The Best of Kayak Bass Fishing Magazine

BASS FISHING MAGAZINE

PHOTO ESSAY: THE COMPETITION

KAYAK THE BEST OF

FAVORITOS THE FAVORITE FLIES OF

BUGSLINGERS IN THE U.S.A.

CRANK IT UP THE WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW TO CRANKBAIT FISHING

SPIN TO WIN LEARN THE INS AND OUTS OF SPINNERBAIT FISHING

COVER SHOT: ANGLER KIM WIDRIG WITH A NICE SMALLIE FROM THE KAYAK

2016 Viking Kayak Profish Reload Length: 14.8’ Width: 29” Weight: 67 lbs Available In: Lava (Shown) Wasp (Yellow & Black) Sandstorm (Sand & Black) Custom colors available

WHEN THE FISH ARE

FARTHER FASTER AND YOU NEED TO GET THERE

ALBERT VASQUEZ PHOTO BY BRANDON LEE

CONTENTS FAVORITE FLIES 6 16 INTO THE SWAMP 22 30 CRANKBAIT SCIENCE 42 46 CUSTOM BAITS 52 56 FLATS STALKING 70 72 SPIN TO WIN 78 82 SKINNY WATER SOUL 84 94

WHITEWATER CONVERT OVERNIGHT TRIPPIN' RIVER CRANKS THE SECRET BEASTS OF MEXICO GEAR TALK BEAT THE ODDS

FAVORITE

FLIES THREE FLIES FROM THREE

BUG SLINGERS from the mind of

TODD WEST

TODD WEST

W

ell here we are on yet another issue of the KBF mag, time flies by these days. (no pun intended there) As promised the panel of fly junkies decided to talk about our favorite fly to tie and what makes it so great to us. We truly hope you enjoy going down the rabbit hole of our fly addiction with us and learning bits and pieces of our methods that may help provoke some sort of primal urge to swing a fly rod yourself or give you some new weapons for your arsenal.

share and a whole lot more they aren’t. But on this day I was informed about this little jig head Pine Squirrel Leech pattern which is tied on a 32th ounce jig head and a little zonker of pine squirrel for tail and palmered for the body. You can church this pattern up for a little more flash or action but in it’s raw form it is a dirty little creek / river fly. I have tried adding flash and other crazy things to see if the species interest changed and it did.

I have caught everything from bass to suckers and drum on this fly and it produces every trip out so if the big fish are being a bit on the snobby side or want something a little smaller, this little fly is the cure for those skunk blues.

Between the true river rats, the fly tying madman, and the canal / saltwater scientist we hope you are able to learn enough bad habits and cool info to fall right on the fly bum wagon with us. It’s a whole different perspective of fishing for those of you that haven’t tried it yet. Some of us mix it up between conventional and fly and some are die hard fly only. Either way each of us share a love of something that feeds the soul which is simply chasing gilled greatness every chance we get.

It is the most simple pattern in the world to tie and has been one of the most effective little flies anyone has ever told me about.

Funny thing is after I started playing around with the jig heads Brandon Bailes let me in on like 5 other patterns to tie on them.

These little jig heads are really sweet I must say, but enough on the creek meat secrets.

My personal favorite little fly started with a trip to the local fly shop to grab some new materials for something different to sling on the vise. I love to bug Conner Jones and Garner Reid down at Cohutta Fishing Company in Cartersville Ga. and get them to feed me a little info on something they like to fish and then learn to tie it so I can see for myself what it’s about. The owner Andy Bowen is no slouch for info himself and they are glad to help feed the madness all they can.

The Pine Squirrel Leech is a neat imitation of a few different food sources creek / river fish look for. Depending on how you fish it you can cover the whole menu.

The first being the obvious ( leech) but depending on material color, baby crawfish, worms, hellgrammites or tiny baitfish species such as dace or minnows. I highly recommend this pattern to anyone who fishes skinny water or small ponds. It’s a fly that I will never leave the house without a minimum of a pair in each color I tie.

Like any good fly guide these guys always have some badass patterns they are willing to 9

EVAN HOWARD

C

huck Kraft’s Clawdad is hands down my favorite fly to tie and fish for moving water. It is an easy tie, wrap some lead onto a stout hook and wind on some chenille, round rubber legs, and claws. Essentially, you are putting together the fly rod equivalent of a finesse bass jig; one of the most effective tactics in gear fishing.

soak down in the water column and let it drift past their faces. The Clawdad is the first fly I tie on when the popping bug bite dies off.

The thing I love about fishing the Clawdad is that you can fish it just about any way you want. Much of the time, I let it sink to the bottom and creep it along with slow, deliberate strips waiting for that heavy feeling that means My usually preference in fly fishing is topwater a bass has swallowed it. Aside from that, bugging. Watching toilet flushes when big bass you can swing it in current, swim it around suck down a resting popper is magical, but the cover, jig it around laydowns, or my favorite tactic, sight-cast to cruising bass. This fly is topwater bite is usually far from consistent in deadly on cruisers. If they don’t bull-rush it between the lowlight, golden hours. Unless on the fall, let it settle on the bottom and there is a specific shade line or pre-frontal pattern where the fish are destroying anything give it a short, quick hop and let it stroke up off the bottom. River bass can’t stand it! that slaps the water, I want a fly that I can

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CAMERON CUSHMAN

I

f this question came up about four months ago I would probably sit there for a week going back and forth on what my favorite fly to tie is. There are several things in my opinion that go into a fly. That is its ease of tying, is it going to have good action in the water, how long will it take to tie one, is it expensive to tie, and does it look good in the box. A couple of months ago I would have said that the Cinnamon Toast Crunch was my favorite pattern to tie.

pattern to tie, it can be extremely cheap to tie and it catches everything in the water. When I say everything I truly mean everything, with slight modifications in color and maybe a new material here and there the pattern will hunt. I’ve brought to hand Redfish, Snook, Seatrout, Peacock bass, Largemouth, two species of Tilapia, Mayan Cichlids, Florida Gar, Ladyfish, and Jacks all on this one pattern.

I mainly tie the fly in two color patterns, a purple variant and a sand variant. The basis of the fly is a marabou tail on a sz 4 to 1 B10S Mainly for the fact that it looked sexy when with a palmered zonker strip up to a set of finished. Don’t get me wrong, the action on either dumbbell or bead chain eyes. I’ve tied it that fly was killer and the fish couldn’t resist with a small length of tarantula brush to give it but it wasn’t cost friendly. So, I started it some extra flash and profile or even swapped exploring other flies and branching off those the marabou for polar flash. So, with a quick patterns to create a super simple leech like trip to your local fly shop you could be out pattern. I couldn’t give you a name or even the door for less than fifteen dollars’ worth come up with one because of its simplicity of material (including hooks) and easily tie and the fact it works for everything. yourself up half a dozen to a dozen. That all So, let’s get into the greatness of this leech/ being said the only time I throw a different shrimp/baitfish/everything that lives in the pattern is if I’m throwing top water, otherwise water pattern. First off, it’s an extremely simple it’s some variant of this killer pattern.

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BRANDON BAILES

B

eing a Fly designer, it’s extremely tough for me to pick only one fly as my favorite but I do have one in particular that sticks out as it works in pretty much all waters I have fished. Most that know me, know that I love fishing small water with lighter gear( micro streamers) these days and I have taken flies that work for me with heavier gear and downsized to match the forage of small streams.

blend of profile, weight, and castability. I tie them on a size 6 hook and use the Flymen Micro-size helmets, which makes it easy to cast on 3-4wt rods. The helmets also have a keel built in to keep the bug riding hook point up.

The body and pectoral fins are micro rabbit zonker, which has an amazing lifelike movement in the water. The entire bug measures out to around 2.25” and has a moderate sink rate once saturated. I have The baby sculpin was one of the first streamers fished it in every conceivable way from dead drifting, swinging in the current, I tied to target predatory fish in skinny strip retrieving, even suspending under water and as of right now it has worked on an indicator and it always works in some everything from high elevation brookies, form or fashion….so I can truthfully tell tailwater trout, creek spots, smallmouth, guys “ there’s no wrong way to fish it”. panfish, and even carp. To me, it’s the perfect

15

A WHITEWATER

CONVERT’S

PRIMER for

RIVER FISHING

by ANDY MIDDLETON In memory of Dr. Walter Howard. Thanks for making a difference.

F

ishing has always been a hobby. It’s in my blood. But from my teenage to post-college years, I found another hobby – whitewater canoeing and kayaking. I was introduced to the sport in high school through Explorer Post #67, led by Dr. Walter Howard. Doc, as we usually called him, was the assistant principal and technology director at Northwest Whitfield.

He had a place in his heart for introducing young people to the outdoors, and a trailer he kept loaded down with canoes and kayaks. He would spend many weekends leading us Explorers on the trails and rivers of Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Sometimes there would be day trips, and sometimes there would be weekend clinics or camping trips. One day, Dr. Howard and I paddled a tandem canoe down a Class IV rapid – my first and only one.

I would have never trusted myself on it, but with Doc’s encouragement we portaged the canoe back up and I ran it solo.

hobbies, so combining the two just made sense. In 2014, I sold my whitewater kayak and bought a Diablo Paddlesports Amigo. I began fishing a few of my local lakes, but it didn’t take long until I was back hitting the rivers and creeks every chance I got. Luckily, I got involved with the Reel Krazy Kayak Fishing Tour in 2015. We can hang with anyone on the lake, but ask most of us and we’ll tell you to put us on the river any day.

After a few river fishing trips, I realized there is a lot that translates from whitewater kayak river skill to fishing kayak river skill. I also realized these skills are very helpful when applying what I know about fish behavior to the river environment. I want to share a list of ten tips I use every time I fish moving water. Hopefully, these will help keep your boat full of gear, your memory card full of fish photos, and the river rash (on you and your boat) to a minimum.

TRAVEL LIGHT After the obvious rule of always wearing your It was during those adventures that I learned PFD, this is rule number one. Often there is the anatomy of a river, and just how dynamic not going to be a boat ramp at a river or creek. moving water can be. I learned the Eskimo roll. This is why you bought a kayak, right? To get I took a swift water rescue class. I learned CPR. you in those places the bass boats can’t go. You I got good at many different types of paddle may be forced to use rope to lower your kayak strokes; knowing how to use them in harmodown steep banks at the launch, then pulling ny with the current conserves your energy and them back up something even worse at the keeps you upright. I learned to never grab the takeout. Additionally, you may be shuttling gunwales. I spent time upside down, bumpwith a buddy and cramming two boats worth ing my head, busting my shins in mostly Class of gear into one vehicle. Make things easier by II-III waves, and loving every minute - even taking less stuff. When I go to the river, I usuthough drowning is my greatest fear. ally take three rod & reel setups: one baitcaster for bottom baits, one baitcaster for moving/ But age and bravado seem to have an inverse reaction baits, and a spinning outfit for finesse relationship. My wilder days are in the past. I and downsizing situations. Unless you are fishdon’t brave the rapids in a six foot closed cock- ing an outflow into lake backwaters with some pit boat with a spray skirt anymore. Neverbig bluff walls, you probably aren’t going to theless, the river is still my refuge. Fishing and need that 3700 box full of deep diving crankpaddling are still two of my favorite baits. Oh, and leave the electronics at home.

