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REEL STORIES
Kayak Fishing in the Albemarle
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Here in the Albemarle region we are surrounded by water with our rivers, creeks, ponds and the sound. We have more access to fishing than just about any other area in the state.
In our rivers we can catch largemouth bass on one cast, then catch a puppy drum on the next. It makes for a great place to fish but a lot of us have no way to fish but from the bank until now.
Kayak fishing has exploded over the past few years and with a kayak you can fish almost any body of water we have to choose from.
With today’s technology and anglers like myself and others pushing for new ideas, we have brought the industry up to what is needed for anglers with rod holders, anchors, electronics and new
gadgets being invented every day.
Kayak anglers are known to share information on where and when the fish are biting and what they are hitting on. If you don’t want to bass fish there is always crappie, perch and even fishing from the beach for drum and blues. Kayak fishing has some very distinct advantages over owning a boat besides the overhead. You can sneak into shallow water and fish where nobody has, before including some of the creeks we have which are blocked off by low water bridges.
Stealth is also key with a kayak because it makes very little noise and has almost no water line for the fish to see. I have gone into ponds and literally caught fish right under my boat in less that three feet of crystal clear water.
I have also been in the Chesapeake
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Bay and had the striper pin the menhaden under my kayak with the fish busting all around the boat.
It is a totally different way to fish and you don’t know how much fun it can be until you try.
When you fish from a kayak you are closer to nature with a quiet approach that will bring out the wildlife on the banks and in the water. It is nothing to have deer come to the banks to drink
and not even know you are there. All the while the fish are following the bait right up to the kayak and hitting the bait right at the end of the line.
With the right preparation you can go offshore or in the sound and fish for stripers, blues and Spanish mackerel all in your kayak. I have caught a striper over 30 pounds in the Chesapeake Bay on light line and bass tackle. It dragged me up current almost three miles until I finally turned her and got her in the boat.
There are a few things to consider before buying your first kayak. There is a sit on top (SOT) kayak which is open on top. This type of kayak is what you use in big water because the water will break over the bow and go out the scupper holes in the bottom.
The other type is the standard or sit in (SI) kayak. This type has a hole in the middle that you climb in and sit on the bottom. You can use this in ponds, creeks and other calm water, but if you take a wave over the bow, it will sit in your kayak till you tip it over and drain the water out.
Next, you want to look at accessories which could be rod holders, depth finders, dry bags and tackle storage systems.
There are a million different gadgets you can put on your kayak to make it yours, and if you wait another day it will be a million and one.
There are also different drive systems for kayaks, which means some you have to paddle while others have pedal drive systems which push the boat from the bottom.
Others have electric trolling motors attached to them while some have jet drives.
These are all things you have to consider before purchasing your first kayak, but rest assured once you get started kayak fishing, you will be hooked just like me.
Mike Sweeney is a regular columnist for The Daily Advance in Elizabeth City and a new contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.
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