spike speaks fishing around
Kayak fishing is becoming a legitimate sport! Photos and letters are coming in from all over the U.S. and Mexico. Bass, catfish, trout, halibut, sailfish, threshers and more. Anglers are literally targeting every specie from the kayaks. Just seeing us on the water is enough to send some folks running to purchase that first boat. At our first trade show in `96, industry legend Fred Hall put on the skids as he was walking by and after looking the booth over he smiled and said "people are going to buy your kayaks, they don’t know it yet, but they are going to buy them". Coming from a guy with 50 years of fishing industry experience who used to slay fish on a longboard, I took Fred’s comments to heart.
CKF™ (the company) just survived it’s second year of operation and the tunnel light is glowing bright. I am grateful to all of you, across the country and in my home state, for your support and for helping to spread the word. There is no advertising more effective than the testimony of a productive fisherman.
A small number of subscribers have asked to network with others, both for fishing and to report the "hot bites". If you are looking for someone to fish with, call us and we will put you in touch with subscribers in your region. Keep in touch with the CKF™ office for reports and conditions from San Diego Bay to San Francisco. Please give us a call with your own reports if you are so inclined. This type of networking will put all of us on more fish and besides, what better way to meet a fellow angler?
Spring is here and the bite is starting to go from really good to wide open for a lot of the fish we live to target. White sea bass, yellowtail, and spring run salmon are a few of the varieties that should be swimming in fear just about now. Get out often, fish hard, stay safe, and keep those cards and letters rolling in.
We have lots to look forward to with the warm season coming on. Daylight savings and longer light gives all of us a chance to find more frequent fishing opportunities. For the mobile angler, the Sierra opener, salmon season, and Baja, all offer a great deal of spice to our fishing, not to mention stocking some good meat in the freezer. A great way to fish the Sierra’s is to wait for the opening crunch of anglers to leave, then go in and fish your guts out. I tend to roll in 3-5 weeks after the "opener". When fishing new areas I ALWAYS HOOK UP WITH THE MARINA MANAGER and find out how and where the hell to fish.
For freshwater applications, a set of wheels for your kayak will get you to those short hike lakes that see little pressure and more often than not produce tons of action. A fishing kayak prepped for freshwater weighs a fraction of its saltwater counterpart.
Artificial baits, especially soft plastics, are becoming increasingly popular in the Sierras. Lately I’ve met some folks who target the Alpers variety of farm raised trout for it’s great fighting ability, size, and exceptional taste.
Most ‘heavy fish’ kayak anglers are not used to fishing light line. Fishing crappie is one of the best freshwater pursuits and you can gear as light as 2 pound test. The light tackle is also effective in open water trolling. Lake fishing is an area where trolling applications can really be exploited. Running sonar at slow speeds on a lake provides a very intimate picture of life below. Trolling techniques as deep as 150 feet are very productive for hooking up kokanee, mackinaw, and GIANT lake trout. Integrating diving disks, planers and trolling rigs specific to the species is recommended. A few subscribers have noticed they are hooking up deep when the boat trollers are going too fast and the tubers are too shallow. The lakes can produce worthy catches and the level of exercise really makes lake trolling a paddle sport.
HOT TIPS
1) Make a pack-list for your fishing outings. After a few trips, you will see that most of your "pack" consists of things you ALWAYS take. As time goes on the list will change. Extras can be added on a per trip basis. It seems like fishing is one of those sports where some item is always left behind. The pack-list will minimize forgotten gear.
2) Follow the party boat and landing counts. Published daily in the sports section of the newspaper, the fishcount gives us an accurate view of the ongoing bite.
3) Install BULKHEADS in your Scupper or other large hatch kayak. Bulkheads compartmentalize your hold and keep your gear from sliding as well as adding floatation to your boat. Bulkheads can be made at home with marine grade foam or ordered from CKF™ for Scupper Classic and Pro models. Bulkheads for all other brands are available special order.
4) If you use the SPIKESTRIKE™ rod holders, or you fashioned your own, take an extra step to insure your gear. Drill two holes in the top of the tube and slip a 3/8 inch piece of shock cord through it, forming a loop. During rough weather or exiting the boat for a swim, pull the loop up over the reel to lock in the outfit.
5) Parking fees can be a significant expenditure and sometimes the most expensive part of the fishing day. If you spend any amount of time accessing the water through the State Park system, the annual day use parking pass is only $75.00. If you have a fishing buddy, a second vehicle pass is only $20.00 more. Split between 2 people, the state park pass can pay for itself in a few weeks. That’s 50 weeks of free parking with clean heads and showers!
