RAW H2O

Kayak Fishing RAW's first guest is California native Garth Guessman. Gus will be talking about flying dinosaur like creatures seen by African kayakers and locals. He has been studying about these creatures since the early 2000's and has some amazing storys on how there are more of these things than people realize. 

Our second guest is fishing TV host Chad Hoover. His passion and talent for bass fishing, along with his dynamic personality and desire to share the sport of kayak fishing, has made Chad a leader of the worldwide kayak fishing movement. Chad Hoover is a retired US Navy officer and engineer. He recently authored the book Kayak Bass Fishing, founded KayakBassFishing.com, and is a regular contributor to BassMaster.com.

Kayak Fishing Raw's feature guest will be Florida local diver Frank Ciabattari. Frank will go over the changes he has seen in the Florida reefs over the years and laws that might hurt the local fishing community. Frank has been diving for the past 31 years and was on Fish Tank Kings on the National Geographic Channel. He is known as the Shark Whisperer. Local tournament competitor Art Sapp will also be calling in on the reef issues with some information on these fishing laws so they do not sneak past the public and get passed.

Our second guest will be Nick Weber from Valparaiso Indiana. Nick placed 4th in the 2016 Battle in the Bahamas with a monster 39.1lb Black Grouper. The Grouper was the biggest landed of the Extreme series but its how he caught this grouper that makes for a great story.

Kayak Fishing Raw's feature guest will be Battle in the Bahamas Champ Joe Kraatz, our second guest will be FishBrain US Relations Captain Tom Swick. FishBrain is one of the main sponsor's of the event and were in the Bahamas first hand to see this amazing tournament in action. 

Joe Kraatz won his first Extreme event and took home $10,000.00 donated by main sponsors FishBrain and Turbo USA. Kraatz had an awesome 72.9lbs of fish weighed in over the two day tournament.

Robert Field is a pro kayak angler and videographer. As the owner and producer of YakFish TV, he travels the country attending kayak fishing events and chasing new species to catch from his kayak, everything from sharks to paddlefish to alligator gar. Robert began his offshore fishing in his home state on the Texas coast but has recently begun exploring the waters of southeast Florida as well. Robert has won Video of the Year in the past three consecutive Kayak Angler's Choice Awards, and his film work can be found at www.yakfish.tv. 

Our second guest is Ian Paxton from Romania, he will be talking about anglers seeing UFO's and other weird creatures in Russia from there boats and kayak's. He is currently the editor and one of the writers at ufoholic.com. Trust us, you dont want to miss this guy!

Kayak Fishing Raw's feature guest will be Florida Palm Beach angler Peter Hinck. Pete is an editor for Florida Sportsman and you can find him on YouTube as "Palm Beach Pete". Peter Started kayak fishing 25 years ago in the North George mountains. It was not long before he made his way back to Florida and started fishing offshore off of Palm Beach. It was a time when we never would see another kayak on the water. He started playing with the butterfly jigs when they first came out and found them to be a great way to catch large fish off a kayak. Using a fishfinder with GPS he would target wrecks, ledges and reefs. Pete now fishes offshore on a paddle board & compete's in tournaments like the Extreme Kayak Fishing Tournament. Peter Hinck is also on the Rules Committee for EXtreme Kayak Fishing Inc.

Our second guest is Fishing fanatic Ryan Jones. He grew up near Oklahoma City, where he was honing his kayak fishing skills for over 15 years.  He has spent the majority of this time fishing kayak bass tournaments in Midwest states, chasing smallmouth bass down the Illinois River, and managing two kayak shops specializing in the rigging of customized fishing kayaks. In 2013, Ryan had his first taste of inshore fishing while fishing for redfish and sea trout with Ty Sutherland. Shortly thereafter, Chris Thomas persuaded Ryan to drive 24 hours South to fish the first annual Sailfish Smackdown, where he ultimately landed his first sailfish, took 2nd place in the event, and earned the handle ‘Oklahoma #2.’  But even more so, Ryan, along with his wife Dakota, decided to move to Fort Lauderdale to be closer to his new found sport.  He is currently the Assistant Manager of Nautical Ventures in Dania Beach, specializing in the sales, rigging, and customizing of EKFT kayaks and SUP’s.

