Fishing from a kayak

[ronaultmtd]

Every year on the forum I see new kayakers posting about fishing from a kayak and asking how...sometimes I forget the differences between fishing from a boat and a kayak because I rarely ever fish from a boat. Mid April I visited my younger Brother in Arkansas and we fished several days out of a bass boat...wow! What a difference it makes...fishing a Zara Spook...imparting walk the dog action while standing in a boat is a different rod angle, different wrist motion, different cranking...kayak fishing...think fishing sitting in a lawn chair without getting out of the chair...kayak positioning, longer rods, lighter tackle...using the rod to bring the fish to you without leaning out...near vertical angle of the rod, longer amount of line when landing the fish by lifting the rod vertical...keeping your head in the centerline of the boat, sitting “side saddle” to get things that are behind you in the tankwell- never reach behind you, turn your entire body and maintain the balance to prevent turtling- never get complacent thinking it won’t happen because of your experience in a kayak...all these things are second nature to me today...and I have (in my opinion) the perfect fishing kayak that makes fishing from a kayak easy (for me)...hands free, able to maintain position in current...maneuverable..kayak fishing is all about the position of the kayak..even when trolling swimbaits and crank baits...boat control, boat position...good electronics is helpful, but not essential...being able to “read the water” being observant of bait jumping, birds diving, points, obstructions, channels...vegetation...and being accurate with casting...all require “time on the water”...practice makes perfect is something you hear all the time...and it is true..nothing takes the place of experience...you can watch You Tube Videos until you go blind, read every book written...nothing takes the place of first hand doing it...learn to tie good strong knots...study NOAA charts, look up out of the way launch locations with good water nearby...know the seasons, know the regulations...it doesn’t do you any good to fish for Speckled Trout when they have not migrated into the bay...when to fish for what species with what bait is the holy grail of fishing...catching big fish is a result of the application of all of the above...one tip I can give is don’t...don’t Drill ten thousand holes in your plastic boat and hang every device known to man on a kayak...go minimal and add as you learn what you really will need to fish the way you want to...you can always add something later on...yeah, an anchor trolley may be necessary if you want to anchor up and bait fish in current...yeah, rod holders might be nice up front, but gear tracks make the addition (or subtraction) so much easier than permanently installed rod holders...a lot of seasoned kayakers who fish a lot, are getting back to the basics and fishing minimalistic...one rod, a handful of tackle...and learn how to self-Rescue...make yourself a re-entry ladder...I use my fish stringer as my re-entry ladder...

[Mark]

Ron,

I think you must have seen a sneak preview of our Anne Arundel Community College Kayak Fishing course.

Yesterday John Veil and I taught 5 more very interested students at the college. To date we have taught 18 students. In addition to many of the points you made above we told them about Sanggedline.com and encouraged them to join.

Here's "Professor" Veil yesterday teaching students on the things they should consider when choosing a fishing kayak:

ClassA.jpg ClassB.jpg

We have the curriculum on PowerPoint but our goal is to make the session conversational with the students, entertaining their questions along the way. We use photos from our trips to illustrate not only the precise places to fish locally but how to read the water once you're there. We discuss tackle and techniques from casting to trolling to fly fishing. We discuss safety. And we bring our kayaks to the classroom to demonstrate rigging options.

The college provides a wonderful environment with comfortable seating and the audio/visual equipment we need to present our story.

I thoroughly enjoy teaching the class and the interactions with the students.

Sorry for hijacking your post but your story synchronized nicely with our curriculum. We even discuss the evolution from taking everything you have onboard as a new kayak angler to a minimalist approach as you progress in the hobby.

[ronaultmtd]

Mark- We all need to share our experiences...what good are they if we don’t? As we get older (hopefully wiser) we realize there are only so many fishing trips each year and only so many years...why go if you keep it all for yourself? Sharing is being human...

[J.A. Veil]

Good points, Ron.

[Mark]

Mark- We all need to share our experiences...what good are they if we don’t? As we get older (hopefully wiser) we realize there are only so many fishing trips each year and only so many years...why go if you keep it all for yourself? Sharing is being human...

