Kayak fishing

[ronaultmtd]

My last trip out on a big powerboat trolling for striped bass was a real eye-opener for me- planer boards with two lures on every line...4/0 Penn Senators reels on 6' solid fiberglass heavy boat rods loaded with 50# monofilament...I felt sorry for the 36 inch striped bass being winched in...

But kayak fishing is different...it is perfect for light tackle fishing...in fact using heavy tackle is a hindrance and severely handicaps you...lures are different.... lighter, smaller more castable, in most cases...much more sporting, more reliant on your skills as an angler...first and foremost- all the choices are yours and yours alone-the make and model of your kayak, your location, your launch, your tackle, your bait, the targeted species you will fish for...you may ask advice, seek instruction...but ultimately it is all up to you...the art of self-reliance in play...

[azmdted]

This may sound arrogant, but I will add that I believe that to be successful kayak fishermen you have to focus on your craft a whole lot more than power boaters. Last Saturday my brother in law and I both limited out in about 30 minutes of rockfish fishing. A power boater in the area who had 8 rods set up on various holders around his boat asked me what I was using. He said that he'd been there for an hour and had used every set up on his boat and was skunked. I may be slow, but I have my fair share of success.

Plus, the small person in me gets a kick out of being alone in my kayak in the middle of the bay when charter boats show up with a half dozen clients shoulder to shoulder dropping their lines in 50 yards away. I wonder what they think of me. For me there is nothing like the intimacy between me and the water and the fish when I'm in my kayak. I don't begrudge anyone else for what they do and am happy to see others happy and successful. I just know what works best for me, for fishing, relaxing, exercising, stress relief, etc.

[ronaultmtd]

Big Mike pointed this out to me last week...a charterboat with six or more customers powered past us on their way out...Mike said...there goes $600.00 to catch less than what we caught...

[manlystanley]

There is almost a pre-disposition in power-boaters to think that us kayaker's are the best fisherman. Once, last year, a power-boater and I came in at the same time. He came running over to compare our catch. He seemed truly shocked that I had been skunked.

Best Regards,
Stan

[jbrown]

Nothing more gratifying than catching a fish on a yak. You are your own motor. You rely on yourself to survive and to have fun. Something about a deck hand handing me a huge rod with a fish on the end of it and telling me to pull in. He then gaffes the fish and throws it in an ice bucket. Does not seem like real fishing! Boring.


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[Mark]

I will not presume to say that I’m a better angler because I fish from a kayak. But I will say that my experience wading rivers with a fly rod has improved my kayak angling skills. I think the reason is that both forms of fishing place me close to the water, as close as I can get staying right-side up! I’ve learned to read the water from a vantage point that’s more intimate than being in a boat. Also, both are very tactile ways to fish. I feel the power of the water’s current wading or kayaking. I certainly get wet in both kinds of fishing. I feel the strength of the fish pulling my kayak. In the case of fly fishing I’m directly connected to the fish with my left hand on one end of the line and the fish on the other. There are no gear ratios in between. Certainly, an angler who trolls with heavy tackle in a motor boat cannot appreciate any of the above sensations.

There are many ways to fish; many ways to catch the same species of fish. Even among kayakers we see tremendous variation. Some rely heavily on rigging and accessories to improve their odds. Others are minimalists who regard simplicity as their biggest asset. We see those who pedal and those who paddle. We see trollers and casters; those who use conventional tackle and those who fly fish. Bait anglers vs. those who use artificials. Some search only for big fish. Others are happy to catch whatever they can when they can. They may even go fishing when they do not expect to catch anything, simply to enjoy the very act of fishing. I do. How crazy is that? Our variations as kayakers may be as odd to other anglers as boaters with broomstick rods seem to us.

So, I kayak fish because I like to fish. I hope I never measure my enjoyment as a kayak angler solely by what I catch, how many and how big. If it comes to that, I'll find another hobby.