Pam Wirth grew up in the Ft..Lauderdale area & Started kayak fishing memorial weekend 2012. She quickly found a nitch in tournament kayak fishing. She got first place in multiple women divisions in Capt. Mels event 2014, 1st woman's Division- longest Red & Capt Mels 2015 & 1st Woman's Division also 2nd biggest trout overall to name a few. She then started to venture offshore and entered the 2015 Sailfish Smack Down, a year later she would grab 3rd place overall in the nations only kayak billfish tournament and was the first angler to land 2 sailfish back to back in one day in the tournaments history. Pam was in the lead with an hour and a half to go until Brian Nelli caught his second sailfish, then Austin Collins ended up winning landing his second of the event. 

Micah Simoneaux will be our second guest, He is with our calcutta sponsor RAILBLAZA who helped create one of the biggest calcutta payouts in EKFT history. We will talk Texas & much more!

Kayak Fishing Raw's feature guest will be the 2016 Sailfish Smack Down Champ Austin Collins! We will also announce the winner of our Limited Edition Hobie Outback! Proceeds are to benefit the Broward Children's Center. 

Austin won $3,000.00 FROM TURBO USA & a Sailfish trophy from our trophy sponsor Global Fishmounts. He beat out anglers from all over the world and came through with the win right at the end when time was almost up. Austin is sponsored by Nautical Ventures, Adrenaline Fishing Custom Rods & RAILBLAZA. He also works for South Florida Kayak Guide.  

The 2016 Sailfish Smack Down had 15 total sailfish landed, (The most ever for the tournament series and for ANY kayak tournament in the world) The anglers went 7 for 8 in the last hour. It was truly an amazing finish.. Listen to find out how it all went down!

California native & kayak fishing journalist Paul Lebowitz will join Kayak Fishing Raw to talk the growth of offshore kayak fishing, kayak drama &  much more! 

Paul has been a kayak fishing journalist since 2002 - He picked it up because many of the great stories and personalities of the sport haven't been properly covered by mainstream media.

He started with a long-gone pulp giveaway named Kayak Fisherman, have had columns at west coast's Fishwrap; glossy regional magazine Pacific Coast Sportfishing; and Western Outdoor News, the country's largest outdoor weekly; and have had stints as editor of North America glossies Kayak Angler and Kayak Fish.

Although Paul has given up keeping track of every great white shark attack on a kayak angler, He used to follow them closely. Paul interviewed and reported on some half dozen great white on kayak shark strikes, and published a series of stories looking at the data. 

Kayak Fishing will also go over some final thoughts on the 2016 Sailfish Smack Down taking place this weekend January 30th & 31st in Pompano Beach, FL. There will also be a surprising guest who has seen a UFO while fishing on a kayak in Michigan.

A San Diego California native and certified fish and game and IGFA licensed guide, Jim Sammons is recognized worldwide as a pioneer in the sport of kayak fishing & has been Involved in the sport of kayak fishing for over twenty years. Jim's list of accomplishments from his kayak are many and include landing the first and still only Marlin from a kayak in California, numerous kayak fishing records, and a kayak caught species list of over one hundred and twenty. Jim is most proud of guiding thousands of new kayak anglers to their first fish off of a kayak, and turning them onto the sport he loves. He has also taken over 40 adventurous kayak anglers to the next level by getting them on their first Marlin from a kayak, while on trips Jim guided in Mexico.

Kayak Fishing Raw's second guest will be Florida native & Extreme weigh master Doug Perez. Doug fishes with Team Young Guns & is a member of the SKA (Southern Kingfish Association) He will be going over the upcoming Sailfish Smack Down in detail about new rigs & tactics for those out of state anglers competing.

Texas native Kevin Kieschnick Director of the popular Blue Water Kayak Classic Tournament & 2015 Sailfish Smackdown winner Jon Venarchick will be talking about sailfish, big kings and tournament information.. 

Kevin Kieschnick started the Blue Water Kayak Classic Tournament in 2011 in Corpus Christi Texas. It is one of the biggest offshore kayak events in the world & has yeilded amazing total weight numbers. 2016 will have the Extreme Kayak Fishing Tournament and the Blue Water Kayak Classic together in Corpus for what is sure to be a instant hit for the city and state of Texas.  

Jon Venarchick is a Pennsylvania native & moved to Naples Florida in 2013. He quickly became a big name in the Florida kayak scene, he is a guide for South Florida Kayak Guide Inc. and has placed in many Extreme Kayak Fishing Tournaments since getting his big win in the 2015 Sailfish Smack Down.