6) The bowline is an integral piece of equipment on any kayak. Long a stock accessory on all Ocean Kayaks, bowlines are now optional on new boats (of course you can get them from CKF™). A problem many have had is getting a hook, or worse a bait rig, snagged in the nylon rope. It’s not hard to do and can be an embarrassing pain. Especially when your jig is stuck on another boat. The easy way to limit this inconvenience is by slipping a length of vinyl tube over the length of the bowline. After a year or so the plastic will get yellow and brittle but 6 feet of tube only runs about 3 bucks at the hardware store.
7) Find a quality tackle store that does a lot of business and establish a relationship with one of the knowledgeable sales folk. These guys are the core of the industry. Seven days a week they hear all the latest action and many have keen intuition for what tomorrow holds. The tackle sellers love for fishing is rarely surpassed and their knowledge of local fishing can be a vital tool for getting on the bite. I’ve found information that often makes the difference in catching fish through such relationships.
LOST GEAR
In the early years of kayak fishing, a few members of the group paid some serious dues as they figured out the sport. The dollar value of all the rods, reels, tackle, cameras, and sunglasses that were lost in the water exceeded $1000 per boat in a few cases. With some precious items truly "lost at sea", the clear majority of sacrifices were made in the surf zone. There is a big lesson here, one that we try to impress in the CKF™ schools. Simply put, STOW YOUR GEAR every time you launch and land.
A fishing kayak is meant to be an efficient platform. If yours is not, modify it into fishability. Utilizing paddle clips for holding rods, and drybags for storing reels is essential during surf launching and landing. Being eager to fish, or after a long day on the water, it’s very easy to tempt fate and attempt the surf zone with "most" of your gear packed away. Don’t fall into this trap! Make sure that rods are lashed or otherwise, rod tubes are broken down and stowed and that you and your boat are ready to launch and land through the surf.
Losses are not limited to dropping gear in the drink. The damage sand does to reels and electronic equipment cannot be overstated. Even in low surf, a mounted reel can be completely destroyed by the smallest sand laden wave. Additionally, the most popular way to loose a rod and reel seems to be by knocking it out of the rodholder while paddling.(See Hot Tip #4) Proper paddle technique and familiarity with your deck configuration will prevent this from happening.
Regardless of the brand of kayak you fish, how you utilize your deck and cargo space for angling, defines the difference between water toys and efficient fishing machines. There are about 2 dozen plastic kayaks available and according to the sales folk, they all fish well. Truth is only a handful are remotely suitable while a few are right for a lifetime of fishing. If the kayak you paddle is "almost there", add the necessary drybags and hatches, or mount a milk crate on your hatchless deck, and exploit your kayak for all of its fishing potential.
Coming off the water recently I ran into a kayak diver waiting for the other 3 members of her group to get out. She sat holding on to the kelp for about 45 minutes. A surface anchor would have made the wait much more tolerable. I helped the second gal launch her overloaded Scrambler only to witness her bail on clean water. A little panic in the water and a kayak in the surf zone that would not right due to a bad load. All honest mistakes that can take a life.
FISHIN` NOTES
As usual, the kayak fishermen and a few women, are landing fish like never before. Still lots of questions come in regarding technique and how to catch more fish, make bait, ect. The nature of sportfishing dictates the bite and all too often the species that will hit is far from the target fish. By being versatile and willing to adapt, some type of action can usually be conjured up during the course of a slow day.
One of the many great things about fishing from a kayak is the ability to utilize everything we have ever learned in "conventional" fishing and apply it to the kayaks. An argument could be made that the close relationship kayak anglers have with the water gives them an advantage on the fishing grounds. Fish do not appear to be the least bit boat shy, and slow days are compensated with more big fish days than most anglers get to experience. This advantage more than compensates for the lack of horsepower.
It has long been obvious to me, and forever preached by the "experts", to fish where the fish are. Makes sense. If the fish are eluding the hook for a period longer than the acceptable slump, pick up a portable sonar unit and concentrate on fishing the structure. Remember that sonar is primarily used as a structure locator as opposed to a "fishfinder".
