We are a group of anglers in the central Florida Area who fish from kayaks in fresh and salt water.
Orlando Kayak Fishing Club
We are Kayakers who enjoy sight fishing for Tailing reds.
We are also prone to catch other species such as Snook, Black Drum, Trout, Flounder, Pompano, Tarpon, in the Mosquito lagoon (ML), Indian river (IRL) and the Banana river (especially the No Motor Zone N.M.Z.). We also enjoy some freshwater fishing and target Bass
Most of us live in the Central Florida area however, we have had guests from out of state and as far away as New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey who have joined us for outings.
Although we prefer Saltwater fishing, we also venture to our wonderful local lakes . If you visit our main page you will find on the left side column some very useful quick links. Below the quick links section there is a Google Earth map that is loaded with our put in spots to which we add to regularly.
We are a no dues club. We are drawn together for our love of fishing and to gather people with a common passion either on the water, at one of the various events we organize, on our forum, in person at the monthly meetings or follow us on FaceBook.
We actively encourage anyone to join as safety in numbers is always recommended on the water. On our forum there is a board specifically designed to find a fishing partner.
It actually requires really little information. We do not sell or release any info on members EVER. We do this as a hobby and it has no commercial application. We ask for the info so that members get to know each other.
The more you add on your profile the more you can share. An example would be your signature line(s). These are used by members to feature their kayak, or a favorite piece of gear. I know of one person's listing who states that his method of propulsion are flip flops! If you list your birthday then it will automatically show up on the calendar and other club members can wish you a good one. You can also create an avatar to add more personality.
Any technical questions you can contact me directly at philip@orlandokayakfishingclub.com
Using the signature or embedding a link into an image is seriously frown upon. We are periodically assaulted by spam and we have taken steps to prevent this behavior and do not tolerate it.
We run a family oriented no-spam, no flame forum boards with a emphasis of respect for fellow posters. This kind of activity will ban you from our forum. On the flip side, we do appreciate it when a member finds an item, a good idea or a good deal somewhere else and shares it in a post as long as they do not benefit financially from sharing the information.
If you do wish to introduce a product that may be well received by the club, we would recommend that you email Frambo directly to discuss the matter before posting.
We meet monthly and the dates as well as the two Orlando based locations are posted on our meetings page as well as our calendar . We gather either at Bass Pro or Mosquito Creek Outfitters
Anyone going out for the day fishing will also post when & where they plan an outing in addition to the group events on the Forum under find a fishing partner section.
You can also download a PDF of our meeting brochure in order to view our current line up of guest speakers.
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Fred Rambo - President fred@orlandokayakfishingclub.com |
Philip Richen - Vice President philip@orlandokayakfishingclub.com |
Lisa Rambo - Marketing lisa@orlandokayakfishingclub.com |
FireDart - Web Designer firedartonline@gmail.com |
That's a great question. Unfortunately, many of us just jump in to paddling and we never take the time to learn and gain the correct skill set for our sport and even more importantly how to remain safe. Kayaking is still a sport with inherent risks including drowning. Our club advocates safety on the water as well as preparedness for emergencies and we recommend to always go out with others.
We have partnered up with Patrick Nichols who is a ACA certified instructor to offer regular classes for a very reasonable rate. You can contact him directly at by clicking here. Please let him know that you are a member of the OKFC as that will entitle you to the OKFC discounted rate for the classes.
You can download the class syllabus by clicking on the following links.
The classes currently being offered are Introduction to kayaking and a quick start guide to your kayak
We ask you to first try a query using the search feature on the OKFC Forum
and if you do not find your answer then simply ask any questions as a post to our club members.
You can also search the OKFC WIKI. This is a body of knowledge in WIKI format similar to Wikipedia that members have contributed various articles over time.
You can Access both on any page of our website. Look to the right of the menu bar. Click on the "F" icon for forum or click on the "W" icon for the WIKI. You can return to the main page of our website by clicking on our logo on the left hand side of the any page.
You can also check out the Addicted to fishing videos which have some good tips.
