To nice weather and meeting new people!

 This winter has been pretty crazy with record snow falls and temperature drops. The brutal cold has been detrimental to the residential speckled trout and redfish in the surrounding inlets and bays. Since the two times I went out in the salt I didn’t get a bite or see any active fish so during the two warm spells we had I decided to hit fresh water in hopes of catching some yellow perch, crappie, bass, or whatever bites.

My first outing after installing the fish finder was out to West Neck Creek. I met Tim from TKAA/POL out on the water. There was 2 inches of ice from the ramp to 30 yards out but it was sunny and little to no wind when I got to the ramp at Westneck Marina. There was 2 vehicles with trailers and you could see where the ice was thinner where people had launched earlier in the day. I unloaded the kayak and slid out on the ice, a few yards out and it broke and I pushed through the slush to open water. I met Tim at the bridge and we started targeting whatever was biting. Unfortunately my bad luck started out my first trip of the year with a skunk. It was a nice paddle and a lot of fun exploring a new area.  The fish finder kept going from zero feet to 300 feet in depth and wasnt showing any fish or marking contours on the bottom, I dont know if it was a low battery or a lose cable.

Pretty nice paddle.

Water was like glass with no wind.

Two days this month have been in the 60s. The first day me and BB headed out on a small local lake that has reported to have a good yellow perch bite. We got some bait from Oceans East and paddled out on Little Creek Reservoir looking for suspended fish. Yet again my bad luck was the victor and we were not able to locate any fish, and after talking to several other kayakers and boaters not a fish was caught that day on the whole lake. I don’t know if the cold freeze had any effect on this lake, the deepest part I marked on the depth finder was 10 feet, and the majority of the lake was in the four to five foot range.  The depth finder wasnt jumping and was displaying the contours of the bottom and structure so hopefully charging the battery was the fix!
 

BB being goofy with a self photo (she thought she looked cool with sunglasses on.)

BB really liked this pic of her Werner Camano reflected off the water.

The second outing was with a few Pirates of Lynnhaven anglers. I got a few tips from a local guru and headed down to Lake Meade in Suffolk hoping to find some yellow perch for the fryer. I met Joe, Joe, and Ski out in Chesapeake and we caravanned to the lake. Once we got to the bait shop I met Joe from TKAA and we unloaded the kayaks. The weather was amazing and all of our hopes were up for a good day of fishing. Paddle over here, paddle over there, casting near, and casting far not a fish was caught except a small pickerel by Ski. I wasn’t close enough to see how big it measured, and im sure by the time im writing this it has quadrupled in size so ill leave him to tell the tail of catch. Luckily I enjoy paddling as much as I do fishing or I would be pursuing the wrong hobby. I just hope my bad luck and skunk smell isn’t rubbing off on people I fish with, as I do enjoy the company!

Yar! The Pirate Fleet rolls out!

Ski and Joe got their kayaks unloaded and ready to go.

There are two many Joes in this picture.

The damn between lake Cahoon and Meade is pretty awesome.

Gorgeous day on the water.

One final try at the dam before we called it a day.

Ocean Kayak Trident 13 Fish Finder Install.

The weather lately has been terrible. Temperatures dropping into the teens and wind gusts up to 20 mph have kept me inside and not on the water. I reorganized my tackle boxes and then decided to do something constructive. I have been waiting on drilling any holes into my kayak until I was sure where I liked everything and since the Trident came with rod holders and storage I didnt really need to. I did alot of research on different locations and ways to install a fish finder on a kayak and decided that the standard and designed way would be best. I started out by getting the correct transducer for the Trident series. Luckily the fish finder I already had for use on jon boats and rental boats was compatible, Humminbird PiranhaMAX 175 which came with the standard transom mount transducer. I could have installed it in the hull and got accurate readings of depth and structure but I wanted to take full advantage of the different features like temperature so I purchased the thru hull transducer that fits directly in the port side scupper hole and is secured with a plastic nut. Also ill still have the ability to use the standard transducer should I go out on a jon boat or rental boat in the future.
Materials I used and made sure I had handy.
1 tube of marine grade Goop
Antiseize grease
Cordless drill +bit set
Exacto knife
Zip ties
Shrink wrap
Wire strippers/cutters
Lighter
Solid core copper wire 20
Battery terminal clips M/F

