New Additions Coming Soon

It is that time of the year where I start reviewing and updating my business plan in preparation for 2009. Seems a little early doesn’t it? Reason is, it all revolves around the Outdoor Retailer Expo, which takes place in Salt Lake City Utah every August. That is where manufacturers showcase and launch new products and start taking preseason orders.

Last year, we were quick to bring to you the latest news in new products by Heritage, Native, NuCanoe and a few other brands. I got an early preview of what you can expect to see from Native and Heritage but was sworn to secrecy until after the show. Stay tuned!

I am particularly excited this year because I am now more than ever in tune with what is out there, what my customers want and setting the stage for our overdue retail front. And, as I have stated before, I am working to expand out watercraft line as well. In an effort to offer a more diverse product offering, I am looking for new and innovative boats instead of your standard run of the mill kayak. We are in the process of setting up shop to sell Gheenoe and KL Industries boats and also plan to expand our Flatstalker inventory. We’ll provide more details on this soon.

There is one product we picked up a few weeks ago and I am honored to be the first dealer in Central Texas to offer it…the Freedom Hawk Kayak. I haven’t had a chance to demo the boat myself but plan to play with it a bit at the OR Expo. I’ll be sure to post my report here as I am very excited about this product. I have learned that one my customer’s number one priority in buying a boat is stability. This boat seems to take care of that in more ways than one. We currently have a couple in stock and will have one at our demo day in September so be sure to check back for dates. Here is a link to a video.

Well, keeping it short…updates from the OR Expo coming soon.

Cheers,
Roland "Bones" Jimenez

A Congratulations Overdue

HATS OFF TO ROBERT "PKF" DOCKERY OF TEAM LAKELINE WATERSPORTS FOR WINNING THE 2008 Austin Kayak Fishing KATS (Kayak Angler Tournament Series)! Robert claimed the title to the 2008 KATS Angler of the Year award. His hard work and commitment to the sport of kayak fishing paid off and won a brand new 2008 Native Ultimate 12 provided by yours truly. Other winners include:

2nd - Steve Garcia
3rd - Robing Fuller
4th - Michael Bayer
5th - Troy Lawson

Click here for complete tournament results.

Congrats to all of you and many thanks to Dennis Hermes (pictured in the right) for putting this event together. It was an honor being a sponsor and I look forward to the 2009 KATS!

Cheers,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez

Team Lakeline Watersports Update

Back in January, we introduced "Team Lakeline Watersports" focusing on the Austin Kayak Fishing KATS Tournament a freshwater series that we sponsored. In March, we decided to expand our team to include Noel Guerrero and Martin Trujillo to compete in the Texas Kayak Series, a saltwater tournament. Well, it's time to do some braggin'. The boys placed 1st in the team division while Martin placed 3rd overall in the individual category. Click here for results. Good job guys, and the best of luck in Matagorda!


It doesn't end there...we are proud to announce that Robert "PKF" Dockery did an excellent job of placing 1st in the KATS Tournament at Decker Lake back in February. Click here for results. Good job Robert, and best of luck at Lake Travis!

Congratulations!

Roland “Bones” Jimenez

A New Addition and a Proud Moment

Spring is my favorite time of the year...business picks up, the weather is prime for paddling, the fish are biting and most of all, it's about the time that my 1st child was born and as of two weeks ago today, my 2nd! That's right, I am excited to announce that my wonderful wife just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. While very busy at work and the shop, I decided to go ahead and take some time off to spend it with my girls. Despite the sleepless nights, bad eating habits (no time to cook) and no time for myself, it has been well worth it.

During this "off time", I decided to take my 3 year old girl to a small lake near the house to see if we could get her first fish. We packed up our poles (she has a Barbie pole), loaded her wagon in my truck, drove through McDonalds for a happy meal (had to make sure she was "happy") and stopped by Ace Fishing Tackle (I swear the guy that helped me was about 150 years old) to buy some worms and bobbers.

Once there, my daughter would not get out of the wagon and occasionally lost interest by focusing on the stickers she got in her happy meal but the best was yet to come. After losing 23 worms, we were down to our final cast and FISH ON, there it was, the bobber started bouncing around so we quickly reeled the little guy in rendering what was to be on of the proudest moments of my life...my daughter catching her first fish. Honestly, she was a little scared at first but I quickly convinced her that it was okay to gently touch it...the smile on her face was priceless.

Cheers,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez

Guided Adventure Trips

We are also excited to announce that Lakeline Watersports is now offering guided adventure trips though a partnership with South Texas Kayak!

