Hello Darkness My Old Friend......

......I've come to chase you once again!

That's right, another Friday off from work and off I went looking to up my personal best snakehead!

Today's tools for the trip were simple:

Kayak: 2019 Hobie Outback
Stakeout: Power-Pole Micro Shallow Water Anchor
Electronics: Lowrance Elite 7 TI2
Accessories: YakAttack Omega Rod Holders and Lowrance FF Mount
Rods: Bull Bay Rods Tactical Assault and Custom Flipping rods, and an Orvis 8wt Clearwater

Non-sponsored equipment I was using:

Reels: Abu Garcia Revo Inshore GEN2 & GEN3 baitcasters, Orvis Clearwater Large Arbor IV
Lures: Stanley Ribbit, SPRO Popping Frog, Rebel Pop-R and a Cohen's Manbearpig
Lines: Sunline FX2 Frog Braid, and PLINE 20lb Flouroclear
Other Items: ANGLR Bullseye, EGO Slider Landing Net and Fish Grips

I went back to the same spot as last time but explored other areas.  I found my first taker oddly enough on a Rebel Pop-R.  I was working an area and drifting with the wind when I heard a huge flush behind me.  I tried the frog but no luck as the wind had picked up and made the surface a little choppy.  So I switched over to the Pop-R which I had tied on to try and entice bass that were in the area.  I worked the Pop-R back with vigor making a ruckus that would surely irritate a snakehead I hoped.  As the bait approached, I saw the ominous shadow approaching, so I paused my retrieve then gave it one more twitch and that was the ticket.  She inhaled it and immediately started fighting to unhook both sets of trebles buried in her jaw, but to no avail.  First one on the board and it was a nice 25" fatty.

Not a personal best but a decent start after fishing for over two hours and only one half-hearted swipe at my Ribbit and a lazy follow from a short one on the fly.  I kept working the area until the winds picked up in earnest to the tune of 10mph which is normally not bad but in a narrow creek, it creates a wind tunnel effect.

I drifted along and found another shortie that fell prey to a SPRO Popping Frog and measuring in at 18" but the coloring on this one was amazing.

I kept the wind at my back and kept drifting and casting.  I finally found myself in water that was too shallow to proceed, so I made my way slowly back working every little pocket and was rewarded with two more quality snakeheads - another 24-25" chunk

 and my new personal best measuring in at a whopping 31"+.  I say plus because my measuring board tops out at 30" and this was over an inch past that mark.

The rest of the day was a bust, because the winds started blowing stronger making casting windows less than optimal, so I packed it in and headed back to the launch.

All in all a good day - landed 4 and had two other opportunities that fell short.  If you haven't tried chasing snakeheads, you should.  I know I'll be back at it again and soon.

Until next time, tight lines and stay safe out there!

2019 YakAttack Tournament Wrap Up

Every year since 2012, I have participated in the YakAttack annual kayak charity fishing tournament to benefit Heroes On the Water and Project Healing Waters.  The format for the tournament is a catch, photo and release tournament with five divisions - bass, crappie, sunfish, slam and big bass.  For each of the species divisions, your best two fish combined length is your entry.  For the slam, you need to have at least one fish in each of the three species for a combined total length.  Finally, the big bass is simply that - the biggest single bass is your entry with the one limitation of a person can only win one of the five divisions.  Each year kayak anglers from literally around the US flock towards this event to fish the likes of famous bodies of water like Briery Creek Lake and Sandy River Reservoir.

This year my plan was to fish quieter waters with less water traffic and revisit a lake I hadn't fished in over 5 years - Bear Creek Lake.  I also was interested to check out some new toys - my newly installed Lowrance Elite 7 TI2 paired with my new Nocqua YakAttack power supply, as well as my new Lithium Ion Power-Pole battery, as well as the new ANGLR Bullseye Fishing Tracker.  You could say that it had all the makings of a potential disaster, but I am happy to report that all of them worked amazingly.

With a full moon phase in effect, I had a feeling the bite was going to be tough once the morning pressed along.  I also learned that the bass were also still spawning, which for me personally, is one of my biggest weak points - I am not a bed fisherman.  I don't have the patience to sit there and stare at a fish for potentially hours on end trying to entice one bite.  I'd rather explore an area and see if I can figure out the puzzle.  With my new toys, this approach is much easier now with respect to acquiring information - now I just need to learn how to piece it all together to get better.

