Wind.......BLOWS

  I've seen many list out there telling folks the differences between fishing from a bass boat and kayak such as range and space for equipment.  One of the major obstacles that is absent from most of these list, in my opinion, is the wind factor.  Wind plays a major role in boat positioning and casting accuracy for both bass boats and kayakers but the struggle to overcome the effects of wind are handled very differently between the two.
  Wind in and of itself is not a bad thing.  Having some wind can assist in giving anglers areas to key in on such as points that it is blowing onto or across and banks or cover that it pushes baitfish into.  Wind also helps to cause disturbance on the surface breaking up the silhouette of lures and making fish more apt to strike, especially in clearer water.  For the kayak angler though it can also cause a frustrating and fruitless day on the water, if you even decide to go.
  Boat guys always talk about how hard it was to keep their boats in position when the wind hits 10+ mph, and that they had to stay on the trolling motor all day just to be able to fish.  Well when YOU are the trolling motor let me tell you a day on the water in even 5mph wind can cause a stream of profanity that would make a sailor blush.  Power boats do not really have to take into account the areas they want to target on mildly windy days, where as if a kayaker wants to be successful and have a semi-enjoyable day they will need to research and plan specific areas to fish that afford the most protection from a gail.
  So how do you fight nature and at least come to a draw? Well thats where planning and preparations come into play.  I look on various weather sites to determine that days prevailing wind patterns.  Once I know where the wind is coming from I start to narrow down my list of lakes that I can fish with the specific amount of wind.  I know from past experience that certain lakes are off limits if the wind is above 5 or 6mph because they do not have any good sheltering coves, and I imagine everyone  has similar experiences.  After my list is narrowed down to fishable lakes I start looking for the aforementioned sheltering coves.  Sometimes you have to paddle into the wind for a good distance from the nearest launch point to reach a leeward area but that initial effort will pay off.  Even after you find your self a nice spot out of the wind there will still be times when the it will swirl and change directions, but in the end it is still better than dealing with it full on.
  There is a strategy to fishing with the wind once you get to an area as well.  Sometimes you may have to paddle past the prime fishing spots because wind is coming from the back of a cove.  The key is to let the wind be your trolling motor, gently cruising you along while you fish.  You will need to keep you paddle at the ready for corrections in course and to keep your boat in a castable position but it sure beats fighting against it all day.
  Casting and casting accurately is also hampered by by strong winds.  One thing I have learned to do when fishing jigs and soft plastics is to cast down wind and float to the position I want to achieve to start my retrieve.  This affords me the ability to work my bait slowly without the wind basically trolling it at speed behind me.  Casting down wind also helps to mitigate accuracy issues that hamper fishing efficiency.  Lure selection and weight are critical to keeping your bait at the correct depth as well as fighting the effects of cross winds causing errant casts.  The rule of thumb is to size up your weights as much as double or triple depending on wind strength and depth you are targeting, so don't be afraid to throw a 3/4 ounce or heavier sinker on a texas rigged worm if the winds are howling at 15mph but you are only fishing 5 feet deep.
  Now I know that there are kayaks out there like the Hobies, Native Propel, and Predator XL that allow you to more easily maintain position in windblown areas while having your hands free to fish.  There are also various systems of anchoring yourself in one spot like a Power Pole Micro, stakeout poles, anchor trolleys, etc.  Not everyone has the means to own a pedal or motorized kayak, and the various anchor systems, at least to me, can be just as frustrating to deal with as the wind.  In the mountainous areas I fish the wind tends to swirl and will leave you spinning around like a weather vane if you drop anchor, or Power Pole for that matter.  Nothing is quite as annoying as getting set up thinking you are in the perfect position with your anchor out and the wind changes directions and leaves you with your back to the honey hole, then you trolley your anchor and you guessed it the wind changes again.
Do not let wind keep you off the water this year. It is just another variable that we have to learn how to deal with and often coincides with some of the best times of the year to catch a lunker.  This year has been one for the record books here in Virginia, and the frustration that it has caused will not be forgotten but we live and we learn.  Tight lines and fish on.

