first on a Friday

[BassTech]

New member just saying hello. Spend most my fishing life so far from the bank or on farm ponds. Moved close to the bay in December and stepped my fishing game up into the kayak world. this site has been great so far with fantastic information. seems like a great bunch of people. hoping to get to some meet and greets this year and catch my first rock from a kayak.

[ronaultmtd]

Welcome aboard BassTech...like you, I found this site after I got interested in Kayak fishing after reading a Field and Stream article about Louisiana anglers using kayaks to get into places to catch speckled trout and redfish that boat anglers couldn't reach- some six years ago...three Snaggedliners- Bill, Kevin and Martin took me on my very first kayak fishing trip six years ago and here I am loving it more every year...it is different than other kinds of fishing and it takes some getting used to, but it also offers some unique advantages over powerboats...and it has many disadvantages like distance travelled...you have to choose your fishing sites carefully as you are restricted to just a couple of miles in radius...and there are some basic precautions to keep you safe you must learn and practice to stay safe...no matter how stable, kayaks can "turtle" if you become careless and ignore the basics...always wear your PFD...fish with a friend whenever possible...learn self-rescue techniques...carry some form of reliable communications device- waterproof cell phone, VHF radio, etc. and most of all pay attention to the weather...be safe, enjoy the experience and catch some fish! Welcome aboard.
P.S. I think you would be hard pressed to find a better kayak to troll out of than the Outback- my only other comment is the 3/4 oz. jigheads might be a tad heavy- I rarely use any heavier than 1/2 oz unless trolling in very deep, fast moving water...spring time you might consider bait fishing...big old blue catfish really can put a bend in your rod...

[yakscientist]

New member just saying hello. Spend most my fishing life so far from the bank or on farm ponds. Moved close to the bay in December and stepped my fishing game up into the kayak world. this site has been great so far with fantastic information. seems like a great bunch of people. hoping to get to some meet and greets this year and catch my first rock from a kayak.

I caught my first rockfish from a kayak during a hobie first cast last June, which is sort of a guided fishing tour, and chance to try out a pedal kayak. A few weeks later, I caught my first rockfish from my own paddle kayak, during the July Meet and Greet at Lowes Wharf, and about 30 other rockfish too. I would recommend Meet and Greets, even for experienced anglers, they're great. Once you get your preferred tackle and methods down, it's really just all about preparation the night before the trip, and carefully picking a spot to go to. Keeper rockfish tend to be more prevalent in the fall and late spring, but as long as you keep steady contact with the many friendly fisherman of this forum, they'll show you the right spots to increase your chances throughout the year. Personally, I like trolling small-medium sized soft plastic swimbaits and 1/4-1oz jigheads/bucktails. It's certainly more of a workout to paddle troll constantly, but it's a great way to cover lots of ground and locate fish, and once you find them, you can switch to jigging or casting if you'd like. I usually just continue to troll, just because I enjoy the workout, but if I'm tired (especially on a very hot day), I will drift and cast around a bit. I don't know what sort of kayak or cold weather gear you've got, but if you'd like to join me, or any of the people I usually fish with, you're more than welcome. Again, I suggest the July M&G, I think it gives you the best chance at catching a bunch of rockfish, sometimes they're all smalls, but still fun. It's a long paddle if you want to go to Poplar Island (2.5 miles one way), but its a very pretty trip over there and back. And there will be a ton of people to give you tips if you do decide to go to it, or any of the other meet and greets.

[mchottie]

Landed my 'PB' (personal best) 26" rock from kayak in the shallows last fall, Once you get the hang/ownership/stabilty under your belt, you will never go back.

Tight Lines!

[BassTech]

Thanks for all the support! I guess I was good to uncle Sam last year, he defiantly helped me purchase my first kayak a few weeks ago. I did q good amount of research before I went with the Hobie Outback in camo. I am going to try and gear the boat more to trolling primarily so hoping the peddle/ mirage drive system will prolong my time on the water. Also went with one 7' medium- heavy rod in case I wanted to troll a little heavier bait set up and one medium 6'9" for the other side of the boat to start out. Rigged up a few 3/4 oz jig heads with plastics to start me off in the right direction. Always taking safety as my main consideration, Was looking into getting a small handheld VHF. Any suggestions for a decent one would be great.

[dirtyjake237]

Hi bass tech and welcome aboard!
As far as the radio goes check out this forum discussion http://www.snaggedline.com/showthrea...n-HX150-rebate

Tight lines!

[AintMisBehavin]

Thanks for all the support! I guess I was good to uncle Sam last year, he defiantly helped me purchase my first kayak a few weeks ago. I did q good amount of research before I went with the Hobie Outback in camo. I am going to try and gear the boat more to trolling primarily so hoping the peddle/ mirage drive system will prolong my time on the water. Also went with one 7' medium- heavy rod in case I wanted to troll a little heavier bait set up and one medium 6'9" for the other side of the boat to start out. Rigged up a few 3/4 oz jig heads with plastics to start me off in the right direction. Always taking safety as my main consideration, Was looking into getting a small handheld VHF. Any suggestions for a decent one would be great.

Welcome to the group BassTech. I found this radio on amazon. Cobra MR HH350W FLT MR HH350 6 Watt Handheld VHF (White). it has been better than good to me. I dropped it in a stiff current this January and had to pull anchor and chase it down. I can attest to the fact that it does indeed float and continued working perfectly the rest of the day. Best of luck on your search.

[Mark]

BassTech,

Welcome to the forum and to the hobby.

As you have already seen, there is no shortage of advice or willing anglers to share their techniques, product recommendations or most important, their time on the water with you so that you can learn by doing.

The other good news is that your freshwater pond fishing experiences will transfer nicely to tidal waters and in some cases so will the tackle you used to catch bass and crappie and pickerels in those ponds.

Kayak angling offers many ways to put numerous species of fish into your boat. You'll learn about all of them here on this forum and have a chance to connect with folks who can show you how.

Good luck and I hope to see you on the water this year.

[nhunter344]

New guy here as well. Seems as though Uncle Sam was kind to a couple of us this year as he helped me get my Jackson Big Tuna (needed a tandem to get out there with my fishing fanatic five year old). I grew up fishing small mountain streams in western Pennsylvania for native brookies, so this is a whole new world to me. The only thing I've learned so far about anything saltwater/tidal related is that if you give your son your rod to hold while you un-knot his line, he will catch the fish you've been hoping for.

I'm pretty much set gear wise (as far as I know), I'm just hoping for a meet and greet or an open invitation so someone can teach me how to use it (What do you mean I shouldn't use my 4' ultralight with 2lb test to troll for trophy stripers?). I don't have any target species in mind, I just like being out on the water feeling a pull on the line.

Also wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the information on this site. The willingness of the members here to share fishing advice/locations truly sets this place apart. Hope to see you all out on the water!

[harlanbud]

Welcome, look forward to putting a face to the name!

[mike o]

Welcome Basstech, I'm sure it won't be long before you get a nice striper. The info you get on this site is priceless. Just last week at a meet and greet some members told me where they were catching fish and what they were using and I used that info to catch a beautiful personal best striper.