Before I begin, let me give full disclosure, I am sponsored by Emotion Kayaks.
On with the show!
I picked up two new Grand Slams from Action Watersports in Auburndale Friday Afternoon. One sandstone in color for Adam and another in Tangerine for me (I like to be seen well in advance of oncoming motorized vessels). Adam and I planned on fishing the Co-op off of Pine Island the following morning...first time fishing there and first time in the new kayak,so it seemed appropriate. The Co-op launch isn't marked on the Calusa Blueway map but is a Lee County Park. Here's directions and info if you're interested:
Once you get onto Pine Island the first main intersection is a four-way stop...that's H Stringfellow Road. Turn left (South) onto H Stringfellow and go about a mile and hang a right (West) onto Maria Drive. Follow Maria Drive to the park entrance. It costs $5 to launch (well worth it for gated security of your car). The park is only open Saturday and Sunday from 6:30am to ??????? (can't remember, d'oh).
Adam's neighbor, Dennis, joined us Saturday morning. Here we are prepping at the launch...we decided to launch at this mangrove opening because the ramp was quite busy......1st kayak on left is Adam's old Fisherman model......in case anyone doesn't know, 4 years of dragging your kayak by the front will wear a hole in the rear at some point. Then you can either melt new plastic over the hole, or get old school ghetto with the duct tape (look under the rear of the Fisherman). The two new Grand Slams are on the right. The rear design of the Grand Slams makes for excellent tracking.....
I've seen some posts with people asking about "big man" kayaks. Adam is 6'5" and runs around 290 (depending on how much extra food a tournament weigh-in has). He was just as impressed as I was with the performance of the Grand Slam.
I'm 6'1" and wish I was 210lbs but I hang around Adam too much...this kayak will perform well no matter a paddler's dimensions.....you can't tell in this picture, but I have a huge grin going while settling in to my delicious new tangerine candy....
The big "V" front of the Grand Slam makes for a VERY quiet approach, it is almost whisper silent. I can't wait to move in on some unsuspecting tailing Redfish without having to get out and wade beforehand!
Adam's Grand Slam is the Angler edition. It comes with two rear rod holders......
and a flip open hatch
I chose the standard model Grand Slam because I plan on some customization. My milk crate has built-in rod holders so no need for them. The rear deck is open and ready for some ideas....possibly a small live baitwell?
The center hatch on the standard Grand Slam is the twist lock style and comes with a removable nylon bag. Works great for my layout so I can get rid of my Otter box and stash the wallet, keys and phone in there (in a sandwich bag though!). Another neat feature is the small runner indentation on both sides...one side for strapping down your paddle, the other side for strapping down your stakeout pole!
The three of us only managed a few trout all day....I will use the old "first time fishing there" excuse. The area around the launch was teeming with beautiful grassflats that extended out to a sandy shelf dotted with several small mangrove islands. We’ll be back for sure to unlock the code of fishy spots!
The fishing was slow out there Saturday, but the kayaks were not! This kayak MOVES! I was able to cover a lot of ground in a short time. Another nice thing is how easy it is to keep the Grand Slam at a comfortable, steady speed. We covered almost four miles and at the end of the day, I felt like hadn't even gone out! I will add one caveat to that, I've been a fishing binge lately....both days of the past 7 weekends 
so I'm in pretty good paddling shape by now.
If you're in the market for a new kayak, I highly recommend a test ride in the new Grand Slam by Emotion Kayaks. If you're near Auburndale, Florida check out
Action Watersports
402 Progress Rd, Auburndale, FL
(863) 967-4148
Owner David Sims is an avid angler and will get you set up not only with the kayak, but just about any accessory you will need to get out on the water. (Thanks again for your excellent service, David!)
To find a dealer near you, use this link http://www.emotionkayaks.com/HTML/Dealers/locations.php
Thanks for reading! See you all out on the water!
