Measuring fish...

This weekend I caught a 24 lb bass. Calculating weight is simple with boga grip. But, what about the length of it. My fishing buddies
were giving me hard time when I measured the cow to the tail. One guy said it was cheating. It was 37 inches to the fork with about another 4 to 5 inches of tail for total measurement of 42. Most regs are the total length of the fish.

Who is right? fork or tail for measurement. I am sticking with the tail...

striped bass early in the season

another season is on the way. big question is "where are the cows?" well, most striped bass are chasing bait up the rivers and others are still migrating. in another couple of weeks, they will return to their normal hunting grounds. but, it's hard to find them now. if you do find them, you will be rewarded with some big catches. it's easier to catch big cows in the early part of the season. once it warms up, it's back to hunting...

lubing your reels

i just completed lubing my reels. it always takes me a good amount of time. it's probably because i do it once a year. this year i had an extra part. i was very careful taking the reel apart. i think they added this "washer" by mistake or it was really required. i guess time will tell........

My 2010 Season

My fishing season is over for 2010. It was a great and challenging season. Catching well over 100 bass. Besides bass, I did catch my fair share of blues, fluke and black fish. I participated in a fishing contest and ended up in 8th place for the northeast. I would finished higher if I didn't drop my camera in the ocean during October. I would have probably been in the top 5. Anyway, what a great season...

http://www.extremecoast.com/KW10/index.php

togging during bad weather...

i checked noaa just before leaving as i always do. i knew conditions weren't that good. calling for 2-3' waves and gusts up to 25. as i left the launch, i noticed some small white caps and a steady breeze. i only saw one other boat. i figured the forecast was the result of lack of boats on the water. anyway, i headed out to my normal spots for a quick troll. i hooked up on a small keeper on the first pass. caught a couple more bass with time to spare before HT. it seems good days of fishing and rough conditions go hand in hand. i noticed it was getting more choppy and windy. i looked around for my friend and decided to start togging. i did see a few more boats. i was armed with a dozen crabs. it was hard togging and steering the yak for the waves. but, i caught some tog. no keeper togs at this point. i decided to troll again thinking it would calm down. i landed a good sized keeper and decided to put it on my stringer. my goal was to catch some keeper tog. i started togging again and landed 3. threw them in the yak and decided to call it a day. as i headed back to the launch, the waves were getting bigger and the wind was howling. i knew i had to get around 3 points before getting to the launch. first point reminded me of napatree but a smaller version of it. it felt like i was in a roller coaster riding the waves. i kind of enjoyed the ride. as i made my way around the last point, it was very nasty as i turned around the point. i only saw 1 boat togging. right as i turned i almost dumped the yak. i knew i had to zig zag my way back to the launch to avoid being hit by a wave on the side of the yak. just as i started to zig zag a big wave came and dumped me. at first i thought i was dreaming as i sat in the ocean. i was close to the yak because i tether myself to it. i use a long bungee. probably stretches to 7-10 feet. there would have been no way i would have got my yak if i wasn't tethered. i removed my tether to unwrap it from the yak but held onto it. it was very hard up righting the yak. the fins were pinned against the hull and i couldn't move them at first. i think the heavy current was the cause of the fins being pinned. i tried using the handles to flip it with no success. i was finally able to slip my fingers under the fins to upright the yak. i checked my vhf and it was still working. it's in a dry bag. i have a game plan for getting back into the yak. my 3 strike rule before calling for help. i have 3 different ways of getting back into yak. i have a paddle float has my last resort. i did have on a farmer john 3mm wetsuit under my splash pants. it helped me be more buoyant (besides pfd) so my legs were up so i was able to swim and crawl back onto the yak. once in yak, i pulled in my rods. i only lost the tog and some lead weights. the striper was still on the stringer. i did notice my flag floating and darted for it in the yak. it was probably stupid doing that because it was still nasty. i didn't want mother nature to get the best of me. at this point, the guys in the boat that were togging came. they had seen me dump. it felt good i was able to get back into the yak by myself (confidence builder). i was happy they were looking out for me. they were fellow yakers. they looked like zztop guys with the long white beards. i think they were twins. once at the dock, i saw this young kid getting ready to go out togging. he was in shorts and had a small heritage yak. i know him from hillyner. his mother was helping him remove the yak from the car. i mentioned to the both of them it was too dangerous to go out. he wanted to go and his mother didn't want him too. he was going to tie up to a rock. his mother won the argument.