As for my setup on the day, it was as follows:

Kayak - 2019 Hobie Outback
Rods - Bull Bay Rods, 5wt Fly Rod and a couple Ugly Stik ultralights.
Lures - Powerteam Lures Sick Stick and Finicky Tickler (Kitchen Sink color), Squarebill, Whopper Plopper, Stump Jumper Road Runners and a black ant
Accessories - Power-Pole Micro, YakAttack Omega Rod Holders and Lowrance FF mount
Sunglasses - Hobie Polarized Mantas

I started the day off with a flurry - 3 bass in the first hour but nothing any larger than 11.5".  I missed several larger fish, too. And then the bass were not being cooperative, so I switched over to the ultralight and started slinging a little white grub in the hunt for crappie and landed one at 8.5" shortly thereafter.  I couldn't find another in the brush piles, so I switched over to the fly rod and literally slayed the bluegills and redears on every cast for the rest of the day the biggest checking in a 8.25".  I was so immersed in how many fish I was catching off of the bluegill beds that I forgot to keep pressing the ANGLR Bullseye for about an hour.  Every bluegill landed was over 6.5" with most  checking the box at or just shy of 8" - not enough to improve my total length to turn in.

At the end of the day, as I was loading up I ended my trip on the ANGLR app on my phone and let the data synchronize.  Of the catches I remembered to actually record totaled 78 catches, but like I said, I was still catching the bluegills and redears off of this one massive bed in the back of a creek and forgot all about the Bullseye. I was still catching so many gills that I literally was slinging my little fly without even hauling or stripping the line and catching a fish every cast, unhooking and casting again immediately with sometimes up to 3-4 fish per minute.

While the day in total was a success with literally over 100 fish caught, it lacked in quality which is what is needed to win any of the divisions.  Here are a few highlights from the day:

Looking back on the day and reflecting on what could have been, I think my biggest mistake was not being flexible in my approach.  I had in my mind a plan for how to target the bass, but once I arrived at the water, I failed to adjust my plan and modify my approach.  Hindsight as they say is 20/20.

Once I was loaded up, I headed back to the weigh-in to turn in my scorecard with fish in each category and enough to turn in a micro slam, bass division and panfish division ultimately not large enough to place but still fun.  Once the awards had been announced and supper was all done, the stage was cleared and the raffles began.

I normally don't worry about the raffles too much, because there is very little that I need at this point, but I did see a few items of interest this year - including a fly rod set from Orvis, a couple Nocqua battery pack kits, a couple PFDs and the new Hobie Livewell v2.  When the ticket numbers began being called out - my prizes of interest quickly started to disappear.  Then one of my numbers was called, and I noticed the fly rod setup was still available, so I quickly made my way forward and gladly selected that setup for my prize.

The setup was comprised of:

• Rod - Orvis Clearwater rod - 9' 8wt
• Reel - Orvis Clearwater Large Arbor IV reel
• Line - Orvis backing and floating line and tippet
• Other - Orvis Tacky Fly Big Bug Box filled with flies

I also heard my numbers called two other times and selected a set of YakAttack Kayak Straps and a YakAttack shirt giving the straps to a friend who needed them and giving the shirt to my son.

All in all I can't complain because the fishing, the raffle and the food are just added bonuses for me.  I look forward to just sitting down and shooting the breeze with fellow kayak anglers many of whom I am friends with and don't get the chance to share the water with.



I'm already looking forward to next year's event and the chance to share some stories and reminisce once again.  Until the next time I'm on the water, tight lines and stay safe!!

Warming Trends

Weather temperatures have you confused? Annually here in Central Virginia, it seems like each February there is a temperature spike with a 4-5 day warming trend that really gets the fishing juices flowing.  I was fortunate enough to spend two days chasing a bite at a local pond.  While the air temperatures were in the low 60's, the water temperatures were still in the mid-40's.  As the picture above clearly depicts, I was not venturing out without proper cold water layers - thank you #Kokatat!

The bite was fairly slow, but I managed to convince a variety of species into the kayak using some trusty PTL JP Hammershads on the end of the line.  The winning ticket on both days was a slow retrieve over submerged wood with the bait smacking into it and then a subtle pause/drop afterwards.  Since there were no storms of late, the shallower areas had crystal clear water and required a greater level of stealth.

The new Hobie MD180 Mirage Drive (which I borroed from my 2017 Hobie Revolution 13) was crucial in these moments as I was able to reverse my motion with one simple pull of the cable.  I could then make a longer cast to the target area and work it over slowly and methodically.  While I didn't have tremendous success, I did complete the two trips with 4 Largemouth Bass, 2 Fliers, 1 Bluegill and a massive Chain Pickeral that was well over 22" and fat but snapped the lightweight leader too easily when he choked the Hammershad and made a snap turn.

Gear summary:
Kayak: 2015 Hobie Outback
Rods: Bull Bay Rods Stealth & Tactical custom medium spinning rods
Reels: Shimano Stradic FJ3000
Line: PowerPro Braid Hi-Vis Yellow and P-Line Flouroclear leader
Lure: Powerteam Lures 3.6" JP Hammershad on a 1/16oz Jacked Whacker jighead
Photomount: YakAttack GearTrac GT-175 (4") and the Dogbone Camera Mount

A great weekend nonetheless! It felt amazing to be back on the water again.  Bigger fish are on the way - I promise!

