Getting Started Part 1

 This is going to be a three part series so be patient with me. I get asked how to get started occasionally but over the last couple of months it's happened a little more than I normally get asked. So I figured I  would try to put my thoughts on this into words and see if it can help a couple people at least get pointed in the right direction. Now before we get started let's get something clear. This is just my point of view and it's based on what has worked for me.

 In this first entry I'm going to cover some basic tackle I think will work for just about any lake or river in the county. After that I'm going to talk about putting that stuff to work then getting off of the bank and being able to cover more water.

  I want to keep your load light but effective. I also want to keep it as inexpensive as possible at first. You should be able to start fishing on the cheap without buying junk equipment. Pawn shops and secondhand stores are great places to find quality gear for a lot less than paying retail.

 As far as gear/tackle goes you really don't need a lot to get off to a good start. Here is a short list of tackle get you rolling. Assuming you're brand new means there is a high likelihood you will be bank fishing, the first item on the list is:

- Backpack: Nothing special just something big enough to hold two 3700 size boxes like the on in the picture below, drinks and a snack.

 The place I would encourage putting any real money is in you rod/reel combos, I suggest getting two combos to start. One spinning and one baitcaster combo. I highly recommend learning how to use a baitcaster.

- Spinning combo 6'6"-7' medium power/ mod fast to fast action.

- Baitcaster combo 7' med/hvy fast with a 6.3:1 reel.

These two combos will cover 90% of all the fishing you will probably ever do. EVER.

 You really only need a handful of lures and I think these should be in your arsenal.

- Spinnerbaits in white, white/chartreuse and black.

- Buzzbait in the same colors as the spinnerbaits.

- Lipless crankbait aka "Rattle Trap" in chrome with a blue back.

- Plastic worms in ribbon tail and straight. I like to stick to just a few colors; Black, Junebug and Green Pumpkin Seed. I also like Green Watermelon Seed.

 This is definitely not a complete list but it's enough to get you started and keep you busy for a while.There are a couple lures I would like to add to the list but I want to keep this a simple as possible for now.

The Night Life

 Considering this is becoming my preferred time to fish I thought I might share my take on night fishing. I doubt I'm going to cover anything that hasn't been covered before but maybe I can put some info out there that helps somebody put some fish in the boat and go home in one piece all at the same time.

Five pounder caught on a jig.

  Before we get started lets talk about what it takes to get home safely. This is the most important part of the whole deal, none of this is worth getting hurt or dead over so use your brain and a little common sense when on the water.

-The first thing to do before you go out at night is to let somebody know where you are going to be that way if something happen they know where to start looking if the worst comes to pass.

-Second, don't be an idiot, you need to know the water you are going to be on. After dark is not the time to try to learn new waters, fish it during the day several times before you attempt to solo fish a place after hours. Although it's probably best to fish with a partner I generally end up fishing alone most of the time. I never fish a place for the first time by myself at night.

-Third, be prepared for emergencies have a way to mend small wounds and remove hooks from yourself or your fishing buddy. Also be prepared to deal with the really bad things that can happen when the lights go out. We have some really big toothy critters in these parts and a carbon fiber paddle is no match for a 500 lb. alligator and Heaven forbid you ever have to defend yourself out there but it can happen and you need to know how to deal with any situation that arrises.

Only carry if you are willing to deal with the consequences of your actions.

Having the tools to remove hooks and to cut rope and fishing line is a necessity. Don't leave home without the tools to do the job.

  As the adage goes "Two is one and one is none". When it comes to lights at night you need a minimum of two sources of light and they need to be in good working order. I like to wear a ball cap when I fish so a clip on light seems to be the handiest thing for me to use personally. Just find something you can get used to that will keep you hands free. A handheld flashlight just doesn't really cut it. Also having red lights will help to preserve your night vision. Last but not least if you are fishing public waters have a white light that is visible for all 360 degrees that way any boaters out there can see you.