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When you learn river anatomy, you’ll know where to find the deep holes anyway. Leave the extra weight at home - your back and your boat hull will thank you.

STRETCH AND TAKE PLENTY OF FOOD AND WATER. This is the “motherly advice” portion of the list. Stretch before you launch. River fishing from a kayak is taxing on the body, no matter how good of a paddler you are. If you want to catch fish, you’ll be paddling against current much more than you think. Focus especially on the shoulders, back, and core with your stretches. Burning all those calories on the river will cause you to become hungry and thirsty pretty quickly – so prepare accordingly.

STORE YOUR RODS HORIZONTALLY. Kayak fishing is controlled chaos, and it’s even more so in moving water. Exercise extra control by taking overhanging limbs out of the equation. Some fishing kayaks are molded with horizontal rod storage tubes. I installed a Hobie kit on my boat. Once you take advantage of horizontal rod storage, you may find yourself using it on the lake, too. Tell me you haven’t snagged that rod in your rocket launcher on a backcast at some point. Horizontal rod storage rocks.

THERE IS MORE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAN JUST FISHING. Rivers have rocks and rapids, shoals and strainers. With rapids, you’ll normally be able to both see and hear them coming. There are plenty of times you’ll want to face your kayak upstream when fishing. After all, fish face upstream and prey washes downstream. Just remember to keep your head on a swivel.

Knowing what’s around you, no matter which direction you are facing, gives you a much better chance of staying upright. A strainer is a

blowdown that falls across moving water, and is one of the most dangerous features on a river.

The tree blocks objects from floating downstream, yet the current strains right through. If you are not in slack water, avoid running into these, and fish downstream of them. Fish usually hold downstream of these features anyway.

LEARN AND PRACTICE DIFFERENT PADDLE STROKES. There are many more strokes used on the river than the basic forward and backward stroke.

Take a paddling class (or at least watch some online videos) then practice on a lake or in gentle current. Know what a sweep, draw, rudder, brace and scull are.

Use them to your advantage to get you in those tight spots where the fish hold, and stay there as long as you want. Learn how to ferry, and

you’ll magically leverage physics to get you effortlessly across the river. Paddling.net has a great page of paddle strokes with videos to help get you started.

THE ANATOMY OF A RIVER – KNOW HOW TO RUN AND WHERE TO FISH. See a horizon line up ahead? Maybe some rocks sticking up? Hear the water rushing? Is the river making a bend? This is the time where you look at the dynamics of the river, and apply the paddle strokes you learned.

Knowing how to identify and dissect a river feature go hand-in-hand with paddling skill to get you safely to the bottom of a rapid, or into that good fishing spot on the opposite bank.

ple reasons. There is more oxygen in moving water, and they can also sit in current breaks and pick off prey as it moves with the current flow. These situations not only test an angler’s casting skills, but also their navigational skills.

The first rule of thumb in running a rapid or shoal is to look for the downstream-pointing “V” shape. Basically, visualize your boat going through a funnel. Most shoals will have a series of these, and you’ll have to use your paddle strokes and ferrying skills to meander your way through them.

These downstream “V’s” are the path of least resistance, and the safest way to the bottom.

Although it may be counter-intuitive to a beginner, it’s best to keep your speed up and Certain times of year, especially in the summer, punch through the bottom of the rapid. Bigfish will hold near shoals and rapids for multi- ger rapids may have a hydraulic, or keeper

ANGLER MATT BALL

Photo by Matt Ball

hole, at the bottom. Keeping boat speed up will help avoid getting sucked in. Whitewater playboaters love these things. Kayak anglers?

Not so much.

On the sides of the “V” funnels, there are usually eddies of some shape or size. An eddy is a current break usually formed by a rock.

The current flows back upstream behind these breaks, and they make a great ambush point for a fish. They also make a great rest stop for a kayaker. Experienced kayak river fishermen will learn to “eddy-hop” and pick apart a shoal for bass, casting both into the current and into other eddies.

Catching an eddy involves the kayak in motion crossing the eddy line and literally pivoting around the paddle after a well-placed, aggressive draw stroke. Georgia is home of the shoal bass, so we really love eddy-hopping here. Smallmouth, spotted, and redeye bass are known to hang out in areas like this, too.

Largemouth tend to like their water a little more slack, but will venture into swift water from time to time.

Avoid hitting upstream facing “V’s” and “U” shapes. Those are telltale signs of rocks just under the surface. Usually, the outside of a river bend will hold the path of least resistance and the deeper holes where fish like to hang out.

Sometimes rocks jutting out from the bank will create a large riverside eddy. These are great places to cast your lure.

Focus on the eddy line, where the downstream current meets the upstream flow of the eddy. It will look like a whirlpool. Catching a good fish after nailing a quick eddy turn, setting up, and firing an accurate cast into another break the size of a doormat is a very rewarding feeling.

USE A LIGHTER TEST LEADER IF YOU’RE USING BRAIDED LINE. When you get snagged while fishing current (and you definitely will), sometimes you want to break off. Braid is just too darn hard to break. If the current is too fast for you to paddle back upstream of your snag and get it loose, don’t risk damaging your reel. Just break off your leader and re-tie. I like 30 lb braid mainline to 10 lb fluorocarbon or mono leader.

BASIC LOGISTICS FOR SHUTTLE PARTNERS: MEET AT THE TAKEOUT BEFORE YOUR TRIP, NOT THE PUT-IN. If you think about it for a minute, it’s pretty obvious. But lots of time-wasting is done by meeting at the put-in. Meet at the takeout, combine gear into one vehicle, ride together to the put-in, and go fishing. Also, take your straps with you on the float.

Nothing is worse than getting to the takeout and realizing you can’t strap down your boats, and they have to be left unattended while you both go fetch the other vehicle. In the unfortunate event this does happen, make sure the person with the vehicle at the put-in has their keys and wallet/license, etc.

TETHER EVERYTHING. Eventually, you’re going to hit an upstream “U” or get into a fast-moving chute on an outside bend with an unfortunately placed rock. Even your best brace stroke may not keep the dreaded turtle away. Don’t lose all your gear in the process. This is another one of those moments you’ll be glad you stored your rods horizontally.

ENJOY IT, BE SAFE, AND LEAVE NO TRACE. River trips tend to plug us into the wilder side of the world a bit more than reservoir fishing.

Bald eagles, heron, osprey, deer, otter, and oth-

er wildlife are not uncommon to see on river floats. The bass are lean and mean from living their lives in the current. There are usually fewer manmade structures around, fewer motorboats, and more solitude.

There are too few places left that are unspoiled, and our rivers are no exception. The river is a great place to hang out, have fun and cool off, and avoid boat traffic on a hot summer day, but all too often I’m seeing the remnants of that fun laying around on the riverbank by selfish people that have either lost or never had respect for the gift of nature.

This also means that safety awareness must be heightened. Someone on the trip should have a first aid kit and a cell phone, and always wear your PFD. It bears repeating. Check the USGS Remember - if you pack it in, pack it out. website or American Whitewater for current Better yet, leave it cleaner than you found it. river gauge readings, and know when the flow 2 rate is too high.

ANGLER ANDY MIDDLETON WITH A NICE RIVER CATCH 21

Into t

SWAM

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY C

the

MP

CHRIS FUNK

Swamps call to me for some reason. When I drive past that black water, cypress trees and Spanish moss I have the strong urge to paddle and fish it. One of my favorites is the Okefenokee Swamp that splits southeast Georgia and northern Florida.

The fish, animals and scenery keep me in sensory overload when I am paddling there. It doesn’t matter if I am on a day trip or camping on one of the overnight trails it is always an adventure. The overnight campsites are either raised platforms called a “chickee” or an island in the middle of the swamp and require a park permit for use. An overnight trip in the swamp is an incredible experience with the sights and sounds that only swamps can provide. Dazzling starlit skies, serenading owls and the popping of gator teeth on midnight snacks all make for a once in a lifetime camping trip.

I think it does a person a bit of good to spend a bit of time in a place where they share the top of the food chain and listening to gators

Left: A bowfin, one of many toothy swamp creatures, is handled with care Photo by Chris Funk Above: Camping in the Okefenokee is fun but preparation is key Photo by Chris Funk move under your chickee at night will certainly make you question your position as an apex predator.

learned to just give them their distance and to be careful with my catch.

A flopping fish is like ringing a dinner bell to them and will bring them from great distances to your kayak. During the spring mating season bellowing bull gators will resonate for miles through the swamp and it is an incredible thing to hear. These bulls and a momma with babies demand the most respect and I give them plenty of room.

The one critter I truthfully fear in the swamp The Okefenokee is 438,000 acres of peat bogs, is the yellow fly or “yellafly� as they are called locally. Normal thoughts should have the wetlands and meandering cypress canals and mosquito in that position being a swamp but is home to 200 species of birds, 40 species of mammals, 50 species of reptiles and 60 species skeeters can be controlled with bug spray for of amphibians. There are even multiple species the most part. I have yet to find anything that will stop a yellow fly other than a size 12 of carnivorous plants to be found throughout the swamp. Of all the creatures of the swamp, fishing shoe. They wade through 100% Deet the most talked about is the alligator. Paddling like it is a cool refreshing spring and can bite through a shirt like it isn’t even there. Out with a multitude of big lizards will certainly challenge your thoughts about them but I have of all the biting and stinging critters I have 25

messed with, these biting terrors take the award for most hated. The good news is they are not around in cooler weather so the months of October through April are my prime months for swamp adventures. If I ever go back in summer it is because I am running from the law!

sure to add a short piece of 20lb test bite leader in case the pickerel or bowfin decide to hit it.

One of my favorite fish to chase in the swamp is the chain pickerel; they strike fast and violent and they put up a pretty good fight for their size. If I am specifically targeting the pickerel (called “jacks” in the swamp) I use a spinnerBesides photographing the sheer beauty of the bait and fish it fast. A jerk bait is a local favorOkefenokee, I love to chase the fish that call it ite but I am not fond of flopping toothy fish home. The tannic acid in the water keeps the with a face full trebles in my kayak; especially PH at a level only a few species can stand but when I had to land them green to keep them those species are plentiful. away from a gator! Their numbers declined a bit after the drought and fires a few years ago You won’t find many bass in the swamp (I have but they seem to be making a comeback. only caught one in 7 years of trips) but the Remember to have a Fish Grip or something bowfin will play all day. There are also pickerel, similar if you chase them or bowfin; these fish warmouth, bullheads, spotted gar and a have a mouth full of needle sharp teeth and beautiful panfish called a flier. they will put a hurting on you if you aren’t careful.

A bucket of redworms, light line and a bobber are a sure way for a fun trip and a fish The heaviest hitter of the Okefenokee is the fry. There is something about that black water bowfin (called blackfish or mudfish in the that makes the little bullheads and fliers some swamp) and they are the reason I love to fish of the best eating fish you can fry. The fliers are there. They are a powerful hitter but have bony also fun to chase with inline spinners but be jaws that make them difficult to hook. Strong,

super sharp hooks are necessary to penetrate through the teeth and bone and I often have to nurse sore shoulders after a good day of hook sets. One really solid pattern for the bowfin is flipping a black or red worm into open pockets in the lily pads or along their edges.