Absolutely!

[rob-kayak]

Thanks Ron for posting this topic...
I was thinking the very same thing when I sold my old kayak to a very enthusiastic fellow last week..
would be a good "sticky" to add.. with "bullet points" laid out to the basics like life preserver, whistle, paddle leash etc...

... why go if you keep it all for yourself? Sharing is being human...

last year you pointed out how you saw so many "people" that were viewing the website.. but few were not posting. One thing to understand is that a lot of those "guests" are internet "robots" visiting the website.

But then again... rant starts here...
There are a lot of veterans that don't post.. to keep the spirit alive from when they first gleamed knowledge of the Bay and kayak fishing.
There have been "rifts" in comments... and one in particular "Cow-hand" took down all his pictures of his designs for kayak modifications.
That would keep the spirit alive, that they "scraped" from others.
With nearly 2000 posts in 8 months... even ask as simple a question as to "How to catch a Spot."
But Cow-hand.. is here... lucking almost every day... as others that have taken there bait box and gone home.
End rant.

One thing about this issue is it brings everybody together for important topics like the health of the Bay and species we fish and crab.
Particularity the "newbies."

@John and @Mark...
It is so awesome what you are doing with your classes. Hopefully it gets people on the water, and an awareness to what we have all enjoyed.
Hopefully you will be rewarded by selling some books or fishing charters.

[admwndsr83]

As I try desperately to grow in kayak fishing without many contacts as guides and teachers, the information I have been gleaning and contacts I hope to make on this site are priceless. I hate to comment sometimes when I feel like I don't have anything worthwhile to add, but also don't want to be a Googan and not participate. I personally thank all of you who do post things like this that help me to grow in my craft and find fun for my sunny days and sometimes dinner for my table.

[Mark]

Rob,

I don’t guide, nor sell lures, and Mr. Bezos makes far more money on my book than I do. Also John and I will not get rich from AACC. I suspect we’re somewhere near or under MD’s minimum wage! So I don’t look at this hobby in a pecuniary way. But do like to share knowledge. I enjoy posting here and I love doing presentations on the topic. I’ve been very fortunate for many years to have excellent mentors and teachers when it comes to fishing, John V. Included. It’s the least I can do given that so many have be so generous with their knowledge to me. So yes, I hope the good information keeps flowing from many sources on this forum.

[Yakmac]

Awesome post Ron. I recently met a young man at Rose Haven who was new to kayak fishing. I gave him a couple of tips from my “experience” and also encouraged him to join SL. I hope he did join and reads this post. To your point about minimalist gear and tackle I am in complete agreement. I used to bring a Plano box of tackle that I never used. Now I bring several lures and stick with those based on what I’ve learned in the past.

Keith

[belairfishing]

As I try desperately to grow in kayak fishing without many contacts as guides and teachers, the information I have been gleaning and contacts I hope to make on this site are priceless. I hate to comment sometimes when I feel like I don't have anything worthwhile to add, but also don't want to be a Googan and not participate. I personally thank all of you who do post things like this that help me to grow in my craft and find fun for my sunny days and sometimes dinner for my table.

I am fairly new to kayak fishing too, and this board was the best thing that happened. If you think these guys are great now, wait until you meet them in person - go to one of the meet-ups!

To your comment about responding to posts, sometimes it's ok to respond with a "great report, thanks for posting" or "glad you had a great day on the water." I used to participate in a Delaware fishing board and there was a minimum of 3 posts per month. This was a private, by invitation only group, but I found the minimum posting very interesting. It was a way to weed out the lurkers, and make sure everyone participated. If you didn't post the minimum, you got suspended and contacted by the moderator, and after multiple suspensions you were kicked out. I don't endorse this approach, just sharing.

Point is, share what you can, comment when you can and ask questions. The folks on this board love to share.

