It was windy when we first arrived in Islamorada, but the wind worsened as each day passed. By the third day the wind was too much to attempt to kayak fish so we decided to head elsewhere. After reviewing the wind forecast we decided that heading south would be our best bet to get out of the wind. We had our sites set on a few spots located in and around Sugarloaf Key. On the map there were a lot of mangrove islands around the key and we were hoping one of those spots would give us some fishable water…
Browsing: kayak
Unlike lake fishing, river fishing accesses usually don’t involve double lane concrete boat ramps that are clearly marked on a map with a corresponding letter or number. River accesses take a little more work to find than reaching for the nearest guide map. In order to find river access it takes a little scouting. What is Scouting? Scouting involves doing your homework by researching different areas or different rivers through multiple resources and with your own two eyes. Scouting takes place both at home with books and the internet, and on the river itself. Scouting is a part of river…
Many of us have certain rituals we perform, specific items we take along, or sayings we follow in order to have a successful day on the water. This can range from wearing a lucky clothing item like a hat, shirt, etc. to spitting on your bait to ensure it catches a fish. It can even include a saying “Fish bite least when wind blows from the East, but fish bite best when it blows from the West.” Many of these we hold dear come from our own personal experience. For example, I caught my personal best fish while the wind…
Rivers and streams offer equal opportunity for play and danger. How well you control your kayak determines whether you spend your day in the sunny, warm air or under water in a cool, oxygen-free environment. The first skill you need to master is reading the river. River features are like instructions for disarming a bomb. They’re best read ahead of time. Always be looking a few hundred yards downstream. With technical rapids, scout from shore by starting with your destination and working back, noting hazards and eddys where you will rest and regroup. If a rapid appears beyond your skills,…
Kayak season has finally arrived. The weather is a perfect 70 degrees, a few puffy clouds float lazily in the sky. The water ripples gently in response to the perfect current. Time to launch the season. Are you ready? But what happened? When you sit in the kayak to test your foot pegs, you almost get stuck in the cockpit. Did your kayak shrink? Unlikely. But you got a bit weaker and heavier over the winter. It’s time for some kayak fitness to get yourself in shape for the kayak season, and the best place to start is with strengthening your core.…
As the weather starts to warm up, it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll need to wear when kayaking in colder water. Even though the air temperature may be mild, the water can still be quite chilly, so it’s important to dress appropriately. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the best cold water clothing for kayakers and provide some tips on how to stay warm while out on the water. Underwear Wearing the right underwear is important for any activity, but it’s especially important when kayaking in cold water. You want to make sure…
Dry bags are a special type of bag that is designed to keep items dry in water. They can be used for any number of things, including kayaking and canoeing. Dry bags usually come in different sizes, but it makes sense to get one large enough to hold all your valuables. The best way is probably to get several smaller ones since these fit together nicely and make it easier to organize your gear: this also prevents you from having too much space inside the bigger ones and not using them at their full potential. Features to Look for in…
Kayak anglers pursuing bass in the Southeast are liable to catch several different species depending on where they are fishing. In my area on the Chattahoochee River we have largemouth, shoal bass, and spotted bass. The spotted bass is a firecracker of a fish that strikes hard, jumps a lot, and is incredibly strong. Spots, as most of us call them, are voracious feeders, and when you catch them they will often have full bellies and be spitting up shad or crawdads as they fight. If an angler is attentive, they will usually notice a group of spots following along…
When the redbud and dogwood trees are in bloom, the striper and hybrid bass run on the Chattahoochee River will be in full swing. Any pile of rocks with current ripping around it will be a likely place to catch them, but areas directly below dams will concentrate fish and anglers. One of the best known of these is between downtown Columbus, GA and Phenix City, AL. Anglers will line the bank on the Alabama side, and be all along the river walk on the Georgia side. Add multiple boats and a sprinkling of kayaks, and it can get pretty…
Most anglers grew up chasing some sort of panfish with a cane pole or rod and reel. Some of us still enjoy chasing a mess of them from time to time. Beautiful colors, fun to fight, and excellent table fare are just a few of the reasons not to neglect these fish. My favorite panfish is the redbreast sunfish. It is a river bream that can be found in deep runs, shallow riffles, and small tributaries all over the Southeast. These territorial sunfish will attack anything that gets near their nesting area, and catching them on bass-sized lures is pretty…