The first thing I needed to do was install the bracket for the head unit of the fish finder. The Trident series kayaks have a compartment designed with a splash guard at the bow and after playing around with different positions I decided this is where I would install mine. I started out by tracing the base centered and marking where the holes would be. I drilled the 4 screw holes smaller than the bolts for a tighter fit. Then I put a drop of goop on each screw hole, and around the base to create a seal, to keep any water out of the kayak. I then installed the 4 stainless screws. On the back side I coated the bolts with antiseize grease and tightened down nuts with lock washers. This will keep the bolts from corroding in the future. 

Fish finder mount under splash guard.

Once the bracket was installed I began drilling for the cords, I was trying to fit both of them in 1 hole in the center of the mount but this didnt allow free movement of the display so I drilled 2 holes about 2 inches away from the base. Once the holes were drilled I cleaned them up with an exacto knife.

I had to take a break here to build a power cable for the fish finder. The original cable was designed for the batter to be right beside the unit, and I wanted to use the battery box in the hull of the kayak so I had to add about 3 feet of wire. Luckily as an electronics technician this was a pretty simple task.
 First I got the wire adapters that fit on the batter and the existing power cord. I measured the necessary distance and cut the 2 pieces of wire. I slid shrink wrap onto the wire and crimped on the adapters. Then I slid the shrink wrap over and melted it with a lighter.
Once the cable was built I continued by installing the transducer and tightening down the plastic nut. Unfortunately this transducer is also used on power boats so it includes a very long cable. I routed the cable through the hole drilled and wrapped up the excess and secured it with zip ties above the battery box. I next routed the power cord and zip tied it out of the way of the hatch.
With the cables routed and secured I installed the head unit and connected the cables. I then applied goop to the holes to seal them. I didnt do a pretty job on the sealant but its water tight and thats all that matters!

Power cord construction.

Sealed and shrink wrapped.

Not too pretty but it gets the job done.

Transducer installed in conveniently designed scupper.

Extra cable stowed away.

Power cable tucked away and secured.

All sealed up.

Under the splash guard with full movement to stow.

Schoolies. 16Nov/22Nov13.

My recent work schedule switched me from days to nights, and I havnt had alot of time to get out on the water. The past couple weeks I have been reading reports of limits being caught at the HRBT, so when Tim and Joe decided to hit the water me and BB grabbed the kayaks and headed over to the Ft Monroe side of the tunnel 16 Nov. We got out on the water and it was dead calm, no wind and the water looked like glass. We started fishing the light line on the bridge and didnt manage a single bite. Even though the weather was cooperating it seemed the fish just werent around. In between the bridges there was huge amounts of bait. It was everywhere in the water so thick I was pushing them out of the way while paddling. The problem was nothing was chasing them, they were just floating along in giant schools. None of the other kayakers or boats seemed to be doing any good either and once the temperature dropped the fog rolled in we decided to call it a night. The only fish caught was a ugly slimy toad by Tim.

Another week of 1500-0100 in the books and I was disappointed to learn that I would have to work Friday and Saturday to support a ship. Tim and Joe decided to hit the HRBT again this time on the Norfolk side, and I had hoped to get out on the water after work for some late night schoolie chasing. As things would turn out I got off earlier than expected on Friday, so I was in a rush to get out on the water. I quickly went home and grabbed my kayak and crate. I got out on the water at 21:00 and called Joe to see what the action was like. I was listening to the boat chatter on vhf#72 about not alot of fishing being caught when I paddled up to Joe. Ironically enough as soon as I got up to him his rod was bent over and he hooked his biggest fish of the night.

Joe's 21 inch schoolie striper.