A hit is usually a powerful thump or they will pick it up and just swim off with it. Give them a little pause before setting the hook home, it will increase your hook up ratio.

On a frog just kill it and let it sink but watch your line. When the line jumps give it a pause then strike hard and hang on. These fish have a twisting flipping fight that will have you wondering which end you are hooked to and it creates quite a ruckus. Like I said before if they splash too much, keep your eyes open for hungry lizards trying to help themselves to your catch.

The Okefenokee is a wild and beautiful place If there is any surface activity I will throw a that I love to explore. It is one of those “total frog or buzzbait of some sort. Make sure the package” adventures with the scenery, animals frog is a durable one or bring plenty because and solitude very few places offer. I would, they will eat the legs off in a New York minute. without question, recommend every kayak anFor buzzbaits I bring the cheap, mass produced gler add it to their fishing “bucket list” of padones as long as they have a decent hook. They dle trips. I say the swamp calls to me and my will not survive many fish but I would family would probably agree. Every once in a rather wreck a cheap bait than ruin an while, the need to paddle that black water gets expensive one. This is not normal topwater the best of me and I feel the urge to go. fishing in that you will need to watch your bait closely on the way in. Bowfin will follow a bait Call it an addiction or an obsession; either one for a good bit pushing a head wake behind it. would probably fit. The only way to scratch When you see that, slow the bait down as slow that itch is to point the truck southeast toward as you possibly can and that will usually trigger the swamp and head to my happy place. 2 the strike.

A bait stealer just waiting on a pause a tad too long or a hookup you take too long to get inPhoto by Chris Funk

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UFC star Clay Guida finds some solace in Florida while kayak fishing. Photo courtesy of Heliconia Press.

M

ost of us relate well to the outdoors and find solace and comfort in spending time outside, especially on our kayaks. Not only do we enjoy the serenity of the calming waters, but often we strive to push ourselves to go beyond our comfort levels to seek a new adventure. For some it’s a way to test mettle, build character and prove self worth. For others it’s an escape, an attempt to disconnect from reality or rather to connect to the real reality.

We can all catch fish, but we may not all have the skill set necessary to travel miles down unknown rivers with the intent to catch fish day after day, and survive at night, far from the comforts of a warm hotel or gas station burritos. What follows is a primer to help you get a game plan, a gear plan and get you on the water for overnight kayak camping trips, or simply overnighters.

Game Plan Always develop a game plan and make someone aware of that plan. Solo kayak camping should be avoided by those inexperienced on that waterway or without plenty of other kayak camping trips under their belt. Be sure to file a trip report with someone on the outside; be sure to leave your put-in/take-out location, where you intend to camp, any special concerns you may have and what times you expect to be at certain locations.

If you’re camping on or launching from a park, be sure to check the rules and accessibility prior to arrival. If you’re intending to do this all on public land or public access be sure to check the laws. Most states have special legal provisions to allow access to travelers along waterways, allowing camping on certain types of banks or within a certain distance of the

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JOHN HENRY BOATRIGHT water. In some highly restrictive cases access may be limited by permit and camping location may be dictated by regulations or the geography of the area.

Don’t forget transportation planning also.

Leaving a vehicle at the put-in or take-out isn’t always an option, so prearranging rides may mean sticking to someone else’s schedule and making it to the take-out by a certain time.

Ensure your times and distances are realistic.

Turning a 30 mile river trip into a 2 day/1 night trip leaves very little time to fish but is easily done with straight paddling, so be realistic based on your expected activities. A good rule of thumb for most river trips, where the concentration is fishing, is about 1 mile travelled per hour.

Weather & Environmental Considerations Weather plays a big role in what you pack so as the trip nears be sure to check the forecast and flow gauges. By checking aerial maps, calling outfitters or checking camping and fishing forums you can greatly reduce the unknowns associated with these types of trips. Strong headwinds mean longer paddle times or shorter distances travelled. Cold weather means waders, more clothing layers and a dry bag of spare dry clothes. A towel, emergency mylar blanket or heat pads might make welcome additions to your gear also. Hot weather usually means less clothing needs but more water, fluids and sunscreen. Rainy weather usually means more dry bags and a rain jacket or poncho.

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Faster river flows, higher lake levels and tides also affect our trip. Strong crosswinds make a lake trip or crossing a bay very difficult. If you intend to fish across that bay or lake that should make you consider a drift sock, anchor or stakeout pole. If you don’t look ahead or plan for these factors that flat water crossing could be miserable or it means you won’t catch fish. Canceling a trip due to weather or water conditions isn’t fun, but could be the difference in a safe trip the following weekend or a dangerous (or at the very least unenjoyable) trip this weekend.

Gearing Up

is everyone going to fire up their own? That’s where a pre-trip gear-up and briefing is beneficial.

Some gear considerations should be: • Do I bring a chair? Often times a kayak seat can double as a chair, or logs/rocks are sufficient and present. Sometimes, like camping along bays and beaches, makeshift seats are scarce. Some folks don’t care about sitting on the ground and others do. Check out folding, aluminum tripod stools for a lightweight and compact option.

• Am I going to fish for more than one species?

Most times I focus on bass during the day and Throwing all your camping gear on your kayak catfish or gar at night, so this also means bringing extra tackle or rods. is one way too start but you’ll find you don’t • Am I top of the food chain out here? Do I need nearly as much on these trips as you need to bring anything to warn off predators? would when you packed the ol’ ’92 station wagon to go to Yellowstone. What I may con- From bears to gators, better safe than sorry. sider an indispensable tool you may regard as a • An extra paddle? Extra PFD? Maybe not necessary for an overnighter but nice insurance on frivolous luxury, so your gear list may be para 4 day trip for 10 people. ticular to your tastes for minimalism or comfort. Gear lists will vary for each trip but some • Should I bring a cooler? Is it worth the weight? Will my ice last or will it become dead items are essential for every trip. Some things space? Do I really need cold drinks or do I have are obviously standard like: to bring eggs or mayo?

• Do I need bug spray? Sunscreen?

• kayak, paddle and fishing gear • sleeping arrangements (tents, sleeping What about tents and hammocks? Most of us bags, pad, pillow, etc.) are in one camp or the other and while both • dry bags to store clothes, camping gear have their advantages and disadvantages I’ll and food items suggest some food for thought. Some locations • headlamp/flashlight are going to require one or the other. Sleep• food, water and electrolytes ing on a windy beach without a tent is brutal • camera (because you need proof right?) and you’ll wake up looking like a sugar cookie.

When traveling in groups, especially on longer Hammocks require support, which is typically harder to find at the beach (unless you use trips where space and weight are at a premium, we may not all need a hatchet but having driftwood, bring dimensional lumber,etc.). one might be nice. We certainly don’t all need In cases of wetlands, swamps or bays where mosquitoes and others insects are prevalent, to bring a coffee press, but we all may expect coffee. The same for camp stoves and propane- sleeping without a tent or covered hammock

would be torturous. Tents aren’t great on rocky ground without heavy padding beneath you.

Hammocks typically require trees or similarly strong structures to hang which might not be available. Sometimes you can get away with just sleeping on the ground, or rolled in your rain fly or mosquito net, but without knowing exactly where you’re going to camp each night (most typical of river trips) your best bet is to bring a tent.

weather clothing and it is usually imperative that cold weather clothing stay dry, whereas warm weather clothing can usually be dried if needed. I recommend having one extra set of dry clothes on cold trips.

Clothing

Ensure that you’ve tested out your yak in your layers of cold weather clothing (PFD, rain jacket, waders, hoodie and undershirt make for a different paddling experience). You’d hate to get to the launch and hop on the kayak to realize your wader buckles are digging in to your back and need to be adjusted.

Clothing is obviously weather and time dependent. An overnighter can usually be done in the same stinky clothes as you started in, but your buddies usually expect you to change your britches on a multi-night trip. Cold weather clothing takes up much more space than warm

Ensure you weather test your gear. I was recently caught out in a cold front with leaky wading boots and a poor rain jacket. I was only out for a few hours but it drove home the point that if I’d have been in the middle of nowhere, I’d have other things on my mind besides

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fishing. Simply checking my gear over beforehand could have prevented my cold discomfort.

On the other end of the thermometer we can be at risk also. On multiple hot days dehydration (or worse) is a serious concern.

Consume plenty of fluids and electrolytes but also ensure that your clothing suits your needs.

A 3 day trip in board shorts, flip-flops and a tank top is a bad choice. Long, loose fitting clothing of lightweight material, a hat and polarized sunglasses can really increase angler comfort for the long term.

used for larger objects like a cooler or large dry bag.

Meals & Fluids I’m sure we all have our favorite meals and typically we aren’t going to skimp on the food part. I’ve done it all from catching my meals to prepared food, freeze-dried meals to PBJs and all I can say is- bring food that is going to satisfy you. My friends and I always (always) bring too much food but we make sure we eat well and don’t go to bed hungry.

Typically our breakfast consists of coffee (who needs a filter?) and something pre-prepared.

Packing Your Yak Foil wrapped breakfast tacos warmed on emWhether you’re packing it inside your kayak or bers, powdered donuts, muffins or bagels make for a quick meal- and let’s face it, we aren’t all on the deck (or a mix) we should consider here to camp, we’re here to fish. Again, lunch a few things before we just throw it on. Some stuff you’ll only need once a day and other is typically a cold meal or a quick warm mealsandwiches and lunchables are great, or use things you need often throughout the day. those breakfast bagels as bread and slap together a PBJ. Boiling water to reconstitute a freezeYou’ll also need some stuff immediately and dried meal or to cook some sausage is typically won’t mind digging for other things. So pack quick also, but I’ve never seen someone take in accordance to how you’ll need to access your gear. First Aid kit, toilet paper, headlamp, the time to cook a full meal. Dinners usually consist of a warm meal of meat and canned drinks and a PFD shouldn’t be buried at the bottom of your kayak under your tent, pork-n- foods cooked over fires or small propane backbeans stash and banjo. The last thing you want packing stoves. A Central Texas favorite is venison sausage wrapped in a tortilla with a side of to do alongside the bank in a rush is dig for beans. In the morning time the leftover venison your tp, so pack these items together near the and beans get used in a tortilla for breakfast. top.

Pack a balanced load. You don’t want to be that guy whose bow is trimmed up and out of the water because all of your gear is behind your seat. A cooler behind you usually means more gear goes on the bow. Remember your starboard and port side balance also because this one usually causes the turtles. Usually gear is packed inside a bow hatch to keep your bow clear for fishing/hunting gear and the stern is

Carrying enough water isn’t typically a concern for shorter trips, but the presence of safe drinking water should never be assumed. I’ll always carry stabilized chlorine dioxide droplets (similar to iodine tablets but quicker and less funny taste) and a water filter straw. These both can be purchased for minimal expense online and are small so they take very little real estate from my boat. I always bring a small camping cup

Finding a balance when packing your kayak is important to make sure you don’t have to unload just to fish.