[Yak Fish]

We have to be more thorough anglers because we can't run from place to place to try and find hungry schools. We fish where we are and learn to catch smaller schools and single fish. The techniques end up being very different for the same fishery. It's pretty cool. We use the tools available to us and that changes the way we fish.

Good job guys, keep showing off our sport!

[Fishinfool]

Nice thread! I have a friend with a 25' Parker, a nice fishing boat capable of going offshore off OC or wherever. We get out 2-3 times a season in the
Bay, and have been doing this for several seasons. We have a lot of fun, but I've yet to catch a keeper rockfish with him. We usually end up chasing birds, and the requisite dinks, or dropping peelers or bloodworms and bottom fishing; again, catching perch which is fine, but no larger fish.

One thing I've realized from fishing with him is just the sheer amount of water in the Bay. This itself is very intimidating if you want to find keeper stripers. There are simply an unlimited # of choices with a sea worthy craft, and 250 horses with plenty of gas pushing it. What to do, where to go, what techniques to use, and on and on!

Kayak fishing narrows the # of choices within any given launch locale. So, we study in advance; tides, solunar tables, weather,charts for bottom features like drop offs and /or points, hard sandy bottoms, oyster beds, water temps, and lures to match the prey that is there. This requires more knowledge, preparation, and skill to present the right lure, at the right time where fish are most likely to be. The ability to get into the shallows, and/or tight spots is our advantage in a kayak; IF we do our homework!

[J.A. Veil]

I am a huge proponent of kayak fishing, in part for its simplicity and ease of logistics. But I also own a 16' Scout center console that allows me to have a greater range for the light tackle casting I enjoy. For example, this morning EMSer, John Rentch, and I launched my boat in an Eastern Shore river where I have not fished in several years. We targeted shallow water habitats and used the trolling motor to move us stealthily along grassy edges, sod banks, and stump fields. Collectively we caught about 75 stripers (to 21") and 4 specs (to 20"). I don't know about Bruce, but neither John nor I could have covered the 20 miles we did today in our kayaks. I did a similar trip in Eastern Bay yesterday with Mark -- we caught close to 40 stripers in similar shallow habitats, but covered over 30 miles.

While using my small center console, I fish in ways similar to how I fish in my kayak -- but I can get to more places in a single trip. I mention this because much of this thread sounds negative about boat fishing. I love fishing from a kayak or from a boat. The differences ares where I can go and how long I have to fish. Of course the cost of licensing, operating, storing, and towing a power boat is considerably higher than the cost of a kayak. I feel fortunate that I have both options to choose from.

[Mark]

...I don't know about Bruce, but neither John nor I could have covered the 20 miles we did today in our kayaks. I did a similar trip in Eastern Bay yesterday with Mark -- we caught close to 40 stripers in similar shallow habitats, but covered over 30 miles.

I certainly could have covered your 20 miles today in my kayak -- with a rope tied to the stern of the Scout.

Congrats to you and Bruce and John on another great "Scouting" trip.

[bignose]

It is interesting to hear others perspectives, especially concerning the ones about fishing from a Charter Boat.
As to the three opportunities presented: fishing from a kayak, a mobile Center Console, or a kayak, I have done all three (if you accept that a canoe and kayak are about the same).

As most of you know, I help out as a first mate on a friend's Charter Boat.
It gets me outside and although trolling with heavy tackle during trophy season isn't my personal preference, it's his boat, and he's the captain. It's a 8 hour boring boat ride, punctuated with 15 minutes of chaos, and once hooked the fish doesn't stand much a chance. Winding in a large fish on trolling gear is much like reeling in a 5 gallon bucket dragging in the wake.........Not sporting, but it is what it is, and I am not changing his mindset. He is a businessman and his goal is to have the clients bring something to the dock.

