Kayak fishing

[Bluegill Budd]

About a month ago I purchased a used SIK for fishing some of the smaller bays and creeks feeding Kentucky Lake. Well today I took it out on my small pond with a fly rod for the first time. It was a perfect day to try this as the wind was gusting and coming from all angles (or so it seemed). Somewhere back in this thread, someone pondered on fighting the current and a fish at the same time. Today I fought the wind and a couple of BG's and one small LMB. It is a challenge! The fish were up in one corner and of course the wind kept pushing me up into the corner as soon as I put the paddle down and picked up the rod. Had to twist around once to pick up a fish since the bow of the yak was stuffed up into the bank. I rigged a make-shift rod leash and had to reposition the tie off point once since the first place I tried ended up getting in the way of picking the rod up and setting the paddle down. I was pleasantly suprised that the paddle stayed put when place across the gunwales of the yak. I was sure I would have to come up with some kind of leash for the paddle as well as the rod. I am going to modify my old Abu Garcia 5 wt with a piece of parachute cord coming out the bottom of the reel seat so the leash is totally behind my casting hand.

I am glad I have ponds on which to experiment and practice so no one but my bride, watching from the sun porch, can be entertained by my antics. It will take a few more trips before I am comfortable enough to venture out where the public can see me.

I would love to hear some of the "lessons learned" about FFing from a kayak as I am much to busy to make all the mistakes my self.

------------------
Clint

I feel closer to HIM when I'm fishing.




[This message has been edited by Bluegill Budd (edited 12 March 2006).]

[PiKapp]

I just wanted to add something to this topic. Fishing from a kayak is not all easy and fun. It can be downright frustrating most of the time. Trying to slow the boat down, not drift into the bank, keep tabs on the extra line and making sure it doesn't tangle with items on the boat, flipping your yak, and many other issues arise and make fishing irritating. It takes alot of time to become comfortable fishing from a yak and it is not for everyone. I would urge you try it before you buy it.

There is alot of info on kayak fishing as well on georgiariverfishing.com. This is not a shameless plug for the site, but we are lots of kayak fisherman and there is alot of great info on doing it. Take a look. If this is inappropriate, I am sorry I don't mean any harm.

[Ct Don]

Jim,

There are opportunities like false albies and blue fin tuna that present themselves suddenly and just as quickly disappear. Chasing them with a kayak so you can make a "short" cast to them most often ends up being a lot of paddling and little or no fishing. The longer the cast that you can make the more time they are in range. For me that requires a long rod with authority.

When I fish for shad, schoolie stripers, or blues I use a 9ft 6/7wt tip action rod. I like the longer rod because it is easier guide the line around the bow and stern of my 16 foot kayak.

If I could only have one rod for salt water kayak fishing it would a 9ft 9wt tip action. I would have 3 lines spooled for my reel with floating, intermediate and a fast sink lines or sinking head for the intermediate.

Don



[This message has been edited by Ct Don (edited 12 March 2006).]

[Thwack]

I saw a folding kayak this afternoon in a local sporting goods store. It's made by Bic (the pen folks) and I think it's their "Yakka" model:

[url=http://www.bicsportkayaks.com/kayaks/yakka_range.php?lang=us:886ca]http://www.bicsportkayaks.com/kayaks/yakka_range.php?lang=us[/url:886ca]

I have no idea what it would be like on the water. I mention it only because somebody asked about folding yaks and I just saw this one today.

As for handling wind in a kayak. I have an anchor rigged up for my kayak. If it's very windy, and I'll likely hold one spot for a while, I can drop a SMALL anchor off both ends of the kayak.

On moving water, don't attach your anchor to the middle of the side of your yak or wind/current/shifting around can swamp you. Being able to quickly disconnect your anchor line and toss the whole thing overboard can be a life saver. A float on the end of the line (or a floating line winder) can make it easier to reclaim your line afterwards (assuming the water isn't deeper than your line's length when you tossed it all overboard).

For budget-minded anchors, those small plastic covered dumbbells sold in the exercise department work fine as anchors. You only need a couple pounds to hold you in place so no need to toss a ten pound chunk overboard.