(more typical of overnighters on lakes). I look for a flat but elevated shelf, hopefully with little vegetation (less bugs and bushwhacking), I like a bank of a few feet incline to pull my boat up on, decent firewood, hopefully some big sitting rocks or logs, ideally not near any other humans and hopefully next to a good fishing spot.

Keeping food and drinks cold for long isn’t too I know this place sounds like utopia, but they difficult these days with modern ice chests, but aren’t that hard to find in my experience. If these items can be heavy and bulky so consider you ever plan on making this trip again you’ll this before you commit to cold adult beverag- remember the good banks as you pass them or es for everyone. If it is a must consider salting camp on them and there’s always a chance that you’ll wake up in the morning, break camp and your ice or splurging for dry ice. find a better spot around the next bend.

also for mixed beverages and morning coffee.

1 gallon of water per person per day is a good estimate of what you’ll need. In winter months I don’t drink nearly that much but in summer months I can easily consume a gallon (and you should too).

Finally On The Water

Once I find my spot I’ll fish around that loThe time to start thinking about your evening cation until the last second, which usually depends on the condition of the campsite. I campsite isn’t at dark when you can’t see any quickly bust out my head lamp (which I convefurther than your rod tip. I suggest finding niently packed near my toilet paper for the easyour campsite 1 hour to 30 minutes before iest of access) and get to town clearing a spot sundown (or earlier in the mountains/canyons) if you don’t have a designated one already for my fire and tent. I get a fire started first to 35

help fend off animals and insects, then I focus on my tent and a soft place to sleep. Drag your boat up higher than necessary and tie it off (remember some tailraces have pulse releases from dams upstream or the tides really like to take kayaks out). Once you’ve finished all the necessaries then I throw out some baited lines and start cooking my dinner. As I cook, I clean up my trash and try to keep my kayak somewhat organized so my departure in the morning isn’t a scramble.

ably (assuming no bugs, no moisture and no sand).

• Baby wipes double as toilet paper, paper towels or an expedient shower. They’re also good for wiping down pots and pans after you’ve used them (thanks Tyler).

• Drink mix packets pack well and break up the monotony of water.

• Pack a communication device- a cell phone, marine radio, satellite phone- whatever you need to ensure you can summon help (or your scheduled pick-up) when you need it.

• Pack a compass and learn to use it! The same Campsite Etiquette goes for a signaling mirror.

• Trash bags serve multiple duties such as: expeWe should all practice the ‘Leave No Trace’ mentality while kayak camping. First, it puts a dient dry bag (double up!), poncho, rain cover, moisture barrier and of course, a trash bag. bad taste in people’s mouths when they come across a trashy campsite, especially if it happens • A length of rope and a tent rain fly can to be along the shoreline of their property. One make a great a-frame tent that allows a breeze through. sure way to draw attention is to be loud and boisterous, leave trash and fish bones and tear • Look for an ‘all-in-one’ mess kit that has a up all the vegetation while making a large fire. pan/plate combo for meals. Usually fire starters, utensils, drink packets and other small Instead, set an example. I think the only imitems can be packed in these also. pact we should have on a campsite is to leave • If you can’t stand to chew your coffee cold ashes but in general we should be as low grounds, pre-wrap a cups worth of grounds in impact as possible. a filter and twist it up like a tea bag to dunk in your warm cup of water.

Next, if you’re ‘that guy’ at night that sounds like the rotary engine of a WWI biplane while • Fold up and pack a square of foil to cook your daily catch on, maybe even squeeze some you sleep, please do us a favor and try to fall asleep last or place your tent further away from lemon juice and pre-spice it also.

• Spices fit well in Tic-Tac® containers. the camp.

Lastly, if you’re ‘that other guy’, and you know who you all are, sleep downwind of the campsite (looking at you Brian).

Heading Home

Whether you’ve pre-placed a vehicle at your take-out or have arranged a shuttle you’ll want More Pro-tips: to ensure you get to the take-out before dark.

Loading all your gear up while you’re worn • Clothes bundled up in a small dry bag/tent down and tired from a few days on the water bag can double as a pillow. takes more time than the enthusiastic loading • In summertime a ‘dry bag pillow’ and sleep- pace on Day 1. Don’t try it in the dark where ing pad might be all you need to sleep comfort- you may leave gear or cut corners in a rush,

and remember some take-outs close at sundown (which might make for a long drag).

Photo courtesy of Margaret Outenreath

Lastly, ensure you break your gear down in a timely manner, within 24 hours of getting home. Air out and dry all your wet gear, and rinse and wipe down anything covered in mud, sand or salt. Take the time to refine your gear list if you needed something or found something unnecessary. Write a trip report and be sure to mention the unexpected or tips for the future. This is also a good time to repair or replace your gear if anything broke. Don’t let a few days pass to do these tasks- you’ll forget the important mental notes you’ve been indexing and your gear will stink to high heaven or just plain rust and mildew and then you’re worse off on your next outing.

The next time you wonder what that next stretch of river looks like or think, “Man, I’d love to stay out and fish all night and tomorrow morning!” remember that you can. 2

Four different kayaks, four different loads. Rear cargo areas carry the majority of the gear with front hatches holding as much as will fit.

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www.nucanoe.com

RAPALA DT6- One of Dye’s favorite go to crankbaits.

The

Sweet Science of

Crankbaits W

hen I was 12 years old, I was in Alabama fishing a small pond with my dad. I always loved looking in his tackle box for something shiny. Knowing I wasn’t that great with a baitcaster my Dad hands me a 1/2oz Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap. He knew I could cast it far and will probably lose it anyway. My dad is more of a drag-a-worm kind of guy. A few casts later is when it happened. I actually remember making that cast past an overhanging tree and burning it through the shallow water. I recall screaming at my dad to come over as I reeled it in followed by dragging it on the bank. At the time I didn’t know this single catch would

make me an avid crankbait fisherman.

Living here in Middle Tennessee gives me the opportunity to fish all types of water and a crankbait is my number one tool to locate fish from a kayak. From shallow backwater areas off the Cumberland River to the steep banks of Tims Ford Lake, I love hitting rocks and wood with these wobbling lures. Using crankbaits can be the most efficient ways to cover water and locate fish from a kayak.

Many think it’s just a cast and wind technique but it can be much more than that. I want to highlight a few crankbait techniques that will find fish fast from a kayak.

The Setup

The Art of the Angle

The most important factor for successfully running a crankbait as well as keeping the fish hooked is the rod set up. A medium action rod is a must. It does two very important things. The extra bend in the rod allows the bait to deflect off cover , which will trigger most of the strikes, as well as help prevent the fish from throwing the treble hooks.

Sure you can catch fish throwing crankbaits around brush and docks with a crankbait, but I think what gets more fish in the kayak is the casting angle. There have been many times where I’m fishing behind someone on the same bank, and I see them miss the “sweet spots”. Presenting the lure quietly into these “sweet spots” will really get you bit.

Being in a kayak allows us to hit certain spots on docks, timber, and rocky areas that boats For fishing 1’ down to 15’ the most versatile rod is a 7’ 3” AllPro SMG medium action rod. can’t get. For example, on the Cumberland The longer length helps with casting as well as River, one of my favorite techniques is running a Rapala DT-6 crankbait parallel to the directing the bait around dock corners, shallow timber, and through other cover. For riprap. cranking 15’ and deeper my choice is a 7’ 10” AllPro APX Blaster medium action rod. With With a kayak, you can get next to the rocks this rod you can cast a mile which helps you and keep the bait in the strike zone during the cover water while helping get the lure down to whole retrieve. When fishing around docks, those deeper depths. Use the crankbait to keep you can put the kayak against the bank and you moving. the hit the dock corners at an angle bass boats can’t. Also, it’s easier to cast under the steel cables that hold the floating docks in place The number one reason I prefer cranking in from a kayak. A simple underhand roll cast a kayak is the ability it gives to cover water does the trick. I try to run my lure into the and find fish quickly. One of the advantagdock corner posts as well as logs or and brush es for throwing a crankbait in a kayak is that to trigger the reaction strike. Another trick is you can control your kayak angle and movement with the lure instead of the paddle. The to tune your crankbait to the left or right so it will travel underneath floating docks, which crankbait will act as a trolling motor pulling can be deadly certain times of the year. the kayak eliminating paddle strokes which keeps the lure in the water longer.

WORDS AND PICTURES B

Follow the Current In the warmer months, fishing around current with a crankbait can be a killer way to put a few in the boat quickly. There are two things to focus on when fishing current, whether it’s wind current or natural current: Where will the fish be staging and how will they be feeding. I really look at where bass can ambush prey before I make a cast. In most cases, they will be facing upstream holding in slack water close to moving water so they can attack prey as it comes by.

When I set up to fish a spot I will always cast upstream and retrieve crankbait just fast enough to bump the cover. When fishing bridges with pilings close to the bank, my first cast is always in between the two. I have had tremendous success doing this. While the current is a great place to locate fish, it can be tough to efficiently fish these locations from a kayak. My go-to technique is to use the wind or current to help hold me in place. If I’m fishing a brush pile in 15’ with current, I will cast upsteam or upwind and let the wind counteract the pull of the crankbait.

The most important thing to remember is if you aren’t hitting anything, you aren’t getting bites. So don’t be scared the get those baits in the thick stuff; it will pay off.

BY CRAIG DYE

WHITEWAT CRANKBAI

TER ITING

L

ast month, I purchased over three dozen crankbaits. Most of them are now stuck at the bottom of the Susquehanna River. I was fighting for what would end up being a third place finish in an online tournament. Over fifty anglers targeting largemouth or smallmouth in five states tried to amass the largest three fish total. My final tally was the largest smallmouth total at 62.5 inches; a 20.5 incher, and two 21 inchers.

The pattern that landed me a check wasn’t even close to covering my crankbait bill.

The winning pattern: whitewater crankbaiting.

The fact that it’s an expensive pattern to chase doesn’t really bother me. The rush of a smallmouth smashing the bait, then turning into the strongest jet of water in the river, then using that current to peel drag is worth almost any price of admission. It requires whitewater paddling skills, pinpoint accuracy with your casts, and a willingness to not go in after a snagged bait. Doing so would result in a loss of more than a $12 Live Target Crawfish Crankbait – it would flip a boat in a heartbeat.

through a turbulent maze of jumbled ledge rock and boulders can’t be easy for a fish to navigate.

The largest of any species of fish get big by identifying feeding stations that yield them the most food with the least amount of effort. There’s no way I would have guessed that the powerful class 2 and 3 rapid ledge drops would constitute an easy meal for a smallmouth. That much water slamming

I had already caught two 18 inch range fish out of the rapid, when I saw a much larger dark brown profile appear from the depths below the tongue of water curling forcefully over a three foot ledge drop. So here comes the mind bending part – that huge fish was facing downstream, with his

Of course, that assumption is based on how difficult it is for me to navigate. One afternoon while fishing one of these ledge drops in particularly clear water, I got to watch several big smallmouth interact with the powerful hydrodynamic forces. They did so in a manner that caused me to put my rod down and just watch. What I saw just didn’t make any sense to me.