Confessions of a tackle addict

  I have an addiction.  The first step on the road to recovery they say, is to admit you have a problem.  I know I am not alone in the quagmire of fishing gear addicts nor do I have all the answers as to how one breaks free of the bonds of such a depraved obsession.  My one hope is that we as a group can learn to control our urges and binge less frequently upon the myriad gadgets and gear that fill our dreams and credit card statements.

  It was not long ago that I would aimlessly walk the aisles of the various local sporting goods stores just to pick up an eye-catching lure or bag of soft plastics without thinking.  Sometimes I would run out and buy something that I had read was a "must have for X."  I never thought twice about the fact that there was no body of water within 100 miles that "X" would come into play, but I had just the rig if it ever did.  Too many times did my hard earned money go towards the purchase of a lure or rig that had no use in the types of fishing or places I fished. I just liked buying new equipment, period.  Fast forward a few years and god knows how much money later and I am drowning in a plethora of baits that have never seen the water or even been on the water in my kayak.    

  I started to recognize the foolishness in my errant purchase history as room for my "investments" started to dwindle.  I set out to honestly self analyze my fishing style based on what I had confidence in and where I predominantly plied my efforts afloat.  With this information and the realization that I truthfully only needed a dozen or so baits to be effective I decided the judicious thing to do would be only purchase things within my comfort zone.   True addiction is hard to overcome though, and soon I had amassed yet another monstrous collection of "confidence baits."  

  The true irony in my situation is that though I possess a cache of lures rivaling Bass Pro, I am somewhat a minimalist when the time arrives to load up and go fishing.  I have a rod for every type of technique imaginable, but I only take 4 or 5 with me sometimes less.  Hundreds of bags of soft plastics are stuffed into cabinets yet only a hand full ever make it into my crate.  If Plano stock was given for buying tackle trays I would sit on the board of directors even though I can count on one hand how many times more than 3 see the light of day.  If you take an honest look at yourself I think many of you will see a similar situation.

  So how do we break free from the shackles of tackle manufacturers advertisements, pros rhetoric, and the promise of unworldly fish catching abilities?  I am still fighting my own demons with this issue, but I know it starts by taking an honest look at how you fish, where you fish, what you fish for, and understanding that it is not necessary to prepare for situations that will never arise.  If you live in Minnesota it does not make sense to stockpile baits that some guy fishing in Florida or Texas says you can't live without.  Just because you read about how a 6'9" medium action rod with a fast tip is the only way to go for drop-shotting doesn't mean you can't use the 6'6" or 7' rod you already have on hand.  Lets all seek deliverance from the irrational tackle fetish that grips our hearts and wallets.  We must be rational.  We must overcome....Now I'm off to pick up a few more crankbaits....and maybe a new rod.

Tight lines,

Damian

Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier Reel Review

Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier 

   After just over a season of hard use I felt it was time to give my thoughts on the ubiquitous Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier baitcaster.  I had never owned any BPS brand reels until I saw this one on sale during their "Spring Fishing Classic" sale and being a sucker for a deal I figured it was worth a chance.
   I, like so many, do not have an unlimited budget and any time I can find a piece of equipment that has  quality far superior to its cost I'm ecstatic.  The Pro Qualifier fits this description to a tee and then some.  I use these reels for the highest resistance toughest applications in my arsenal, Alabama rigs and deep cranking, and have yet to experience the first issue. From pulling in striper to dredging the depths with a 6XD this reel takes on all challenges day in and day out without complaint.
   Not only is the Pro Qualifier tough but it is exceptionally smooth with features one would expect from higher cost reels.  Bass Pro Shops "Dual Braking System" incorporates internal centrifugal brakes with an externally adjustable magnetic cast control that keeps my backlash problems in check.  With the DBS you can whip lightweight baits like balsa crankbaits and weightless plastics even if you don't have KVD like thumb control.  I feel as though the reels I own with either magnetic or centrifugal brakes alone I have to be much more conscious of my casts but the Pro Qualifier allows me to focus more on fishing and less on backlash issues.

The external magnetic brake and internal centrifugal pins of the Dual Braking System

   Being a kayak angler means I am hard on my equipment.  Reels sit in the bottom of my kayak getting dirty and drenched and the Pro Qualifier doesn't get any special treatment from me.  Rough use means I have to maintain my reels frequently and BPS makes it easy by adding an access port to ensure lubing the gears is hassle free.  A little reel grease and oil goes a long way to guaranteeing you don't have a failure on the water but taking a reel completely apart is a daunting task for most that has been alleviated with a little forethought on the part of BPS and to the relief of many anglers.