Later in the season as we transition to chumming, live lining and / or soft crabbing, there is a change in the skill level, but understand this: the vast majority of our clients start the trip not knowing what they are doing, and by the end of the trip we hope to have added to their skill sets, since both the Captain and I are former teachers. Can guys in kayaks out fish us? I'm sure they do. We can't go where they go, but we can stay out in 2 foot chop with a 15 mph breeze blowing. Probably want to skip that in a yak.

Is it sport fishing? No, probably not. At least not as much.

If we had experienced fisherman on board we could introduce light tackle jigging into the mix, and do just as well ( and there would be a lot less mess to clean up-8 hours of chumming translates to two hours of scrubbing the boat down in the afternoon, after getting to the boat at 5:00 a.m. to set everything up.

Long assed day, and the pay isn't great, plus the first mate is always to blame........LOL.

Visualize 6 clients on the boat: It's 95 degrees, we are live lining under the Bay Bridge, and the Captain is trying to keep the boat set off of the pilings with the wind and the current running in opposite directions. I have 2 guys hooked up on fish, two guys waiting to for me to unhook their catch and two more needing to get baited up. Can you rub your stomach and pat your head while hopping up and down on one foot on a moving surface?

Are we having fun yet?
But I have learned so much by doing this............

I have also owned a couple of small boats, to increase the area I could cover for my personal fishing. I found out that I hated towing them, more than I liked fishing from them, so I sold them so I could go back and simplify.

These days, I spend most of my fishing time either prowling the shores of local small ponds, much as I started out as a kid 55+ years ago, and tootling around in a canoe fishing small tidal creeks, local ponds and free flowing rivers.
I use a canoe, because when I started this, kayaks (narrow, low, sit insides) were not suitable to fish from, and as a former Red Cross certified Canoeing Instructor Trainer, I feel very at home in a canoe, recognizing their shortcomings.
But where I fish, they do the job.
A sit on top kayak would probably serve me as well, or better, but they are getting too heavy..........and I don't want to have to use a trailer.

There is an intimacy in fishing from these and in this type of location, and a satisfaction in using the skills and knowledge that I have acquired over the past decades that keeps me fishing.
Unlike the charter boat, I release 95% of what I catch, and since I use almost entirely artificial lures, the fish are released more or less unharmed.
Yes, it limits my access.
But is gives me options that I otherwise wouldn't have.

[Mark]

It is interesting to hear others perspectives, especially concerning the ones about fishing from a Charter Boat.
As to the three opportunities presented: fishing from a kayak, a mobile Center Console, or a kayak, I have done all three (if you accept that a canoe and kayak are about the same).

As most of you know, I help out as a first mate on a friend's Charter Boat.
It gets me outside and although trolling with heavy tackle during trophy season isn't my personal preference, it's his boat, and he's the captain. It's a 8 hour boring boat ride, punctuated with 15 minutes of chaos, and once hooked the fish doesn't stand much a chance. Winding in a large fish on trolling gear is much like reeling in a 5 gallon bucket dragging in the wake.........Not sporting, but it is what it is, and I am not changing his mindset. He is a businessman and his goal is to have the clients bring something to the dock.

Later in the season as we transition to chumming, live lining and / or soft crabbing, there is a change in the skill level, but understand this: the vast majority of our clients start the trip not knowing what they are doing, and by the end of the trip we hope to have added to their skill sets, since both the Captain and I are former teachers. Can guys in kayaks out fish us? I'm sure they do. We can't go where they go, but we can stay out in 2 foot chop with a 15 mph breeze blowing. Probably want to skip that in a yak.

Is it sport fishing? No, probably not. At least not as much.

If we had experienced fisherman on board we could introduce light tackle jigging into the mix, and do just as well ( and there would be a lot less mess to clean up-8 hours of chumming translates to two hours of scrubbing the boat down in the afternoon, after getting to the boat at 5:00 a.m. to set everything up.

Long assed day, and the pay isn't great, plus the first mate is always to blame........LOL.