My light pole is an old Mag Light stuck in a piece of 3/4" PVC and the end cap is a protein drink tube. You don't need to spend tons of money on this stuff, it just needs to work.

   A few last house keeping items before we go fishing and they both have to do with being comfortable on the water.
1. Wear your PFD.
2. Dress to be comfortable. Don't forget rain gear getting drenched sucks but wearing comfortable clothes is just as important at night as it is during the day. Also having a jacket can be nice.
3. Bring food and water.
4. Bug control. I use a spray and a ThermaCELL.
5. Keep the cockpit of your kayak clear of clutter only use one rod at a time and keep all tackle and gear stowed and out of the way.

I leave my ThermaCELL burning until I have my kayak tied down and I'm ready to go home.

Now lets go fishing!

 I see on fishing forums all the time, questions posted about night fishing and it is almost totally predictable that they are going to ask the same three questions every time.

What baits to use?

What areas do you target at night?

What time of night?

What bait to use?

 The same baits you use during the day. I will fish black or darker colors at night the more often than not but the truth is black and dark colored baits are more of a confidence thing for me. Shad, lizards, crawfish or any other prey item don't magically turn black once the sun goes down BUT knowing when to use darker baits can lead to success. I have found that dark baits are not an automatic at night, I take water clarity and ambient light into consideration for bait choice. If the water is clear and I have good ambient light like a full moon or plenty of street light or dock lights I will fish light colors. If the water is murky or there is little ambient light I will lean towards dark colors. Bass have excellent night vision, along with their lateral lines to sense movement and pressure changes in the water and a good sense of hearing, they have no problem locating prey. I think we as humans don't give them enough credit in their abilities in that department. They are the apex predatory fish in many bodies of water for a reason.

A good sample of the baits I use at night.

What areas do you target at night?

 I fish the same areas at night as I do during the day although I tend to focus heavily on flats and dock lights at night. A flat that has a distinct ledge can be a gold mine. Also anywhere creeks feed into the main body of a lake or cove. Fishing from a kayak forces you to break down a body of water into bite sized chunks. A cove on a lake might be all you can fish in a few hours of work so you need to fish that cove as if it is it's own body of water. Analyze that cove. Is there a feeder creek coming into it? Does it have a flat or flats to fish? Shear walls? Drop offs, humps, holes or an old roadbed? Day or night I like to fish creeks and flats it just fits how I prefer to fish for the most part. One thing that I have found is bass will still orient towards ambush points even at night. Logs, clumps of grass and small holes are spots to target even when the lights go out.

 All three of the fish pictured above were caught in the same lake but the under the water is different from spot to spot where they were each caught. The top fish was caught on the outside edge of a cove next to a drop off in about six feet of water. The center fish was caught next to the bank along a channel ledge (the channel being about 9'-10'  deep in that area) and the bottom fish was caught right in the middle of a flat in about 3 feet of water.

What time of night do you fish?

 This goes back to one of my first statements about being safe on the water and knowing the water your on. You also need to learn the feeding patterns of the fish in the place you are fishing. For my main honey hole I have found the fish like to feed just before sundown and the hour just after that and they will pick up again about every two to three hours for twenty minutes or so in each of those windows so I need to be in place and ready when they start feeding because I will miss out if I'm not ready when they are.

 Ultimately success night fishing comes down to location, preparedness and knowing your home waters . You can't catch big fish if there are none where you fish. You can't have success if you are unprepared both mentally and physically. Lastly know thy waters. The only way to know your waters is to put the time in. Go put in the time, experiment and have fun with it, lose some sleep and hopefully catch a new Personal Best!