WORDS AND PHOTOS

BY JEFF LITTLE

body turned at a flattened angle. pinching was their endgame from their behavior.

It found the sweet spot where his required caloric input was I routinely take my kids to the almost nothing. river on fishing trips that seem to always turn into snorkeling Watching the ledge drop for over an hour, I understood why excursions. Through putting on a mask and going into that was the spot for him to lesser rapids and riffles, we have hang out. Crawfish after all seen the impressive array of crawfish climbed the food in these whitewater areas: downstream side of the ledge madtoms, hellgrammites, rock, clinging onto whatever crease or crack they could with crawfish, aquatic insects, sculpin and darters all stay in these their legs, waving their claws into the screaming fast current whitewater areas. But drift into an easy shallow gravel flat, and zooming over them. the biological cache thins out dramatically.

I never saw one grab ahold of one of the many minnows that Grassbeds are another forage darted in and out of the same bonanza, but they are still spot, but I know that minnow

second to the fastest, most rambunctious whitewater you can find on the river.

marker could turn a goofy fluorescent orange and red crankbait into a dark brown or dark green one in no time. Trips to Bass Pro Shops Fortunately, the Susquehanna where I fish it in allowed me to swap out treble hooks with Central Pennsylvania is where the east coast’s tips rounded from river rocks, and shanks biggest river crosses the Appalachian Mountain bent and snapped by the acrobatic air shows range. Wherever a mountain and that mile of 20 plus inch smallmouth. wide river intersect, look for whitewater, and look for a place to lose some crankbaits, I mean The key is to deliver the bait to the nastiest, catch the biggest smallmouth in the river. whitest whitewater you can find. This requires getting reasonably close – hence the The set up I use is geared to winning that 15 lb braid for long casts. You might even tug of war with the rocky bottom more often cast into the tongue of water pouring over than not. Smallie Stix Custom Rods made my the ledge to make sure that you grind bottom crankbait rod on a St. Croix blank of medium at the base of the rapid. heavy power, and moderate action. That means that the spine of the rod bends deeply down the length of the rod before it really starts pulling. When I feel the crankbait abruptly stop, and I think it’s a snag, I can hesitate instead of wedging it harder between two rocks. That brief pause allows the bait to float up, free of the snag more often than not.

Moderate action also plays heavily into keeping hooked fish from avoiding my Hawg Trough and tournament photo. The main line is 15 lb braid, with a 6 foot long 20 lb copolymer leader. The braid allows for long casts, and the copolymer helps with abrasion resistance.

The presentation to these areas requires a willingness to break off a $12 crankbait without missing a beat. During the course of the month long tournament, I would run out of a certain color and certain depth of the square bill Live Target Crawfish Crankbait, and know that I needed more before my next trip.

A search online for more might yield some in a different color, but I didn’t mind – dark colors always worked, and a permanent

I made use of a rudder cable steered Torqeedo motor to hold me in place. This allowed me to deliver many more casts to the base of a rapid than just charging the rapid, picking up a rod, letting it fly, then having to repeat after losing much ground by the time the crank was back to the rod tip. But you do what you need to.

Positioning in an eddy to the side of a chute is another good option if you can find one.

This pattern isn’t for anglers without whitewater skills. It isn’t for anyone who anguishes over lost baits. It is however a great way to deliver a lure to the biggest smallmouth in the river. 2

“The presentation to these areas requires a willingness to break off a $12 crankbait.”

CUSTOM HOW TO GET YOUR HANDS ON AN ADVANTAGE

WORDS BY CHRIS PAYNE PHOTOS BY JOHN HARLEY- FISHING ONLINE.COM

H

ow do you get an advantage when the same bodies of water are constantly pounded by the same lures from the big box stores and make fish wary? Often fishing a tournament you aren’t the first fisherman fishing a spot for the day unless it’s your first spot and chances are it’s been prefished recently. You don’t want to throw everything the fish have already seen and want to trick a bite out of some pressured water. So what do you do?

Many anglers are turning to custom baits.

in big box stores. Joe from down the street will rarely have the same bait and if he does, it’s likely because you told him about it. More importantly the other anglers on the lakes you frequent won’t have it. At least not yet.

That’s all well and good to say but aren’t customs expensive? That all depends on the type of custom bait. Paint jobs can run $10$100 per bait depending on the who and what. Custom carved swimbaits are usually for people who are addicted to the big bite and will range in price from $60-$500. The most common type of custom baits and some of the most effective are custom soft plastic baits.

These types of baits usually run $5-$10 a pack.

The next question anglers have when considering custom baits is the process to get them. Custom means exactly that. You will rarely be able to get a next day shipment on customs. It could take anywhere between two and eight weeks. I decided to walk through the process of custom soft plastic so I could give you a firsthand look at it from start to finish.

Custom can mean many different things. This could be hand carved swimbaits, custom paint, After talking to several people, including the or unique soft plastics and other products. The Kayak Bass Fishing National Champion Matt Ball, I decided that I’d place an order for some biggest thing about custom is it isn’t available 412 Bait Company soft plastics. I messaged the

53

owner, Donald Corbett, asked a few questions about colors, styles, best baits for my water types and then went online to order my baits.

I selected and paid for my baits on March 3rd.

During the checkout process I had to read a disclaimer about the baits being custom and it could take several weeks to be shipped. I liked the clear communication and setting the expectation before I paid that it would take some time. As soon as the confirmation and payment went through I received an email communication thanking me for my order and giving me some additional details.

mailbox and it was Christmas in April!

One of my favorite parts of custom baits is seeing them in person for the first time. Being able to handle the baits, smell them, stretch them and of course test them in the bathtub is one of the first things I do. It gets some weird looks from the girls in my family but I need to know about buoyancy, movement and underwater color.

A couple of days later I skipped lunch and got to do some real world application with the baits and they didn’t disappoint. In fact, one of my adventures I caught on video which you can see on the KBFMAG Facebook page.

At this point my order went into the work queue for 412. For custom soft baits the orders I am lucky enough to have some clear are made in the order they are received. When water lakes around me and I can watch as the fish respond to different presentation it is a little slower a custom order might only of the different baits and really determine take a couple of weeks but in busier times, longer. Spring is obviously a very busy time for what they want and how they want it. bait makers and on April 10th I received another email communication that my order was being A couple of times already I’ve been fishing with other people and will follow behind them and processed which translates to being made. hit the same structure with a 412 Free Worm or Free Minnow and catch a fish. The baits At that point I started getting pretty excited!

This was the homestretch like at the waterpark have great action, different sink rates and the custom colors are something you can’t go buy when you finally get to the top of the tower off the shelf. I think those three keys spell and see where people are actually going success. down the chutes and the lifeguard says “Next” and points you to the open slide.

If you haven’t looked into custom baits yet, you might want to give them a look. Whether April 16th I received two emails. 412 emailed me to let me know my order had shipped and it’s soft plastics or a nine inch glide bait, a custom bait can make a big difference. the other email was from the USPS with a All it requires is a little patience and you’ll tracking number and expected delivery date. th soon have a bait most people don’t. 2 April 19 a package showed up in my

GET LIT GET BIT 25 17

Secret The

KAYAK BASS FISHING NATIONAL CHAMPION MATT BALL SHARES WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE FOR HIS RECORD FINISH ON KENTUCKY LAKE IN MARCH

WORDS BY CHRIS PAYNE

Kayak Bass Fishing has its first National Champion and his name is Matt Ball. A humble man whose life centers on his faith, family, fishing, and friends is still amazed at how it all transpired. More than anything, those four things are what Ball attributes to his success. The story however doesn’t start in March when he was crowned. The story starts a few years earlier near the Ohio/ West Virginia border.

The Ball family is a camping family and had for many years used canoes but Matt realized after a couple of times out in a kayak how much easier kayaks would be to haul and use than the larger, less sturdy canoes. After purchasing kayaks from a big box store and spending time on the water Ball and his father thought the idea of fishing a tournament might be fun. Ball’s father wasn’t quite as keen on the idea after several years in power boat tournaments and dealing with drama but decided to give it a go to support his son.

A local tournament on the New River was being held by a group called the Mountain State Kayak Anglers. Based in West Virginia the MSKA is based in fellowship, fun and fishing. Ball reminisced about how friendly and inviting the group was at that first event and continues today. He

talks about how much fun he and his father had at that first event and that is what kept them in the sport.

After a year of tournament fishing Ball upgraded to a Jackson Coosa HD and speaks very highly of the platform. Some of the features of the kayak helped him navigate the waters in the National Championship when conditions continually changed day after day.

From skinny water fishing and fighting wind, the Coosa HD was able to handle it all in stride. While a great tool for him during the two days, it might have been something you can’t buy that actually helped him.

That secret weapon? The Mountain State Kayak Anglers. MSKA had travelled with a huge pack of qualified anglers and others hoping to qualify in the last ditch effort at the Open event the day before the Championship.

More than 20 anglers shared a large house for almost a week.

Ball talks glowingly about the comradery their group had during the week.

Day Two saw Ball returning to the same area that had produced on Day One. By 8AM Ball had three fish for about 48 inches but he knew he needed to cull to have a shot. He moved a little deeper and culled up to a 17 and an 18.5 inch fish and then the bite slowed. The hours flashed by and he knew it was time for a big swing.

“It could be difficult for a lot of folks being cooped up with a bunch of smelly fishermen for a week but our group just has something special. It’s a bond built over time. We all have a pretty laid back attitude about it all. Don’t get me wrong, we compete and love to win but Switching to a 412 Bait Company Craw on a that’s not all it’s about. “ swing head jig he started picking apart some After Day One was over only about four of the deep structure. Shortly after, the fish he was MSKA anglers still had a legitimate shot at the looking for hammered the craw. win. That’s when the true family that is MSKA “It was on! And once I landed the fish, everything went wrong.” started to shine to the rest of the crowd. Instead of packing up and heading home, most of the MSKA family chose to stay and support The big bass wouldn’t lay right for pictures.

After what seemed like an eternity Ball had his their brothers still in the running. good picture and his day was over.

“Having those guys there to keep me relaxed.

It was almost like one of our cookouts. All the After making the mandatory check in time Ball guys around, getting excited for us. Wanting to went to grab some food. be there. It meant a lot to me.”

In the judges’ booth, we knew we were at the cutoff for submissions and knew the name at the top was Matt Ball. He however had no idea. To not tip our hand we started calling the anglers in the top ten places to verify fish, double check every entry and start calculating up all the bonus dollars.

Ball had gone to grab a bite to eat after check in and was the last angler we brought back for verification.

As the top two remaining anglers stood on stage waiting for the winner’s name to flash the MSKA family was crowding the stage in anticipation, hoping their brother would bring the first title of National Champ back to West Virginia. Seconds later the crowd erupted as that hope became reality. Matt Ball had won $32,700!

Talking later about his success Ball talked about the preparation that their local tournaments gave them. Using Kayak Bass Fishing’s standard rules of mouth closed and fish positioning allowed them all to practice constantly the proper way to Catch, Photo and Release. The preparation paid off on that final big fish.

Ball said he set out to have fun and hope for the best at the National Championship. It started off as a fun trip and ended as an amazing adventure he will never forget.

