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The Comprehensive Aid
The book Monster Maps and More uses Google Earth images overlaid with jpegs as templates for documenting the precise locations where Captain Kev and his clients and partners have caught big trout all over Baffin and the ULM.
I recently finished
production of the most complete and detailed fishing information package I've
ever created. Five separate components combine to form the Comprehensive Aid
to Fishing Baffin and the Upper Laguna Madre. Ideally, the parts work together as a unified and educational whole,
one which will enhance users' abilities to catch more and bigger trout in these
waters, while navigating them safely.
The first, and arguably most valuable, portion comes in the form of a generic SD card containing the GPS data I use on a daily basis. My GPS file contains over 350 waypoints, most of which lie in Baffin Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre. I have spent a decade and a half accumulating the data in this file. It contains many productive fishing spots, anchoring sites, pathways to use to access areas and obstructions to avoid. Anyone hoping to gain a more complete knowledge of navigating and fishing the Baffin/ULM system can benefit greatly from the use of this data.
I have no GPS data west of Black Bluff on the south shoreline of Baffin, nor any in Cayo Del Grullo and Laguna Salada. My data covers the area from the JFK Causeway to the Land Cut, the eastern half of Baffin, and Alazan Bay. I also have a considerable number of waypoints and tracks in Nueces Bay and Corpus Christi Bay.
I generally break my waypoints into three categories, using icons to place them: fishing spots (fish icon), anchoring sites (anchor) and hazards (skull). I use Track Lines as my "roads", traveling on them most of the time, especially in treacherous areas or in dangerous navigating conditions, like darkness and/or fog. All the tracks in my GPS data file are Active Tracks. I keep my Active Track feature turned off unless I am making a line to use later as a road.
Users of this product will have to make a choice about whether to keep their own Active Tracks or delete them before installing my data. One option is to convert all useful portions of Active Tracks as Saved Tracks before deleting the Active Tracks. The user will need Garmin's Homeport installed on their computer to do this. I recommend anyone purchasing this product who uses a Garmin device to install Homeport in their computer; it is free. I advise Lowrance and Magellan users to install the brand-specific software intended for use with the data on their computers.
In order to enhance the ability to use the information, I've generated a spreadsheet listing and describing pertinent facts related to each of the waypoints in the file. I have set up the spreadsheet to list the name (or number) of the waypoint, the icon used with it (if any), the lat/long coordinates, and most importantly to the user of this product, a brief description of why I have it in the database, and/or how to best use it to maximize angling efficiency.
If the waypoint is an obstruction, the remark might be as simple as the word rock, or junk. If it is a fishing "sweet spot," the layout of the bottom might be described. If it's an anchor site, the remark might say "wadeable only on tides of 13.4 or lower" or "work southwest toward the dropoff of the sandbar, which runs east/west." All the remarks are intended to aid the user of the GPS data in maximizing productivity when fishing.
Additionally, I've created a written document explaining how best to use the track lines in the data file. This document contains discussion of the issues related to various track lines, giving advice for safest and most efficient use of them. It identifies areas where the tracks pass close to major obstructions, mentions places where they pass over shallow spots and provides advice about which ones are safe to use on plane and which are intended for use at idle speed. I generated this document to help members of my Lucky 7 Club, and they have found it quite useful. Everyone who purchases this product should take the time to read and study the document, cross-referencing the text with what they can see on their GPS/computer screens.
Taking one more step in the direction of completeness, I produced a DVD which provides a backup to parts of the spreadsheet and document describing use of track lines. I give on-the-water views of some areas, and use images of me at the computer screen to make important points about the GPS data, how it can help the angler, and how it could create danger for a sloppy user. For a visual learner, the DVD might be a more effective tool for mastering the safe and efficient use of the data, but it should not be used in place of or without the other two documents.
The last (some might argue "best") piece is a copy of my Monster Maps and More book, comprised of over 100 pages of full-color graphics and text. I originally created this book in 2011, using Google Earth images overlaid with pictures, text and GPS data, to document the locations where I and my customers/partners have caught trout in excess of 27 inches throughout the Baffin/ULM system. I've updated the book since then, using new pages printed and inserted loosely. The book includes not only the images, but also written discourse related to the memorable catches made at the sites shown throughout the pages, offering advice on the best times to fish the areas, conditions conducive to catching there, techniques and even preferred lures.
