A Quick Update
- Josh Rayner
- 2 hours ago
- 8 min read
It's been far too long since I've shared anything in blog form, and this "actual" New England winter we are experiencing has allowed me to slow down, recalibrate, and look at things with fresh eyes and a different perspective. I've come to realize that this blog is an underutilized way to communicate with those of you that follow CT Fish Nerd or are interested in any aspect of what I offer to the fishing/kayak fishing community, or those that are interested in learning about fishing in Connecticut and New England in general. For that, I am very sorry. This year, I plan to share considerably more content here in hopes of make visiting ctfishnerd.com a more valuable experience.
I've been doing just enough ice fishing to take the edge off, but I'm really looking forward to getting back in the kayak ASAP. It's been mostly small, local ponds, full of crappie and assorted sunfish species, and some very large pickerel. I typically set March 1st as the date I'll start guiding freshwater trips, but we'll see how things play out with the ice. Striped bass trips will start mid-April with holdover and early arrivals, and things ramp up from there. The first few weeks of the migration into eastern sound waters are always interesting! Another bite that I'm looking forward to is pre-spawn smallies on the Housatonic River. I only get a handful of clients interested in doing that trip each spring, and its a shame because the fishing is outstanding. I have a feeling we are due for a good weakfish showing this spring in their spawning grounds, too. We shall see. Below are some updates that I'm excited to announce!
Online Booking for Guided Kayak Trips
CT Fish Nerd, LLC finally joined the 21st century this year, with online booking for guided kayak fishing trips. I know, I know, you're probably wondering what took me so long. I'll tell you. I've built my website through Wix, and as easy as Wix is to use for setting up most website functions and aesthetics, for whatever reason, they made setting up online booking/scheduling about as complicated as rocket surgery. It was an absolute nightmare to set up, and every aspect of putting it in place went against all things intuitive. I am not the most tech savvy person, so maybe it was a "me" problem, but nevertheless, I set a couple weeks aside after Christmas to finalize what I feel my business had been missing since its conception. There are 3 different booking categories (Single Trip, The After Work Special, and 3-Packs of Trips) with 5 hour or 9 hour options for single trips and 3 Packs, and "by the hour" rates for the After Work Special, for 1, 2, or 3 people. When booking, the start times shown are not set in stone, but rather placeholders. Simply choose the start time closest to your desired start time or availability, and we can take it from there. For instance, if it says a 4:00am start but you want to start at 5:30am, that is ok! After you make your booking online, correspondence will be via phone calls and/or texts leading up to the trip, and trip timing, location, species options, etc will all be discussed before the day of the trip. If you're unsure about the start times, have issues with your booking experience, or have any questions in general, there is a chat box on the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, and the messages go directly to me, not an AI bot. If I'm available, I will respond immediately. If I'm not, I will respond ASAP. You are welcome to call, text, or email as well. It's never too early to book your trips with me!
3 Person Guided Kayak Trips Now Available
My fleet of Hobie Outbacks grew by one toward the end of last season, but I was still not equipped to haul 4 kayaks. Well, that changed this winter. I purchased a Malone Megasport Trailer, and with some minor modifications, I'll be able to haul the entire fleet with ease. I was in the market for a new trailer for a while, given my 6-year-old Harbor Freight utility trailer was in need of some structural repairs and just wasn't up to the task of hauling 3 kayaks (I could trailer 2 and had to cartop the 3rd using a Thule Hullavator). I knew I didn't want to buy a project and be overwhelmed with modifications as the season ramped up but also didn't want to break the bank either. Black Hall Marina in Old Lyme (formerly Black Hall Outfitters) had a "floor model" Malone Megasport on display out front of their location for a while (you may have seen it while driving by) that looked to be in very good condition aside from some minor surface rust from living near saltwater. It also checked all the boxes for the trailer I needed. They gave me a smoking deal on it, and I couldn't be happier with the purchase. Aside from needing bunks for the kayaks to sit properly and some reinforcement to the upper tier, its pretty much good to go!
3 clients at a clip is about the cut-off for what I feel I can comfortably and adequately accommodate on the water. I'm all about helping my guests with one-on-one instruction, being close-by to help with gear malfunctions or landing fish, and from a safety perspective, 3 is plenty. I try to never be more than a couple hundred feet from clients while guiding, and the more people there are, the more there is a need to spread out. Plus, one of my favorite parts of guiding is getting to know new guests or catching up with repeat clients, and the more people you have out, the harder that is to do.