South Texas Kayak is a well known, San Antonio based kayak adventure outfitter. They specialize in half-day/full-day guided kayak adventures, kayak camping adventures, and kayak fishing adventures throughout central and south Texas.

And it doesn't end there...

Lakeline Watersports will be offering FREE 1/2 paddle trips with the purchase of a 2008 Native Watercraft Manta Ray! For details, click here.

We will also organize group trips later this year but in the meantime, visit their website to book your very own trip!

I told you we had a lot in store for 2008!

Cheers,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez

KATS - Official Sponsor

In addition to the formation of Team Lakeline Watersports, I am also excited to announce that Lakeline Watersports was asked to sponsor this years KATS (Kayak Angler Tournament Series)!

What is KATS? It is Central Texas' largest kayak fishing tournament organizaed by Dennis Hermes of Austin Kayak Fishing (AKF).

Here is the official description as posted by AKF:

"It's that time of year again! Rearrange the tackle box, sharpen those hooks, 303 the kayak and, let's get ready to rumble! The 2008 KATS is a freshwater bass kayak fishing tournament series consisting of 4 events to be held on Austin area lakes. The Entry fee is $30 with an optional $5 Big Bass pot. Series points are awarded at each event and your best 3 finishes out of the 4 tourneys count towards the overall total. Everyone entered has a chance at great doorprizes offered by our sponsors as well as food,drink, and fellowship at the weigh in. To join in the fun and for more information, visit the official Austin Kayak Fishing KATS website."

Lakeline Watersports has donated a brand new 2008 Ultimate 12 as the grand prize along with $325 in cash and gift certificates! Other prizes (including a new Hurricane Phoenix 120 and cash) will be awarded as well.

Don't wait, get in the game and best of luck to everyone!

Cheers,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez

Introducing Team Lakeline Watersports!

We are honored to present you with some of the best kayak fishermen in Central Texas - Team Lakeline Watersports. These three individuals will be competing in the 2008 Austin Kayak Fishing KATS Tournament Series.

Click here to view their bios and be sure to stay tuned for the results of the tournament.

Cheers,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez

It is almost 2008 and we are ONE.

I formally introduced Lakeline Watersports on January 1st 2007 which means our one year anniversary is just days away. We started off selling boats out of my garage and eventually graduated to a Uhaul storage facility - allowing my wife to park her car in there once again. Looking back, I imagine that some of our first customers probably thought the products they were buying where "hot". Either way, we sold more boats than expected so we moved to a more respectful office/warehouse where we currently conduct business. It was a tough year but at the end, I am happy to say a successful one. And, as I mentioned in a local message board, I couldn’t have done it without your support, forum plugs, invaluable advice, referrals and of course your business – THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Moving forward, 2008 will be an exciting year for Lakeline Watersports. Here is what you can expect:

Retail Store - We are making final plans to move our shop into a "real" storefront. I can’t disclose a location right now but let’s just say it will be VERY convenient. And yes, we’ll have regular hours of operation.

Boats - We are expanding our product line to include other types of small watercraft including: Flatstalker, NuCanoe, Feel Free Kayaks and KL Industries.

Accessories - We have also expanded our accessory line to include Paddler's Supply, Thule, Pelican and much more.

New Local Kayak and Canoe Magazine - That's right, we recently launched Austin Paddler to help promote the sport of recreational paddling in Central Texas. Visit Austin Paddler to download our preview issue.

A New Addition to the Family - I am also proud to announce that we have another baby girl on the way! Between a demo day and the possibility of my wife going into labor, I may lose my mind this spring.

I have much more to announce but will keep it under wraps for now. I look forward to serving you in 2008. Best wishes to you and your families this holiday season and a very happy new year!

Cheers,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez

Funny Looking but Dead Serious

In an effort to expand our product offering over and beyond kayaks, we our proud to introduce to you a new concept in fishing the flats...the Flatstalker. What is it? Flatstalker is basically a fishing craft that allows the fisherman to “stand up” and see where the fish are. Adding the trolling motor mount and a small 12-volt motor gives the boat more range while the flat hull allows for you to float into the shallowest water without the hazards and difficulty of wading. It is meant for calm to moderate waters but handles rough water surprisingly well.

At first glance, it may seem like a difficult boat to maneuver but after a few minutes, I found myself really enjoying it. In fact, I quickly found myself walking back and forth on the platform and paddling while standing on the console during at our demo day. I haven't tried it with a motor yet but look forward to seeing how it handles with it installed. This boat is unique and may not be for everyone but we invite you to give it a try. The good folks at Flatstalker have loaned us a demo boat. We'll have more information posted on our site soon but feel free to visit Flatstalker for more information in the meantime.