The book includes a list of specific lures used to trick the really big fish referenced in the records and a portion of the spreadsheet which is part of this product package. Someone who reads and studies this book and cross-references the information it provides with the waypoints contained in the GPS file should gain insight about when and how to fish the areas covered in both. I've previously sold this book exclusively as part of a seminar, and have a limited number of copies to sell as part of this product. The cost of the book/seminar has been $500.
My Comprehensive Aid to Fishing Baffin and the Upper Laguna Madre certainly represents a long career of work and couldn't have been created without a lifetime of experience on the water. As such, it carries special significance to me, and I'm sensitive to my rights to the intellectual property as its owner. Generally, expert fishermen have tight lips. Most would not release so much data; some would assert the act represents a form of blasphemy.
I look at it differently. I don't mind sharing specific, detailed knowledge about what I've learned and experienced, provided I'm compensated properly, and that the anglers using the data do so respectfully and ethically. I will make all purchasers of the product sign a disclaimer, in which they fully acknowledge the product is my intellectual property, meaning they agree not to share the information with others in any manner which might compromise its integrity. Furthermore, by signing the disclaimer, those purchasing the aid will release me from all liability related to its use.
Navigating the waters of Baffin Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre remains a treacherous prospect, even with the seemingly magical tools we have available today. To this moment, I continue to find obstructions in areas I frequent, ones which I've been lucky to avoid in some cases. No one could possibly claim to know everything about these waters, nor could they invent a product which would make navigating them 100% safe all the time. I stand by my claim that this product will, however, allow its user to access the areas it covers in a reasonably and acceptably safe manner.
Furthermore, a studious angler who uses this resource as a tool for making decisions should, over time, become more proficient at catching some of the large speckled trout which make these bodies of water famous. As I stated above, I am glad these statements ring true, not because I want to "give away" secrets, but because I expect to be compensated adequately for selling valuable information.
I offer this detailed and thorough set for $999, if the purchaser agrees to pay me by check or cash. I have also created buttons for purchasing it through my two websites, www.CaptainKevBlogs.com and www.FishBaffinBay.com. Price when purchased through PayPal with a credit card is $1029. Those who wish to purchase the Comprehensive Aid to Fishing Baffin and the Upper Laguna Madre should contact me before submitting payment, either by emailing [email protected] or calling 361-688-3714. Anyone who wants to learn more about the product can check the blogs page of CaptainKevBlogs.com or contact me with any and all questions related to it.
The first, and arguably most valuable, portion comes in the form of a generic SD card containing the GPS data I use on a daily basis. My GPS file contains over 350 waypoints, most of which lie in Baffin Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre. I have spent a decade and a half accumulating the data in this file. It contains many productive fishing spots, anchoring sites, pathways to use to access areas and obstructions to avoid. Anyone hoping to gain a more complete knowledge of navigating and fishing the Baffin/ULM system can benefit greatly from the use of this data.
I have no GPS data west of Black Bluff on the south shoreline of Baffin, nor any in Cayo Del Grullo and Laguna Salada. My data covers the area from the JFK Causeway to the Land Cut, the eastern half of Baffin, and Alazan Bay. I also have a considerable number of waypoints and tracks in Nueces Bay and Corpus Christi Bay.
I generally break my waypoints into three categories, using icons to place them: fishing spots (fish icon), anchoring sites (anchor) and hazards (skull). I use Track Lines as my "roads", traveling on them most of the time, especially in treacherous areas or in dangerous navigating conditions, like darkness and/or fog. All the tracks in my GPS data file are Active Tracks. I keep my Active Track feature turned off unless I am making a line to use later as a road.
Users of this product will have to make a choice about whether to keep their own Active Tracks or delete them before installing my data. One option is to convert all useful portions of Active Tracks as Saved Tracks before deleting the Active Tracks. The user will need Garmin's Homeport installed on their computer to do this. I recommend anyone purchasing this product who uses a Garmin device to install Homeport in their computer; it is free. I advise Lowrance and Magellan users to install the brand-specific software intended for use with the data on their computers.
In order to enhance the ability to use the information, I've generated a spreadsheet listing and describing pertinent facts related to each of the waypoints in the file. I have set up the spreadsheet to list the name (or number) of the waypoint, the icon used with it (if any), the lat/long coordinates, and most importantly to the user of this product, a brief description of why I have it in the database, and/or how to best use it to maximize angling efficiency.