I paddled my kayak around to the light line and started casting a ReelFast Tackle curly tail on a 3/8 oz jig head. I wasnt getting any action on the pilings I was fishing and then Tim paddled up to me, as soon as he got into my head lamp light his rod bent over and he pulled up his biggest striper of the night. It appeared the fish wanted to mock me. Both Tim and Joe were using deep diving hard baits, which I had none of. Most of my arsenal consisted of jig heads, buck tails, soft plastics, and top water. The only thing I had was a suspending jerk bait still tied on one of my bait casters from freshwater fishing. I decided to try it out and tied it on. A few casts later and I managed to hook up on a fish. A quick fight later and I had a nice slot striper in the kayak. I learned my lesson with the flounder earlier this year and with my modified hawg trough measuring him was no issue.

18 1/2 inch slot striper.

Having 2 fish each Joe and Tim decided to call it a night and paddled on. I was still looking for a bigger fish so I stayed and continued to fish up and down the light line. The wind started to pick up and it began to rain a little so I was thinking about leaving. But then the bite started to pick up like someone turned a switch on. I managed 5 fish in 5 casts in the 14 inch range.

Small schoolie striper on River2Sea Fetch Minnow.

The bite was hit or miss again and then it cranked up and I was catching more fish. They were all in the 10-15 inch range although a fellow kayaker a few pilings down did manage a nice 27 inch fish, that he let go. One fish wanted the bait so bad I had to use the bolt cutters to save him, and had to replace 2 hooks on the back of my lure.

15 inch schoolie, engulfed River2Sea Fetch Minnow. He swam away after cutting the hooks.

I was getting several short bites and tried out Gulp jerk shad and buck tails and managed some more small guys. I had forgotten my fish grips in the car in my haste to get out on the water. Between the flipping around, and treble hooks my thumb and hand sure wish I hadnt forgotten it.

Glad I had my pliers for this guy! All 3 hooks on the front treble.

Once the rain turned sideways and the waves started to come over the side of the kayak I decided to call it a night. It was a long wet paddle back to the ramp, and everything got a good freshwater washdown while loading (including me.)  Definitely gonna have to add a few more deep diving hard baits to my tacklebox for nights like this where the fish are suspending in the 10-12 foot range. Several other fellow kayakers of TKAA were out and managed some nice fish as well. You can check out Mako's report here:Mako Slayer and Chuck Wrenn's here: http://froggin4bass.blogspot.com

Veteran's Day Speck Trip 11 November 2013

The fabled Speckled Trout. A sleek silvery fish with specks across its back, reaching lengths of 30 inches and weighing up to 5 pounds and one of the most sought after fish in the Tidewater of the Chesapeake Bay. Even a whisper of these fish can bring fisherman by the dozen and create small secretive groups of fisherman who covet their fishing spots like top secret information. That was the targeted species, the elusive gator of the flats.
The weather was sunny although a bit chilly. I was suppose to meet Joe aka Archer out at Rudee at sunrise but due to some unforeseen circumstances and the Veteran's Day parade shutting down the road I didnt get to the launch until 9:30 and low tide. Even while launching we had people asking us had we been catching and specks, what were we using for bait, and even had one guy pull up in his car and ask if specks could be caught from the bank. Once we got on the water we paddled back into the creek to see if any bait was still in the shallow water. The water at the ramp was cloudy and the wind was picking up, the water in the back of the creek was crystal clear but the wind was making it difficult to stay in one position. We pushed up against the grass and started casting out across the creek. It wasnt long before we started seeing fish jumping all around us but nothing was taking our bait. I always read fishing reports from the pros about catching gator trout on top water baits like the skitter walk and mirror lures, but nothing was taking anything either of us threw at them. We decided to paddle back out to the main part of Rudee. The boat traffic was increasing, several boats trolling 5 and 6 rods, even large trophy boats decked out with outriggers and sighting towers with 5 people on the back throwing chartreuse gulp in every direction. Several kayakers were about, keeping their distance and shooting glances at us over their shoulder every now and then. I was enjoying the paddle. Ive always told my girlfriend its a good thing I like kayaking as much as kayak fishing, especially this summer where ive been skunked more times than caught fish. Apart from the wind I was pretty comfortable in my Frogg Toggs waders and dry top. Joe ate his coveted peanut butter and jelly sandwich and drank his juice box while I messed around with a mirror lure and discussed different fishing techniques.
Still more fish could be seen breaking the surface, but no one seemed to be catching any fish. We decided to drift back down the creek using the wind to push us down the grass bank, the water was up around 3 feet and there seemed to be more bait present. As we drifted down I started throwing an Egret VuDu shrimp under a VuDu cork. After two or three pops the cork darted under and I set the hook on a fish. Even small fish are fun when you dont catch alot! I reeled in my first fish of the day, I had forgotten my hawg trough so I measured him on my Bending Branches angler paddle at 10 inches. Not a keeper, and nothing to mount on the wall but a fish is a fish! I snapped a quick photo and tossed him back into the water.

