Kayak Fishing Post

Fishing For Paddlers: Two Markets Vie For Kayak Anglers

Kayak fishing is striking a nerve deep in the paddlesports industry -- it is the largest growth sector of the fishing and paddlesports markets and its impact is like two huge waves finding out they are both in the same pond. Check out Mike Kogan's cover story in the 2006 summer issue of Paddlesports Business.

Kayak Fishing Florida's First Coast

Jacksonville, home of Florida's First Coast, has always been known for its outstanding inshore and offshore fishing. With over 68 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline and 400 miles of river, intra-costal waterways (ICW), creeks, lakes, and ponds, Jacksonville has as diverse a fishery as any locale. Combine that fishery with great weather and plentiful access to water and you have perhaps one of the best places to yak fish in the entire country.

Situated in the northeast corner of Florida on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, the St. John's River flows from the Atlantic through Jacksonville all the way to Lake Okeechobee in south Florida. Another significant body of water that runs through Jacksonville from north to south is the Intra-Coastal Waterway (ICW), running between the river and the ocean.

What makes Jacksonville and north Florida unique is the diversity of its waters, tidal conditions, and available fish. Whether you want to fish offshore for big game fish, work the jetties, fish the river, intra-coastal waterway, or creeks for inshore saltwater fare, or head into the freshwaters south on the river or in lakes and ponds, Jacksonville has something for you.

Offshore fishing is at it's best in the summer, when huge pods of menhaden (pogies) populate the beaches and kingfish, tarpon, jacks, cobia, and sharks come in to feast. Huge red drum also are found beneath the pogie pods and make an excellent fight, and the Spanish mackerel runs yield plenty of action. Typical offshore tackle for yak anglers are spinning or baitcasting setups that would be appropriate for bigger fish, using heavier leaders, big hooks for live bait, or large artificials and plugs.

Where Jacksonville really excels is it's inshore fishery.  There are literally hundreds of creeks off the ICW and river, including some sensational wetlands, preserves, and parks, such as the Timucuan Preserve. If you are into shallow water angling, fly fishing, or live bait fishing, the choices of location are limitless and the species present are spectacular.
In the brackish inshore waters the favorites are redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder, sheepshead, black drum, stripers, and even the occasional snook. Typically creeks through Jacksonville's marshlands have lots of flooded grass, mud flats, and oyster beds, which are ideal for sight-fishing tailing and backing redfish.

Inshore yak anglers use everything from live bait techniques on spinning tackle, to plugs, bucktail jigs, and plastic jerkbaits on baitcasting equipment, to fly-fishing gear. Common live baits inshore are shrimp, mud minnows, finger mullet, and blue crab. The most popular weapon of choice for live bait fisherman is definitely live shrimp on a jig.

If you are fishing inshore or at the jetties, paying attention to the tides is a must. In Jacksonville the bite is best on the outgoing tide and the first of the incoming, when baitfish are more heavily concentrated. The tides in north Florida swing anywhere from 4'-6' twice a day - so if you are working a creek you need to plan accordingly or you may find a lot of mud between yourself and the mouth of the creek, or between yourself and your launch site.

These tidal swings produce a lot of water flow and if you are from an area without tides it's usually a bit of learning experience. If you find you are always paddling against the tides you are probably doing things right - that is moving into the back of creeks during the outgoing tide to get in some shallow water angling, then working against the incoming tide on your way out. Of course, you can also use the tides to your advantage on longer trips - for example you may let an outgoing tide take you from your launch to a favorite creek which you then go into, fish the low tide and first of the incoming tide, then let the incoming tide help you get back to your launch.

If freshwater fishing is your preference Jacksonville has many freshwater lakes and ponds. As you progress further south in the river the water gets fresher and you can hook up with bass, croakers, bream, crappie, bluegill, and catfish.

Jacksonville is also home to the Jacksonville Kayak Fishing Classic, the world's largest and most lucrative kayak fishing event in the country, which brings anglers together in a fun inshore catch-photo-and release format to benefit children's charities. For more information on kayak fishing in Jacksonville including detailed launches, routes, and fishing reports visit www.JaxKayakFishing.com, Jacksonville's kayak fishing community.

By Mike Kogan, www.jaxkayakfishing.com

Kayaks + Kids = a Great Day's Fishing

One of life's joys is going fishing with a kid, and kayak fishing is no different. Watching a child hook up with a fish and experience the thrill of the fight is one of those moments that parents treasure. I know because my son, Wyatt, loves to come fishing with me on our kayak, and the pleasure is just as much mine as it is his.

There are, of course, some things to consider before venturing out for a day's fishing with a small child in a kayak. But proper equipment and planning will insure a wonderful time on the water for both of you.

What kind of kayak is best for fishing with a child?  I use a Malibu Extreme with a Gator Hatch, which provides a molded in seat for a child up to 70lbs or so directly in front of and facing me. I find this to be a great layout compared to a tandem kayak in which the child would sit up front facing away, at least until the young 'un is big enough to paddle their own (around age 8-10).

Whatever you choose, you want to make sure you both have ample room, are comfortable, and that the child is within reach. Safety-wise, you must both wear PFDs, of course. A kayak that is designed for a stable ride like a sit-on-top is ideal. Sit inside kayaks do not lend themselves to fishing with a child although it can be done.

When taking a child out on a kayak or canoe planning is vital to make sure the experience is enjoyable whether you catch fish or not. Make sure you have plenty of bug spray, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, and snacks - particularly the bad ones Mom doesn't let you have (cheesy puffs, beef jerky, and soda keep my fella happy).

