Joe's Keeps it Clean

Highway 36 from Rice Street to Keller Lake is a less littered stretch of road, thanks to Adopt-a-Highway volunteers from Joe’s Sporting Goods. On Sunday, April 19, the 21-member crew braved a drizzly and blustery day to rid ditches of items that had tumbled off, had blown out of, or had been thrown from, passing vehicles since last year’s clean-up. In approximately 4 hours and a little over 2 miles, 152 bags of trash were removed. Hats off to this hard working crew of volunteers!
 

[Participating in the Adopt-a-Highway program is just one of many environmentally supportive programs at Joe’s, from recycling glass, metal and plastic just like many household recycling efforts, to re-using incoming packing materials and boxes in its outgoing web store deliveries, to embracing organizations that protect our waterways, like www.cleanuptheriver.com.]
 

Choosing the Right Kayak for YOU

Kayaking is a wonderful, healthy and growing sport that allows you to explore just about any piece of water, from small streams and backwaters to large lakes and oceans. But in order to choose the right kayak for you, some design choices need to be made. There are many lengthy articles available on the subject in magazines and on the internet, but let’s take a brief look at some of the questions you should ask before you buy. And remember, the best way to make an informed purchase is to try as many models as you can (see the “Paddle Before you Buy” article in this issue) and to work with knowledgeable salespeople.

First, what type of paddler are you? Would you paddle most of the time on creeks and shallow rivers, small lakes or on large bodies of water? Then, would you paddle for part of a day or would you tour, carrying equipment and supplies, for multiple days?

Your answers will allow you to focus on the purpose your kayak should fulfill and how it needs to perform. Keeping the answers to these questions in mind, while looking at kayak categories, will allow you to make smart decisions about which type of kayak to purchase.

The longer and narrower the kayak, the easier it is to hold a straight line; it becomes faster and more efficient. The shorter and wider it is, the easier it is to turn; it is more stable, and yes, slower.

Recreational Kayaks Although there are many length/width combinations, the above generalizations will serve to help decide what kind of kayak to buy. Let’s take the example of the paddler who will spend most of his time on creeks, shallow rivers and small lakes. Consider one of the shorter kayaks, 9-12 feet—one of the “recreational” kayaks. They are designed for casual paddling, can navigate small, tight waters, turn easily; however, they would not be safe on rough, open water and generally would be confined to a few miles of paddling at one time. Models for this category would include the Wilderness Systems Pungo, Old Town Dirigo, Otter, Rush, Vapor and Cayuga, Dagger Zydeco, Emotion Bliss, and Perception Acadia.

Big Water Kayaks

Cross-Over Kayaks

Sit-on-Top Kayaks

A relative newcomer to the kayak world, the sit-on-top kayak is a specialized kayak with two layers of hull, making it a no-swamp craft. Suited for fishing or diving, it is appropriate for warm air-and-water temperatures, and has a higher center of gravity and wider beam, not suitable for long-distance paddling or cold weather applications. For summer fishing jaunts, they can’t be beat, with dozens of opportunities to add equipment such as depth-finders, rod holders, tackle boxes, etc. Examples of this type of craft would be the Wilderness Systems Ride 135, and Mad River Synergy 12.

There are a number of other considerations involving choice of hull material, hull design, etc. that you can discuss with your Joe’s salesperson, but determining a general kayak type from the above categories will get you a long way toward starting that conversation and selecting the best model for your use. Happy Paddling!

Click Here for Map to Gervais Lake Park

Fishing Openers!!!

Wisconsin’s fishing opener for Walleye and Northern Pike is Saturday, May 2, and Minnesota’s fishing opener for Walleye, Northern Pike, Sauger and Lake Trout begins on Saturday, May 9. You can be sure that any water that holds fish will be subject to exploration during these most honored of fishing weekends. Those of us who have not stepped into a boat since last October or November are already going through the rituals of outboard motor oil changes, shakedown cruises and tackle box inventories.

Get ready for “The Opener” and the rest of the season with the following products:
 

Berkley® Gulp!® Alive is the next generation in Gulp!™ technology. Now your favorite baits come floating in the "Magic Gravy" in Pint or Quart buckets, enabling you to recharge your baits by putting them back in the bucket. Gulp is totally biodegradable, and Gulp!® Alive™ brings this spectacular product…well….”alive”. Even though we had excellent reports from our customers when Gulp! Alive was initially released, we wanted to try this product first hand. We did an afternoon test run on a trip to Lake of the Woods last June, and it would be an understatement to say that we were impressed, because we caught walleye on each 70-yard pass across one bay using ¼ oz. bottom bouncers and Berkley® Gulp!® Alive 3” Emerald Shiners. Another plus…after catching and releasing a couple dozen walleye and keeping a couple for shore lunch, we only went through a couple of these baits…they’re tough! No more changing minnows after each catch. We didn’t bother to go back to the lodge for live bait….why mess with success? Since then, we have had many such successes with this product and recommend that you Get Out There with Joe’s, and Gulp! Alive! Pint Size $19.99     Quart $39.99.   When you are out fishing with friends, we have a great way to communicate between boats.  Don't forget the 2-way radios. MIDLAND LXT328 2-WAY RADIOS Special Buy!   Regular $39.99 YOUR COST $11.88/PAIR WHILE QUANTITIES LAST!! MIDLAND LXT80 2-WAY RADIOS Special Buy!   Regular $29.99 YOUR COST $9.88/PAIR WHILE QUANTITIES LAST!!

May 2009 Key Fishing Dates

33 East County Road B
Saint Paul, MN 55117
1-888-GO-TO-JOE

www.joessportinggoods.com
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