RANCHO LEONERO - EAST CAPE
A full service fishing resort, away from the hustle of the incorporated areas, is hard to improve on in the East Cape region. But when Rancho Leonero added nearly a dozen fully outfitted fishing kayaks to their fleet of cruisers and panga’s, they went the extra mile. Now, to experience world class kayak fishing, there is no need to haul an expensive portable kayak through international borders. When visiting "The Ranch", bring a portable sonar, a PFD, and a good gaff, and you will be equipped to land some real Sea Of Cortez monsters.
CKF™ is hosting a trip to rancho Leonero August 17 -21, 1997. Arranged through Cass tours at 1-800-646-2252 this may be one of the best fishing packages offered all year at only $410.00. The base price includes 5 days, 4 nights at the ranch, all meals, kayak use, one day panga fishing and more. Check the Western Outdoor News for low air fares flying Aero California. The trip is being billed as a the CKF™ schools but since most of the participants have done the school, it looks like a big fishing fest is in store.
CHUNK BAIT
.....The number of subscribers is growing weekly and many requests have come in to network us. Coincidentally, many of you live within close proximity of each other and great fishing grounds. If you are interested in fishing with other kayak anglers in your area, call the CKF™ office and put your name, phone number, and hometown on THE ROSTER. We will pass on your info upon request.
.....If you plan on traveling, there aren’t many areas in the world you can’t rent a yak. The Ocean Kayaks are what you find most and with a dry bag and maybe your portable sonar, you can exploit any fishery.
.....Jerry Estin is a long time kayak angler who is writing a book on the sport. If you would like to submit photos or more, send them in care of the CKF™ office.
CKF™ SCHOOLS
The best way to retain your gear after hitting the water is to take a dose of preventative medicine with the Coastal Kayak Fishing™ schools. The schools were designed to accomplish exactly what the "core group" learned over years on the water. That is, how to participate in this sport without making all the mistakes, and some costly ones at that. Of course kayak safety and skills are included. CKF™ offers the schools to kayak owners for as little as $125. Less than a rod and reel combo.
Coastal Kayak Fishing™ is pleased to announce the expansion of the CKF™ Schools into Orange and San Diego Counties. We are proud to have Gundy Gunderson, the well established sportfishing writer and extraordinary angler, on board conducting the schools out of Dana Point and locations south. Gunderson is a great teacher and has forgotten more than most will ever know. A day on the water with Gundy will affect your fishing for life!
Coastal Kayak Fishing™ schools are now available in several fishing regions throughout the state. Although most of the schools are taught on the open coast, regional schools are formatted to each fishery.
Locations:
Mission Bay Malibu San Francisco
Oceanside Harbor Santa Barbara
Dana Point Lake Shasta
Newport Bay Crescent City
CKFtm CLINICS
In response to the overwhelming response to CKF™ and the sport of kayak fishing, we have joined with fishing and paddlesport leaders to provide entry level kayak fishing clinics at a fraction of the cost of the Schools. Basic kayak skills, self rescue, fishing electronics, and kayak fishing methods will be demonstrated and participants will have an opportunity to demo the different fishing kayaks. Following are some of the events we have scheduled:
LOS ANGELES / VENTURA
Leo Carrillo State Beach - North Campground. Sunday August 31, 1997 7am-10am Every Saturday & Sunday by appointment. Cost: $55.00 310-457-3012
SANTA BARBARA
Refugio State Beach Saturday September 6, 1997 8:30am-11:30am & 11:30am-2:30pm Cost: $55.00 310-457-3012
SAN DIEGO / MISSION BAY
Southwest Kayaks 2590 Ingraham St. San Diego, CA 92109 619-222-3616 Saturday August 9, 1997 9am-1pm Cost: $50.00/$40.00 BYOB
FISHING DERBY
Jerry Estin is a long time kayak fisherman. From hand lining to crabbing, Jerry started fishing from kayaks when "kayak fishing" meant landing a few after a long days paddle to feed the party. Jerry started fishing on traditional kayaks and renewed his interest after experiencing the advantages of open top boats.
Author of many stories and articles on the sport, with a book in the works, Estin is hosting an easy going KAYAK FISHING DERBY. Since this is an inaugural event, the main focus will be on fun and safety. There will be food, prizes, and of course lots of time on the water.
LOCATION: Leo Carrillo State Beach - North Campground
DATE: Saturday September 20th, 1997
For Information: 818-349-8373
A limited number of rental Kayaks are available in advance. Guests are welcome.
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Spike
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Copyright 1997 Coastal Kayak Fishing
Last modified: July 05, 2005