His one regret? His dad was a last minute scratch on the trip. 2

TOURNAMENT

DAY

A PHOTO ESSAY

by Mark Cisneros

ANTICIPATION

PREPARATION

EXECUTION

STALKING THE

FLATS

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY

DREW ROSS

I

t was one of those days that would have been better spent resting on the couch holding a cold beverage and watching college football. The temperature was nearing the kayak will burn you if you touch it and the wind was nonexistent. Basically, the most miserable conditions a kayak fly angler or any angler for that matter could imagine. It was going to be a sweat fest.

But I have an addiction and it makes me do questionable things. Instead of hanging out in the comfort of an air-conditioned house, I was loading my 6 wt and heading to the flats to hunt grass carp from my kayak.

When I arrived, it was just as I expected. I was the only idiot out enjoying this fine weather.

Even the mosquitoes where like, “nope”. For once, the conditions remained as forecasted - no wind, lots of sun and it was still hot. My sweat was sweating, but I was excited. Why? My weight loss plan of course. No, I’m addicted to sight fishing grass ghosts and these are ideal conditions.

After a short paddle, I was poling the flats looking for targets. I beached the kayak on a small island in the middle of the lake and scanned a small bay on the other side for active carp. Grass carp are schizophrenic by nature and live in a constant state of panic. They freak at the sight of their own shadows. Surprisingly, my shadow has a similar effect on them. With fish this skittish, the odds aren’t in the kayak fly anglers favor.

But those odds can be increased by angling like a hunter. I use stealth and concealment to my advantage. I avoid paddling into areas without scoping them first. Islands or other available cover are valuable resources that help conceal you while you scan for feeding activity. I move very slowly and deliberately. If you were sitting in a deer stand, you wouldn’t do jumping jacks every 10 minutes, would you? Paddling around in a 12 foot plastic boat, sword fighting your shadow is a good way to come home smelling as fresh as two

day old road kill skunk. My point is that false casting a million times won’t help your cause.

The next thing is not making excessive noises, like falling in the water because you’re balance challenged. Seriously, I rarely paddle because of the likelihood of paddle slap or banging my paddle along the side of my carp cruiser. I push pole whenever possible and keep my eyes focused on the water. Straining them to pick up movement, shadows, and the more obvious tailing activity. Also, after you make a terrible presentation, and you will, pick it up and put it back down quietly. If it sounds like you’re popping corks for specks, you’re doing it wrong.

This is a game of failure and rejection. Once you locate a target, you get one shot. Get it wrong and you’ll watch the grass ghost run away leaving a note that reads, “you suck” in a cloud of mud. Get it right and you can stand beside your beast and enjoy

THE BEASTS

OF SUMMER

IN MEXICO

BY ALEJANDRO PEREZ-ARTEAGA

photo by Alejandro Perez-Arteaga

In Mexico, seasons are not as clearly distinguished as in northern latitudes. Summer is the time of year where most rainfall occurs, lowering the high temperatures of late spring across most of the country. Once rains start (around mid June-mid July), water cools down and bass start to move away from the shallows. However, many bass still are present around shallow cover, while some other move to deeper water.

Early summer is a fantastic time to fish, as the weather is nicer than in the previous hotter months, and the bass are still very active. Large, heavy bass can still be caught in shallow grounds, as spawning can extend all throughout the season. Here, I briefly talk about some of my favorite techniques for summertime bass in Mexico. They will also work for you elsewhere, so make sure to give them a try if they’re not on your list.

SHALLOW COVER Standing timber is the most frequent type of cover that you’ll encounter in Mexican lakes, especially on those with shallower water. Trees that died when flooding the lake, are usually mesquite, huizache or other thorn-forest or deciduous dry-forest species. Famous trophy lakes such as El Salto, lake Guerrero and recently Picachos, have abundant standing timber that provides cover for big bass year round.

However, it might be difficult to pick a good spot, as there are extensive expanses of standing cover almost everywhere. What I usually do is limit my fishing areas to those that have a steep drop-off nearby, or a (albeit small) creek or channel running through it. As bass fishing canons dictates, just pick a place where there are different habitats: deep water, shallow cover, points, creeks, or gravel or sand banks.

Once I have picked my fishing spot, I usually go with weedless baits, as there are many opportunities to loose your lure. I keep my approach simple, casting to the bank or to particular trees.

I have one rod rigged with each of the following lures for fishing standing cover in summer.

A CASTING JIG A pumpkin or black/blue jig with a big trailer is always on one of my rods. I use ½-oz most of the time, with different sorts of trailers. Use one with quality hooks and experiment with the trailers.

Did I mention big trailers? A 6” or 7” senko, a magnum lizard, a full-size brush hog, are all good options. I don’t know if you’ve tried this before, but toads are particularly good trailers for big bass. Both legs kick on the fall as if they were two swimbait tails and give a lot of bulk with a smaller profile (than the trailers above) to your jig. Bass simply can’t resist them sometimes, so be sure you try it.

Cast or pitch your jig to particular trees and let it fall to the bottom, shaking it a few times. I don’t usually work it throughout the branches, as most of the bites will be from the base of the tree. I use a setup identical to the one for Texas rigs, but with 40 to 50-lb straight braid. I also have a 6’10” heavy spinning rod that works wonders for pitching from the kayak.

A SWIMMING JIG A good reaction bait is also a good choice. Even though I prefer slower-moving baits for standing cover, a swim jig might be the ticket to make those big bass react when they don’t want to attack a soft plastic or casting jig. Choose any specialized swimming jig and cast it to the bank, among sunken trees, and parallel to the outer edges of the standing timber field.

I particularly like attaching a 5-inch swimbait tail so that it gives a nice kick and rolling action to the jig. I usually choose white or shad colors. A good thing about the swimming jig is that you can also work it as a casting jig and vary your retrieve, letting it fall to the bottom once in a while. But usually, a simple cast and retrieve technique is all that is needed. A 7’ heavy baitcasting rod with a moderate tip is best in my opinion for this technique. I pair it to a medium-speed (6:1) reel spooled with 40lb braid.

A FULL-SIZE BRUSH HOG OR MAGNUM LIZARD The venerable brush hog is still one of my favorites for Texas rigging. I use green pumpkin with chartreuse-dyed tails for stained water and watermelon for clear water. I Texas-rig it with a tungsten weight usually 3/8 or 1/4 –oz for very shallow cover. The heavier weight is enough to get down fast in standing timber.

I use the lighter weight when targeting very shallow cover, 6 feet deep or less. This is the rig that I use most of the time. I prefer a 7’ heavy powered baitcasting rod with a fast tip and a fast reel. I favor straight braid, 30 or 40-lb being my choice. If water is too clear or if I feel bass might be spooked by the line, I add a 3 to 4-feet 20lb fluorocarbon leader. A magnum lizard in the same colors is also a good choice, I start with a brush hog and switch to a lizard if the bass are not biting.

photo by Alejandro Perez-Arteaga

OPEN WATER STRUCTURE When bass are not biting in shallow standing timber, and I suspect they have moved to or are more active in cooler water, I fish deeper structure on open water. Cattle stone corrals, old roads or rock piles are excellent choices. Any structure that you can find and that provides changes in topography for the fish to hide will be good places to fish. Big fish will not only be tight to the structure, but schools of big fish will also be positioned above the structure.

These places can offer very hot action that can give you many big bass from the same spot. For fishing these, I don’t anchor, but rather I paddle upwind and drift with the wind, casting towards the area where the structure is present until I leave the strike zone and then paddle back and make different passes.

I try to find structure in the 12 to 20 feet deep range where water is cooler than in the shallows but still keeps bass quite responsive. I have several rods rigged each with the following lures.

A SOFT BODIED OR HOLLOW SWIMBAIT A 6-inch soft bodied swimbait, or a 6 to 7-inch hollow-bodied swimbait is a great way to catch aggressive bass suspended over the structure. Cast and retrieve. I use white or shad colors.

If you are in an area with threadfin shad (called “machete” or “cuchillo” in some Mexican lakes), it’s great to paint a yellow stripe along the swimbait, or choose a sexy shad color. For this I use a heavy, 7 to 7’3’’ baitcasting rod with a 6:1 reel and 40lb braid or 20lb fluorocarbon.

photo by Alejandro Perez-Arteaga in a regular fashion with the bullet point towards the rod and the other backwards, with a glass bead sandwiched between them.

This really works so try it out. Two 3/8 or ½ oz weights in this fashion will be very effective. I prefer green tequila sunrise or red shad colors on my big worms. A 7’ to 7’3’’ heavy-powered baitcasting rod with a high speed reel and 30 to 40lb braid, is all you need.

There are many other techniques that will give you big bass in summer. However I’ve found that the above will work most of the time for me and will allow me to have 3 or 4 rods at the most and be prepared for most conditions. Keep in mind that if fishing standing timber fields in shallow water you need to have a low profile and keep your rods down if possible, to avoid hanging up on branches.

A BIG FLUTTER SPOON Choose the biggest flutter spoon you can find. Change to top-quality treble hooks (I use 1/0) and split rings. Cast towards the structure, let it fall on semi-slack line, and then stroke it all the way to the kayak. They will hit it hard. Actually, I’ve caught considerably larger bass on flutter spoons than with other lures on summer on deeper structure.

You won’t have as many bites but they are very likely to be big bass. Flutter spoons are heavy so choose a specialized rod. I use a long-handle, 7’6’’ heavy-powered, moderate-action rod with 20lb fluorocarbon. This technique is extremely fun, so be cautious, once you get your first bass on a big flutter spoon, you will want to cast it everywhere. Be cautious, it will hang up, check your sonar for barbed wire fences or other snaggy structure to avoid losing these as they are expensive.

A BIG WORM I like a 11-inch ribbontail worm, Texas-rigged with a 5/0 offset hook and tungsten weight. I use a heavy weight to get it down quickly to the bottom and avoid bites from smaller bass that might be upper in the water column. A ¾ to 1-ounce weight will work fine. Regardless of water clarity, a bead will work well, attracting nearby bass. A trick that is used in some trophy lakes in Mexico is to use not one but two weights, the first one

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Spinnerbaits will also work well instead of a swimming jig so be sure to carry a few white ones if you’re a blade fisherman.

Not so much my stuff so I don’t use them a lot. Also experiment with a jika rig, use a medium heavy or heavy spinning rig. This works as a finesse approach if you feel you’re getting skunked. If on deeper structure and not getting bites, a ¼-oz shaky head will probably save your day.

I hope these techniques will give you great bites if you come to Mexico for big bass. If you don’t, be sure to try them in your home lake. Largemouth bass are naturally voracious and aggressive and will attack big baits if presented correctly. So get your heavy rods ready and be prepared for a fun day under the sun!

Alejandro Pérez-Arteaga is a Pro Staff for Wilderness Systems Kayaks, Kistler Rods, Yak Attack, RAM Mounting Systems and HOOK1 Crew. He lives and fishes in central Mexico.

