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Kayak fishing?


dcycleman

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Any of the sea kayakers out there interested in kayak fishing?

i have a pretty nice fishing kayak I originally bought for scuba diving off of, which pretty much gathers dust these days. I've been watching kayak fishing videos on you tube, it looks like a blast. Anyone interested in a trip(s) focused around fishing?

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I've been kayak fishing with a friend from Marblehead for the last two summers. I'd definitely be up for some kayak fishing trips, and can contribute my extensive knowledge as to where the fish *aren't* in the Marblehead/Salem Harbor area.

If anyone wants to come inland this summer, I'd be happy to host an evening of paddleboard or kayak fly fishing for panfish and bass in our backyard pond.

Edited by Dan Foster
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I could see doing this around Monomoy, off the Cape.   There are tons of striped bass and some bluefish that end up in pools that are inaccessible to power boats.

 

Curious about how people fish.   I tie flies and troll (the fishing kind, not the internet kind) for the most part.    If there's a known area, I'll cast.   Mostly, I fly fish, though.  

 

 

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Sounds good guys,

I'd be up for going around Salem or Monomoy. For some reason launching out of Lanes cove in Rockport seems appealing to me as well, and there is Odiorne.

I don't really know what to use for bait, I'll be doing some research, any insight is welcome.

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4 hours ago, dcycleman said:

 

Hi, In the spring and summer I fish from a sea kayak usually out of Lanes (bluefish and stripers). I'm now kayak fishing in south Florida (barracuda, tarpon, jacks, etc). I don't bait fish ... I only troll using lures (mostly spoons and sluggos).

-Leon

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We've had some luck using a sabiki (multiple small hooks on a weighted line) to catch mackerel for bait. We then hook a mack through the lip and let it swim in and out of the rocks where we think stripers may be lurking. What usually happens is we end up having mackerel for dinner.

 

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21 hours ago, leong said:

Hi, In the spring and summer I fish from a sea kayak usually out of Lanes (bluefish and stripers). I'm now kayak fishing in south Florida (barracuda, tarpon, jacks, etc). I don't bait fish ... I only troll using lures (mostly spoons and sluggos).

-Leon

Is it difficult to fish out of your sea kayak? how is it reeling in something big ?

15 hours ago, Dan Foster said:

We've had some luck using a sabiki (multiple small hooks on a weighted line) to catch mackerel for bait. We then hook a mack through the lip and let it swim in and out of the rocks where we think stripers may be lurking. What usually happens is we end up having mackerel for dinner.

 

Do you need to bait the hooks for the mackerel?

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A sabiki rig for mackerel or bait fish has 6 or more small hooks with an artificial bait that looks like a large fly or tiny minnow. You clip a 1-2 oz lead sinker on one end, and lower it from your kayak or a pier off the cheapest rod and reel you own. You could even skip the rod and reel and just use a hand line or 50 feet of mono and something to wrap it around. When it hits the bottom, slowly jig it up and down until a school of bait fish swims by. Since macks and other bait fish swim in big "bait balls", you'll typically catch multiple fish if you leave it down for an extra 30 seconds after you feel the first strike.

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=sabiki&tbs=imgo:1

Half of the fun of a sabiki rig is detangling 6+ mini hooks from each other, your fish, and your clothing as your kayak drifts into the rocks or the boating channel.

 

If you want to skip the live bait, get an artificial lure (we use Daiwa Salt Pro Minnows), the shortest saltwater rod you can find (7.5' or less, easier to deal with in a kayak), and cast around the rocks, or watch for surface feedings around dawn. When you see a bunch of seagulls dive-bombing the surface, paddle over as fast as you can and start casting into the fray. With any luck, you'll catch a striper, and not a seagull.

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Hey, I see a co-initiated NSPN trip come summer fishing season.  Two pods: 1) Fisherpeople and 2) regular old sea kayakers.  Somewhere where we can have a picnic after.  Fisherpeople promise main course, freshly caught, of course.  Regular sea kayakers promise...dubiosity.  When everyone returns, we abandon picnic place and all go out to dinner at a nearby restaurant.  Fish stories ensue.  Waddya say?

pru

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11 hours ago, Dan Foster said:

A sabiki rig for mackerel or bait fish has 6 or more small hooks with an artificial bait that looks like a large fly or tiny minnow. You clip a 1-2 oz lead sinker on one end, and lower it from your kayak or a pier off the cheapest rod and reel you own. You could even skip the rod and reel and just use a hand line or 50 feet of mono and something to wrap it around. When it hits the bottom, slowly jig it up and down until a school of bait fish swims by. Since macks and other bait fish swim in big "bait balls", you'll typically catch multiple fish if you leave it down for an extra 30 seconds after you feel the first strike.

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=sabiki&tbs=imgo:1

Half of the fun of a sabiki rig is detangling 6+ mini hooks from each other, your fish, and your clothing as your kayak drifts into the rocks or the boating channel.