10 inch Speck on the pink VuDu Shrimp and VuDu cork.

I casted right back into the same spot and instantly the cork went under. A quick fight and I pulled in another Spec! This one was a little bigger and decided to be difficult to measure. I got him off and casted again and after 1 pop the cork darted off, I set the hook on another Spec. This one was 13" another small guy short of being a keeper, and was the biggest of the day for me.

12 inch Speck.

13 inch Speck, biggest of the day.

Joe came right behind me in the drift and didnt get much but a few fish jumping near his cork. We drifted down to the end of the creek without another bite. We paddled back out to the oyster shoals and islands and noticed some activity in the grass and decided to try a few casts. Joe hooked up finally, and just like my 3 fish he managed 3 in the same size in a row. His biggest also measured at 13 inches.

Joe aka Archer and one of his Specks.

Once the sun started to set we decided to call it a day, and even though we didnt take home a cooler full of fish it was an awesome day on the water and I am glad I atleast managed to catch somthing! Now I just gotta find the big ol grandpa gators out there. Who knows maybe ill actually catch dinner one day!

Lovin the VuDu Shrimp!

"Elitist"

The other day on the TKAA forum a new member posted a topic requesting help and advice on finding the fish in the area. Several members decided it was their job to inform this person that they shouldnt go out and fish without the right experience and gear. This is true to a point. No person should place themselves in a dangerous position due to inexperience and unpreparedness. However, those same people have also stated that in order to find the fish, gain experience, or learn what equipment is best that you have to go out and "put time in." I also agree with this. The definition of an elitsit, in my view is someone who is arrogant, and unhelpful. How can you tell a person that they shouldnt fish alone until they are more experienced then refuse to let them tag along with you, or insult them publicly because they made a mistake on their own?

Im straight forward and honest. Always have been, and I am not ashamed of that.  Below are listed with their respected blogs the local fisherman I would consider elite fisherman, who have given me advice, showed me techniques, or gone fishing with me since my return to the sport of kayak fishing.

Jay Brooks-Wilderness Systems Pro-staff (Virginiakayakfisherman.blogspot.com)
William Ragulsky-Hurricane Kayaks Pro-staff (CoastalKayakFishing.blogspot.com)
Chuck Wrenn-Power Team Lures Pro-staff

Its not a very long list.
I would take the time to name those fisherman who have insulted me personally, were rude to me or other noobies, but I dont want any negative affects due to my honesty.
Also, dont be mistaken on some of my posts on the TKAA board regarding fishing spots. Im not asking anyone to give me the exact GPS coordinates to any of their favorite fishing spots, and I never have. But I do think its silly for people to openly refuse to give any information at all about a fish caught. It seems some people just want the 'cookie' given to them when they post up pictures of fish caught. If you cant even tell people what body of water you caught the fish in then dont bother posting a picture in the reports section of the board.


In the outdoor industry there are many pro-staffers, certain individuals who are lucky enough to be provided gear and equipment to field test, most of it provided free of charge. In the fishing and hunting community many of these people are experts, with vast knowledge and skill. They share their experiences and knowledge with the rest of the community. There are however, a few who are just in it for the face value it seems, and for the mocking of novice and new people in the field. As a noobie myself, researching different products to test I rely on the reviews and articles written by the people who test them. Like anything in life, if you lose your credibility then you lose your respect. Dont sit on a high horse and preach down on the people your suppose to serve just because you think your so much the greater outdoors-man.

