Mostly fishless kayak report, multi-day

[Reelax]

Nice going, TC! You are catching some nice fish! I wouldn't worry about getting the lure out of the path of the kayak too much, personally. I've had salmon rip the line out of my hands when letting the lure out, within 10' of the boat!

I added lead core to our arsenal last year and it has caught quite a few fish for us. This time of year we typically run small stick baits off the boards (Rapala Husky Jerks, Challengers, Pins minnows, etc) and spoons off the 1 or 2 colors of lead. This setup caught several salmon last spring, as well as some nice browns on Lake O.

Keep up the great work!

I also agree with Crayfish, I was trying to hook a stickbait line back 125ft onto a otter board line on Monday when a nice 22" salmon took the bait. I set the hook by hand and realed up the slack and the wife got to play with a nice salmon that was right in line with the boat from the start....

Gotta like a 125ft hand line, lots of stretch in the flouro at the strike...., but not as much as if it were mono.... it did feel like a big rubber band when I pulled back to ensure a hook set..

[Gecha (Gerry)]

Nice brown. Congrats on matching your PB.
You're right, fish do shrink a lot from the time they are hooked to when they get in the boat

[fishy1]

KEEP THE REPORTS COMING ANDRIC LOVE IT THANKS FOR GETTING ON BOARD SO I KNOW WHATS GOING ON. IM ALSO REPORTING MY SALT WATER CATCHES ON HERE AND FACEBOOK. YOUR DOING GREAT VERY HAPPY FOR YOU. IM FLYING HOME APRIL 18 TH BUT ILL BE IN QUARANTEEN FOR 14 DAYS JUST IN TIME FOR WALLEYE SEASON. SEE YOU THEN UNTIL THEN KEEP ME POSTED

[troutcrazy]

KEEP THE REPORTS COMING ANDRIC LOVE IT THANKS FOR GETTING ON BOARD SO I KNOW WHATS GOING ON. IM ALSO REPORTING MY SALT WATER CATCHES ON HERE AND FACEBOOK. YOUR DOING GREAT VERY HAPPY FOR YOU. IM FLYING HOME APRIL 18 TH BUT ILL BE IN QUARANTEEN FOR 14 DAYS JUST IN TIME FOR WALLEYE SEASON. SEE YOU THEN UNTIL THEN KEEP ME POSTED

I really look forward to seeing you on the water! I still haven't caught a keeper walleye. This will be the spring.

[digitroll (ron)]

Great Lakes Podcast for Kayak fishing:

https://fishhawkelectronics.com/pages/g ... ROMaAj15eQ

[troutcrazy]

Great Lakes Podcast for Kayak fishing:

https://fishhawkelectronics.com/pages/g ... ROMaAj15eQ

Pretty cool. I like that he also doesn't use downriggers. I've been watching videos of kayakers on Ontario fishing for kings, and I was starting to think that everyone used downriggers except me. (I still might try).

[troutcrazy]

4/16/20
I hit Keelers today for a couple hours, mid-morning. I pulled a Shad Rap, and a Jointed Rapala (rainbow). I would have used the brown Yo-zuri but for some reason I couldn't find a split shot.

I hooked up with a bass on the Shad Rap immediately.

I caught one salmon around 19", on the Shad Rap, in 11 FOW. The water temp in front of the creek was around 44. Elsewhere it was closer to 41. The salmon bit at the edge of the warm/cold water.

Caught one pike on the Shad Rap.

Hooked up on the jointed Rapala... and it broke me off. Probably a pike. Dang. I really liked that lure for browns.

The west wind became unpleasant and cold, and I got the heck out of there. On the positive side, there weren't a lot of boats out.

I've been out a few times since the last report:
I went south, found my crappies, and stocked the freezer.

I caught a bunch of "trophy" rainbow trout that were freshly stocked off the hatchery truck. They really seem to like pink/chartreuse crappie jigs under a bobber. I don't know how I can say this without sounding like a snob: the "trophy stocking" program kind of stresses me out. I do like the fact that it can get casual fishermen into some big trout-- especially the kids! But those fish scare me a little. They really look beat-up, and they're so lethargic it makes me sad. A big 20-inch rainbow should be leaping and threatening to break the line. Instead, I wondered at first if it were a big crappie.

I hit a couple inland VT lakes hoping for a juicy brown, but no luck.

I'm really tired of this west wind.