There are likely some other things to keep in mind when anchoring a kayak.

[Hairstacker]

Well, since I fly fish 30+ days per year in the California Delta out of an inflatable kayak, thought I'd pipe in. An inflatable kayak has several advantages -- it fits easily in a car trunk and literally takes me less than 5 minutes to inflate using a double-action foot pump. It is also extremely stable -- I've leaned waaay over the sides many times while unhooking flies from tules, trees, etc., and have never even had a hint of flipping. I suppose it's because it's really more like being in a narrow raft than a kayak. As far as tips, here's a few I go by for freshwater:

1. Goes without saying but will say it again anyways: ALWAYS wear a life jacket.

2. Attach a short section of rope within reach of where you sit -- it will enable you to tie up to tules, trees, etc., to fish an area without worrying about drifting around, and the rope will allow you to tie up when you disembark.

3. Take advantage of opportunities to "park" on top of weedbeds to fish a spot. On particularly windy days, I'll just work my way down weedbeds, parking and fishing from spot to spot.

4. If there's current, learn to use one hand to maintain boat position with the paddle and the other hand to fly cast with. Don't bother stripping line, just use the rod tip to twitch and give action to the fly. With this method, you'll be able to drift and cast Clousers, woolly buggers, etc., toward shore as you drift, hitting all likely holes along the way. Your fly rod will have a sweet spot -- the amount of line you can have out from the rod tip that will enable you to pick the line up and, with one or two backcasts at most, lay it back down again and effectively fish flies using just the rod tip for action -- figure out this length of line. This will enable you to fly fish with one hand until you hook up.

5. If it's a reasonable option for the conditions and fish you're pursuing, stick with floating fly lines. They are much easier to control on the water, far less likely to get permanently snagged on the bottom in rocks, and you can just flip it behind you and drag it along when moving from spot to spot without having to worry about snagging it on the bottom.

6. Develop your sidearm cast so that you can confidently skip flies underneath overhanging branches of trees along the bank -- much easier to do with a sidearm cast than an overhead cast.

7. Give serious consideration to wearing long shirt sleeves and sun gloves in the summer -- I believe reflections off the water in the summer time make it more likely you'll burn to a crisp if you don't protect yourself.

8. Although you would think a longer fly rod makes it easier to keep your backcast off the water, etc., I have concluded it is better not to use a rod longer than 9'. For example, if I need to remove a tangle at the rod tip, it is much easier to extend the rod butt over the side without dunking the reel and fixing the tangle at the tip on a shorter rod. With practice, you'll learn to keep your backcasts off the water without having to resort to a 10' rod, which will feel much heavier at the end of the day.

9. Generally speaking, if you are parked on a weedbed, don't cast farther than necessary to be stealthy when fishing topwater for bass. Your casts will be much more accurate, it's easier and faster to cover an area in short order, and you'll have less slack to deal with when setting the hook. A nice bonus is that you'll be that much closer to experience the explosive strike that almost gives you a heart attack.

10. There are areas motorized boats can't get to but you can with a kayak. Make a point of looking for them. All else being equal, the fish will be less pressured, particularly in areas with limited and/or private shore access.

11. Place marks on your kayak with a sharpee waterproof marker or find some other means of using your kayak to measure/estimate the length of fish you catch -- far quicker and easier, both on you and the fish, than struggling with a tape measure while you're holding the fish.

12. Don't hang around in the middle of the water around blind corners and cuts unless you enjoy being a ramp for water skiers, bass boaters, etc.

13. When you first disembark from the kayak after being on the water for several hours, purposely spend a few moments at shore regaining your sense of balance on your feet before navigating rough terrain, climbing levee walls, etc. You'll find yourself stumbling and falling less often.

14. Every so often, take a break, kick back, relax, have a cup of coffee, and soak in the view. I have found this to be one of the very nicest, therapeutic aspects of being out on the water in a kayak with a fly rod.

The day I got my inflatable kayak, it changed my fly fishing life overnight. I highly recommend them.

-- Mike


[This message has been edited by Hairstacker (edited 12 March 2006).]

[billknepp]

Thanks Mike,

I've learned alot of what you said in fishing from Canoe,Toon...and other assorted small water craft...and Picked up a few things I feel will be specific to kayaking as well....