   As great as the Pro Qualifier is there are a few small improvements that could be made to improve upon the design.  The cast control knob does not have a positive click feature and can be inadvertently loosened with little effort which can lead to a birds nest on the next cast and lots of cussing.  The other main issue I have is that the material used for the grips don't provide much purchase once they get wet.  After catching a fish or two getting the grips wet and slimy my fingers tend to slip off these greasy plastic paddles.  The easy solution is add some after market EVA or silicone grip covers but it would be just as easy for BPS to change out the paddles with EVA or equivalent material that holds up better once wet.  The last issue I have isn't so much a functional concern as it is an aesthetic one.  The silver finish is pretty tough but after a season getting banged around and left in the elements it is showing some serious wear.  The side plate as well as the top edges have little original finish left, again not a big problem to me but in full disclosure I wanted to mention it.
   If you are in the market for a tough, affordable, smooth reel I would recommend checking out the Pro Qualifier.  With speeds from blazing 7.1:1 to crawling 4.7:1 you can find a reel for any application.  If you really want a deal and have a little patience Bass Pro seems to put these reels on sale at various times throughout the year so give one a try.

Smith Mountain Lake report November and December

  Though I have not been able to fish as much as I would like the last few months, as life has a way of getting in the way, the fish have been cooperative when I do get out.  Weather patterns have been abnormal this year with temperatures into the 70s as late as the end of December and that has made patterning the fish difficult.  As of December 31 I have seen water temperatures into the middle 50s though the recent cold front the last week has most likely turned the water icy cold.

  I have had success with black or green pumpkin soft plastic worms in the 7 to 10 inch lengths fished around cover.  Fish have been from 3 feet to 15ft deep depending on the day but on average they have been much more shallow recently than typical for this time of year.  I would not count on them being shallow as the water cools and the weather becomes more seasonable in the coming weeks.   

  As the water clears from recent rains I am going to concentrate on mastering my jerk bait presentation as this should be a killer tactic on sluggish post frontal bass.  Drop-shot and jig-n-pig will also pick up fish with consistency for the next few months but as we all know the key will be fishing SLOW....like so slow your future grandchildren will make the next cast slow.  

  Striper action on the lake is hot with live shad on planers, downlines and floats being the most consistent.  Alabama rigs and trolled minnow hard baits like Rapala Shadraps will take some fish as will casting to breaking fish with buck tails or flukes.  The hot bite on striper will be if you find active gulls and can get on them quick with swimsuits, buck tails, flukes, or flutter spoons.  Tight lines and good luck!

Balancing life and fishing

  It is inevitable that if we vow to spend more time doing something we enjoy the cosmos will take affront and do whatever is necessary to make sure we can not succeed.  For months I had set it upon myself to spend every waking moment of the waning year on my kayak chasing finned quarry.  My job over the past year had been tied to warm weather which meant that I would be free from other obligations during the fall and winter freeing me up to take advantage of some of the best fishing of the year....or so I thought.

  With visions of lunker bass and hard charging striper on the end of my line day after day, I worked hard through spring and summer.  The first signs of leaves turning vermillion and gold had my mind racing toward the time when work would end and my life would revolve entirely around fishing.  In preparation for the months ahead with  little income I decided I would try to land a part-time job to sustain me but that would also give me ample time to pursue my passion.  Unbeknownst to me the universe had other plans.  Instead of one employer and a few hours a week, I was hired by two separate companies and found myself working more than ever and fishing a lot less.

  I am telling this story to emphasize the challenges we all face when it comes to balancing the hobbies we love, or even obsess over, and living a responsible life.  I made a deliberate decision to take on a new career that provides financial stability as well as a part-time job at a place I love to spend time knowing it would be detrimental to the time I had hoped to spend wetting a line.  The key to my decision was keeping in mind my long term goals and not allowing my shortsighted desire to blind me to what I ultimately want to achieve which is FISHING MORE.  