Writing for On The Water
Another year of writing the Eastern Connecticut Fishing Planner in On The Water Magazine is ahead for me. My most recent column in OTW was in the Almanac Issue, a breakdown of how last year played out locally, and what to expect this year. While I am grateful for the opportunity to write that monthly column, it has, to a degree, taken away from my mental ability to consistently put out blog posts (I'm not a writer, I'm a kayak fisherman who also writes), but I am forcing myself to produce both the column and consistent blog content going forward. My little pea brain can only handle so much! I do hope that if you read my column in On The Water, that you find the information relevant, timely, and useful. A kayak angler's perspective I feel is the Venn diagram of inshore fishing, and the information can be useful to not only other kayak anglers, but surfcasters and boat anglers too.
Partnering with J&B Tackle and The Kayak Centre in 2026
I have a difficult time with change, and the decision to leave the Black Hall Outfitters fishing team was not made lightly. While I am forever grateful to have been part of that team and for everything that Matt, Ted, and the rest of the BHO crew did for me and my business over the years, it was time to move on. I was beyond flattered to be approached by The Kayak Centre in Wickford, RI and J&B Tackle in Niantic, CT to join their respective pro-staff teams, and I graciously accepted both offers. I will be steering clients in their directions going forward. J&B Tackle has been a staple in the local fishing community for many years, with a top-notch selection of gear from inshore light tackle to offshore stuff, and a knowledgeable staff that can help you every step of the way with your purchase, rigging and gear maintenance, special orders, you name it. The Kayak Centre is hands down the nicest kayak shop I've ever set foot in, with a great selection of Hobie, Old Town, Native, and sea fairing kayaks, not to mention their huge selection of accessories, paddles, drysuits, PFD's, and more. If you visit either shop after reading this, please tell them I sent you! I will be pushing for both shops to offer discount cards/codes for me to hand to clients after guided trips as part of my 'thank you' package.
On a related note, things with Hobie still seem to be very up in the air, even after Bass Pro acquired the company. Replacement parts/accessories are still next to impossible to source, and warranty claims are still not being fulfilled, mainly because production has halted. I have warranty claims dating back to June 2025 for a broken MirageDrive 180 Spine and cracked lower Vantage CTW Seat and have not heard a thing other than the claims were "approved" shortly after being submitted. I know I'm not the only one who feels loyal to their product but betrayed by their lack of support for their customers over the past couple years. It sounds as if things will start to turn around in the coming months, but I will believe it when I see it. At this point, other than owning 4 Hobie Outbacks, I have no ties to Hobie whatsoever other than the fact that I love the Outback hull. As a former member of the Hobie "fishing team", which the perks of were nothing more than a pat on the back for submitting a form and a photo, followed by a yearly box of swag (which they stopped doing when the company was sold the first time), I can honestly say that I never felt any degree of support from the company, and I know it's not like that with their competitor's companies team/pro staff agreements. You would think that a Hobie team member putting clients in Hobie kayaks day after day would be enough to justify a little help here and there. If an opportunity to join forces with another high-end pedal kayak company should come about in the future, I may be "jumping ship".
Upcoming Seminar at J&B Tackle - Thursday 2/12 at 6pm
I will be talking about inshore kayak fishing in eastern Long Island Sound and the rivers, mostly about stripers and touching on weakfish, albies/bones, and tog. I'm not a natural when it comes to public speaking by any means, but I assure you I am working on this seminar day and night to make it worth your while. Even if you don't fish from a kayak, I'm sure I can share some insights you may find helpful or interesting. This will NOT be a kayak fishing 101. This will NOT be a kayak fishing safety lecture. I may talk a bit about both of those topics, but for the most part, I will be talking about fishing eastern sound and connecting waterways from a kayak. I will take you through the gear I use, expectations at different times of year, give pointers on boat control and other fundamentals, and show videos and photos that illustrate my talking points. I will also be fielding questions at the end. For directions, click here.
Show Schedule
The only show that CT Fish Nerd, LLC will have a booth will be the Connecticut Fishing & Outdoor Show at Mohegan Sun, March 20-22. With all the behind-the-scenes stuff and expenses I need to deal with in the "off-season" to keep the business running, along with tying jigs, private lessons, house projects, etc., one show is more than enough. I will have a large selection of my hand-tied hair jigs and bucktail jigs this year, for both freshwater and saltwater. Some jigs will be "show specials" that are only available at the show, so don't miss out! Stop by and talk kayak fishing, watch some of the highlight reel I'll have playing on the TV in the booth, buy some jigs, or book a trip!
I will also be at RISAA helping at the Game On booth, but I'm not sure what day(s) exactly. If you haven't checked out Game On's line of products yet, I suggest you do so! I relied heavily on their EXO Jigs last year for bottom species and hardtails, and their Duratech soft plastics eels and jerkbaits have secured a forever spot in my tackle selection as well, catching many striped bass on them.
I'm really looking forward to getting the 2026 season underway. I hope to see you either at the seminar, the shows, or on the water! - Josh