It's been a long time.

[JustJames]

Its been a very long time (or feel like it) from the last time I got to hold the fish. Finally beat the skunk today.

Went back to spot where I lost all the fish yesterday. First 15 mins, my first fish on buzzbait came undone again?. I almost give up. What wrong with me??

Anyway since I just started so I continued fishing and finally caught twos more, one on underwater buzzbait (thanks to @Choporoz's wife) and second on white chatterbait.

 

[OCdockskipper]

Love the Angels hat!!

 

I wouldn't beat yourself up too much about the lost fish, the few times I have fished from a kayak, I found good hook sets to be tricky.  It seems like there isn't a lot of leverage and the boat will pull back towards the fish, so lures like buzzbaits with large hooks are a bit tougher to get set.

 

The area looks like there is alot of life there, with all of those heron hunting minnows on the shore & the shad breaking the surface in the shadows of the trees.  Years ago, the bottom in that area was fairly hard with some scattered rock (like the shoreline looks) and the only brush was that which was exposed above the surface as well.  This would let us run squarebills & various crankbaits (depending on the depth) through here with good results and few hangups.  If it has changed, if there is more brush along the bottom now, that would probably not be as good an option (unless you owned stock in a lure company ).

 

Great footage, it takes me back 35 years...

[everythingthatswims]

As stated above, hooksets in kayaks are completely different than hooksets from those in a boat or from shore, it's a difficult learning curve and going back and forth between the two will throw you for a loop! Good job and tight lines!

[A-Jay]

The small vessel hookset, even with braid, really does need to include CONSTANT REELING to be most effective.

  This is necessary to account for the forward movement (toward the fish) that is very typical of small boats on the strike.

Really becomes the deal when a spirited bass runs right at the boat on the take.

So you get the strike, YOU KEEP REELING and set the hook - and then do whatever you need to, to keep a bend in your rod & at least a semi-tight line.  

btw - when throwing a typical buzzbait, which is usually a surface only presentation,  I'd encourage you to be ready to start reeling the moment the bait hits the water: maybe even engage the reel while the bait is in the air (especially on a long cast).  Failure to do so will allow the bait to "sink" below the surface.  Which isn't that big a deal, except that it often takes several feet of the bait 'planning to the surface' before it's actually running & fishing as it's designed (and most effective). So a certain percentage of every cast is essentially wasted.  And it's the first few feet that often produce a strike, especially if you're presenting the bait tight to what you believe is a fish holding ambush point.   

A spinnerbait would probably be a better choice for subsurface action. 

A-Jay

[JustJames]

2 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

The small vessel hookset, even with braid, really does need to include CONSTANT REELING to be most effective.

  This is necessary to account for the forward movement (toward the fish) that is very typical of small boats on the strike.

Really becomes the deal when a spirited bass runs right at the boat on the take.

So you get the strike, YOU KEEP REELING and set the hook - and then do whatever you need to, to keep a bend in your rod & at least a semi-tight line.  

btw - when throwing a typical buzzbait, I'd encourage you to be ready to start reeling the moment the bait hits the water: maybe even engage the reel while the bait is in the air (especially on a long cast).  Failure to do so will allow the bait to "sink" below the surface.  Which isn't that big a deal, except that it often takes several feet of the bait 'planning to the surface' before it's actually running & fishing as it's designed (and most effective). So a certain percentage of every cast is essentially wasted.  And it's the first few feet that often produce a strike, especially if you're presenting the bait tight to what you believe is a fish holding ambush point.

A-Jay

I'm gonna have to practice more on hookset on kayak, especially on those moving bait. I even make sure to do a second light hookset after reel the fish in.

About buzzbait, I intended to try sub surface fishing from reading one of choporoz's posted. It was just for fun and I didn't get any of top water bite.

[Lures'n'Liberty]

I couldn't care less if I get skunked every time I fish so long as I'm not at work!!

 

[JustJames]

14 hours ago, OCdockskipper said:

Love the Angels hat!!

 

I wouldn't beat yourself up too much about the lost fish, the few times I have fished from a kayak, I found good hook sets to be tricky.  It seems like there isn't a lot of leverage and the boat will pull back towards the fish, so lures like buzzbaits with large hooks are a bit tougher to get set.

 

The area looks like there is alot of life there, with all of those heron hunting minnows on the shore & the shad breaking the surface in the shadows of the trees.  Years ago, the bottom in that area was fairly hard with some scattered rock (like the shoreline looks) and the only brush was that which was exposed above the surface as well.  This would let us run squarebills & various crankbaits (depending on the depth) through here with good results and few hangups.  If it has changed, if there is more brush along the bottom now, that would probably not be as good an option (unless you owned stock in a lure company ).

 

Great footage, it takes me back 35 years...

Like I always said, you are welcome to fish here anytime just shoot me a message.