I’d like to also introduce to you another boat that we are now carrying. It is call the NuCanoe. Yes, it is big but this boat holds its place. It is the perfect alternative to those looking for a more stable watercraft than your average kayak or canoe. This boat also has a motor mount for your convenience. We also have a demo boat available along with a complete duck hunting blind system.

Once again, don’t hesitate to call 1-800-832-1944 or email me at roland@lakelinewatersports.com to demo either one of these boats.

More to come.

Cheers,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez

2007 Fall Demo Day

Howdy folks, just a quick note to thank all those that made it out to our 2007 Fall demo day on lake Pflugerville. Once again, we’ll claim this a success with more attendance that we expected. Participants had the chance to demo some new boats including the Native Watercraft Magic, Marvel and of course the Manta Ray. In addition, we had the pleasure of showcasing, for the first time in Central Texas, the Flatstalker and NuCanoe boats.

I would also like to extend a special thanks to Joe “FishFry”, Art (my brother) and of course Glenn Holzer and the city of Pflugerville for letting me host the demo day at their lake. If you haven’t been to lake Pflugerville, you might want to give it a whirl. It’s a new lake but a great place to paddle and my understanding is that his has been stocked with various species of native fish so don’t forget your fishing poles.

We look forward to our next demo day set for spring of 08. Check back for details and in the meantime, if you would like to demo ANY boat we have, never hesitate to call 1-800-832-1944 or email me at roland@lakelinewatersports.com.

Cheers,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez

Native Watercraft Manta Ray and More!

Yeah, yeah, so I never got to posting updates regarding my experience at the 2007 Outdoor Retailer Expo. Seriously...I am sorry about that. I actually did post some pretty good reports on our very own Native Watercraft Owner's Group, Austin Kayak Fishing and Texas Kayak Fisherman, so instead of reposting, here are some links:

Report on Native Watercraft Owner's Group

Report on Austin Kayak Fishing

Report on Texas Kayak Fisherman



The biggest news comes from Native Watercraft. Aside from some minor updates to the current line, the Manta Ray is now part of the Native Watercraft line. We are excited to announce that we will now have it in stock. We expect our first shipment to arrive in late September. To reserve yours, email me directly at roland@lakelinewatersports.com. Native also launched a sit-inside kayak called the Marvel. Sweet ride, nice features and we should have some of these in stock come January 2008.

Hope those reports provide some good insight on what's to come this Fall and in 2008.

BTW, we picked up some new watercraft brands/styles...more info coming soon.

Cheers,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez

Where's Roland (Not Waldo)?

That’s right, I made the cover of Outdoor Retailer magazine!

Okay, nothing to be too excited about. As you can see, it would take an industrial magnifying glass to figure it out and even then, I am so far in the back that I’ve been blurred out. The cover shot was taken at the Open Air Demo held at the Summer 2006 Outdoor Retailer Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Ever been to a kayak dealer’s demo day? Well, multiply that by 20…this event is huge! It is where many dealers get a chance to demo kayaks by most manufacturers. In this photo, I was paddling a Malibu. Great kayak but I decided to pick up Heritage and Native instead.

On that note, my flight and hotel are booked and I am ready to hit it again this year. Instead of focusing on new watercraft, my goal is to greatly expand my accessory product line to better serve my customers! My Heritage/Native rep is also telling me that I am going to be very excited about what they are going to release at the show. I promise you will be some of the first to know as I plan to post updates on this blog while at the show so be sure to check back.

The dates of the show are August 7th – 12th and I plan to be there most of the week.

Stay tuned…more news about Lakeline Watersports & the expo coming soon.

Cheers,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez

Austin Kayak Fishing Gets a Face Lift

I am excited to announce that I recently had the privilege of collaborating with Dennis Hermes of Austin Kayak Fishing in the development of their new logo. The result was a new image that clearly communicates “central Texas kayak fishing”. AKF plans to produce and sell t-shirts, stickers and caps that will display the new logo, so pay them a visit for more information.

If you haven't been to their website, go to www.austinkayakfishing.com to become a member. You will be joining a friendly and eager to fish group of central Texas kayak anglers and will also gain access to maps, photos and a great forum. They also sponsor a kayak fishing tournament (KATS) every spring. Click here for more information about that event.

Anyway, just a bit of shameless self promotion.

Hope to see you on the water soon!
Roland "Bones" Jimenez

Demo Day - A Success!

First off, I want to thank all those that made it out to our first annual Spring demo day. I wasn't expecting such a crowd and it was great to finally meet many of you that I had spoken to over the phone, in a forum or via email. I also want to thank the Austink Kayak Fishing group, Rick Rice, Tom Jester and of course my family for helping me make this even a success!