  If you always keep your goals at the forefront then balancing your hobby and your day to day life will be much more enjoyable and productive.  Do not let the impulsiveness of today ruin the greatness of tomorrow, and as a side note I now have tons more time to fish so it is all working out in the end thanks to the infinite wisdom of the divine plan.

  

Smith Mountain Lake 10/17-10/24 report and SBRKA tournament recap

Misty Smith Mountain lake morning

   I've been lucky enough to be able to put a lot of time in on Smith Mountain Lake in the last week and the only thing I know for certain is how uncertain I am in what the bass are eating.  I've fished mornings and I've fished afternoons and heck even mid-day but with swings in the weather and bait moving constantly I can't say how best to produce fish consistently.  The only disadvantage to kayak fishing I have found is that on large reservoirs like Smith Mountain it is hard to cover enough water to stay on the fish.
   With the migration of shad in the lake to the warmer shallows of coves and creeks this is typically the time of year that shallow crank baits, spinner baits, and flukes shine, but so far that hasn't panned out for me.  I have caught some on pearl flukes, and a few on crank baits but only small fish below 14 inches and never consistently.  I believe that back to back cold fronts have turned the fish off so here is to hoping for a week or more of consistent weather. I have found that what fish I can coax into taking my bait have all come from wood structure, specifically blowdowns, and more specifically blowdowns near deeper water on sunny banks and points.
   I fished hard all week trying to prepare for the last Southern Blue Ridge Kayak Anglers tournament of the year, but my confidence was faltering since I couldn't find a solid pattern.  I went into my final day of prefishing with the idea that I was going to try a few things outside my comfort zone and outside of the usual patterns for the lake this time of year.  I spent the Friday before the tournament targeting extremely shallow flats and points with a couple different models and colors of square bill cranks to no avail.  I switch plans to dragging a jig around brush in 20ft of water and again nothing.  Finally with an hour left to prefish on the final day I tied on a Texas rigged worm and started working blowdowns all the way from 1ft of water out to 15ft.

Smith Mountain Lake sunrise earlier in the week

   I will confess I'm not a big Texas rigged worm guy.  In all honesty I have 2 pack of 6 inch Zoom U-tales and that makes up the entirety of my collections, amongst the hundreds of packs of other soft plastic baits I own.  There is something to be said about going outside your comfort zone when all else fails because it wasn't 5 minutes after I tied on that green pumpkin with red flake worm and I was hooked up with the best fish I'd caught all week.  That 15 incher wasn't huge but she flipped the light switch on in my mind and I knew I was on to something.  I checked my depth finder and saw I was sitting in about 18ft of water with a steep bank dropping from the shore, and that fish hit about half way down the tree I was fishing, 10ft deep about.  Bingo!

The fish that keyed me in while pre fishing

   I took that knowledge and worked over every single snag, blowdown, brush, or tree I could find that  was situated on a steep bank in at least 15ft of water.  In that last hour of the last day before out tournament I caught more fish than the entire week prior, and lost even more.  I was on it and my confidence had been regained.  I left that day thinking "I may not have the winning pattern but at least I have a pattern," and all I could hope for the next day was that the weather would hold and the cold front they were calling for wouldn't hit until later in the day. My hopes for the weather didn't pan out unfortunately as I found out the following morning.
   I woke up early on the morning of the tournament to a pleasantly warm breeze blowing and high hopes for the day, but by 8 A.M. my hopes were dashed as cloud cover thickened and cold winds started blowing.  Out on the lake I wasn't having much success with only a few nibbles by what I can only imagine were sunfish, but I had decided to live or die by my worm bite so I kept plugging along.  I was pulling that worm through trees out to about 10ft of water and working each tree thoroughly without so much as a sniff!  By about 11 A.M. I was starting to lose heart and again trying a few new things when out of sheer luck I had tossed over in a tree and the wind started blowing me out to deeper water so as I fought it my little Zoom worm fluttered down to about 16ft of water.  When I regained my position and picked up my rod I noticed my line was moving off against the wind, FISH ON!
   With that little piece of luck the puzzle started to come together, and never in my life has a 10 inch fish been such a joy to catch.  I found what I assume was a small shift in depth the fish were holding in due to the cold front.  They had moved from the 8-10ft contour out to 15-20ft just off the end of the blowdowns I had been fishing.  After a little searching I found the right structure and depth in various coves and main lake points with almost every tree producing at least 1 fish.  Again the size I was catching was not mind blowing, 9-10 inches mostly, which was disappointing, but after talking to a few other folks nearby I found out that catching any at all was a blessing so I stuck with it.  I learned the hard way though that fishing in the thick stuff has its drawbacks as I hooked 2 solid fish that I lost to submerged limbs, and by the last couple hours my supply of terminal tackle was sorely depleted.
   I only had an hour left to fish before needing to leave and head to work (yes I couldn't even go to the weigh in, but I had okayed it with the tournament director to send my card with a fellow angler) when I pulled into a cove loaded with bait.  The shad were so thick in the back of this cove that my sonar screen was full from the surface to the bottom in 18ft of water.  I started tossing up to cover and dragging my worm all the way out and quickly hooked another dink.  I slowly made my way toward the last blowdown on the bank and chucked my bait out still hoping for a last minute miracle fish that might put me over the top.  As my bait slid out of the last branch of the tree and slowly sank to the depths I felt the subtle tap-tap that I had felt so many times before and that usually heralded a 10 inch fish.  I waited for a moment until I felt the weight and laid into the fish with little expectation it would help improve my stringer when my rod loaded up.  I knew right away this was a better fish, at least better than what I had gotten all day, and jubilation set in.  After a short fight and some choice words I hauled in what would be the big fish of the tournament at 15.75 inches. I have never been so happy to haul in a 15 inch bass in my life!