Things ive learned this year from 2 separate pro-staffers.

Pro-staffer #1.

-Persistence pays off.
-Your equipment doesnt have to be high dollar as long as you know how to use it.
-You can improve your success by watching the weather.
-Thinking outside the box sometimes pays off.

Pro-staffer #2.

-Noobs dont deserve an opinion.
-Only 1 type of paddle will allow a kayak to move forward in the water.
-If your not using X brand then your a noob.
-Only people with 20 years experience are allowed to fish certain areas.
-You shouldnt ask for advice at your local tackle shop if you dont want to be publicly insulted on social media.

Which one would you look up to? If you dont like being associated with the term Elitist, then dont fit the mold.

2013 TKAA Charity Tournament.

Hum dum dum ditty dum 

Hum dum dum
Oh the wind is lashing lustily
And the trees are thrashing thrustily
And the leaves are rustling gustily
So it's rather safe to say
That it seems that it may turn out to be
It feels that it will undoubtedly
It looks like a rather blustery day, today
It sounds that it may turn out to be
Feels that it will undoubtedly
Looks like a rather blustery day today

And that little rhyme from my childhood pretty much sums up the day!

The forecast two weeks out looked too good to be true. 80 degrees, sunny, and calm. Perfect conditions to go out in September and catch an inshore slam. Redfish, speckled trout, and flounder! Or atleast that was the plan. Unfortunately for everyone fishing Mother Nature had different plans in store for the tournament. A large low pressure formed off the coast the week before the tournament which pushed in 20 mph winds and 4 foot seas.

With my current work schedule and different things happening I had no time to get out pre-fish for the tournament. All summer was actually pretty disappointing for me, consisting of small flounder, tiny black seabass, and not a redfish in sight. I was determined to go out and atleast catch somthing. I decided to stick to the place I fished the most this summer and headed out to the HRBT on the Hampton side.

We got to the boat ramp at 0600 to see a few other kayakers who decided to fish the bridge. Unloaded the Trident 13 and the Phoenix 120 and waited for the 0630 start time. As soon as everyone launched most of the people there started fishing the docks and rocks to the right and left of the boat ramp. With the way the wind and waves were I didnt want to make BB battle the conditions in her kayak so we paddled across to the general calm of the water between the pilings. After a few casts BB hooked up! her medium action rod was bending to the water and her reel was screaming out line. She finally managed to land a striper, her first time catching one! It was flipping around in her kayak and she was so excited about catching a fish it took a few minutes to get it calmed down enough to measure it at 15 inches.

BB's 15 inch Tournament Striper!

 I started out looking for the specks using a popping cork with a Egret VuDu shrimp and a mirror lure twitch bait. After a few passes through the pilings and drifting down to the top of the tunnel and not getting a bite I switched over to the same Egret Bayou Chub in Glow/Chartreuse that BB caught her striper on. We continued to paddle around in the wind and cover the area between the bridges and around the island but didnt manage any more fish. There were very few fish being caught, although we did see some decent speckled trout being caught just none on our lures.

Once we got to the convention center for the weigh-ins BB started getting excited since there were not alot of fish being turned in. Out of the 270 people who were at the captain's meeting only about a third returned for the weigh-ins. She turned in her striper sheet and we waited to see who won. As it turned out, quite a few stripers were caught in the 19-20 inch range so unfortunately BBs 15 inch didnt place.

A disappointed BB when they read the Striper division winner.

BB won a Skwoosh gel seat for the kayak!

A Blue water bottle! Yay!

Luckily she did win a few items in the raffles so it was a pretty successful tournament! 

 

YakAttack Zooka Tube, Egret Baits Wedgetail, Balloon Fisherking, Reel Fast Tackle grubs, Hobie accessory bag, Power Team Lures assorted lures and 20$ gift card, Skwoosh gel seat. and Dynabait freeze dried mussels.

Even though I didnt catch a fish we still had a great time with some great people. It was a great way to raise money to support Heroes on the Water and Project Healing Waters. There was a huge list of sponsors and supporters. Thank you to everyone who participated, donated, sponsored, or volunteered!