SKYBOUND SMALLIE photo by Jeff Little

SUMMERTIME STILLNESS photo by Chris Payne

SKINNY WATER SPINNERBAITING

BY JUAN VERUETE

photo by Juan Veruete

A fishing buddy and I paddled to the takeout with the sun slipping behind the mountains just west of the river. Two consecutive days of tossing spinnerbaits had our elbows sore and our smiles wide. We bantered back and forth reminiscing about how many truly big smallmouth bass we had caught and the frantic battles that took place in the skinniest of water. It was one of those days that gets etched deep into an angler’s kayak fishing memory. Success with spinnerbaits in the low, clear rivers of late summer isn’t the norm in bass fishing. It takes some adjustments to the physical appearance of your spinnerbait and presentation style but it’s a big fish strategy that works so here’s the “skinny” on skinny water spinnerbaiting.

DOWNSIZE IT Smallmouth tend to prefer spinnerbaits in the 3/16 oz. or ¼ oz. range when the river is low and clear. I’m not saying big spinnerbaits can’t work but if I’m playing the odds, my money will be on a small profile lightweight bait. The smaller baits almost always do the trick!

Sparse skirts are the ticket in clear water. Too much volume in the skirt and the fish may reject your presentation. You can still use a plastic trailer on your spinnerbaits but make it a slender profile piece of plastic. Simple twister tail grubs or thinner profile swimbaits make excellent spinnerbait trailers when you’re finessing the fish in clear water.

GET REAL Keep color selection simple. You don’t need to be exact. I tell students in my kayak fishing classes to be “in the same neighborhood” with their color choices. Survey your local flow and the baitfish available to the bass and select spinnerbait colors that mimic those food sources. Many times you can obtain additional information on the forage base of a flow by reading biologists’ reports from your state’s fish and game commission.

photo by Juan Veruete of blades is the time tested willow blade. Use a smaller size to compliment the small frame of a ¼ oz. spinnerbait. It’s a great configuration when you want the spinnerbait to run a little deeper but still want a fast retrieve. The slender willows provide a lot of flash without a lot of resistance which can cause a spinnerbait to ride higher in the water column when retrieved at faster speed.

ACQUIRE TARGETS Fish the downstream ends of pools, ledge trenches and eddies. Big river smallmouth tend to congregate in these types On my local flows, shad and minnows are the most abundant of shallow “push waters” at the end of pools when water levels bass forage. White spinnerbait skirts made from materials that have been low and stable over several days or more. Crawfish have a shiny glimmer or translucency mimic the colorations of and baitfish seem to favor these areas in low flows so the smallthese baitfish types extremely well. If the bass on your river sys- mouth will hang close to their food sources. tem key on other forage like pumpkinseed or sunfish then you can stock up on skirts that have colors like blue, yellow, orange On cloudless sunny days, smallmouth will typically hug shade or chartreuse incorporated into them. producing structure in these “push water” locations so target long casts to chunk rock, boulders, wood or isolated weeds. A BATTLING BLADES kayak that you can easily stand and fish out of like the WilderGold or silver blades? Some days the fish want gold. Some days ness Systems ATAK can make all the difference in being able they will want silver. Some days they will hit both with equal to get a visual on targets. If you have cloud cover, smallmouth enthusiasm. In my experience it rarely makes a difference. will roam and feed more freely so you will want to fan cast the Other factors like retrieve speed, shape of the blades and size of same areas. blades seem to influence the bite more in clear water.

BURN BABY BURN My favorite clear water blade shape is often referred to as the Keep the spinnerbait moving. Don’t let the bass get a good Olympic Blade. The blades are a strange hybrid between a Col- look at it. Burning the bait or using a faster cadence “stop and orado and a Willow. They seem to have just the right amount go” retrieve will yield crushing attacks leaving you with the of flash and thump to bring the big fish running from a diswreckage that WAS your spinnerbait! Experiment by running tance in the low, clear water of summer. My second choice your spinnerbait at various levels of the water column.

Start by burning the spinnerbait just under the surface. I like to burn the bait so fast that the blades periodically sputter on the surface as the spinnerbait sprints across the water. This specific retrieve has produced some of the biggest river smallmouth I’ve caught over the past two seasons under low, clear water conditions.

If the “hyper” fast retrieve at the top of the water column isn’t producing, change up your tactic. Slow things down just a bit and start burning the spinnerbait in the middle of the water column. Keep the retrieve fast and if you can bang the bait off a few river boulders along the way that will often trigger a strike. You can also do very quick stop and go’s with your spinnerbait to create a trigger. Remember, keep it moving along.

Don’t give them a good look at it.

You’ll rarely need to scrape bottom with your spinnerbait in low clear water to get a strike but when all else fails, I’ll bump up to a ½ oz. spinnerbait and start contacting some submerged structure. The trick in all instances is that you want a faster retrieve. No slow rolling that will give the fish a chance to see the bait. You are looking to appeal to the smallmouths primal instinct to attack!

BRING IT ON HOME Fishing spinnerbaits for skinny water smallmouth bass is very often just as intense and heart stopping as top water fishing.

Often you’ll see the bronze blur of a smallmouth bass streaking toward your spinnerbait. At that moment it takes a kayak load of mental discipline to keep the retrieve going. You know if you change up at that moment the bass will likely break off the pursuit. The strikes are explosive often sending water cascading in several directions from the point of impact. Once you’ve hooked up the fight is on!

photo by Juan Veruete

GEAR I DIDN’T

THINK I NEEDED UNTIL I USED IT.

The C-TUG kayak cart from Railblaza has long been my favorite kayak cart. I’ve been on record trying to find a better one and frankly, I haven’t.

That is until now. While the standard plastic wheels of my three year old C-TUG are great, these new SandTrackz wheels take this already best in class cart to another level.

Good on the sand, rocky paths, and everything in between, these wheels, which never need air, also hold the kayak and gear load like a pack mule. The C-TUG doesn’t put pressure on scuppers, it doesn’t warp your kayak with ratchet straps, and it doesn’t allow your gear to shift.

I’ll often have to transport a quarter mile or more just to get to my spot. When your options are carry in or wheel in, you need wheels that won’t let you down.

I could go on for weeks about how rugged the C-TUG is but I’ll digress. Don’t spend the money like I did and buy everything under the sun trying to find or make a better cart. This is THE cart. Go buy one and quit worrying about carts because you’ll have this one for years.

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Skinny

Water

Fly Boss Todd West gives us the draw of shallow water fly fishing for himself and four other fly guys.

BRANDON BAILES

Soul

TODD WEST

TODD WEST

Is skinny water the place to begin a fishing there is more to these roots than I have habit, the place we all go to learn and get considered or personally realized. the knowledge we seek to be able to pursue Be it family or fishing staying rooted the gilled torpedoes dreams are made of? to where it all started is key for most. It keeps us grounded. Watching some of Is it the place we return to for nostalgia? the top pros on television giggle like kids Or is skinny water something else? as they catch big crappie and bluegill For some anglers the local watering sparked a thought in me to reach out to holes like creeks, rivers, and farm some top notch anglers I am honored to ponds are the proving grounds in be associated with and get their takes on which they learn to hone their skills. skinny water and it’s magical powers to From patterning fish to choosing the flood one’s soul with childlike emotions. fly or crankbait pattern it all begins in For me personally it is about a pure feeling places off the beaten path for most.

I get. That same feeling I had from the I’m sure as you read this visions of your very beginning. I have chased fish and youth race through your mind and I hunted big game for many years now and hope fond memories pop in your mind I still do today, but now it’s different. It’s of a special place long gone or a loved not about giant fish or trophy bucks. It’s one who has gone home to rest. about the journey. The day I was blessed with to yet again chase whatever I was I type this with a smile because I truly have after that day in a place that made me great memories with friends and family on feel like I was on a journey back in time. skinny water. I think these emotions are what keep most of us coming back to these I chased one species of fish for two and places. But after having conversations a half years on creeks and rivers for a with several very skilled anglers I think world record I have wanted for years.

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For me that fire was lost when I quit fishing and hunting for me and started chasing what others deemed a trophy. After a while it finally clicked like a spark in the night. I had lost touch with the roots in which I was planted.

The small places nobody knows about that taught me the outdoors. The tiny woods and the skinny water. I quickly realized that the true trophy is the one that makes your heart race and soul fill with pride. Be it a six inch green sunfish or a six hundred pound grouper certain things seem to feed one’s soul.

Skinny water is my passion. Navigating tight corridors in my kayak, hiking up streams with friends to fish our way back, getting on some remote places on the local rivers and hitting up farm ponds with my kids is what it’s all about. Being able to truly appreciate each catch for what it is and never feeling like I am missing out.

I am a species junkie myself so I want to catch anything that swims and I get to see multiple species playing on these waters, The enjoyment I get in seeing the bright colors and scrappy fish do their thing after sipping a fly or eating a yerm (what my two year old Tanner calls a worm) I can honestly say I return home with a full heart and an easy soul. I enjoy catching large fish don’t get me wrong and now and then we do but my whole trip doesn’t revolve around finding them.

I fish all over the place and have been blessed to experience fishing from coast to coast working within the kayak fishing industry but I always find myself comparing those places to home. After setting out to see if I was the only one as i previously stated I managed to put together a panel of guys that seem to have some similar opinions oddly enough and we’ve never really discussed the topic together.

We hope to keep this panel going and cover a few topics this season to offer you some insight on why we do the things we do and why some of us jump from fly fishing to conventional and back again.

TODD WEST

I have hunted many places for large bucks and other animals. After accomplishing these self-set goals these task seemed like not such a big deal anymore. I had lost the fire in which my adventures were fed by. But where and how? When did this happen?

ZACK WILLIAMS

ZACK WILLIAMS Nothing compares to tapping back into your roots and fishing the exact ways you started as a child. I get to see the look in my childs eyes that my father saw in mine. How do you top that? Can it be done? I don’t really know that it can.

The best way I can truly describe fishing skinny water is this quote.

“The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, A perpetual series of occasions for hope.” -John Buchan I have been fortunate enough to chase some impressive fish in my life. From Alligator Gar on the Trinity River, White Sturgeon on the Columbia River, to Goliath Grouper in Florida.

I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t get the same feeling from chasing Redeye Bass and Green Sunfish in the creeks near my home.

You can jump in the car alone, with a friend or your family with very little gear and spend a whole day on the water with little to no hassle. Most times if you see them they see you. It changes the skill set required to catch them at this point and gets you back to a primal feeling sometimes.

With family life and my regular job , chasing big fish from my power boat and guiding on the local rivers is very costly and not always the most affordable option for my personal time or my wallet.

Yes the grand road trips are amazing and very rewarding but there is nothing like a few hours on the streams you learned to fish on.

You can literally have the cheapest combo in the world dig up some bait in the yard or whip out a few flies and be fishing in a backwoods paradise for a few bucks in gas. And i’m willing to bet you have the time of your life keeping it simple.

By fishing skinny water you’re taking away expense, the glitter rockets, the chest thumping and showboating, and getting back to a pure thing.

It’s fishing at it’s purest form.

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EVAN HOWARD

EVAN HOWARD

COOL AND SHADED

VISUAL STRIKES

Standing knee deep in a skinny flow under the overarching bows of hardwoods is one of the finest ways to beat the heat of summer. While other anglers are melting into the seats of their kayaks on a sun-beaten lake, you can stomp around cool, flowing water and self-regulate with the occasional dunk in the waters of a fast running shoal.