Never before or probably after will a 15" fish make me so happy

   That last minute fish was enough, as I found out later, to secure a victory.  This was the most hard fought tournament win in my life.  I struck upon the right combination of what to throw and where to throw it with a little luck and a lot of determination.  It was an honor to compete against a great group of anglers on my home water and a great source of pride to be able put together the winning formula in such tough conditions.

Tight Lines,

Damian



 

Never stop learning

   I've always said that the day I stop learning is the day I'll stop fishing.  Fish always have a way of teaching you a little humility just when you think you have them figured out and at the most inopportune time.  This is a lesson I learned on the New River this weekend along with a few other tidbits that will help me in the future.
     I woke up Saturday morning to pouring rain and a cold front moving through so I knew it would be a tough day on the river.  The water was running higher than normal with about 1 foot of visibility and the section that I decided to fish was less familiar looking once daylight set in than I had hoped.  My game plan was to throw big spinnerbaits, jigs, and tubes to the edge of eddies formed below a river wide ledge.  Well this plan failed for me.  Why it failed only the fish and god know, but it failed miserably.  It could be that I lost my patience and moved around trying different spots too quickly.  It could have been my reluctance to tie on a different color or different bait more quickly due to stubbornness.  I can say that the section of river I fished was not the issue since the person that won this particular tournament was within 500 yards of me all day.
   So what did I learn after sitting in my kayak for 8 hours in the cold and pouring rain with only 2 tiny smallmouth to show for it?  I learned that being wet and cold sucks, especially if you aren't catching fish, and I figured out what the fish didn't want to eat.  After the tournament though, when I finally got to dry out and warm up, I did get a few helpful bits of info while sitting around and chatting.  It seems that my original plan had some merit in that the smallies were choking a spinnerbait pretty consistently and jigs were also on the menu.  What I didn't foresee was that my color of choice and the spots I targeted were completely off base.  In my aforesaid stubbornness I had assumed that even though the water was still a bit higher than normal with falling water levels the fish would be well off the banks and that was wrong.  My choice of color was white and chartreuse, and that color did produce for some folks but darker more natural colors seemed to be ticket on this overcast day.  I also assumed that with the cold front moving in and water temperature in the upper 50s presentations needed to be slowed down, this also led me to believe crankbaits would be off the menu but again I was mistaken.  At the conclusion of my lesson I felt that I had a better grasp of how to approach the river if ever I have to deal with similar conditions in the future, and learning from my mistakes will definitely stick with me.
   The competitor in me hates that I couldn't put it together and have a stronger showing but the lessons I learned are more important in the grand scheme of life and fishing than winning any single event.  Every day on the water I hope to learn 1 new thing and after this weekend I think I filled my quota for the next year.

The New River