Meetups for 2022?

[ramayto]

Are there any monthly meetups being considered for 2022? I recall there use to be a monthly schedule for the year. In any case, I'm hoping to see if there are any meetups that I can get on my schedule with fellow yakers across Delmarva and NC. Happy new year!

[Redfish12]

We haven't had planned meet and greets in a few years and the pandemic hasn't helped that. I enjoyed taking some new anglers out last year and I hope to do that some more this year if I can find the time!

[Mark]

raymato,

I have met many of my kayak angler friends via this forum. The meetups were helpful in that. But in recent years I've used private message (PM) requests to join others. Some have contacted me and some I have initiated. I've learned new waters, made new friends and (I hope) shared good info and techniques with them.

So, if someone here offers to take you on an outing don't dismiss them if you can make it. Likewise, if there is someone you'd like to join, or if you'd like to learn more about a particular area, PM a person who posts about that area here. The worst that can happen is that they refuse to answer which in my experience with the posters here is unlikely.

[ramayto]

Thanks Redfish and Mark! Good advice, and I'll keep an eye out for some good ops to meetup. If y'all know anybody who is looking to target drum or speckled trout in the spring, please let me know. I've been fishing off my kayak in fresh waters for over a decade, but just started learning how to fish my kayak in salt water this year for drum and speckled trout. I did pretty good for my first year, but I figure it wouldn't hurt to head out with others to learn more. Also, Mark I ordered your book and it should be arriving Monday!

[Mark]

raymayto,

Again, thank you for ordering my book. I hope you find it entertaining and useful.

However, I did not specifically address specks and redfish in it. Although I have caught specks and reds from a kayak, I've rarely done it locally -- just a handful of catches of those species here here in the mid-Chesapeake.

I've caught many more specks and reds in TX and FL on conventional tackle (paddletails and poppers) from a kayak. And I've caught a lot of specks in FL on the fly while in a kayak.

I've caught reds on the fly in TX but I was in a motor boat, not a kayak. That was all sight-fishing in Laguna Madre and it was a blast. Reds can play hard to get. They would not chase a fly far. I had to drop it within inches of their nose with a long cast in high wind. But when they hit, they took off like freightrain and it was great fun. They can put a nice bend in your rod:

LMS_6423.jpg

I hooked the above red on the shoreline that you see above. Like they all do after they're hooked, it headed to deeper water. When the photo was taken the last inches of 105 feet of fly line were slipping through my hands. Thank goodness for backing.

LMS_6431A.jpg

The strategies I discuss about finding fish in my book cross species and locations. Shallow saltwater fishing differs little wherever you pursue it. So, what I wrote in my book about tides and structure and presentation will help you to catch reds and specks with conventional gear in the lower Chesapeake and other southern waters. And maybe I'll convince you to try the long rod. The feeling transmitted through the line to your fingertips the moment that a redfish strikes and the susequent fight is memorable.

Good luck to you in your pursuits for reds and specks this spring.

[thedutchtouch]

i'm vaccinated/boosted, and fully in favor of (outdoor) meetups- kayak fishing is an ideal socially distant activity.


Mark what are all those little black things around the edge of your watercraft?

[Mark]

Justin,

Those are rubber stripping spikes. They control slack flyline on the casting deck of a flats boat. You drop the line you intend to cast to the deck and it lightly entangles itself on the rubber spikes. Then the line feeds out nicely when you cast without knotting. It also prevents the the caster stepping on his or her line. It's very helpful especially in windy conditons.

You may have heard of a stripping basket that surf fly anglers use...It's the same function.

[thedutchtouch]

Justin,

Those are rubber stripping spikes. They control slack flyline on the casting deck of a flats boat. You drop the line you intend to cast to the deck and it lightly entangles itself on the rubber spikes. Then the line feeds out nicely when you cast without knotting. It also prevents the the caster stepping on his or her line. It's very helpful especially in windy conditons.

You may have heard of a stripping basket that surf fly anglers use...It's the same function.