the reason why this is a long post. i wanted my fellow kayak fisherman friends to think in how they would handle a dump. you need to be calm and have a game plan. don't draft a game plan at the time of a dump. this time of year is the most dangerous time with the winds. in the spring, it's the cold water. i will be fishing next weekend. look for a yellow revo with a flag on pole. yes, i did get my flag back. it's a little cracked...

this season...

i have been having a great season. caught over 70 bass so far. in the beginning of the season, it was slow to start. but it got better as the water warmed up. time will tell...

Getting the kinks out...

I have been out 4 times this season. Each time I find something that I need to improve or change. The first time out I forgot my PFD. I didn't realize I didn't have it until I was looking for my knife. Being out in 40-46 degree water without a PFD, can be alittle scary. I was calm and went back to the car to get it. The second time out I had problems with my rod holder. I had upgraded to a different holder. It wasn't in the perfect location. It took me 2 more trips to find the sweet spot. The third time out I had fish finder problems. I couldn't get the depth to work. After the trip, I went back and cleaned the connections. It seems to work much better. The 4th time out I was trying to streamline my process in setting up at the launch and the "clean-up" at home. I imagine that will take many more trips. Once the kinks are out, I seem to always start to catch more fish. Please note I have not been skunk......

salt water license

It is hard to believe that we need a license to fish the ocean. I know it will go up in cost again during the season. I bet it will be $20 by the end of the season. Another 100 percent increase. I could understand if the state stocked the waters. It is pure greed....

Watch fishing shows during the off season....

I have been watching so many shows. It does help relieve the pain of not fishing. Each show does provide you with valuable information. I noticed that birds have been mention several times in the shows. Finding the birds helps in finding the fish. Last season, I started to pay more attention to the birds. I did mark down their location and went back at other times to fish the spots. Many times, I had success at the spots. But, you still need to pay attention to the tides. I did notice the areas were prime spots. I was able to find a few more secret fishing holes...

Do you want to be a good YAK fisherman?

During the winter months, you can improve your skills... Yep. I took my skills to a new level last year. I felt bad when fellow yakers weren't catching fish. Mmmm. I asked myself why do I catch and they don't. I don't like to brag. It's not just tossing a line out. More involved. I do have some secrets. But, they aren't really secrets but common sense.

Knee surgery...

I had my knee surgery. I am so glad I have a hobie. I showed the doc the hobie catalog. I asked him what he thought about pedaling. He said "great" for the knees. I will upgrade my fins from ST to TURBOS during the winter.

Tog fishing in the fall...

It's that time of year to go after those ugly guys. I look forward to the fall. Bass are starting to get ready to head south and the tog are in full bloom. For a small fish, they are very strong. But, remember you will lose tackle. You need a good stiff rod to pull those guys from the rocks. I like using green crabs. Cut them in half. Run the hook through the main craw and catch some tog...

Kayak fishing during my vacation at Napatree

I went on vacation for a week in RI. I ended up yak fishing 5 times at Napatree and in "the kitchen" area. It was very hot and sunny. Overall, it it was very exhausting but fun.

Each fishing day I got up at 4:45am and was on the ocean by 6am the latest. I am always nervous fishing this area. It can be a very dangerous area especially by yourself. The winds and waves can kick up at anytime. The weather can change in a flash. Some locals say it has its own weather. It takes about 35-45 minutes to get back to the launch. Last year, it started to rain and thunder at the blink of the eye when it was a perfect day. I remember tubing and catching big bass all the way back to the launch. This year I was prepared with some rain gear. The fishing is always very good. Lots of structure. You can catch big bass is less than 10 feet of water. But, it's not as easy as it sounds. Lots of big rocks and heavy current. You need to be at the top of your game when you fish it.

