Kayak fishing Champlain

Check and share here for the latest fishing reports.
troutcrazy
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 5:21 pm
Species: crappie, trout, salmon, perch

Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by troutcrazy »

I've been meaning to introduce my new kayak to the forum, a Hobie Mirage Outback, but I keep putting it off until I've got it fully rigged the way I want it. Well, that's taking too long so here it is: a work in progress. :D

This thing handles the big lake very well! It's very stable and nearly unswampable. I can pedal it at trolling speed almost effortlessly on a calm day, though it takes a bit more effort if running divers. I've been out in 20mph winds and it can take it. Some of you remember that I was fishing from a little canoe with a trolling motor until recently. It was nice, but really a bit risky to take it on the big lake with a heavy battery. This is worlds better: it's almost twice as fast, more comfortable, nearly unsinkable, and the battery doesn't run out (unless I run out of snacks or drinking water). Suddenly, I have access to the whole lake! For now, I have a cheap fishfinder transducer clamped to the gunwale, but soon I will have the parts I need for a slick, clean installation of a new Lowrance.

8/2/2018
I finally got an early start, and finally a cloudy day! I put in at Converse around 6:30. Wasted some time figuring out some rigging, including the relatively new Lite Bite. Fished south, into the wind, to Grosse Point with no bites, but I had some interesting marks by the bottom on a flat by a hump. I beached the kayak to stretch and rest for a minute, then headed back north. The south wind picked up quite a bit, and I had to pay attention or I would troll too fast. It got a bit rough.

I was running a slide diver lite bite on one rod, and I think it was 60 feet down. The other rod was a slide diver mini, and it was 40 feet down.

I trolled about 2.4 mph past the hump and the flat, and saw some more marks on the bottom. The flat was about 90'. I kept pedaling past, and then decided that I should turn back and drop shot the flat, despite the challenging wind conditions. As I stopped pedaling to rig a dropshot rod, and slowed down considerably, I hooked up on the Lite Bite. It turned out to be a very nice salmon! 20" is a big fish in my book!

While I was dealing with the nice salmon and drifting about 1.5mph, my other rod got bit, too! Just a shaker salmon, but every salmon still feels exciting to me.

Both fish were caught at slower speeds than I expected. I wonder if they just wanted it slow, or changing, or if it caused my divers to run deeper for a bit.

Anyway, this was my first keeper salmon caught in the kayak! It bit a black and purple Honeybee.
Attachments
kayak2.JPG
kayak2.JPG (33.57 KiB) Viewed 1971 times
kayak.JPG
kayak.JPG (44.49 KiB) Viewed 1971 times
kayak salmon.JPG
kayak salmon.JPG (40.02 KiB) Viewed 1971 times
nhjim
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2017 4:04 pm
Species: coldwater

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by nhjim »

nice job with the salmon. Id put an orange flag up on that thing though. some days seems people cant see an 18' boat let alone a kayak and keep an air horn handy. should and if dosent help after they cut you in half. stay safe.
User avatar
fishy1
Posts: 3970
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2014 7:21 pm
Species: many species

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by fishy1 »

wow that is a good looking kayak beast just awsome. when i looked at the waves you were going into i actullay got scared. i really beleive since day 1 you have been hooked on salmon. that is a nice salmon 20 inches is a good one. andric is it difficult netting a salmon in the kayak? by the way that bee purple people eater catches fish all the time salmon and lakers that is our go to color when trolling. going to see if jim can have them in the casting bees. thanks for that great report .
User avatar
fishy1
Posts: 3970
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2014 7:21 pm
Species: many species

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by fishy1 »

nhjim wrote:nice job with the salmon. Id put an orange flag up on that thing though. some days seems people cant see an 18' boat let alone a kayak and keep an air horn handy. should and if dosent help after they cut you in half. stay safe.
x2
User avatar
Sawyer
Posts: 625
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2016 10:34 pm
Species: All
Location: woodstock, VT

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by Sawyer »

Catching a Salmon out of a Kayak is amazing. Well done.
tmcaul
Posts: 219
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2016 10:26 am
Species: salmonids
Location: Charlotte

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by tmcaul »

Great to double up on first trip out with the new rig!

I think we spotted you once last season over in Whallons in your canoe and electric trollng motor.

My son and I are looking forward to seeing you out there. We'll be in son's new boat - a 19.5' Lund with a black hull with a deep red/maroon bimini top. We hope to be out tomorrow and Sunday. Probably launch out of Converse.