We don't but we have partnered with Lauren Postal who runs Peace of Mind Kayak tours. She's a great lady who offers up rentals for a reasonable rate. She has the Wilderness series "sit on top" style which are great for fishing.
You can contact her directly at peaceofmindkayaking@yahoo.com. Please let her know that you are a member of the OKFC.
You can view her site Peace of mind kayak tours as well as rental options. She does offer overnight rentals making it easy to pack the night before for early morning fishing escapades
Lee Wulff said it well "Game fish are too valuable to be only caught once"
Properly releasing fish is important to maintain our fisheries".
There are two really excellent articles on our WIKI, the first is Pincing down your barbs by Fred Rambo and then followed by "let the dumb ones live" by Kirk Dunaway
We highly recommend you read them both before catching your first fish
To be fully prepared for and having the right tools along for the trip makes any excusion a great day on the water. We find having a cheklist and being prepared the night before is key.
You can download the Checklist we use in a PDF version or a Excel Spreadsheet
You can visit the reviews of kayak by their owners on our WIKI. These reviews were written by owners who have paddled their kayaks for some time and know their good and their bad features. They have taken the time to share it using a report card based on a A to F report card. We are not sponsored by anyone so their is no saleman driven bias at work in the post. Whe have included links to the individual kayak companies simply to facilitate research for our members.
In addition once a year we have a kayak swap. This is a pot-luck picnic get-together where everyone brings their yak to the beautiful Lake Mills park where we rent a pavilion. After lunch and re-connecting with friends to share fishing "talk" we head down to the lake. We swap kayaks for a 15min time period with each other. If you ever wondered what it's like to paddle a Hobie or a Malibu this is where you can find out.
You can also read "10 things to consider before buying a Yak" Download PDF
You definitely need to be aware of all the regulations regarding the fish you are after. You can download the PDF files from MyFWC.com that has every rule clearly outlined on the site.
Yes, so be sure to visit the Merrit Island Refuge website for the latest information, area closures and regulation. The permit is free, downloadable and a requirement. Not having it and getting stopped will cost you $250.
Learning a few select knots to start is all you need. Look to our "Quick links" section in the left hand column on our main news page. The "How to tie knots videos" is an independent site that is quite good. We are not affiliated in any way but you will find the information especially in a video format a great way to learn. It's a great place to go back to and learn something new to expand your abilities. If you enjoy it please donate to them to keep it going.
Quick links is a great "go to" resource to visit again and again with all the readily needed info for an outing. Just below the quick links section you'll find a Google Earth Map that you can download. This map has launch sites not only through Mosquito lagoon,Indian river, Banana river estuaries on the east coast but also many launches on the west coast. If you are looking for more detailed information go to our Weather & Map pages which have more details.
Always check conditions just prior to leaving is a very advisable practice as weather conditions can change overnight.
We maintain good relationships with other clubs in the state of Florida. Usually by posting on their forums & letting them know you are coming into the area, they will offer up info or will hook up with our members . We do the same for their group members.
We have associated ourselves with a great West coast club the Hard core Kayak Anglers (HCKA). We are currently planning a cross club outing for 2010,dates to be announced.
These are other clubs may want to check out in Jacksonville , Tallahassee and Naples
We participated in the first roundup of the Regal swans on Lake Eola. They were brought here 100 years ago and had never been looked at by Veterinarians. They will now be check yearly every October to maintain the health of the colony. You can read the whole story here. or Click here for details on the 2008 Round-up
You can volunteer for the annual round-up which is generally posted in the upcoming events board in late August or September. It's a great event with a for a great environmental cause.
Although we are primarily a fishing club, we are also very involved in projects that encourage conservation of the estuaries we enjoy. Here is a listing:
No, we do not, however we can recommend several outfitters and guides that have given our members some good advice or assistance. In addition since we are hands on with this equipment we can share some unbiased opinions on gear that we personally use.
Check out our Gear page as we have provided several links to products we use.
We do not endorse any manufacturer and OKFC is not a sponsored site. We are kayak fishermen and these are some of the items we personally use. Feel free to share your personal insights or opinions on our forum or write a review for the WIKI