These things are some of the little things that definitely come from time on the water!!

The part of taking a few min. to gather ones bearings definitely bring's back memories of the first time I tried to stand and untangle a fly I had stuck in an overhead branch in my canoe....thats an awkward feeling bending back and looking straight up while standing on an unsteady platform in moving water...Or maybe it's something specfic to me....got a bit light headed...LOL

Saturday I'll be going to a paddleing shop to checkout 113 scratch and dent/Rental/used/Blem Yak's....Some of which are the highend full out fishing Yak's 1 in preticular is of great interest...but a duralite made model will deffinitely be on my list of must see's...32 Lb. at 12' man that one is light!!

Hobie lists it's mirage drive as One of their "product's"...
Anyone know if this can be purchased alone...and added to other maker's boats...????? or to a solo canoe???
Why do these things run through my head?...



[This message has been edited by billknepp (edited 13 March 2006).]

[Thwack]

Hobie's Mirage drive sticks through the bottom of the kayak. Retrofitting it to some other model would involve a lot of work. You'd need to provide the lock-down mechanism that keeps the drive assembly in place, provide the hole through the bottom of your yak, and seal all around it so you don't sink.

I'm sure it can be done if you have the tools, experience with plastic, etc. But odds are you wouldn't be happy with the effort required.

[cbyak]

I was an experienced whitewater paddler before I became a fisherman. I have been yak fishing for 10 years and the last 3 with a flyrod only. I have a sik and a sok. Both have their advantages. I do rivers and lakes, no oceans. One of the things that makes fishing manageable and really fun in a yak is understanding wind direction and strength and water current.

There are lots of ways to do this but I find the easiest mentioned above is with a light anchoring system on the ends of the yak with all the safety proviso's mentioned above. I typically only use one anchor at a time. I never anchor in a fast (or medium) moving section of water. By reading the water and planning ahead you can tell what spots you want to fish then you figure out where you and the yak need to be to fish those spots. It takes a little extra planning but learning how to paddle in river currents (and windy lakes) significantly improves results. I recommend taking several trips to learn how to best paddle primarily and fish secondarily. Also get out of the kay when there is a nice wading spot.

I did rent an inflatable and ran a fairly challanging white water river in colorado. That experience indicated that this boat should be fishable as well (as indicated above). The one I rented would spin very easily so that would have to be controlled as well. My kayaks are recreational so they have a v shaped hull. Spinning is not a problem in them.

Regarding colors I have seen big smallies that seem more spooked by noise than color of a boat drifting by.

BTW you can't catch any fish from a yak so don't bother.

[billknepp]

Oh I knew of all the work involved....But if offered as an option for those who had thoughts of fitting a boat already owned or a really sleek touring model...

I would expect that maybe it may...or atleast should... come with some type of molded socket base that would be as is used on their rigs...My thoughts were along the lines of one who has say an Old Town Pack solo canoe...And would like that same hands free fishing..as well as save themselves a tighty wad of cash in putting such a rig together.
It would be a good seller I'd have to think...One could even put together a fleet for their kids!!..LOL...$1200.00 boats for 6 is a rather tall order for a fam..

[Thwack]

BillKnepp,

I hear what you're saying on the cost issue! I got lucky and picked up a used Hobie Mirage (the original model, no fishing goodies on it) for a nice discount when a local yak rental place was dumping their rental fleet.

At the end of every season, they sell off that year's fleet. Prices vary, but for that one, I got it at half of normal list price.

Sure, it's been in the salt water all summer...no problem. If I ever get a chance to fish the salt, I'll use that one. Otherwise, it's what I bring when one of my kids, my wife, or a buddy wants to get out on the water with me.

I'm planning to add a couple rod holders behind the seat since it really doesn't have anywhere to set your rod while fiddling with anything else. It should be pretty simple to do, I just need to make time to get to it.

It would be cool to see the Mirage drive offered as a retrofit for other boats, but I'd be surprised to see them do it. They seem to be content adding one new model with that drive every year or so...seems to be more than enough to keep their R&D team busy (along with the non-pedal designs they add).