I feel less ordinary today. My Kayak PB.

[Darth-Baiter]

Right or wrong, I feel bassboat is one thing, kayak fishing is another.  They have unique challenges.  
 

this is my new big-bass off the kayak.   All morning was socked in fog.  Zero visibility. I made it across the lake using only my fish-finder waypoints.  in the fog:  4-5lbs hitting the jig…and 5” Magdraft.   (Separate thread about the magdraft later - I’m mad at the lure)

 

The sun fries off the fog and I move to deeper water and fish a steep drop off.  Hhmmm, hungry. So w sandwich in one hand, rod in the left hand I got hit hard.  One handed hook set;  it was a really good sandwich!….i set the sando down on kayak and got to fighting.  It pulled hard until it didn’t.  Pop…. Slack.   I was bummed. It felt big.  I check bait, and pitch it back out, pick up sandwich and TICK!  This time I spike the sandwich and set the hook properly. It felt good!  The fish saw my kayak and then it felt REALLY GOOD!   She barely got into the net.  I guessed a solid six, but in my scale it wobbled between 6.9-7.1.  I averaged it.  Call it a seven!  
 

my bassboat PB is almost identical weight.     Apparently I have a type. 
 

best day ditching work EVER!  Fishing was crazy.  
 

 

 

[Fishlegs]

Congrats! Nice fish.

[Swamp Girl]

You know how some bass, like some babies, are ugly? Not yours! If bass appeared on Gerber jars, your bass would be a Gerber bass.

 

Funny storytelling too!

 

Overall, an A+.

[pdxfisher]

That's a beast of a fish!  I think the sandwich was the key. You tell us about the lure but kept the type of sandwich secret

[IcatchDinks]

Awesome fish! Congrats!!

[Dwight Hottle]

Sweet.

[TnRiver46]

Nice fish! Definitely need to know sandwich category 

[A-Jay]

Nice Bass ~

Congrats on the new Personal Best.

A-Jay

[FryDog62]

I'll agree Darth - I too caught my kayak PB at 24 inches a couple weeks ago. Frankly, the catch process was a ***** show blamable primarily on angler error (aka "me"). But kayak fishing presents extra challenges over a boat (I'm sure you canoe-ists have many of the same issues).

 

Nets are a huge PIA in a yak - they get in the way and stuck to everything you don't want them to. I reached for the net while trying to land my 7 pounder and a rod/reel combo with treble hooks got caught in the net and went overboard as I tried to scoop the fish (thankfully retrieved!).  

 

Then the fish dives under the kayak and comes out on the other side airborne (did this twice). And just as I'm getting ready to lip the beast, the line gets wrapped around the hook retriever notch on my paddle and pulls it in the water too. 

 

Should have lost the fish at least 3 times.

 

It isn't always harder to another site in a kayak, but at a minimum I do think it deserves its own category as "Kayak PB." 

 

Nice catch Mr. Baiter !

[DaubsNU1]

10 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

 This time I spike the sandwich and set the hook properly.

 

Congrats on the PB! And I loved the "spike"!!!

[BrianMDTX]

Just think: the day prior you were bummed that you couldn’t find any 8” lizards! 😂

 

That’s a beautiful bass. 

[The Baron]

Nice one!  I dream of a 7lb. some day. 😎

 

I don’t have any kayak experience, but I’ve fished out of a canoe a lot.  Hooksets are definitely a challenge.  As is working a frog or jerkbait.

[FryDog62]

7 hours ago, The Baron said:

Hooksets are definitely a challenge. 

This ^

 

I’ve had to adjust going from a traditional bass boat to a kayak. You can’t take a step back and lay the wood to them like on a boat. It’s more of a lean back, or sweeping hookset. I’ve also converted a handful of my rod/reels from straight fluorocarbon to braid/leader so there’s no stretch when setting the hook.

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

17 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

This ^

 

I’ve had to adjust going from a traditional bass boat to a kayak. You can’t take a step back and lay the wood to them like on a boat. It’s more of a lean back, or sweeping hookset. I’ve also converted a handful of my rod/reels from straight fluorocarbon to braid/leader so there’s no stretch when setting the hook.

There is a whole new factor to consider on the hookset when in a canoe or kayak.

You get pulled towards the fish!

I am a braid to leader fan also. 

[Darth-Baiter]

17 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

 

You can’t take a step back and lay the wood to them like on a boat. 

i've always like this statement.  cracks me up.  i think i know the origin to it.

 

but yea.  i typically do not have issues setting the hook, if i am ready.   except punching, i once went full levitation when my feet slipped and i ended up laying on the deck of my kayak.  how i didnt fall overboard is a mystery.   my friend looked at me, and said, "what the heck are you doing over there?" he laughed at me all day.  

[Bankbeater]

Nice largemouth!

[pdxfisher]

I don't have trouble with hooksets with the open water smallmouth I fish for but I imagine trying to hook a largemouth while punching would be pretty tough. 

[Smirak]

Awesome story!

 

I caught my PB Kayak bass today too. Don’t know weight, scale batteries were dead. She was THICC…