Hat Mounted Kodak Playsport Camera

As a birthday gift this year I was lucky enough to receive a Kodak Playsport camera. It was given to me with the intention of it being my go-to camera for all of my outdoors adventures. The main reason being that it is waterproof and shock resistant, two very important qualities for what I will be putting it through.

The primary function I am using this camera for is capturing high quality still photos to document my catches as well as to share on this blog. Already I have been pleased with that aspect of the camera as you can see with these stills.

The main draw of this camera to the average consumer however is the capability to take HD video. I wasn't quite sure how to take advantage of this feature on my kayak as my hands are always occupied with either a pole or a paddle. Obviously I would need a mount if I wanted to shoot film. After some tinkering and a $1.50 trip to the hardware store, I was able to modify an old ball cap into a hands free camera mount.

A 1/4x20 threaded bolt, two fender washers, and a nut to match. I chose stainless since it will be inherently exposed to saltwater. With the size and shape of the playsport, it will definitely take some getting used to as far as the proper angle to hold my head to capture what exactly I want the camera to see. Today was the first trial run and I was lucky enough to have a snook guest star in my first short film.

 

As you can see I did have a tough time aiming the camera where I wanted to, but I assume with some practice it will become second nature. I have also been toying with an old monopod, mounting it in my milk crate behind me in the kayak for an interesting perspective. My ultimate goal is to be able to accumulate a series of video highlights to string together with still photos each year as a sort of digital scrapbook of my fishing trips. I hope this post was informal and if anybody has any experience with camera mounting for kayak fishing please feel free to share!

A Day of Firsts

For the first time since January, I was able to take my kayak on a fishing excursion. For the first time in saltwater, I brought my 8 wt TFO BVK along for the ride. For the first time ever, I caught a saltwater fish on the fly. For the first time this year, I caught a redfish. Firsts all around. And hopefully many seconds to follow.

I nicknamed this fish the Gargantuan. I must have looked like a lunatic celebrating the catch and release of a piece of "bait." My first salty species on the fly, and hopefully the first of many.

My first saltwater game fish on a fly, although this one didn't play that game too hard.

I switched over to spinning gear once my arm became tired and my fly casting mechanics began to suffer. A few more trout fell for my soft plastic offerings, but none of them were of very impressive stature. This redfish that barely cleared the 20 inch mark turned out to be the highlight of the day. My first redfish of 2012, and in all honesty, my first fish of 2012 that was a worthy opponent for the drag on my Stradic.