Tight Lines

H

A Blossoming Relationship Part II

 In my last entry http://finstalker.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-blossoming-relationship-part-1.html I kind of left you hanging because I was afraid I was going to be a bit too long winded for a single post. So lets get down to the ducks guts and actually talk about this fishing machine.
 The Trident line was released in 2009 and since then Ocean Kayak has sold over 20,000 of these units, not bad considering how competitive the fishing kayak market has become. In a market where the consumer thinks that he needs bigger, wider more stable kayaks it's nice to see that companies haven't abandoned the sleeker faster models like the Tridents.
 Now as I said in my earlier entry I had/have a few specific features that I was looking for in a fishing kayak.
1. Enough stability to stand and fish from.
2. Comfortable enough to fish all day in.
3. In hull storage.
4. Decent cockpit layout.
 This boat has all of those areas covered. As I stated in my earlier post I knew the seating was going to be a little rough on me because of the seating position. I have come up with a cheap/simple solution that is relatively comfortable and allows me to get to my feet fairly easily and also takes some of the pressure off of my lower back. So my seating concerns have been handled for the time being.
 As for the other three items on my list, stability, storage and cockpit layout. She has those areas covered nicely as well.
 Owning and selecting a kayak is a very personal thing it has to fit you and how you are going to use it. I think a little thought needs to go into the purchase.  You should ask yourself where and how you plan on using your new kayak and not just "In the water to fish". DUH! Ask yourself if you need a purpose built kayak for say fishing rivers like the Predator MX or are you like me and need more of a "utility boat" that can do most anything well but not be focused on one type of water? You'll also notice that my requirements in a kayak didn't include a bunch of doodad stuff, they are utilitarian in nature because mounts for accessories and the like do nothing to improve the true performance of the kayak and can be added later if I really think they are necessary.
 I've had this boat for a few months now and I've fished it in the places that I fish the most and I've had the opportunity to take it on a road trip to Lake Eufaula and I've got to tell you. The more I use this thing the more I like it. It is smooth, fast and quiet. It's easy to get up to speed and just as easy to maintain that speed. The cockpit layout is good and there are two things that I've found I really like; one that I thought was a waste of space originally and one I never gave any thought to. First the faux waste of space. The hatch that is intended for a depth finder. OK I was wrong. I like it, in fact, I like it a lot. Not for a depth finder but as a catch all for the things I like to have on hand and easy to get to like my phone and the things I carry in my pockets also other knick knack stuff like leader material.

 The tank well area is something I didn't give any thought to but it turns out I like it's size and layout. What I like about it is the fact that there are basically two separate areas back there. One directly behind the seat that is just the right size for two 4700 Plano boxes or a small soft cooler for snacks (which is what I use it for) and then the main tank itself that is obviously big enough for a standard size milk crate or small cooler.

  

 Overall I really like this boat and with a couple of minor changes it has quickly become my go to kayak. One last thought; the sturdy construction of Ocean Kayaks in general. I have notice that every O.K. model that I have looked at or paddled all feel well built and durable. So if you're in the market for a fishing kayak you owe it to yourself to give the to Trident 13 a serious look. I honestly believe that it can compete against any kayak in its category and hold it's own just fine.

A Blossoming Relationship - Part 1

 I thought she looked nice from the time I first laid eyes on her. Nice lines, sleek and fast. I just wanted to get my hands on her. I dated her little sister briefly but that didn't work out. She was put away wet a few too many times. Then I got into a relationship with her "big boned" cousin and I will still keep her around as a back up. This new girl though; she maybe a keeper. Get your minds outta the gutter I'm talking fishing kayaks here not a bunch of dirty legs from my early 20's.
 Seriously I've always liked the way the Trident Family looked and I've heard nothing but good reports from the field about them but my only personal experience with them was a little over a year ago with a loaner Trident 11. That particular kayak while not abused, it was left outside all the time exposed to the elements and just not in good condition. It paddled ok but was too close to being more of a river boat than what I was looking for. The T11 paddles well and tracks alright for a shorter kayak but is very susceptible to paddle input. Not what I was looking for.
 The next kayak I mentioned is my Big Game II. This is a great kayak. Super stable excellent in big water. Has an nice seat, is really comfortable and one thing that has surprised me the most about the BGII is how much I like to just float in it. This thing floats down stream like a dream. It's a great river boat. Just not fast and I wanted fast or at least faster than the BGII.
Which brings me to my new fling.
 The Trident 13.