I was a bit concerned about having it so late in the Spring because of the Texas heat but it actually turned out to be a decent day. The winds were light and it was overcast for most of the morning. However, I think that next year, we'll shoot for an earlier date anyway.

The star of the day had to have been the Native Watercraft Ultimate 12. This boat never took a break. We also had the Heritage Redfish series available for demo and they got several rave reviews.

Instead of boring you with all the details, click here to see some photos.

Cheers,
Roland "Bones" Jimenez

Time, it's not on my side.

When I made the decision to incorporate this blog into our website, I figured it would be updated on a weekly basis...well, I was wrong. My biggest hurdle is time but I guess that's a good thing because it only means that we have been busy here at Lakeline Watersports. I'll start by thanking all of our customers for their support in making our first two months of business a success! Our Native Watercraft and Heritage Redfish have been hot sellers, winter is finally over, spring is in the air and with that:

New Website - I'd like to introduce our very own Native Watercraft Owner's Group. We developed this website to provide our customers a wealth of information to aid in the purchase and use of these fine boats. We will be featuring reviews, exclusive member offers, rigging articles, photos, a discussion forum and much more. Visit www.lwnog.com and be sure to click on the forum to register for your membership.

Native Watercraft Magic – That’s right, we expect to receive our first shipment of the much-anticipated Native Watercraft Magic in late April. This boat really takes paddling to a new level. I’ll be posting a full report soon but in the meantime, be sure to visit Native’s website for details or feel free to email me directly to preorder yours.



Native Watercraft Accessories – We sell the boats, why not offer accessories that are made for them? We expect to get our first shipment of Native Watercraft accessories in May. Click here to get an idea of what you can expect or once again, email me directly to preorder yours.

Expanded Product Line - In response to customer feedback and our quest to become your number one source for kayak and canoe accessories, we have added Crack of Dawn to our product line. Click here to see what we’ve got. There is more coming soon!

Our first ever demo days! – Stay tuned for details.

We have much more to announce but we’ll keep that under wraps for now.

Thanks folks,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez

The Natives are here!

I am excited to announce that we finally got our first shipment of Native Watercraft Ultimates. I was curious to see the blue and firebrick colors in person and they sure turned out to be some sharp looking boats.

Many of you have been asking about taking the boat out for spin. I ordered a couple of demo boats (12 & 14) so if you are interested, please email me to set up your demo. I’ve already met with several customers at Brushy Creek Lake Park and even had one of them attempt to stand up. While a bit shaky at first, he was quick to become comfortable. I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t speak to it yet but I do promise to post a full report with pictures soon.

In the meantime, here are some additional photos that Native sent me and once again, don’t hesitate to email me to set up your demo.





Roland “Bones” Jimenez

The Natives are Coming!

That’s right folks, we are proud to announce that LW is now an authorized dealer for Native Watercraft. In fact, we’re the only one in central Texas! Many of you have asked about availability and well, it’s official; our first shipment of the Ultimate arrives in early February. We will be setting up demos by appointment so if you are interested, be sure to email me with your contact information and I will keep you posted!



Now, on to the boat itself. As you may know, Native Watercraft is a fairly new entry into the kayak/canoe market but you’d think they’d been around for ages. I got my first peek at the Ultimate at the 2006 Outdoor Retailer Expo and was impressed. I mean the boats are spectacular in every way. From the solid polyethylene construction and massive cargo areas to the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in, the Ultimate is going to be a winner. Okay, so maybe I’m a little biased since I am a dealer but I am confident to say that if you are in the market for a canoe, you NEED to give these a try. For more information about this boat, click here to visit their website or download this complete feature sheet in pdf format.

Please note, quantities for immediate delivery are limited so if you would like to preorder yours, email me directly and I’ll be sure to reserve one for you!

Roland “Bones” Jimenez

Welcome to Lakeline Watersports!

Happy New Year and welcome to Lakeline Watersports. I am excited to announce the launch of our online store. We have been working hard on this website and look forward to becoming your preferred small watercraft supplier.

In order to form a personal relationship with our customers, we decided to launch this blog in conjunction with our online store. This will serve as a portal for new product releases, news, events, fishing and adventure reports, photos, product reviews and much more. Feel free to become a part of this community by posting your comments, sharing your latest adventure with us or by simply providing us with your product opinions.

For more details of who I am and what this business is about, visit our "About Us" section. If you are interested in purchasing a product, be sure to click on "Shop Now".

We have a lot in store for 2007, including the grand opening or our retail shop, so stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by.

Roland “Bones” Jimenez