Extremely new to kayak fishing

[Tom Lagana]

Its funny John, I saw you were going to be at Kingfishers. I am a jazz guitarist and played there once a month for about a year with my trio on Wednesdays. I also play every first Saturday at Back Creek Bistro with a singer. I wish I could make it but I cannot this time. Thanks so much for the advice! I hope to hear one of your presentations in the future.]

[Tom Lagana]

I am sorry to be so novice, but can you tell me what a 1/2 ounce jig with 4-6 paddle tail looks like....again apologies

[Salty Dog]

After reading this post, welcome to the site. I may have missed it but don't forget some sort of flag that can be seen by boaters.

[Mark]

I am sorry to be so novice, but can you tell me what a 1/2 ounce jig with 4-6 paddle tail looks like....again apologies

Tom,

The bottom lure in the photo is a 1/2 oz. jig with a 5 inch paddle tail.

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This is a typical kayak trolling lure. But it can also be cast.

[J.A. Veil]

Tom,

The bottom lure in the photo is a 1/2 oz. jig with a 5 inch paddle tail.

This is a typical kayak trolling lure. But it can also be cast.

Tom -

When trolling, choose your jighead weight based on the depth of the water where you will troll. Throughout the year I use from 3/8-oz to 1-oz.

There are various brands, colors, and styles of soft plastics used for trolling. I am a fan of paddletails (the shape of the tail causes the rear half of the lure to undulate, simulating a swimming motion). I troll slightly larger ones in the spring (4-5"). My favorite is the Bass Pro Shops Saltwater Sally model at 4.5". The photo shows examples of 4 types of larger paddletails (the Saltwater Sallys are the middle on the left and the bottom on the right).


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From June to November, I downsize to a 3" paddletail that more closely mimics the resident baitfish.

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Other folks continue using 4" or 5" tails in the summer -- they do well too. There is not just one right way to rig up.

As Mark pointed out, the same style of lure can be used for casting to structure or to breaking fish. If I could choose just one lure to use for all situations, it would be a 3" paddletail in white or chartreuse (or similar light shades). Some days the fish like one color better -- the next day, they may prefer a different color.

As you rig up, start with a few rods and a few lure types to get a feel for the sport and for how you like to fish. After a few trips, you will find what works well and you can expand your inventory. It is often imprudent to go out and by a whole tackle box full of equipment when you are starting out. At least for me, many things that sounded good (they caught the fisherman) did not work well for me (they did not catch the fish), and I ended up selling them at a flea market.

[Mark]

And sometimes their plastic choices extend beyond paddle tails.

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The fun is finding out what they'll like on a particular day without buying and carrying a large inventory of plastics.

The colors that John mentioned and pictured above are tried and true. I also follow his seasonal approach to size.

I believe it's better to learn to fish a few lures well rather than throwing a bunch of different stuff at them. That extends to all my fishing techniques, not just trolling. I actually carry minimal lure and fly variations on my trips.

[Tom Lagana]

Thanks so much! Went out today and caught a bunch of perch. It was my first time out and it was AWESOME!! I just stayed at the mouth of the Magothy. I am hooked!

[Mark]

Thanks so much! Went out today and caught a bunch of perch. It was my first time out and it was AWESOME!! I just stayed at the mouth of the Magothy. I am hooked!

Great!

I hope to meet you on the water.

[EMSer]

Thanks so much! Went out today and caught a bunch of perch. It was my first time out and it was AWESOME!! I just stayed at the mouth of the Magothy. I am hooked!

Congratulations on your first trip being a success! Were you fishing the narrows or pitching towards the docks?

I live right by the Little Maggoty and fish it often. If you are close by PM me and we can connect sometime

[EMSer]

As you rig up, start with a few rods and a few lure types to get a feel for the sport and for how you like to fish. After a few trips, you will find what works well and you can expand your inventory. It is often imprudent to go out and by a whole tackle box full of equipment when you are starting out. At least for me, many things that sounded good (they caught the fisherman) did not work well for me (they did not catch the fish), and I ended up selling them at a flea market.

This is so true. I wish I had read this 3 months ago......

I have bought a "few" things since I go the bug and I regularly use 10% of them

[moc]

Welcome aboard Tom..... Glad to have you.

[Yak Fish]

All I can say is you are about to have a lot of fun. Don't rush into anything. This can be a life long endeavor where you learn every single time you go out. I think a lot of people buy a whole bunch of stuff that they don't need. I'm certainly not a minimalist, but on the other hand, I don't carry a huge selection. I carry plenty of similar stuff that just varies in the depth they dive, and if I'm after multiple species, I need multiple boxes. We all fish differently so that'll really play into what you are looking to purchase.

The fish will behave differently through various seasons, so you'll probably want a selection of lures for each, just my opinion. I've found that success really sky rockets with the right setup and pattern recognition....by that I mean, understanding what the fish are doing and not just arbitrarily casting about. This is the big, and most fun challenging thing of the sport. If you have questions, just ask. You'll certainly find out what you need, and also remember, there's no one way to do this.

[Cowpokey]

I do pretty much the opposite of what John V does; I run 4" tails spring through mid summer, then start adding larger 6" tails late summer through early winter. You'll need to do some testing to see what works. By default a 1/2oz jig with a 4" or 6" tail in some variation of white, pearl, or "clear with purple and tinsel flash" will catch plenty of fish. I regularly have 50+ fish days*, mostly schoolie striper; blues will be mixed in as we get into the fall. I caught a lot of fish today, but only one legal keeper rock...mostly in the 14-16" range and only a few that would have been keepers (18") last year.

My daughter did get a keeper Speck, today too...we put in a lot of miles on the water for the two fish that made it to the cooler.

*edit add: Today was no exception, I hooked over 50 fish again; they need to grow up though.

[Tom Lagana]

Thanks, any suggestion for pfd

[EMSer]

Thanks, any suggestion for pfd

Check out the thread listed below.

http://www.snaggedline.com/showthread.php?12689-Pfd