 

If you want to skip the live bait, get an artificial lure (we use Daiwa Salt Pro Minnows), the shortest saltwater rod you can find (7.5' or less, easier to deal with in a kayak), and cast around the rocks, or watch for surface feedings around dawn. When you see a bunch of seagulls dive-bombing the surface, paddle over as fast as you can and start casting into the fray. With any luck, you'll catch a striper, and not a seagull.

Ok, cool, thanks for the info!

i think I might head to basspro this weekend to get sorted out with the basics. (At least try to)

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3 hours ago, prudenceb said:

Hey, I see a co-initiated NSPN trip come summer fishing season.  Two pods: 1) Fisherpeople and 2) regular old sea kayakers.  Somewhere where we can have a picnic after.  Fisherpeople promise main course, freshly caught, of course.  Regular sea kayakers promise...subiosity.  When everyone returns, we abandon picnic place and all go out to dinner at a nearby restaurant.  Fish stories ensue.  Waddya say?

pru

Totally up for it Pru, I think dinner at a nearby restaurant is a wise plan ?

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On 2/21/2017 at 10:08 PM, dcycleman said:

Is it difficult to fish out of your sea kayak? how is it reeling in something big ?

I don't know from personal experience, but this account "Catching a huge fall Chinook from my F1 kayak" by the guy who designed and taught me to build my F1 skin-on-frame might give you some idea.

 

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I haven't had problems landing anything in a kayak.    Maybe if I hooked a great white shark, it would make a difference, but I just outweigh the blues and stripers by too much to get any Nantucket sleigh ride going.   On the other hand - watch your hands getting the hook out of the mouth of a bluefish - they can take a finger off!

Anyway fish with flies?   There's a really good pattern called a 'Clouser bendback' that's great for blues and stripers - very versatile, and not susceptible to catching seaweed. 

 

 

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Long-time lurker, long-time kayak fisherman (spin/fly/conventional).  There are loads of stripers available (in season) in Boston Harbor, as well as flounder and mackerel, and often not far from shore.  Macs and stripers on the North Shore.  Rec boat (all I currently own) makes it really easy, but would be happy to join in here.

 

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On 2/21/2017 at 10:08 PM, dcycleman said:

Is it difficult to fish out of your sea kayak? how is it reeling in something big ?

 

The hardest part of landing a big fish is when it's at a right angle beside the boat. I have to lean in the opposite direction to counter the fighting weight. I've capsized a few times and rolled up but ruined a couple of reels. Here are a few pictures.

Striper

Striper.jpg.356a8a3cd105e728cc5b0823a81c8e74.jpg

Bluefish

58b0e75ca887a_Bluefish1.jpg.2b120bfab6d6addfe3004409f0093f7a.jpg

Bluefish

58b0e77d11b3d_Bluefish2.jpg.6131ef679e67e320fdb7e7aeae53602d.jpg

Barracuda in Florida (I had to tow the fish to the nearest dock to have it gaffed)

Baracuda.thumb.jpg.c149d9b2983687ddb29b55d00952c835.jpg

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On a paddle from Point Judith to Block Island, Mark caught this blue just off the island.    From the time it was caught to the time it was on a camp stove was ~5 minutes.  It was some of the best fish I have ever had.

picture-16092.jpg

 

picture-16091.jpg

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On 2/23/2017 at 4:27 PM, billvoss said:

I don't know from personal experience, but this account "Catching a huge fall Chinook from my F1 kayak" by the guy who designed and taught me to build my F1 skin-on-frame might give you some idea.

 

Pretty cool personal account

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Does anyone know this fellow kayaker from Lynn, Mass? Apparently he is an avid sea-kayaker-fisherman. Perhaps he may be in this group already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x41PuTenPgM&list=PLv_KX5WmAY-v4NPAjCDPpx3UG3cCo9-Y7&index=1

 

Edited by Nick1979
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
On 2/22/2017 at 6:24 PM, prudenceb said:

Hey, I see a co-initiated NSPN trip come summer fishing season.  Two pods: 1) Fisherpeople and 2) regular old sea kayakers.  Somewhere where we can have a picnic after.  Fisherpeople promise main course, freshly caught, of course.  Regular sea kayakers promise...dubiosity.  When everyone returns, we abandon picnic place and all go out to dinner at a nearby restaurant.  Fish stories ensue.  Waddya say?

pru

I love this idea! And Leon, those are some mighty fine fish you caught! I'm impressed. I don't have a clue about fishing, but I'd like to learn, and I'm happy to help w/ cleaning, cooking, and eating them.

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I do a lot of fishing in Great Bay in NH early spring(mid May) Usually stripers show up much earlier than most places in NH by chasing bait fish up into rivers. Just catch some bait fish and send one out on a balloon. I use sabiki rig to get bait fish. Fishing in this area is short lived. 4-6 weeks. Once bait fish leave so do stripers.

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