I have a bad habit in regards of the point. In all my years, I have always made my way around it. It's like a mental challenge. It's very stupid. I always say to myself not this trip but I still go around it. The point is always unpredictable once you go around it. Last year, I made my way around it and it was calm. I ended up fishing for fluke for about 45 mins and decided to go back. As I approached it, 5-8 feet standing waves. I was nervous. The clouds were getting dark and I was thinking of a thunder storm was coming. I looked around and there were no boats. The guy that patrols the beach was gone too. Good thing I take martial arts (Aikido). I relaxed and kept my "one point" as I made my way around it. It takes about 5-10 mins to go around it. I remember pedaling my hobie so fast and riding the waves as I navigated by big rocks. I had a cold beer once I got back. I made a promise to myself that I would not fish the side and go back once I made it. One day I was alittle hairy going around it. I relaxed about 5 mins on the other side. As I made my way back, it started to pick up. Additionally, big boats were creating huge wakes as I made my way around it. All in all, it's a test of your yak skills.

This year it was me and my daughters. I did have some relatives and their friends next to my cottage. I told my neighbor I would supply her and her family with fresh fish and she agreed to keep an eye on my daughters. My reputation was on the line but I knew the area always produces for me. Some people fish it without luck. I understand the tides and know where the fiash are located. Well, I caught some big fish for her and her friends.....

I am wondering why I catch alot of fish...

I read posts on the Internet about other yakers fishing in the same spots as I do. I wonder why I catch and they don't. Maybe it's because I am familiar with the area. I think there are other factors. You need to understand the tide and where fish are going to be. Besides that, you need to understand currents for trolling and structure. There are other things you need to know too. I'll post a follow-up discussion on those points...

GPS are so important...

I was out and the fog rolled in very fast. I could hardly see 20 feet. I was out about 1/2 mile fishing in 100 feet of water. It started to get very choppy and windy. I knew I needed to get to shore fast. Being in CT, I know going north will always get me to land. But, a t-storm was coming. I used my handheld garmin and got to shore fast. If I was using a compass, it would have taken a long time. I did have my doubts that the GPS was taking me the wrong way. But. it didn't...

Rain and yak fishing...

I went yak fishing after a big rain storm. I was told the day before and day after are usually good fishing days. But, I went the same day as it was raining. What a mistake? If the sun comes out, it even gets worse. I did learn a lesson. But, it was still great being on the water.

My season so far...

I have been out 5 times so far this season. The first 2 times were in April. I went to the Niantic River. I was looking for tog, flounder and bass. Both times in April I didn't find anything. In May, I fished the Pleasure Beach area in waterford. My first trip I caught 3 schoolees near Milestone. The next trip I went out for 12 miles for a duration of 7-8 hours. I went to 2tree, seaside and then harkness. I caught a bunch of small bass and a keeper. I always let the first keeper go for good luck. Once again, no flounder. My trip today I fished the Gluiford area. I caught a good sized keeper on my first worm. I paid my dues. I dragged it around for the rest of the trip. I only caught one more small bass. Today, I didn't look for flounder. Maybe next flounder season...

Hobie gearkeeper

I am very please with it. It doesn't take up much space. Additionally, it provides a lot of protection and tether length for your stuff. I am going to buy another one. Well, lets see how long it can last the salt.

Hobie gearkeeper

I just picked a new Hobie www.hobiecat.com gearkeeper. I was going to use it ti tether my rescue knife to my PFD. I was surprised that it broke when attaching it to my PFD. For $25, it should have lasted longer. I am going to call Hobie and complain about it.

Still working on my yak...

I used permatex rv sealant. I was told it works. It does and it's cheap. I used it on my padeyes. I am happy in the results.