Ah cool, thanks for the info, pretty cool that there's a type of fishing where a light tangle actually HELPS you, all my tangling experiences are very much the opposite! I struggled to learn fly fishing last summer, hoping to get some more practice in this upcoming one.

[Shoobs]

Greetings - I am new to the forum and this area and kayak fishing. I will be soon picking up my Hobie from Backyard Boats (maybe we can connect Redfish 12!) I am grateful to have found this community - I have read a bunch of old threads and have so much more to learn. Reading through - this really seems like a great group of fishermen. I would love to meet up if folks are willing to have a newbie along. I am located in Bethesda but I am more than willing to travel. I have connected with some great folks on here already and looking forward to connecting more. I plan to start out in some local lakes to get some experience - not just the fishing aspect but loading, launching, set up and all the things. Ultimately I want to be able to fish the Bay, and the Potomac is so tantalizingly close to our house. Anyhow, any advice thoughts or suggestions are welcome by me. Thanks again - Nick

[Redfish12]

Nick, welcome to the group and congratulations on picking up the Hobie! There is a wealth of information in this forum from years of experienced local kayak fishermen. Meet ups have dropped off but there are still opportunities to get together if you post up looking to fish or looking to join fishing trip. I'd be happy to get you out on the water this spring for some lake or creek fishing. Are you new to kayak fishing? Depending on where you want to fish and your experience, the Potomac can be a great fishery or downright scary. One of the places that heats up in March/April is Fletcher's Boathouse. You can launch a kayak there but you definitely want to check the river conditions, flow, and water height to make sure it is safe beforehand. There are a lot of sketchy spots there for current and it can be dangerous.

I think there are some great posts on here from Mark and others about developing a kayak checklist to help you plan trips. I definitely still make lists (something to do during conference calls at work) to help get ready for long weekend trips (don't forget the gulp!!) and somehow still end up leaving a paddle or life jacket from time to time and have to go back for it.

[Shoobs]

Thanks so much for the warm welcome Redfish. Great to hear about the meetups and thank you so much for your offer - I would be very grateful to meet up. I am new to kayak fishing and also new to using a pedal drive. I am open to fishing anywhere I can get the experience- my ultimate goal is to be able to fish the Bay for rockfish, but I know I have a few steps to take before getting out to the Bay Bridge. Living so close to the Potomac I am hoping I can gain the competency I need to fish it soon. I fished Fletchers and Chain Bridge from the bank last year and experienced my first shad run - and that was a lot of fun, caught some schoolies and catfish on a few trips. I took a guided trip out of fletchers with Alex Binsted in April last year - the pic of me is from that day - first time fishing in a river, first time fishing in that kind of current - throwing bucktails into that current around boulder fields - took me a bit to get the hang of things! I definitely need to get my kayak legs under me before I try the Potomac.

I will look for Mark's checklist and a great tip for surviving work calls! Thanks again!

[moc]

Welcome aboard. You will love your peddle yak. This have been and still is a great site with a wealth of information. My knowledge on kayaking have grown immensely since joining this site. I have also met a lot of great kayaks like many of the folks who responded to you in this thread. The area has a lot to offer in fishing and for me, crabbing from a kayak. Enjoy this site and welcome aboard!

[Shoobs]

Thank you MOC. I don't know a thing about crabbing except fond memories as a kid for a few weeks each summer at the Jersey Shore. OK wow - - I just went to your youtube channel - that's a lot different than what I was imagining! Very cool - I look forward to hearing and learning more about it. Thanks again for the welcome,
Nick

[jcl4rc]

Hey all, I'm basically in Nick's position. Just got my first kayak, a 2020 Outback, and can't wait to get her on the water. I searched this forum a LOT when doing my research into kayak fishing (it's been about a two-year process from idea to boat--mostly saving up--and I've still got a couple things I need to get).

Like Nick, I'll have to cut my teeth on the Potomac (I'm in NoVA), but hope eventually to fish the Chesapeake. Have one buddy who's out that way (he told me about this forum) but would love to meet up with others, as schedules allow.

Jason

[hookupxx]

It also prevents the the caster stepping on his or her line. It's very helpful especially in windy conditions.marine fender