Darth-Baiter

With traffic; is that a brutal drive? When I moved to a new town I kept two things. My dentist and my Toyota mechanic. Both are so honest, I can’t let them go. I have a dentist visit Tuesday. He fished lake Comanche exclusively. I printed a nap and I have a sharpie. He promised to pencil out a few kayak friendlier spots - with fish. I think that’s a 3.5 hour drive for me. I won’t fish it unless I can camp overnight. I have several lakes I categorize as such. but yes. I love options!

Amazing.

I have a tiny, very kayak friendly golf course lake 8 minute drive away. But it gets hammered, especially since COVID forced everyone to take up fishing and sourdough-bread baking. Decent fish in this lake but it’s a “Town meeting” most days out. my other spots. The California Delta is two hours + drive, Clearlake and Berryessa 1.5 hours. The mother-lode lake chain - three hours. there is one lake I archery pig hunt around 1 hour away, but it’s code is very tough to crack. Lake Sonoma. It’s been kicking my butt. And the easier arm to figure out is closed indefinitely because of the pandemic. im happy I have options but I’m racking up the Mike’s on my truck. I’m not even talking about the kayak miles. There is a honey hole 3.5 miles into the delta. Tidal currents could literally be “uphill both ways”

Bulldog talking about big swimbaits?

Look for sign on the fish finder. Bait and those suspicious toenail clipping looking things - arches.

I’ll never start a YT channel. Not that it hasn’t crossed my mind. but I’ve been shopping both dash cams, and I’m thinking of taking advantage of the GoPro trade in program to jump from my dinosaur GP3 to the new 9. it got me thinking. Wouldnt a dash cam work for fishing? It just loops until something cool happens. We all know fishing can be 95% boredom and 5% “hey, look at this”. I know a dash cam is not waterproof. There is that.

Slow cooking is my jam. I love a braise. I think COVID really put people back into the kitchen. Me? I cooked always. It’s how I landed my wife.

I’d almost call it “very good fishing” yesterday. We lost count. A few biguns and a few tiny squirts, but most were carbon copies of this. water was 53degs. Fish were shallow!

Things are turning here! they were chewing yesterday!

I did state “reasonable water” in my original post. Freezing water isn’t what I’d call reasonable. Neither is a ripping current. in the hot summer. I typically jump in to cool off.

For a Sassy Shad, no. Not sure I would even send down a lure knocker. (Which are now in my shopping cart) But say I borrowed a friends Huddleston? Maybe. I would at least test the water temp with my toe.

Yes. No problem. I have friends that cast everything with spinning gear. They don’t baitcast ever.

Yamamoto Flappin Hog.

I have always thought Carp needed better PR. Now they have it. my stepdad could cook one beyond delicious.

‘Water sure is cold”

Awesome story. I’m guessing fishing from a kayak there are factors. Like a friend to babysit my kayak, and my proximity to shore.

Whomever said swim baits are addictive- truth! I had in my hands today the Deps Tiny Bulldog. It would eclipse my most expensive bait to-date by a good margin. I put it back - but I’d be lying if I didn’t say “I want it!” My local bass eat bluegill big time. if I lost it in reasonable waters, I think I’d dive for it. Hell, I might put swim googles in my kayak just because of it. story time! Tell me. Who has gone full Jacque Cousteau for a beloved bait?

What about a manual pole you can stab down thru a scupper hole? I might try this.

My first glide-bait fish. I had zero idea how to fish the bait and was having no luck. I stopped and just played with the thing next to my kayak. I learned one thing. “Slow!” I twitched the lure back with tiny rod movements and quarter reel cranks, and pauses. Boom! my first bass of 2021.

I did finally catch my first 2021 bass. On a big swimbait!

I casted just as a big goose flew in. What a mess! It flew for a bit and then came down. It got about 20 feet in the air attached to me and my rod. The racket it was making brought in about 8 screaming friends. pulling a panicked goose to a kayak is almost impossible. I couldn’t do it. I could get it close but the last few feet it would pull away. Thankfully I had friends on kayaks and they could get to the bird. They untangled it, and removed the hook. Bird flew off ticked. I never thought that would happen. Now? Head on a swivel. I’m looking out for approaching waterfowl. So glad I had friends out there.

I am at a loss.

Sorry, my winter brothers. you do have ice fishing which looks awesome!

I’m juuuuussst getting to the point where I can almost sneak out of work early and have my kayak in the water for two hours of evening fishing. should have gone today, but I went home to check to see if I got a TW shipment. (No:() let’s go - longer days!

Great fish! And in the shallows!