I'm already looking forward to my next outing!

Stay safe and get on 'em!

#paddleva #becausewefish #yakattack #hobiefishing #bullbayrods

Therapy

After a long week sitting at a desk and staring at work-related files and notes, time with my family is always special, but nothing gives me greater relief and peace of mind than some time on the water.  This summer was a little different than in the past, since I had to alter my work schedule to accommodate my son's summer camps resulting in losing my Fridays off.  Combine that with family obligations and other scheduled events on the weekends, and you can easily see how limited time on the water can be.

So this past Friday when my work schedule returned to its normal bi-weekly Friday off routine, you can imagine the sense of relief and anticipation I was feeling as I pulled up to one of my favorite local fishing holes.  While most people are tied to their work schedules and hectic pace of life, I was able to escape for about six hours.   As I unloaded my Hobie Quest 13 and loaded up the few items I brought along, I noticed a VDOT worker watching me with curiosity.  Once I pulled out my three rod arsenal from Bull Bay Rods, you could see a noticeable smile come across his face as he realized what I was getting ready to do.

As I began to drag my setup to the water's edge, I overheard him say, "Man that looks like fun.....".  I paused, turned around and smiled from ear to ear as I replied, "There's nothing better!"  He stood and watched in what I can only assume was a pang of jealousy as I paddled to my own little corner of the pond in search of my much needed Zen for the next six hours.

Today's target area was a choke point where the main channel meets up with a lily pad field.  It always holds fish, but it can be a slow day if they are not in a feeding mood.  The challenge with this spot is that you can visibly see the fish moving as pads are shifted to and fro from their movements, but you can't always cast to them because the pads are thick and above the water line. You're frequently startled as the silence and solitude is interrupted with an audible explosion of water as a predator chases its prey.  Casting into this menagerie and chasing these "sounds" is often followed by frustration as your line becomes wedged into that crease each lily pad leaf possesses.  Patience and "open" casting lanes are the key if you're efforts are to be rewarded.

On this day, my approach was simple - work the outer edge of the channel with a moving presentation, then follow up with a reaction presentation.  My rods were rigged with the following:

• a vibrating jig tipped with a Powerteam Lures Grub 
• a Capt. Ken Daubert #4 Brown Spotted Bull Clone Frog 
• a weedless Powerteam Lures 4.8" JP Hammershad

The three Bull Bay Rods used were:

• a custom casting rod (MH/XF) paired with a Gen 3 Abu Garcia Revo Inshore reel
• the new AR-20 series casting rod (MH/MOD) paired with a Gen 2 Revo Inshore reel
• a Black Ops Inshore spinning rod paired with a Shimano Stradic FJ3000 reel

After a few minutes of watching and listening, I was rewarded with a flurry of activity where the creek channel shallows noticeably.  As I positioned myself and prepared to make the first cast, I told myself that the first fish would likely be a pickerel just based on the style of feeding activity I was seeing and hearing.  Sure enough, ole' toothy showed up almost on cue......

After a few more minutes of chasing these slimy predators, I opted to move back out to the creek mouth and channel swing.  I started working the pad edges in earnest with the vibrating jig and Clone Frog and was rewarded with a nice bass with beautiful dark green hues.

When I wanted to change things up, I worked the weedless Hammershad through the same areas and was rewarded several times over the course of the day.  Some of the bass came in the heart of the pads, some in the open casting lanes in the pads, and some on the edge of the pad line.  While the Clone Frog produces for me regularly, the clear winning pattern on the day was high sticking the Hammershad through the pads.

As the day wore on and the air temperatures reached it's zenith, it was my signal to wrap up this outing.  I paddled my way back to the launch but made a couple stops along the way at past spots that usually hold a fish or two.  Using the same one-two punch of the Clone-Hammer technique, I was rewarded with one last fish at my last stop.  This one was laying in wait in a hole among the pads over my shoulder in the image below.

It was a nice way to finish off the day.  Final tally for the day was fifteen fish - three chain pickerel and twelve bass - the largest being a 20" chain pickerel and a 17.5" largemouth bass.  A wonderful day of peace and tranquility as the hustle and bustle of daily life passed by.  When you find yourself needing to unwind, the magic of the water is truly amazing.  As I loaded up my gear and secured my kayak, I took time to give thanks for a work schedule that allows me time to pursue my passion for kayak fishing while minimizing the impact on my family time.

Even if the fish don't always cooperate, for me this time is always sacred as it serves as my own therapy session.......

Tight lines!

Friday Fireworks

I'll let the pictures do the majority of the talking save for these two thoughts.....

First, trying to cast a fly rod in the wind is frustrating!

Second, trying to cast a fly and retrieve it through lily pads is almost as frustrating!

The first pic is for size reference, since I was bank fishing due to pending storms. I think I'm getting the hang of this fly casting to some extent though.