[ronaultmtd]

With crappy weather hindering actual time on the bay or fresh water, posting and living vicariously through memories is what keeps the sport alive and growing...I grew up reading Sports Afield magazine- Elmer Keith and Whelen Townsend articles made cold November mornings sitting in tree stands before the sun came up something I dreamed about...we can all relate to a sunrise on tranquil water as we head out of a launch with great expectations...having faith in your choices of launch location, phase of the tide, tackle and lure selection will immensely contribute to your actual success on the water...if you can visualize it, you can realize it...I am a big fan of “walk the dog” lures...Top Dog, She Dog, Zara Spook, Bodonkadonk, etc. are always tied on one of my rigged rods and I welcome any excuse to throw them...amazingly enough, I usually get at least a blowup or two and occasionally get top water action that you wished was on film...I know these lures catch fish, so they catch fish for me...same with Olive XR-10 XRap jerk baits...having that “go to” lure you believe in is why it catches fish for you...same with jighead swim baits...I believe color is the single most important factor in soft plastic Shad style swim bodies...3 inch, 4 inch, 6 inch...all work...decent hooks, 2-2.8 mph trolling speed seems to be about right, depending on the weight of the jighead...I like to go as light as 1/16 oz. in skinny water and up to an Oz. in deep water...and then there is Gulp...I usually reserve Gulp as my desperation bait, when all other options have been used up to no avail...then I put out Gulp...White, Pink and Chartreuse...all seem equally effective...flounder seem to prefer Gulp over a bucktail with a trailer...although when flounder are in, the bucktails work pretty effectively, too...my favorite flounder dressing for a bucktail trailer is the inside lining of shark belly cut in thin triangular strips... a spiny or dog shark is perfect for making these strips...

[nhunter344]

...and learn how to self-Rescue...

Another reason to hold off on attaching everything/anything to your kayak. I admittedly made the rookie mistake of adding too much to my yak when I first started. I still bring way too much stuff with me. I'm still trying to break myself of the "I might need this" habit. I spent a fair amount of time last season practicing my self rescues. One of the first things I discovered was that there really wasn't a way for me to self rescue without impaling myself on something mounted to my boat. Luckily I did go the gear track route from the beginning so it was just a matter of re-arranging things.

[ronaultmtd]

For guys with big wide kayaks, PA and Big Tuna types, flipping their kayak back over is a major undertaking...even with an Outback... making yourself a rescue ladder with a step on one end and a clip on the other is a really good idea...having a $15 DIY rescue ladder on board is just great peace of mind...like wearing a PFD...you only need it when you need it... a few feet of parachute cord, a one inch diameter piece of schedule 40 pvc pipe 15 inches long with end caps glued on and a stainless steel clip...stores under the seat and since the pipe is sealed, floats...no reason why every kayaker shouldn’t carry one...like a whistle or a paddle...and if your rods and gear isn’t leashed or clipped with a restraint...it is floating around the upturned kayak or on the bottom...I installed the square hatch on my Outback to store my lures and essentials..in the drop in tray..rods are in the custom DIY pvc rack that fits in the two rod holders behind the seat. The rack has elastic loops the secure the rods to the rack so that would really be a challenge for me to roll my kayak back over if the 7’ long rods were secure in the holders...the left side of my kayak is totally clear while the right side has my electronics making it easy for me to get into and out of my kayak and to self rescue as well...

[justeric]

If your new to kayak fishing, I highly recommend going to Mark and John's class at ACC! I attended their first class and it was a great help. Thanks to everyone in the SN community, especially Mark and John and MOC and... Now help me out Mother Nature and don't throw rain and wind at me on my days off!

[john from md]

Since Mark brought up the rescue ladder, I figured I would post a place where you can buy one. As I get older, I find it easier to buy something than make it as I did most of my life. I have one of these in each of my yaks and they really help you get it over and get back in. For us older, arthritic folks, they may be life savers.
http://kayakselfrescueladder.com/Home_Page.html

Rob, some of us older guys don't post because we don't use smart phones and don't check our computers often. It isn't that we don't want to participate but sometimes the conversation is weeks old by the time we see it.