Devil’s River Trip #1 by Tray Collins | Mar 16, 2013 | Coosa, Cuda, Fishing, Fishing Reports, Freshwater, Freshwater Fishing | 4 comments I joined my JK teammate Brady Sullivan, his brother, and his friend on a trip to The Devil’s River last weekend. This was my first multi-day river trip; I quickly noticed the difference between the rivers that I’ve fished in Louisiana and a river like the Devil’s. I read a book about rivers before moving to Louisiana that explained how rivers were broken into sections; riffles, runs, and pools. It was a while before I used any of that knowledge on the Tchefuncte and Tangipahoa rivers in south Louisiana. These rivers were so deep that I couldn’t grasp the concept without a visual; I didn’t know how to read the land when I first moved because I was used to fishing oceans where there was no land in sight. It wasn’t until I purchased a depth finder that what I read in the book made sense. It makes even more sense now that I have experienced the gin clear Devil’s river. I experienced pools that narrowed into riffles (rapids), and runs. I hooked into a good fish the last morning of the trip but I didn’t get a good hook set and she spit the hook next to the kayak. Paddling my Cuda 14 through a couple turns was a bit challenging, but I made it happen. This river is hard on kayaks because of its large rocks and sharp limestone, but the two Coosas, Cuda 12, and Cuda 14 performed like any kayak made by a company with whitewater roots should – flawless! Brady planned this trip six weeks before we were to take the adventure and even into the last week the weather looked great. The forecasters began fluctuating rain chances in the last week and predicted high winds. We were spared the rain but the first night was rough, we all had just a few hours of sleep because the tents were being abused by 30+ mph winds all night. Fishing was tough the next couple of days because of a cold front that passed through the first night, but we did catch some fish. Here are a few shots of the better fish we caught: 4 Comments Randy W Horton on March 18, 2013 at 6:09 pm Looks like a great trip! I suggest on your next trip to try the ibis and it will surprise you! The ibis is a people kayak and keeps your dry, warm, and easy to paddle. The so called fishing kayaks are great for your gear but lack the dynamics for a 3 day paddle trip with distance in mind and wont keep you dry when its a bit cold. I have had 20 kayaks in the past year and just bought my second ibis. It took me 20 kayaks to learn that my comfort and ease of paddle was more important than my gears comfort! Reply Tray Collins on March 21, 2013 at 4:09 pm Sounds like the Ibis won over another paddler! We hear it a lot, how the ibis is a great all around kayak thats comfortable, keeps you dry, warm, and has lots of storage space – and its all true! After owning 20 kayaks I’m sure you understand that kayaks are like shoes, you try on a bunch until you find the one that’s right for you, and when you find your favorite pair you wear them until another favorite replaces them. My Cuda 14 has been with me for a while, it is my favorite. Distance hasn’t been a problem for me as I have paddled many single day trips ranging from 8 – 20 miles. The Devil’s trip was a short 15 mile 3 day trip where I packed my tent, sleeping bag, inflatable pad, dry food, clothing, and camping gear inside of the Cuda, while my ice chest with cold food and fishing gear was on the deck. I was very pleased with how well the Cuda performed, it just took a little extra muscle and know how to steer the extra length around quick turns and large rocks. Randy, if you haven’t already, make sure you visit the ibis’ page and leave a review. I’m sure there’s someone researching kayaks that would benefit from the great things you have to say about it. Reply jason hoffman on March 26, 2013 at 4:40 am Nice report! I think you just helped me decide on a Cuda 14. I’ve been on the fence about getting the long version, mainly concerned about its performance on the Devil’s (and similar rivers). Good to know she can handle it! Reply Aaron Hardaway on April 6, 2013 at 3:13 am Fixing to make a trip down the devils in a few weeks. Did you guys put in at Bakers Crossing or SNA? Where did you get out? Thanks, Aaron Reply Submit a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
Randy W Horton on March 18, 2013 at 6:09 pm Looks like a great trip! I suggest on your next trip to try the ibis and it will surprise you! The ibis is a people kayak and keeps your dry, warm, and easy to paddle. The so called fishing kayaks are great for your gear but lack the dynamics for a 3 day paddle trip with distance in mind and wont keep you dry when its a bit cold. I have had 20 kayaks in the past year and just bought my second ibis. It took me 20 kayaks to learn that my comfort and ease of paddle was more important than my gears comfort! Reply
Tray Collins on March 21, 2013 at 4:09 pm Sounds like the Ibis won over another paddler! We hear it a lot, how the ibis is a great all around kayak thats comfortable, keeps you dry, warm, and has lots of storage space – and its all true! After owning 20 kayaks I’m sure you understand that kayaks are like shoes, you try on a bunch until you find the one that’s right for you, and when you find your favorite pair you wear them until another favorite replaces them. My Cuda 14 has been with me for a while, it is my favorite. Distance hasn’t been a problem for me as I have paddled many single day trips ranging from 8 – 20 miles. The Devil’s trip was a short 15 mile 3 day trip where I packed my tent, sleeping bag, inflatable pad, dry food, clothing, and camping gear inside of the Cuda, while my ice chest with cold food and fishing gear was on the deck. I was very pleased with how well the Cuda performed, it just took a little extra muscle and know how to steer the extra length around quick turns and large rocks. Randy, if you haven’t already, make sure you visit the ibis’ page and leave a review. I’m sure there’s someone researching kayaks that would benefit from the great things you have to say about it. Reply
jason hoffman on March 26, 2013 at 4:40 am Nice report! I think you just helped me decide on a Cuda 14. I’ve been on the fence about getting the long version, mainly concerned about its performance on the Devil’s (and similar rivers). Good to know she can handle it! Reply
Aaron Hardaway on April 6, 2013 at 3:13 am Fixing to make a trip down the devils in a few weeks. Did you guys put in at Bakers Crossing or SNA? Where did you get out? Thanks, Aaron Reply
