like a cool combo!
 
I was out that way again late evening (riding shotgun as my oldest kid gets some driving experience in the twisties behind SCR)...saw something rising way back in the shallow end and several rising near the sunken trees.  Wish I could've stopped and chased 'em.
 
Looks like plenty of action available in the evenings as well...
 
Thanks for the report (and for solving the mystery of what that weird yellow thing was I saw earlier).  

Joel -

for fly fishing that thing would be the bomb. Nice report and glad you hooked some fish.

Scott

No doubt

if yours is bright yellow, I saw you about 12:30-ish in the cove between the launch ramp and the picnic area.

Yup, that was me That particular cove holds a lot of trout, epecially when the wind blows into it.

I thought you were pulling a fuzz on us for a minute, Joel, but I see that it was real!  Wow, that's cool.  Bring your camera next time.   

Yup, that was me That particular cove holds a lot of trout, epecially when the wind blows into it.

I've also seen the crappie bedding up along the steep walls near the corner of the picnic area's parking lot (below the handicap spaces).
 
I've caught bluegill right there from shore while they were hanging out waiting for the crappie to create lots of tiny swimming food (crappie spawn before bluegill from what I've read...and the bluegill know the baby crappie are good eating).
 
I've seen trout cruise by while chasing the bluegill but it was always one at a time.  It's good to know there are usually more...  
 
The bluegill there are small though...here's a shot of one from that spot a couple years ago (early May 06)...
 

Hi Mooch...nice to meet you at SCR today. When I first hit the parking lot I saw a truck with a NCKA sticker on it, and I glanced towards the water looking for a kayak. I saw you standing on the Flatstalker and thought to myself, "Well, that's not a NCKA member." As it turned out it was a member with over 8000 posts. So much for my judgment.

And thanks for the stickers. Tomorrow I'm going to clean the grime off a 5 x 5 inch section of my car and put it on. If any NCKA folks see a somewhat beat up and unwashed VW Golf with a 25 square inch clean patch on it in the SCR parking lot that's me.

Gerry

Joel,

Yep, that's the boat I thought you were talking about when you called yesterday. Though for some reason I thought it was normally poled, and not paddled. With its dimensions and weight, I can see how it wouldn't be the speediest boat in the fleet. But it does look like a very good way to inexpensively get into flats fishing. Especially with an electric trolling motor to help you get out and back.

I don't suppose you've taken out a standup paddleboard for a fishing trip have you? I haven't tried one myself, but could see how one could make a decent fishing craft out of one with just a Plano tacklebox/rodholder combo, some padeyes and some bungie cord.

Scott

I don't suppose you've taken out a standup paddleboard for a fishing trip have you? I haven't tried one myself, but could see how one could make a decent fishing craft out of one with just a Plano tacklebox/rodholder combo, some padeyes and some bungie cord.

Scott

I have a stated goal to catch a chinook off a SUP at Moutcha this year.  But first I need to get the paddleboard.  I tried one last summer and determined for my hieght/weight, I need an XL.  Holding my balance on a smaller one was much more difficult that I imagined.

-Allen

Mooch, always enjoyed your articles but you were missing for a while here, posting that is.  good to know the vets. are still out there

Joel -

for fly fishing that thing would be the bomb. Nice report and glad you hooked some fish.

Scott

One cool thing too is the electric trolling motor mount. It's a unique fishing platform... interesting!

LL

Mooch, always enjoyed your articles but you were missing for a while here, posting that is.  good to know the vets. are still out there

Thanks bradah  I try to get out as much as I can but this year I plan to concentrate more on the kayak-spear fishing thing

"Year of the Spear" 

Yup, that was me That particular cove holds a lot of trout, epecially when the wind blows into it.

I've also seen the crappie bedding up along the steep walls near the corner of the picnic area's parking lot (below the handicap spaces).
 
I've caught bluegill right there from shore while they were hanging out waiting for the crappie to create lots of tiny swimming food (crappie spawn before bluegill from what I've read...and the bluegill know the baby crappie are good eating).
 
I've seen trout cruise by while chasing the bluegill but it was always one at a time.  It's good to know there are usually more... 
 
The bluegill there are small though...here's a shot of one from that spot a couple years ago (early May 06)...
 

Bass food!

Bass food!

 
 
I think the one in the pic I posted would barely count as snack food...maybe their equivalent of an after-dinner mint...

What!  Say it isn't so Mooch...