If the waypoint is an obstruction, the remark might be as simple as the word rock, or junk. If it is a fishing "sweet spot," the layout of the bottom might be described. If it's an anchor site, the remark might say "wadeable only on tides of 13.4 or lower" or "work southwest toward the dropoff of the sandbar, which runs east/west." All the remarks are intended to aid the user of the GPS data in maximizing productivity when fishing.
Additionally, I've created a written document explaining how best to use the track lines in the data file. This document contains discussion of the issues related to various track lines, giving advice for safest and most efficient use of them. It identifies areas where the tracks pass close to major obstructions, mentions places where they pass over shallow spots and provides advice about which ones are safe to use on plane and which are intended for use at idle speed. I generated this document to help members of my Lucky 7 Club, and they have found it quite useful. Everyone who purchases this product should take the time to read and study the document, cross-referencing the text with what they can see on their GPS/computer screens.
Taking one more step in the direction of completeness, I produced a DVD which provides a backup to parts of the spreadsheet and document describing use of track lines. I give on-the-water views of some areas, and use images of me at the computer screen to make important points about the GPS data, how it can help the angler, and how it could create danger for a sloppy user. For a visual learner, the DVD might be a more effective tool for mastering the safe and efficient use of the data, but it should not be used in place of or without the other two documents.
The last (some might argue "best") piece is a copy of my Monster Maps and More book, comprised of over 100 pages of full-color graphics and text. I originally created this book in 2011, using Google Earth images overlaid with pictures, text and GPS data, to document the locations where I and my customers/partners have caught trout in excess of 27 inches throughout the Baffin/ULM system. I've updated the book since then, using new pages printed and inserted loosely. The book includes not only the images, but also written discourse related to the memorable catches made at the sites shown throughout the pages, offering advice on the best times to fish the areas, conditions conducive to catching there, techniques and even preferred lures.
The book includes a list of specific lures used to trick the really big fish referenced in the records and a portion of the spreadsheet which is part of this product package. Someone who reads and studies this book and cross-references the information it provides with the waypoints contained in the GPS file should gain insight about when and how to fish the areas covered in both. I've previously sold this book exclusively as part of a seminar, and have a limited number of copies to sell as part of this product. The cost of the book/seminar has been $500.
My Comprehensive Aid to Fishing Baffin and the Upper Laguna Madre certainly represents a long career of work and couldn't have been created without a lifetime of experience on the water. As such, it carries special significance to me, and I'm sensitive to my rights to the intellectual property as its owner. Generally, expert fishermen have tight lips. Most would not release so much data; some would assert the act represents a form of blasphemy.
I look at it differently. I don't mind sharing specific, detailed knowledge about what I've learned and experienced, provided I'm compensated properly, and that the anglers using the data do so respectfully and ethically. I will make all purchasers of the product sign a disclaimer, in which they fully acknowledge the product is my intellectual property, meaning they agree not to share the information with others in any manner which might compromise its integrity. Furthermore, by signing the disclaimer, those purchasing the aid will release me from all liability related to its use.
Navigating the waters of Baffin Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre remains a treacherous prospect, even with the seemingly magical tools we have available today. To this moment, I continue to find obstructions in areas I frequent, ones which I've been lucky to avoid in some cases. No one could possibly claim to know everything about these waters, nor could they invent a product which would make navigating them 100% safe all the time. I stand by my claim that this product will, however, allow its user to access the areas it covers in a reasonably and acceptably safe manner.
Furthermore, a studious angler who uses this resource as a tool for making decisions should, over time, become more proficient at catching some of the large speckled trout which make these bodies of water famous. As I stated above, I am glad these statements ring true, not because I want to "give away" secrets, but because I expect to be compensated adequately for selling valuable information.
I offer this detailed and thorough set for $999, if the purchaser agrees to pay me by check or cash. I have also created buttons for purchasing it through my two websites, www.CaptainKevBlogs.com and www.FishBaffinBay.com. Price when purchased through PayPal with a credit card is $1029. Those who wish to purchase the Comprehensive Aid to Fishing Baffin and the Upper Laguna Madre should contact me before submitting payment, either by emailing [email protected] or calling 361-688-3714. Anyone who wants to learn more about the product can check the blogs page of CaptainKevBlogs.com or contact me with any and all questions related to it.