 Let me explain what I was/am looking for in a fishing kayak.
1. Stability,  it needs to be stable enough to stand and fish from.
2. Comfort, the seat needs to not kill my back or let my bum go numb.
3. In hull storage, I like to transport as much as I can in the hull. Especially my fishing rods.
4. A decent cockpit layout or at least good enough for me to expand on to make it my own. Gimme a somewhat Plain Jane and let me rig it myself.
 With those thoughts in mind I knew the 13 was stable enough to stand and fish from because I did it in the 11. The seat in the 13 I knew was going to be an issue because every kayak I've been in where the seat pad is directly on the deck of the boat hurts my back and my @$$ goes numb. It has as much to do with my body as the seating position itself. This isn't a knock on the Trident, that seating position is uncomfortable for me. So I added padding from the get go. Although I wish I could get my paddle in the hull, more important to me though I can stow my rods and that was the most important part of having in hull storage for me.
OK. Now here's where we are in our new relationship. My very first thought when I dipped my paddle into the water was, "Wow this thing is easy to paddle". And she is. These boats paddle well, track great and are pretty light weight. As it turns out that was some of what I was looking for in my next kayak. What I didn't mention earlier is I wanted something I could cover water in and I can definitely do that in this boat.
More to come.....

Familiar Waters

 It's been a while since I'd had paddled up this creek and it almost felt like coming home. The current the twists and turns and the familiar sites. We all have our own reasons for loving certain bodies of water and some you just can't quite explain. For me it's a sense of connection and I don't know why, I wasn't raised here. I have no family or personal history with the area. I'm nothing more than a damned yankee in these parts. I love the place and it feels good to call it home.

 Back at the ranch, it was 75 degrees and sunny with a slight chance of rain. Gotta go, the creek is calling. No playing around. Use what I know works and have caught hundreds of fish on in the past. Today I'm catching fish! The water was super clear. This is one of these places where you better have plenty of tackle with you because you're guaranteed to lose some stuff. There is a ton of lay downs and the fish get up in that stuff and if you wanna catch them you have to go in there and get 'em.

 The pattern of the day was to pitch soft plastics against the bank or throw them into tight cover and dead stick it until you get bit. I tried a few other baits but lizards were what was on the menu. I get kinda bored dead sticking baits but it sure beats getting skunked.

  I fished for about 4 hrs picking up about 15 fish all in the 1-2# range with the best one pictured below she went 2.48#. By no means a stud fish but a great day on the water.

 I actually thought I lost that fish; I felt the bite, set the hook and she darted right into the branches of the lay down I was fishing. I thought I was snagged for sure and was telling myself she had come unbuttoned. I drug myself over the top of the "snag" and looked down to see the fish still on the line! Sweet! After about 5 minutes of messing around she swam out of the mess below me and WALA! Best fish of the day!
 The sun was starting to touch the tops of the tree and I wanted to hit one more spot before calling it a day. As I was making my way around a corner I looked up to see this dude staring me down. He didn't seem to be phased in the least that I got so close to him.

 The branch he was perched on extends over the water so I had to get really close to get past. I was so excited about seeing the bird I quit fishing to go take a few pictures before it flew away.
 Until next time.
Tight Lines
H

Puttin' In The Time

 We all have baits and techniques that we don't like, haven't tried  or have tried with no success and have no confidence in and I'm no different. Each year I'll pick a technique or bait and work on it to see if I like it and if I do I'll continue to use it if not, I scrap it. This year has been a little different; I'm working three different baits, one of the three I've never fished and the other two I never gave much of a chance but the time spent is starting to pay off.  I don't want this to be some sort of tutorial, really  it's just a report with a little background. The baits I'm practicing with are the swim jig, bladed jig and big stick baits.
 Thinking of big baits I hit the water Friday afternoon and fished until few hrs. after dark chunking and winding swimbaits. I landed a couple but nothing to write home about.