Skinny flows usually have a fair amount of visibility and this often makes strike detection very easy. This really enhances the pleasure of fly fishing when you can watch bass track down your fly. Strikes, fights, and catches are up close and personal. Not only do you get the treat of seeing many takes, but many sight fishing opportunities often present themselves.

Another asset of plying skinny water is that with bountiful bank shade lines, cooler water temperatures, and the presence of current, there are always some active feeding fish to find.

SMALL FISH ARE A TREAT AND BIG FISH A DELIGHT

SHORT CASTS Although there are plenty of occasions where stealth dictates very long, accurate casts to avoid spooking wary fish, most casts in skinny water are very, very short. That often means roll casts to shade lines, shooting line with one false cast to bank pockets, or high sticking along seam lines in shoals.

Small flows typically hold less large fish than large rivers or lakes depending on water depth and availability of prey. Despite having less numbers of large fish, I appreciate a fish caught in a small flow much more than one caught from a large lake.

A ten inch bluegill may not be noteworthy if you have been catching largemouth all day in a pond, but coaxing a big gill into sipping a foam bug while you standing waist-deep in the water with him is an altogether

different experience. When you do tangle with a large bass in a slim creek, you truly appreciate how special that individual fish is and how long it took that fish to reach that size. Smallmouth can take 8-10 years to reach 18 inches in small flows!

SIMPLICITY

BRANDON BAILES

EVAN HOWARD

The beauty of fly fishing is that it can be as complex or as simple as you want it and creek stalking lends itself to simplicity. I’m talking about ditching my sling pack and stuffing a handful of flies into an Altoids tin. Seriously. This is the kind of fly fishing that I fell in love with 20 years ago chasing bass and gills on Alabama farm ponds.

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BRANDON QUINTERO

CAMERON CUSHMAN

Man, where do I even begin. It could simply be the fact of seeing epic eats right in front of you, seeing everything come together, or just the simplicity of it. For me it’s a little different.

endocrinologists, and therapists all of whom told me my life now is better suited staying inside. No more lifting over 30lbs, no more outdoor activities, basically no more LIFE.

I’d say I’ve always been attracted to fishing skinny clear waters, but the truth of it is I really didn’t gain a true passion for it until my health took a turn for the worst.

Well after several months of laying on the couch, I decided enough was enough. I needed to learn how to manage my pain and get back outside. My kayak career was pretty much over at that point, besides the once a month death trips I did essentially destroying my digestive system. So what else was there to do?

After a failed surgery on my stomach and esophagus during the summer of 2015, that’s when everything changed.

Since then I’ve been diagnosed with several medical conditions such as Gastroparesis, Vagal Nerve Damage, Severe Hypoglycemia, Esophageal Spasms, Dumping Syndrome and several other issues.

Doctors have told me I’m a lost cause and essentially this is my life now and the disease will most likely progressively get worse.

Well there sure was an abundance of clear skinny water rivers in the Texas hill country where I was living at the time.

So slowly but surely I started fishing the banks and managed to make my way to do a bit more wading. I’d deal with the severe pain and nausea for the opportunity to feel somewhat normal again. There are even times when all of that pain fades away just from being in the water.

Being an avid kayak fisherman, this That’s where my true love and passion for is not something you want to hear. the skinny water has come from. Since Multiple doctors from gastroenterologists, then I’ve fished cold mountain creeks in

world, it’s clear skinny bodies of water. I’ve had the pleasure of fishing alongside some of the most outstanding gentlemen throughout the country, each of us with a huge passion for skinny water but also our own individual callings to it. I urge you to find yours.

SEAN TODD

California for big wild Brown Trout, rivers in the middle of the Texas desert for giant Carp and Smallies, shallow flats for Snook and Jacks, and even shallow ponds and canals for exotic fish like Peacock Bass and Mayan Cichlids. If there’s any place in this world that can make me feel normal and truly connected to the

BRANDON BAILES

BRANDON BAILES

I could write a book about all the reasons I prefer skinny water to the bigger rivers but I would say for me it’s the whole experience that draws me to streams that most people pass by.

You see, I started out flyfishing and exploring small spring creeks by my house but as I got older I moved on only wanting to go big on waters systems, fish I caught, flies I tied, and rods I carried. Over time I caught some big bass and trout in big water but the fun, for me, was only had during the quick fight and the rest of the outing would just seem mundane and disconnected.

However, even when I was in big fish mode, I still made time to stop and fish small streams and the funny thing is I did it to stay grounded, to brush off a fruitless day of chucking 4/0 bugs on 8wts, and to just enjoy the whole experience of exploring these hidden microsystems. One day the light bulb turned on and I decided to focus on the fishing style that brought me the most joy and that was found in skinny water and the challenges it brings.

The main challenge/fun in fishing skinny water I would say is actually matching what the fish are eating and presenting it without spooking them off.

The waters I normally fish are no more than 20-30ft wide at the most and a deep pool is no more than 4-5ft deep.

Therefore the rods I fish in these waters are short fiberglass rods (6.6- 7ft) ranging from 4-6wt and they allow for me to make tight quarter, precise casts and offer great tippet protection while giving a great “fish on” feel.

As far as food in these systems, the baitfish in these waters on average are only a couple inches long so I carry baitfish patterns from 1/2” up to 4” long to cover my bases there and then I carry a wide assortment of patterns to imitate naturally occurring food such as hellgrammites, crawfish, cicadas, hoppers, frogs, and small rodents. This might seem like a lot to stuff in a fly box but over time my tying has evolved to where I have downsized what worked for me on big water systems to fit the

I don’t know whats more rewarding about that type of experience….knowing you were able to not spook a wary fish in shin deep water, making a perfect cast with your 5wt in close quarters, knowing your fly was successfully tied to behave/look a certain way, or just being able to catch a fish that some

would comment “ couldn’t live in a creek that small”…… I would say all of the above!

So whether it’s staying up late trying to design a new downsized articulated streamer, spending a lunchbreak catching dozens of panfish on hoppers, a morning spent stripping mini sculpins thru brown trout territory, or a day spent fishing for the alpha bass of a 15ft wide stream…..skinny water can ( and is for me) the perfect way to take in God’s creation in a very intimate, up close setting and I promise you learn something every time you go…..and that’s in a nutshell why I fish skinny water.

BRANDON BAILES

needs on skinny water. That’s been another aspect of skinny water fishing that I get lots of enjoyment as a fly designer from….. Trust me it is a sight to behold to throw a size 6 minnie mouse next to a logjam and have a 14-15” smallmouth come out of nowhere and crush it!

The bend of your fly rod under the strain of a large bass is incomparable to anything else in bass fishing.

Fly fishing is, to me, the most fun way to target bass despite being an enormous challenge. There are also some major benefits to picking up the long rod. Nothing is more subtle or realistic than a natural fly that slowly pulses through the water column like a living, breathing organism.

A fly rod can hang with or even best conventional tackle given the correct water clarity and weather patterns. I have experienced more than one occasion where the fly rod outfished conventional tackle.

When the weather sours, however, fly fishing can become extremely difficult. Stained water, cold snaps, and high winds make fly

fishing downright unpleasant, but there are a few things you can do to put the odds in your favor and rescue your trip. I even landed one of my personal best bass on a tough day using one of the techniques below.

Stained, moving water? Dead drift a bug. I have a ton of success simply deaddrifting poppers in the current in clear water conditions. I have discovered that, contrary to my natural assumptions, a motionless bug typically outperforms a noisy bug. You wouldn’t think that would be the case when the water colors up, but it seems to be even more effective.

I had my best day ever with big bass using this technique following up a couple of friends throwing casting gear. I lazily drifted my popping bug along tight to banks and close to isolated cover. Four, huge bass smash my popper and head for cover on that day. The key seems to be casting close to cover and carefully mending your line so you keep a long, drag free drift past cover.

It

surprised the hell out of me, but big bass can really sense that bug drifting along like helpless prey even in stained water.

my fly arsenal just like craw imitations make up a huge part of my casting gear arsenal. Yours should have them too.

Muddy water? Add some flash. It isn’t fun to cast and is highly looked down upon in many fly fishing circles, but adding a spinner blade to your fly is a no-brainer in muddy water conditions. I use a snap on inline spinner like you find on a Joe’s Flies short striker.

I find a slow moving craw fly to be extremely effective when a cold front crashes through and puts a halt to all your topwater and streamer fishing dreams.

I employ the craw, typically a pattern called the clawdad which looks like a tiny finesse jig, in a couple of different ways.

If I am spending time working specific areas, I use a sink tip line and get it down on the bottom. Lift it, drop it, and drag it just like you would a finesse jig.

You definitely want at least a 6 weight for this as it does not cast well, but the payoff is rewarding. I usually attach a weightless streamer like deceiver and retrieve it with long, pausing strips.

I tend to lift the rod tip and let it fall, working the rod just like I do my flipping stick with a bass jig. You will donate a few flies to the bottom, but it will reward you in a big way. This has saved numerous trips for me and hooked, not landed unfortunately, the largest bass I have ever hooked on the fly rod.

This is as close to a spinnerbait as you can get with a fly rod. I used this setup during a tournament this spring to win the fly division and finished 22nd amongst a field of 44 casting anglers.

Cold snap? Drift or drag a craw.

Crawdad flies make up a huge part of

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If you are moving along with current, throw a jumbo strike indicator on your leader and drift it just like you were nymphing for trout.

When there is a significant current, I simply let the craw drift and focus on line management, but if the current isn’t too strong I will impart some action. Give the line an occasional tug and let it sit. Watch for any slight bob or hesitation of the strike indicator as they rarely jerk it under with authority. Set the hook if you detect any movement from your indicator.

High wind? Strip a streamer. High wind is the bane of a fly fisherman’s existence. It collapses your loops, makes distance casting near impossible and causes weighted flies to bounce off your kayak hull and your skull.

Even if you get your fly delivered to the target area, most presentations are hindered because of waves, wind, or drift of your boat.

Ripping a streamer seems to be the only presentation I have found to jive with a stiff wind. If floating line is spooled up on your reel, then choose a weighted streamer like the tried and true clouser deep minnow. Sink tip line opens up the ability to use almost any weightless streamer. I use a very brisk stripping method with slight pauses intermixed.

Essentially, I fish it like I do a soft jerkbait using a jerk-jerk-paused cadence. Focus on windblown banks where baitfish schools get pushed up against hard cover. This is the classic “the wind is your friend” mentality that spinner bait and crankbait casters love.

Forcing my away through tough fly fishing conditions has helped me become a better overall fly angler. The skills and

patience necessary to get bites in less than ideal situations have transferred over to my everyday approach and seem to get me better bites all around.

If you don’t know how to mend line in current, look up a YouTube video because it is essential for drifting either the popping bug or the craw under a float. Finally, an old adage in fishing is to “Slow down.

When you think you are going slow, slow down some more.” I find that the slower I can work my fly, the larger fish I seem to catch. Try it yourself and see if your catches improve like mine have. 2

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