Tom and son Tom
Tom
"Tyee, Too"
18' Lund
Gecha (Gerry)
Posts: 4448
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:26 pm
Species: whatever crazy enough to bite

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by Gecha (Gerry) »

Nice kayak, well setup. Glad you already got slime on it.
Gecha (Gerry North of the Border)
mudchuck
Posts: 254
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 6:53 pm
Species: perch

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by mudchuck »

troutcrazy congrats on the Hobie!
Did you get the newer version of the mirage drive with reverse?
I've been researching pedal kayaks for months now, leaning towards an Old Town 13.5' Predator PDL or the new topwater 10.5 they just released.
Hobie is 2nd on my list, possibly the PA...liking what they just released with the transducer mount that can recess.
Nice catch on the salmon. Something to consider about the trolling speed is you might be doing 2.4 on the top, but the current below might have your lure going faster, so it makes sense that when you slowed down that the fish hit.
I don't have a fish hawk XD, so I cannot gauge how fast my lure is going below, but have noticed occasionally that when I make a turn in my boat, usually the inboard lure will get hit sometimes more often than the outboard side going into the turn...I equate this to speeds...
Anyway, enjoy your new rig. I'm hoping to make the switch from my small alum. boat to a pedal kayak within a year or 2...If I can focus on minimizing the amount of kidney stones I've been passing these last few years, this will cut into the medical expenses I've been dealing with, then I can work on outfitting a nice yak.
For now, I still have my canoe for silent skinny water action.
troutcrazy
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 5:21 pm
Species: crappie, trout, salmon, perch

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by troutcrazy »

Good call on the flag, guys. In fact, on the same day I was nearly run over by one of the QC moron boats. (That's not meant as a dig at QC, which I'm fond of-- just that there are a ton of big boats from there lately that don't seem to pay attention to the 5mph within 200ft law)

Fishy1 it's not difficult to net the fish-- I'm sitting low to the water and I use a short handled, rubberized net like a stream fisherman. But handling the fish in the kayak is tricky! If I'm going to keep it I dispatch it with a knife while it's still in the net. Otherwise I do my best to release them without taking them out of the water.
User avatar
shirefisher
Posts: 122
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 5:33 pm
Species: all

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by shirefisher »

Good on ya!!!!
I mostly use a Hobie Pro Angler- My daughter caught this last month while trolling a lite bite slide diver...
dziedzicTroutRainbowDSJLNXKHI.jpg
dziedzicTroutRainbowDSJLNXKHI.jpg (232.05 KiB) Viewed 1765 times
User avatar
fishy1
Posts: 3970
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2014 7:21 pm
Species: many species

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by fishy1 »

wow nice bow. congratulations.
User avatar
Sawyer
Posts: 625
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2016 10:34 pm
Species: All
Location: woodstock, VT

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by Sawyer »

X2
troutcrazy
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 5:21 pm
Species: crappie, trout, salmon, perch

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by troutcrazy »

shirefisher wrote:Good on ya!!!!
I mostly use a Hobie Pro Angler- My daughter caught this last month while trolling a lite bite slide diver...
Shirefisher, that's awesome! The Pro Angler seems like the next-level fish slayer. I went with the Outback because I need to car-top it.
User avatar
shirefisher
Posts: 122
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 5:33 pm
Species: all

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by shirefisher »

troutcrazy wrote:
shirefisher wrote:Good on ya!!!!
I mostly use a Hobie Pro Angler- My daughter caught this last month while trolling a lite bite slide diver...
Shirefisher, that's awesome! The Pro Angler seems like the next-level fish slayer. I went with the Outback because I need to car-top it.
I've owned and operated a multitude of various boats (power boats to canoes to sail) and these propelled kayaks are what I have fallen in love with. My first "real" kayak was the Native Mariner which still works great but the Hobie Pro Angler is the winner for best ability all around. The seat is super cozy and the "flippers" are easier to maneuver in the weeds. My kids and I can go from little ponds to the big lake no problem.
plantstone
Posts: 621
Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2011 6:53 am

Re: Kayak fishing Champlain

Post by plantstone »

Pulling a salmon into a kayak can't be beat. My kayak is paddle powered so I just run one line. I tried using lite bites to start but found them dragging/ pulling too much. With pedals your probably all set. I started using mini discs and jet divers for action 20' to surface. For deeper depths I run torpedo divers. They come in various weights and can achieve any depth at any speed. The set up out of the package has you unclip the diver as you reel it in. Too many lost fish at that moment. I rigged my up with a makeshift release to avoid that. I run spoons. But not afraid to use jellies or stick baits in the kayak as movements can vary and these presentations continue to give action when you need a break or are slowing/ speeding.
Post Reply