The Kombo Fish Tool

Social media is a great promotional tool for businesses. My career would only be a glimmer of what it is if it wasn't for the reach that social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram provide. Businesses can reach potential and active customers around the world, mostly for free. A classic example is the Kombo Fish Tool. Recently, while scrolling through my Instagram feed, a post by CanadianFishing caught my eye. It was a bright green club-like fishing tool. I was intrigued and after a little investigation I discovered that this tool was a fish club/fillet knife, with a built-in knife sharpener and cleaning spoon.

As soon as I discovered what this tool was, my mind instantly went to blue fish. As a kid I used to go fishing for blue fish every summer with my dad. He always had a club with him to quickly kill the blue fish that we planned to keep, and to prevent them from doing any damage with their razor-sharp teeth. He would club them and then cut their gills to bleed them; a tactic he said made them taste better. My Dad's clubs however, never had a knife built in. I knew right away that I wanted one so I approached Ryan at HelloKombo.com to get my Kombo Fish Tool (or KFT as I will refer to it hereafter) in the mail.

The blade is stored inside the club end for easy access.

After receiving my KFT and unpacking it I was immediately impressed with the weight and balance of the tool. It wasn't very heavy, but still felt like it packed a punch to get the job done quickly. The club end which houses the knife blade is vented to allow the blade to dry and help prevent rust; another feature that put my mind at ease. I have first-hand knowledge of what happens when you put a wet fillet knife back in the sheath and forget to dry it out, especially in salt water. A firm push of a button releases the knife blade which reassured me that the club wasn't going to come flying off when I wound up to strike a fish with it.

As a kayak angler it is often advantageous to kill a kept fish. It is not only humane, but makes dealing with kept fish much easier, especially large fish such as blue fish or striped bass. There is nothing a kayak anglers loves more than having a large fish flopping on the deck of their kayak while trying to maintain control of your boat in current or heavy boat traffic. Another great feature is that the KFT floats. If I did drop it in the water while kayak fishing I could just paddle over and pick it up.

ARGH!
Nope, the Kombo Fish Tool will not make you an instant pirate.

I scheduled a trip on the high seas with some friends aboard the Klaira D with Hardcore Anglers Fishing Charters and brought my KFT with me for a test run. I have to be honest, I haven't found a new favorite fillet knife in the KFT, I already have a favorite. What I did find was a tool that limited the amount of scrambling I would have to do, especially when the fishing is fast and furious. No more clubbing a fish, then running or reaching for a knife. With the KFT I have both in one. I can leave it next to the fish box and grab it as I need it.

Overall I was impressed with the KFT. It is not cheaply made and has a practical application for fishing. With a price tag at $29.95 I feel it is worth it to those who might find this tool useful. I recommend it. Check it out at www.HelloKombo.com for more details and ordering info.

Vertical Jigging Striped Bass with Daddy Mac Lures

Several times every year I am invited to fish with the crew from Daddy Mac Lures. One trip I hadn't been able to make was vertical jigging for striped bass, until this year. I was invited to fish with Daddy Mac Lures co-owner Jack Houghton and his son Jack Jr. We planned to launch from Marshfield, Mass at 4am and travel across Cape Cod Bay to fish the infamous Race Point off of Provincetown, Mass.

When my alarm went off at 1:30 AM the thought, "What's wrong with you?" probably should have crossed my mind, but it didn't. I was too excited to fish with the DM crew because they never disappoint. I was equally excited to fish Race Point because it is such a well-known striper hotspot. I hit the road at 2 AM and arrived at Jack's house in Abington at 3:30. We headed to Marshfield to launch his boat and after a stop to catch some live mackerel, we headed across Cape Cod Bay toward Provincetown, or P-Town as most refer to it. We caught mackerel as a backup in case that's what the stripers were keyed in on, but our plan was to fish top water and vertical jig if we could.

Just a few of the boats at Race Point

After arriving at P-Town and figuring out where the fish were, thanks in part to some fellow Daddy Mac Lures pro staffers at Reel Deal Fishing Charters, we realized that we were in luck because the vertical jig bite was on. This was all confirmed when we made our way around The Race and saw the fleet of boats drifting in the same area. It didn't take long to find the fish, but they were eating sand eels and with the amount of sand eels for them to choose from, getting them to eat what we had was tough.

The future Capt. Jack Houghton Jr.
Mark my words!

The fish pick the winners and It didn't take long to figure out that they wanted the DM 3.5 Trophy Series in Blue Mackerel, followed closely by the 2.8 Elite Series in sand eel green. We started finding fish in around 100' of water, but as the day progressed the fished moved into around 70' of water. Drift of of the 70' depth and we'd drift off the fish. We had a good time and hooked into some nice fish. At the end of the day there were more missed fish than fish landed. Some days are just like that, you take what you are given. I did land my biggest striper of the season, and my biggest ever vertical jigging. I also got in an entire day's worth of vertical jigging with Jack who is one of the best vertical jig fishermen I know, which was invaluable. I'm a huge fan and if you want to find me on the water, you might want to look for me over deep water in my kayak vertical jigging for stripers.

Interested in a New Hampshire striped bass kayak fishing charter? Visit the kayak fishing page at TimMooreOutdoors.com for more details.