I’m staying at a rental cabin on the bay side of Grand Isle.  There’s a nice pier off the back of the cabin so I’ll have easy access to the bay with my kayak.  I plan on carpet bombing the entire island with every bait and lure known to man before I’m done though.

This morning I started fishing the marshes skirting Caminada Bay.  The tide was coming in and I could see dolphins catching their morning meal as the sun started to rise.

I was fishing a Berkley Gulp artificial shrimp off the bottom.

These little fake shrimp were getting me some bites, but I didn’t catch any Speckled Trout of legal size.  I caught three 10 inchers and they all went back to grow some more.

The current was pushing me further into the marshes by mid morning; and the heat and lack of big trout forced me to come in for a water break.  My water break turned into brunch as I sliced up some Boudin sausage with saltines and Tabasco to restore my energy.

I’m going to watch my neighbors catch Blue Crabs off the pier for awhile before I get back to it.  I still have high hopes for a huge fish dinner tonight.

I try not to put money in someone else’s pocket when I can do the work myself though.  This is an easy DIY project that gives you multiple rod holders and an convenient storage tote for all your fishing gear.  Best of all it only costs you a few bucks or a few hours scrounging for materials.

Low cost or scroungeable materials needed:

1. An old milk crate – There is one of these in everyone’s basement.  I think they come with the house.  If you don’t have a basement, your local grocer is your best source.  I bought an extra crate from the grocery for $2.00.
2. 2 inch diameter PVC pipe – I had some of this laying around too, but a 6 foot section of this was $3.00 at the hardware store.
3. Zip ties – Get a big package of these.  The more zip ties the more stable your box will be.

Just cut your PVC pipe into lengths that fit flush with the top edge of your milk crate.  Next zip tie as many of the pieces of pipe to the inside corners and sides of your milk crate as you like.  The 2 inch diameter will accommodate your fishing rods, net handle, or even an umbrella for a little shade.

On the next version of my fishing box I’m going to have two of the pipe pieces placed at an angle so my rods aren’t pointed straight up.  Fishing under a low hanging branch and hearing your rod tips crunch and crackle is about as fun as leaving your antenna up in the car wash.

Just as I was lifting the kayak off the top of the Jeep I noticed a creature I’ve been waiting to see.  With a huge log-like body, long tail, and gapping mouth it was Alligator mississippiensis. The problem was this 8 foot predator was hovering 40 feet off the boat launch.

The other boaters with their high-sided aluminum and fiberglass watercraft weren’t paying the dinosaur much attention.  I was going to be a little bit closer to the action in my sit-on-top kayak.

As I slid my kayak into the lake it was obvious the Alligator’s head sat higher in the water than the top of my bow.  This put all sorts of lovely images of the gator’s mouth chomping on the bow of my kayak in my head.  Or maybe he would just swim along side and give me a playful bump; sending me into the drink with him.

All of this is just irrational fear though and perfectly normal, in fact healthy, when a human being comes in close contact with an animal that could make a meal of him.

There have been no incidence of an alligator attacking a person in the Noxubee Refuge.  No one attempts to feed them, so they maintain their fear of us.  In fact, the commotion of me putting my kayak in and banging my paddle against its roto-molded hull a few times sent the gator on a path straight out of the area.

Spotting an Alligator in the Noxubee Refuge is really a treat.  They are extremely rare this far from the coast.  There are many people who drive for hours just for the chance to see and photograph the gators.  This was my first glimpse, and it was extra special because it was such a close encounter.

Moments like this make me want to invest in better photo equipment.  Digital zoom just doesn’t do this guy justice.

The Manta Ray is so maneuverable I was able to put every cast just where I wanted it.

The groove down the sides of the kayak that keeps your paddle tucked snuggly out of the way when not in use is just amazing. When I used to fish from a sit inside kayak my paddle would roll around on top like it had wheels.  Any fish strike meant the paddle was instantly ejected into the water.  I wrestled these big bass around the lily pads and my paddle didn’t budge from its station.

This was easily the hottest day in my part of the south so far.  It was so hot I could see the water evaporating from this rural Mississippi pond.  The fish had all the shade they wanted underneath the lily pads though…I wish there had been just a little for me.  I went through a whole can of that Coppertone Sport aerosol stuff.

If you want more pictures they’re in the photo gallery.

A standard boat draws to much water to access alot of these secret coves.

I saw several huge fish surface in these backwaters; no luck though.  Next time I’m not leaving without a fish.

I only explored this east side of the lake on this trip; the cypress maze was just to hard to leave behind.  I put more pictures of this trip in a gallery if you want to take a look.

The Noxubee refuge is close enough to me that the commute for early morning hikes and afternoon kayaking won’t kill my gas budget.  Honestly, it would be worth every penny if it were a 3 hour drive away though.

There’s a variety of things to do.  They have trails to hike, lakes to fish, and rivers and creeks to kayak.  Several boardwalks and overlook stations make it a great place for wildlife photography also.  I understand there is a good sized alligator population, so I’ll have my camera at the ready.

Information on kayaking the Noxubee River, which runs right through the refuge, is a little scarce though.  Around here any body of water you can’t traverse with a standard aluminum boat is usually ignored.

You don’t see many kayaks on the tops of vehicles either.  Maybe I can lay the groundwork for the “kayak the Noxubee” movement.

I did a good bit of scouting around the refuge today and put some more pictures in this gallery if you want to take a look.

Deprived of a local kayak shop, my purchase was made without the benefit of putting my hands on the boat.

I depended on the Internet for all the reviews and specs that helped me make my decision.  What really annoyed me was that I could never find more than a few pictures here and there.

Well, here are some up close and personal pictures of the Native Manta Ray 12 fishing Kayak in excruciating detail.  We’ll talk more about this great boat soon.

You can get larger versions of these pictures in this photo gallery .