My name is Captain Filip Spencer and People call me Fishman.

All my dad's buddies the old salts (old fisherman) used to say there's the fishman and the name has stuck with me since I've been a young boy.

Growing up fishing the Texas Gulf Coast I've had the pleasure of seeing and experiencing some of the greatest fishing, that most people only get see pictures and get to read about. When I was a young boy I was taught by my father who I still to this day think is the greatest fisherman in the world to me. My father had that special glow about him whether he was fishing or just hanging out and having a beer with some of his old Navy/fishing buddies you could just feel the respect and the admiration that people gave him whenever he spoke about things especially fishing. I can honestly tell you not once in my entire life did I ever see my father through a piece of bait, nothing but lures. That's why I think the strong values he instilled in me like fishing etiquette (respecting a fisherman's area), helping people and the fine art of using Mirrolures and soft plastics has made me the type of fishermen I am today. I must say with today's technology in lures,I still use the same techniques and secrets to find the fish that he taught me all those years ago.

Although my father as far as I know had never won a tournament or a fishing title he will always be my best friend and the greatest fisherman in the world to me.

Growing up near the water and helping my father as a young boy on his shrimp boat he bought after he retired from the navy in 1970. There were several times when I would be out fishing and think to myself, " maybe I could make something that I could float on to get across that deep gut or channel". So like most young boys with big ideas, and not a lot of money, I decided to make a type of raft out of inner tubes. (The tubes worked very well for while).

As a teenager I began using my surfboard with a milk crate strapped to the front of it loaded with all my fishing gear that get me across those same areas, until one day I found and old windsurfing board. I decided to take it home and mount the old swivel boat seat to the top of it. This windsurfing-kayak hybrid worked very well for a couple of years.

At about this time of my life new plastic boats were being developed for fishing like the P"row and the little pond boats as well as several sit inside kayaks.
When the new sit on top kayaks came out I knew I had to have one.

So I went down to Wind & Wave the local surf shop/ kayak shop and bought one of the very first sit on top kayaks on the market, It was a OCEAN KAYAK Scrambler.

That original Ocean Kayak boat is now over 20+years old and I still have it today along with about a dozen other Ocean kayaks.

It amazes me every time I go fishing the amount kayaks and kayakers I see on the water today. Looking back over 25 years and being the only kayaker on the water back then, I'd never thought in my wildest dreams that kayaking and kayak fishing would become as popular as it is today.

Utilizing kayaks over all these years has allowed me to get to places that I could never reach in my boat or much less get out and wade to. Being able to use a kayak to sneak up on schools of fish and explore areas that most people have never seen is one of the most exciting things about kayaking.
One of the greatest things I can tell people is being on a kayak you're able to take your time go a little slower and take in a lot more of mother nature's beauty.

I have now been kayak fishing for over twenty five years in south Texas and have won many tournaments and set over 18 state records on a kayak. In 2005 I was asked to be a part of the TKF (Texas kayak fishermen) fishing team by Tom Stubblefield I jumped at the opportunity. Tom is a great ambassador to the sport and has opened many doors for people in the fishing and kayaking industry. Toms web site: www.texaskayakfisherman.com has become one of the biggest kayaking website in the world.

In 2005 I was proud to be a part and help the TKF kayak team on the Extreme Edge Shimano Pro kayak fishing tour that ran from Texas to Florida. We win the Texas Kayak Team of the year and the National Kayak Team of the year for 2005. That same year I was lucky enough won Texas Kayak Angler of the Year and the National Kayak Angler of the Year for 2005.

Our team is now called Team Ocean Kayak and we have been together for all most three years now. We're one of a few if not the only professional kayak fishing team in the country. My teammates and I do tournament's, paddle safety classes, promotions, seminars, and demonstrations on kayak rigging, fishing and anything associated with the sport of kayak angling. Anyone interested in getting started in kayak fishing or would like information about kayaking and kayak reading please feel free to look us up at:Team Ocean Kayak my teammates and I are always glad to help.

As a successful kayak fishing guide on the Texas Coast one of the things I enjoy doing is teaching people how to use top waters and soft plastics.
Sharing story's with people of when I first started fishing and kayaking and the stories of big fish that I've caught from my kayak.

One of my main goals and life is to be an ambassador to the sport of kayaking and fishing. Sharing the love of the sport and helping people with their future experiences and challenges that they might have in the sport that has been so good to me.
Remember some of the best adventures in life are ones that you can experience at a slower pace.

THANK YOU.
Capt' Filip Spencer of Fishman's guide service
Ocean Kayak Pro Staff Tournament Member
Meet the Texas Fishing Crew