[troutcrazy]

4/17/2020
I put the kayak into Bulwagga around 10am, pulling the Shad Rap and a 2-3/4" Yo-Zuri. I'm dreaming about brown trout. The west wind was big. I made one pass in the lee of the shore, stopping to cast a little at a good spot. Nothing bit, which I kind of expected from my last visit.

I headed out towards deeper water, and on the way I sent the brown yo-zuri down 10'. I caught a big pickerel immediately, as I made a sharp turn. It tangled my lines, and it inhaled the 2-3/4" yo-zuri so deeply that both hooks were in the gills. So I figured I had to keep it. Maybe I'll try pickle pickerel. I dispatched it, but I couldn't get the lure out of the fish in the waves so I left the lure in its toothy head, and stowed it. That took the big yo-zuri out of play, so I switched back to the little one I usually use for salmon.

I sent the yo-zuri down 17-20'.
I think I sent the Shad Rap down 10' to start, but I lost my weight so I think it was running at 6'.

I slowed until the snap weight bumped bottom, and then I pedaled hard to about 3.5mph. Fish! It was a small salmon around 17". It had a gash on its back towards the tail, which I've seen on another fish recently. After my eagle/silver sighting, I'm inclined to think it's an eagle or osprey wound. Clean easy release.

Next came a brown! About 18". It had a dozen or so fish leeches, which fell right off. It had one in the mouth, which I've seen before. "Who is eating whom?".

One more salmon 18-19" bit the yo-zuri, down. It leapt, and sure put on an aerial display with two or more lampreys hanging off it! I regret that I didn't get to remove the lampreys, as it threw the lure in the air next to the kayak. Major respect for that fish. I hope it shakes those things.

[Detritus]

Ha, found the report. Sounds like you had way more action than we did. Not a bite. We were a little messed up by the wind, and then we had to roll up six lines fast and go ripping out of the bay to find cell service. About, 1:53 I go hey, don't you have a conference call for school at 2? We headed for port Henry, found some and drove in circles till class was over.

No fish the last three trips, I think this can only mean one thing. I've got to get going on fitting up a grill on our boat.

[troutcrazy]

Ha, found the report. Sounds like you had way more action than we did. Not a bite. We were a little messed up by the wind, and then we had to roll up six lines fast and go ripping out of the bay to find cell service. About, 1:53 I go hey, don't you have a conference call for school at 2? We headed for port Henry, found some and drove in circles till class was over.

No fish the last three trips, I think this can only mean one thing. I've got to get going on fitting up a grill on our boat.

Boat schooling! Perfect!
I agree with your logical conclusion about the grill.

[troutcrazy]

4/19/2020
I fished Waterbury Reservoir for a couple hours in the afternoon. I never catch anything there (except little stockie rainbows last spring), but it's a good spot to escape the wind. And I like the long-shot underdog fishing sometimes. Water temp was around 42. I did find 49 in one spot.

I seriously wonder if there's any way the trout can survive in there. It's been getting more and more turbid (muddy) over the last few years. Last year there was a big landslide in one of the feeder streams, and that water is quite muddy now. I think I'll ask a biologist.

[Dilly Worm]

I usually spend a week there in June family camping and the kids catch dozens of sunfish near shore, there's also perch, smallmouths, and bullheads near the different inlet streams. If you paddle upstream past Cotton Brook where the landslide was, the water gets crystal clear and there are still some deep holes where you can find trout. Its a beautiful spot to camp and fish. Good luck if you go back there !

[troutcrazy]

I usually spend a week there in June family camping and the kids catch dozens of sunfish near shore...

Me too! Extended family and friends take over adjacent sites at the State Park. Fun times with kids (nephews and nieces). I shouldn't say I never catch "anything".
But I never catch the browns that I really want. Which is weird because I've tried a lot, day and night. And I catch them in all the other lakes where I target them. I have caught the little freshly stocked trout there a few times in spring, but that doesn't count for my purposes.

[vteye]

I stopped ice fishing the resv as mentioned the water is cloudy and IMO not attractive trout fishery.
Now smallmouth fishing is another deal. Certain the resv gives up some big browns on yearly basis but would rather trout fish elsewhere.

[Crayfish]

My son also has fun fishing off the state park docks after dark for bullpout. All catch and release, but it a fun way to spend an evening. We have caught some decent smallies, but have never caught a trout out of the res.