That's a 6" Little Creeper Trash Fish she tried to choke down.

 I know my writing is like the ramblings of a madman or an ADHD sufferer but stick with me and I'll try to pull it all together for you in the next couple paragraphs. I'll even toss in a bit of fish porn...

 Friday was a lot of work for not a lot of gain so Saturday I decided I just wanted to put fish in the boat. I prepped for another evening of fishing this time loading the stuff I know I can catch fish with and some of the stuff I've been practicing. 

 Once on the water I started out doing some searching with a Strike King Rage Toad; throwing it around heavy grass and some areas that were covered in scum. After about an hour of that with no takers I switched up to a BooYah Bladed jig and made my way into a narrow creek where on the third cast I landed one about 2-2.5#s.

The BooYah jigs have a really nice thump as they move through the water.

 After awhile of not getting any more bites on the bladed jig I switched over to a swim jig but got no love there either so I broke down and started throwing the big stack bait. This year is the first year I've thrown these things and I'm doing it just to follow someone's advice. As much as I hate to admit it they work and work well. I've thrown Senkos as follow up lures to topwater lures and I've used them in pure desperation but I've never gone out and said "Hey I think I'm gonna throw Senkos today!" Just as soon take a beating. BUT these are bigger than the little Senkos so it makes it all better. With all that being said I stuck the best fish of the night on the stupid stick bait.

A solid fish at a hair under 5 pounds.

  Before the lights went out I tossed a big swimbait around for a while and had one follower that I watched take a couple swipes at my bait but I got tired of that and switched back to the toad and made my way to a large flat that holds a ton of submerged weeds. I ended up picking up four or five in that area before leaving there and fishing the main channel of the lake.

Love fishin toads.

  After that it was pretty much over with I picked up three more including this giant that was all attitude. He made me laugh. The bait was about as big as he was.

Who says big baits don't work?

 OK boys and girls that's it for this session, now go get you some.

 Tight Lines!

H

One Of The Reasons

  Five years ago my wife and I relocated to Alabama and one of the things I got excited about was the fishing and the classic lakes located here.  I had all of the notions that I was gonna be out galavanting around the state fishing these lakes every weekend. Well it just hasn't happened that way. I have been able to do a little fishing here and I have fished a bunch of different places but I don't think any have made me feel like Eufaula has. This was my first trip there and I felt something special about the place at the first sight of water. I just knew this was going to be a good weekend.
 There are places that get ranked as top bass lakes and Eufaula is no different and some fall out of favor and there again Eufaula is no different. I think she maybe taking a back seat to some of the other lakes right now but I don't know that you could convince me as to why. With quite literally miles of lily pad fields this is a kayak anglers dream.

Lily pads run for miles here.

 For the people that know me they know one of my goto techniques is fishing a toad. This place fits that bill perfectly. We spent the weekend chunking and winding toads. I did get a little tired of that so I tossed a wake bait for a while and picked up one about 2# but the toad bite was so good I had to go right back to it.

The only non-toad fish of the weekend caught on a Mikey SR.

  I won't bore you with a bunch of selfies of me with fish I will just suffice it to say that if you like to fish lily pads and you want to fish a storied lake with a good history then do yourself a favor and give this place a visit.

Ok one more selfie. 

  There was a two day tournament going and the boat traffic seemed pretty light even with that happening. They also restrict people from skiing and using PWC in the wildlife management areas, which is a major plus. I can't think of anything I hate more when I'm trying to fish than some ass monkey on a jet ski. Just a couple more things to appreciate about this place.