Also make sure you have thought out how to go about using nature's facilities. Boys are a bit easier than girls, but knowing there is a handy spot with some hard bottom where someone can go potty is critical. Also take a dry bag with a spare change of clothes and towel in case your little one gets uncomfortably wet (from any reason).

While there is nothing wrong with taking home some nice fish for dinner, make sure your kids are ready for this. While my son thinks we should keep every fish, many children are trained to believe keeping a fish is akin to murder. One father I know had his son break into tears when he put a nice red into the cooler. Teach your child good conservatiuon methods, but don't go overboard (pun intended) and create an emotional trauma. Show kids proper release techniques; but let them know, contrary to PETA's kids' campaign, that fish are FOOD not friends. I remember one day when I released a small red with one hand my son informed me that was no way to release a fish. He then proceeded to show me how to release a red with two hands the way he learned watching fishing shows on TV.

A camera in the kayak goes a long way in helping you to preserve those priceless moments when your kids face lights up with their catch. If you are lucky enough to spend the day baiting and re-rigging your kid's line as he or she keeps reeling in fish you have reached kid fishing nirvana. It's not about you, it's about getting them to enjoy fishing, being out on the water together, and if you're lucky enough catching fish too.

By Mike Kogan, www.jaxkayakfishing.com

Tarpon Time

Florida Sportsman Online has a great article on tarpon fishing that emphasizes the "quiet approach" - sounds perfect for a kayak.

River City Gators

Catch big trout in the maze of downtown Jacksonville waterways. Florida Sportsman Online has a great article on trout fishing in Jacksonville.

'Yak It To The Max

Rigging tips for paddle-powered kayaks. A great article on fishing kayak rigging at Shallow Water Angler Online.

Marsh Madness

The saltmarsh alongside the ICW near Matanzas Inlet provides a smorgasbord of angling opportunities. Florida Sportsman Online has a great article on marsh fishing in the Matanzas area.

Gotcha Fishing Stuff Snap-N-Trac Review

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing a new product that is great for organizing your the cockpit of your fishing kayak, Gotcha Fishing Stuff's Snap-N-Trac system.

Peter ReJune, inventor of the Snap-N-Trac, provided a 6” model ($9 retail) for review, although depending on your kayak you may have room for the 12” or even the 18” version.   

The unit is a plastic trac base rail that enables snap on modules for storing lures, hooks, scissors, knifes, hook extractors, and even cups. It quickly installs to the interior of your cockpit with stainless steel screws – I recommend a dollop of a quality sealant and pre-drilled holes. Each trac base also has an extender tab for extending the installation in the future.

Different modules are available that snap into the trac system. The unit reviewed had 2 end pieces with hook and lure holes, a knife/scissors holder, and a plier holder. Other modules available include a hook extractor holder, cup holder, and more strips with hook/lure holes.

Snap-N-Trac is available at http://www.gotchafishingstuff.com/.

Get The Kayak Edge

Get the Kayak Edge - Tricks of the trade for kayak flats fishing. Shallow Water Angler has a great article on the advantages of fishing from a kayak -- read more at http://www.shallowwaterangler.com/features/041260/

"Flounder Pounding" with Capt. Terry LaCoss from Fernandina Beach

JohnYaksJax Reporting - Terry was a substitute for Rusty Borthwick of B&M Bait & Tackle who had a sick employee.  Terry is a well-known area guide who use to fish the Bass Masters circuit and now guides mostly up in Fernandina.

Terry's main target is Structure!!  He uses his fishfinder and depth finder to locate and mark them as well as finding them at low tides.  Take digital pix of the locations to help find them at different tide stages.  Creek mouths funnel bait out to waiting flounder, and when the tides are higher, the flounder forage near the grassline....some of the splashes we see are flounder, not reds!  He uses a Danforth anchor to securely anchor and position so that you can cast upcurrent of the target and let it drift down to the waiting fish.  He loves to fish with 6" finger mullet and sometimes uses them with spinnerbait rigs when the current is really running or incoming.

When the flounder first bites, it strikes hard trying to kill the bait and then goes back to position the bait headfirst to eat it...that is the tap-tapping we feel.  WAIT for at least 5 or even 10 seconds and then carefully reel in the slack until you feel the weight of the fish...don't worry...it won't let go of the meal!!  Then set the hook.

Jigheads and shrimp and also a good bait. He likes Cotee brand jigs and hooks the shrimp thru the tail from bottom to top so that it jerks backwards like shrimp do when they flee from fish.

Rapala lures, especially the Countdown models, are his favorite lures with a chartreuse top or back.  He usually changes the hooks to #4 ones and now uses a red treble hook on the back place to look like it's bleeding. They are good at low tides especially. Use a slow retrieve, let it stop and sink and twitch it once..and hold on!!

Watch for feeding birds on the shoreline; it's a sure sign that there is bait near the shore and there will probably be flounder there also!

OFFSHORE: flounder can be found offshore and some large ones are caught there.  Fish on "spoil areas" where there are lots of rocks and debris.  Heavy 4-5 oz jigs with fresh squid can be deadly for offshore flounder.

STRIPERS can often be caught on cold nasty days in the St. Mary's River near I-95 and the Railroad Bridge.

Florida Sportsman Seminars: Saturday, March 12, 2005. Notes by John Stewart (JohnYaksJax).