Knowing that some of the Paddlefest folks fish from their kayaks on a regular basis, the event coordinators were proactive and thought it would be a great addition to the 4-day event to include a kayak fishing seminar. Some of the other paddlers might be somewhat curious about the sport of kayak fishing so what better venue to introduce it than at a paddling event? Surprisingly, it wasn't as well received as anticipated. Not sure exactly why that was but only approximately five of the overall 90 registrants signed-up for the local fishing seminar and Delores, Janet and Theresa made up 3 of the 5.
Capt. Mark Brady, one of the most knowledgeable fishing guides in the Steinhatchee area, agreed to educate the group on as many local fishing tips and techniques as he could possibly share in the hour he was given.
If there was only one thing Capt. Brady wanted the group to remember when they left his table was the confidence he had in the Live Target brand of lures. He couldn't drive it home strong enough that the mullet replica was his A-#1 go to lure by far, but at a cost of approximately $15 each, you had to be very careful that you don't lose it on a sharped tooth Spanish mackerel or shark.
While break-out sessions were going on over here and over there, the staff at Who Dat Bar & Grille was hustling to get the dining room ready for the onslaught of hungry paddlers. A buffet style dinner was included in the registration fee along with tokens for a few free drinks.
Delores, Janet, Theresa and Yvonne made sure they got there early so they could all sit together, chatting about the various day's events before the rest of the crowd jockeyed for seats.
The Keynote Speaker during dinner was Julie Byrd, Sr. Archeologist for Florida's Public Lands Archaeology at the Bureau of Archaeological Research.
Keeping with the theme of paddling, it was fitting that her topic of discussion was about Native American Dugout Canoes.
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