Turtle135

Many have covered this already but just to reiterate: 1. jigs generally catch bigger bass 2. you can purchase pre-poured and powder painted jigs for less than a buck each and tie on your skirt (I buy rubber skirt material in bulk - very inexpensive) When the water temperature is in the high 30's - very low 40's I only get bit on jigs crawled on the bottom at a snails pace, they will not touch a t-rigged soft plastic retrieved at an equally slow pace. Anyone else have this same result? Here is a fattie from last December when the water was around 40 degrees (football jig).

Thanks! Those are not scars on that smallmouth bass. That type of discoloration is becoming more common on our smallmouth and largemouth bass in the mid-atlantic region. Early reports indicate that those dark spots come and go on individual fish and I personally see more of it in the cool water period. Biologists are reporting that this is not a health problem for the bass but I do not think anyone has a complete handle on what is causing it.

Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, 41 - 42 degree water, dead sticking a tube on the bottom. It looks like our weather for the next week is trendy warmer!

I like the NRS Chinook. When I upgraded my seat on my Wilderness Systems Ride 115 the high backed PFD I had was not high enough. The Chinook fixed that problem and it has better pockets for the items I keep close at hand (clippers, leatherman, sunglasses, etc.)

I am using Trilene XT monofilament for everything. It works for me and the presentations I prefer. Trilene XT way over tests on "break strength". I pick which XT line to use based more on "diameter" than break strength. I am pretty sure I could tow my truck with 17 pound test Trilene XT.

With those water temperatures and fishing from the shore I would think your best bet would be a Ned Rig to find fish. Light line on a light spinning rod and just inch it along as slow as you can stand. Get in the habit of counting the lure down to the bottom since you do not have electronics for depth. If you find a few bass you could then try a jig and craw in the same locations. That is a good way to catch some of the largest bass of the season. On the 90 acre lake I fish in the winter in Maryland when the water temperature is around 40 degrees I never find bass shallow. They always have at least 10 feet of water over their heads.

Nice job on the cold water largemouth! p.s. - brook trout spawn in the fall (as do Lake and Brown trout), I would have thought they would have been done by now but apparently not

Thanks, yes, it does not look like she misses too many meals. A bait casting outfit (7' medium-heavy fast Diawa Lexa Rod, Lews Tournament Speed Spool, 14 pound test Trilene XT mono).

clarification:

the dreaded prefishing curse! Both came on a 1/2 ounce jig and craw pitched into shoreline laydowns. There are some interesting ponds over in Delaware that have some healthy bass. Will have to plan some trips over that way next season.

smallmouth bass: suspending jerkbait and increasingly a ned rig largemouth bass: football jig with a craw trailer (full disclosure, I throw this presentation year round but when the water gets down into the forties in the late fall early winter it catches pigs)

I fish from a kayak and I employ one of those plastic fish grips on a 4' length of paracord. I lip the bass but keep her in the water and unhook right there if possible. I clip the fish grip on her and then let her swim on the paracord. While she swims I get my camera and "hawg trough" ready to go. A quick lift onto the trough, snap my picture and then back in the drink for her. If you are fishing from shore you could probably use a fish grip to tether the bass in the water while you get a camera or a scale ready to go.

for just two rods and reels my suggestion would be: 1. 7' medium heavy baitcasting outfit (I use 17 pound test mono, it fits with the way I prefer to fish) 2. 7' medium spinning outfit (15 pound braid, you can adjust your leader to match the presentation)

I wish they would use this format for the Elite Event in August 2016 on the Potomac River. They are going to kill a lot of bass on that water.

I hear you, I have friends with $ 2000.00 worth of Torqeedo electric motor and batteries attached to a $ 1300.00 kayak. I have always stayed away from adding a motor. Anything that slows me down getting on of off the water will cost me fishing trips (it is just human nature, the easier it is to use something the more frequently you will use it).

a. The physical strain on my back getting the boat on and off my car despite having a decent lift assist system. I have a pickup truck, is a small trailer an option for you? b. Needing to get off or stay off the water when winds reach 10mph. And with such a short summer in MN, every fishing day counts! c. Not being able to hold position when there is even the slightest wind. d. Staying limited to smaller waters as boat traffic makes fishing in a kayak that much more difficult. I do pick my spots based on the wind and weekend fishing pressure. I also employ a stake out pole and an anchor system with a quick release to combat the wind. e. Staying limited to smaller waters as it takes too much effort and time to paddle long distances. Have you looked at the Torqeedo lineup of electric motors for a kayak? They are kind of expensive but besides extending your range you can also run them on a slow setting straight into a stiff breeze to hold your position. I have been chasing largemouth and smallmouth bass from a kayak since 1991. The ease of getting on and off the water has always been a driving force to sticking with a kayak. In the summertime I get out fishing 4-5 times per week. Kayaks are rather well suited to the waters I regularly fish. I have several friends with bass boats. A few are diehards and fish as frequently today as they did the first year they got their boat. Others fished a lot that first year, about half as frequently the second year and then very little in the 3rd and 4th seasons.

nothing to see here! move along! .... latex spill up in the Upper Potomac, jet fuel in the Tidal Potomac, it is a wonder we ever catch anything on that water, geesh! "Airport officials say they have consulted with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and believe that there will be limited impact on the environment from the spill" "spokesman for DC Water said there is no impact on drinking water in the city"

The biggest largemouth I caught in 2013 came when I was drifting off to sleep in my kayak seat. Never count out dead sticking as a presentation. I have no idea how long my "long blink" went on but I remember coming to as something was pulling the rod out of my hands. That was on a texas rigged plastic worm and I woke up fast enough to bury the hook. It does not happen to me very frequently as I prefer to fish jigs and big plastic worms. I can be thinking about something else and still be paying pretty close attention to my line and rod.

for football, pitching and flipping jigs do you like to add rattles? think it makes a difference? particular type of rattle you think works best?

that is a great looking bass! congrats on the PB!

Interesting comments from other kayak anglers. I have been fishing from a kayak since 1991 and the only time I have "turtled" was when I tried to stand in a sit inside kayak back in the 90's. It is hard to flip a Ride 115. I have had mine since early 2012 and have never turtled that kayak. I stand and fish about 25 percent of my time on the water. There is a trade off. Extremely stable kayaks are not as fast however straight line speed has never been an issue for me since I have a hard time going 50 yards without seeing something I want to fish.

Congrats on the new kayak! I would recommend getting out there with just one rod and a few lures and just start getting comfortable fishing from the kayak platform. At a certain point positioning yourself to make the best presentation becomes almost an unconscious act. You will quickly learn how much paddle to apply to bump yourself backward or to hold position in a breeze. Learning how to put your kayak right where you want it is the first important skill to master.

If I catch a state record largemouth or smallmouth bass I will need somebody around so we can video the release. A couple of still pictures and then back into the water for that big gal.

I fish through the winter here in Maryland in my Ride 115. I having been wearing the "dry suit" since mid October. If the combination of air and water temperature is 120 degrees or less out comes the dry suit. As it gets colder the layers underneath the dry suit increase. 1. always wear the PFD 2. keep spare clothing in a dry bag 3. have a good way to easily start a fire in an emergency 4. not the time to explore new areas if you are on moving water (rivers, tidal influence, etc.) 5. try to not fish alone (however I frequently violate this one as there is a limited supply of anglers who enjoy fishing in a snow storm)

wow! awesome day and those are some great photos! congrats