Visualize 6 clients on the boat: It's 95 degrees, we are live lining under the Bay Bridge, and the Captain is trying to keep the boat set off of the pilings with the wind and the current running in opposite directions. I have 2 guys hooked up on fish, two guys waiting to for me to unhook their catch and two more needing to get baited up. Can you rub your stomach and pat your head while hopping up and down on one foot on a moving surface?

Are we having fun yet?
But I have learned so much by doing this............

I have also owned a couple of small boats, to increase the area I could cover for my personal fishing. I found out that I hated towing them, more than I liked fishing from them, so I sold them so I could go back and simplify.

These days, I spend most of my fishing time either prowling the shores of local small ponds, much as I started out as a kid 55+ years ago, and tootling around in a canoe fishing small tidal creeks, local ponds and free flowing rivers.
I use a canoe, because when I started this, kayaks (narrow, low, sit insides) were not suitable to fish from, and as a former Red Cross certified Canoeing Instructor Trainer, I feel very at home in a canoe, recognizing their shortcomings.
But where I fish, they do the job.
A sit on top kayak would probably serve me as well, or better, but they are getting too heavy..........and I don't want to have to use a trailer.

There is an intimacy in fishing from these and in this type of location, and a satisfaction in using the skills and knowledge that I have acquired over the past decades that keeps me fishing.
Unlike the charter boat, I release 95% of what I catch, and since I use almost entirely artificial lures, the fish are released more or less unharmed.
Yes, it limits my access.
But is gives me options that I otherwise wouldn't have.

Great perspective and post, Stu.

[summersoff]

Now, now, nuttin wrong with powerboat fishing. They both have their place and time and totally different worlds with each having its own complexity. The fishing I do in the kayak, I could never do in the boat and the opposites true for power boating.
I love kayak fishing, snaking down a dirt road to an empty launch that no boat could be ever find that opens to a laberynth of fishwble pockets, is priceless, but so is powering out to a school of breaking blue, rock and tuna.
Before we get to ahead of ourselves and build a we-hate-powerboats club because we are more in touch with nature, realize surffishermen think we are cheaters who can't cast and need more electronics than NASA to catch fish.

[ronaultmtd]

Now, now, nuttin wrong with powerboat fishing. They both have their place and time and totally different worlds with each having its own complexity. The fishing I do in the kayak, I could never do in the yak and the opposites true for power boating.
I love kayak fishing, snaking down a dirt road to an empty launch that no boat could be ever find that opens to a laberynth of fishwble pockets, is priceless, but so is powering out to a school of breaking blue, rock and tuna.
Before we get to ahead of ourselves and build a we-hate-powerboats club, realize surffishermen think we are cheaters who can't cast and need more electronics than NASA to catch fish.

I certainly did not start this thread as a "I hate powerboats" thread...having started my saltwater fishing on the piers and surf of the Virginia and North Carolina coasts...running the Outer Banks surf chasing breaking fish and gulls in a 4 wheel drive in October and November gives you a different perspective of fishing as does standing shoulder to shoulder with 50 other fishermen heaving 8 oz. wingtip sinker and a half pound of mullet on a fish finder rig a hundred yards into a howling nor'easter on the Rodanthe Fishing pier for 40-70 pound red drum during a drum blitz...or shark fishing in a small boat 30 miles off Rudee Inlet in the Southeast Lumps...after the first 10 or so hours of being hooked up and the boat under tow by a 12 foot tiger shark the fun starts to wear off...don't throw sand on anyone's fishing- it is all good and there ain't much I haven't tried...but I have to say I am partial to what I am currently doing...

[docirv]

I use to have a few big bass boats with the 225 and I enjoyed it for several years. Then I demo-ed a Hobie Outback, and I really very much enjoyed that, and so I had both. Until I realized which one I now enjoyed more, And so now I am a kayak fisherman. This may have something to do with the aging process....
keep fishing!!!