Kayak Fishing with Kayak Kevin

Its been a big fish week. Zack and I became members of the 50lb club. Mine on Wed. morning between the ships and the buoy and Zacks closer in on Sat. Lee hooked a 47"er with a free lined eel, 15 feet in front of his boat and the fish came out of the water and shook its head like a speck. On Sat Zack was wearing them out and I hadn't had a run in two days. Every time Zack or his buddy Lewis landed one, the other hooked up. I never had a chance to fish, tacking pictures the entire time. Finally I hooked up and landed the smallest striper of the night, but big enough to go into the fish box. Over all, 4 guys with 9 fish from 41" to 49" and 50.7 pounds.
 They're there, although on and off, Fri we got skunked and Sat we wacked'em. Just go as much as you can and put your time in and you'll run into them. Just stick with it and you'll GET ON'EM.  kev

 More shots in the big fish box, and a speck in the small fish box. This coming week is going to blow, so get ready, its just starting. Get some eels and GET ON'EM.   kev.

It was suppose to blow through the weekend, so Lee and I went big on Wed. We had our sites on the Yancy for tog. We arrived around 7:30am just as the tide slowed to slack. As soon as I could get a hunk of crab down, I was getting hits. We both caught a mess of tog. We both also caught 20" black drum, I had to deflate the swim bladder in mine. When the current got to its peak the bite turned off. We went to the island and got on'em there. I even caught a baby,7" sheepshead.

 The tog bite is on and if your a serious tog angler get Jessy buky to customise you best tog rod with the carbon butt piece. It will turn you tog fishing rod to a tog catching rod! GET ON'EM!  kev.

We began hooking up immediately, and the pace quickened. Although they only wanted the freshest crab chunks. Once they bit it a few times and I missed, they were done with it until I rebaited. I couldn't rebait fast enough. They would hit before I could get my reel set and ready. Lee caught at least a dozen, with only two under keeper size of 14", his top was 19". I caught 20, with five undersized and one at 21", ( small fish box). I was against the wall when I hooked into the 21"er. Like the big one I caught last year, he didn't fight until he was near the top. That's when they turn on the power. When they want back down, there going down. The fight went from "This feels like a good one" to " Oh no!", when half of my rod went into the water and my line was peeling off to the bottom. Plus he had me on the wall and headed to the door. It was a hectic fight and at any time that fish could have broke off on all of the sharp structure. Lee said after watching the fight," I thought that fish looked heavy, then when it really started to fight , it looked big!"

I caught a tagged tog and Lee caught a tog that I tagged a hour earlier. We went through a dozen crabs by 1pm, 60 pieces of bait.

Ric found the sand bar he was looking for and began wading and casting. He started to catch nice specks. I paddled to the edge of the bar and found a 19'er then a near-citation 23" speck. Those are the only two I landed while Ric landed a half dozen, it was a good day, GET ON'EM.  kev.

 END OF OCT, 1ST OF NOV

The fall has finally slammed the door shut on the summer temps. It been layers and waders time. Boo winter! At least the water temps are seasonable at 61 degrees.

The temp went from 68 on sat to 62 on Tues when Tom from Charlottesville and I hunted the HRBT for stripers. At sunset we caught a few 18 to 20"ers around the rocks of the island. After dark we hunted the light line. The current was the last of the outgoing, and it was hard to find a light on the west bridge without a boat already on it. We saw a few but they were slow to hit.

Tom stayed on the eastern shore and fished the concrete ships on Wed. He cast and jigged a gulp and landed a near citation, 23", 4 and a half pound speck! And two more at 16" and 17". He hooked into something big that nearly spooled his 14lb test line before it broke off. Possibly a 30" range red or striper.

Lee fished the Yancy this week for tog. He brought fiddlers and crab, nothing hit the fiddlers and he dint have a tog hit all day, but on the crab he landed 3 triggers and a 14" sea bass. I've seen a couple of rare keeper black sea bass landed from the CBBT this fall. 
I've seemed to miss the speck bites this week. Wed morning the bite turned on an hour after I left to go to work. They move though in waves and leave just has fast. A Norfolk tagged speck was recaptured 3 days later in rudee. There on the move but you can head them off at the pass and GET ON'EM.   kev

4TH WEEK OF OCT.

It seems that winter, or at least some seasonal temps, came over the bay later in the week. The water temps have been steady for to long. This cold front should start to drop the temps, which should restart the fall run. I only fished three times this week and it was a 3 on my 0 to 5 action rating scale. I have been wanting to target tog's, all of this light tackle speck fishing has me craving to set a hook. I'm sure going to miss the hot weather but its time for those water temps to drop so we can GET ON'EM.  kev

3RD WEEK OF OCT.

Specks are everywhere in the lower Chesapeake bay. Although most are the small 10-12 inchers the occasional school of 19-20 inchers will move through. The small ones are an excellent sign of the future speck fishery.

The HRBT is jumping with fish after dark. Stripers 18-20 inches are thick on the light line, grey trout and blues own the water under the lights and flounder are waiting on the bottom. It is a silverside slaughter out there every night.

Sunday at work, the 'Hooked Up' landed a 11lb flounder, the 'Fishing Fool' caught wreak fish, black belly rose fish, sea bass and blue line tilefish, deep dropping off shore. But I think the most interesting catch was the 16" black sea bass caught by Mike on his Performer. That size black bass is usually caught off shore. This one was caught at the CBBT. Its suppose to be warm this week and fish are biting, get out and GET ON'EM.  kev

2ND WEEK OF OCT

5 days after the citation croaker

I wasn't getting any hits at one speck spot so I decided to paddle down to another area. I thought I might as well troll my gulp to see if I could pick anything up. There's at least a chance I could get a croaker or small flounder. I cast my 3/8 jig with a smoke gulp curly tail out way back, loosened the drag even looser and began to paddle. The water got deeper and I let out more line. I hear zzzzzz, zzzzzzz. the line was pealing off fast. I turned the boat and grabbed the rod. My braid was almost down to the backing, 80 yards, and the fish was still running. I was shure I had a 30" red with the steady run. I slowly and lightly fought it to within 20 yards of my boat. With its sweeping head shakes and short darts, it felt like a striper, but I didn't tighten down I kept up with the speck fight, real light. 10 yards from the boat, it was a speck, and definitely a trophy. I suppressed the adrenalin shot and my excitement and concentrated on landing the thing. Next to the boat I was ready to lip'em. I knew a regular flounder scoop wasn't going to land that speck, so I was ready to take the stitches for that caliber of fish. He flared his gills and I had my opening. I grabbed it like a shark, behind it head. With my leg, leader, and shark grip I tossed it into my kayak. The hook popped out and flew into the water. The speck flopped and I layed on'em.

I knew it was at least a 25 incher. I put the tape on'em and my eyes followed the numbers past 25, 26 and ended on 27". Bigger that any I caught in Florida, the largest I've ever held, the biggest speck of my life. I set my camera, got the shots and weighed it on my hand scales, 6lb 14oz. If it wouldn't revive, it would weigh. The minimum is 5lb or 24" for the release. I held on to it by the tail for 10 to 15 minutes until I felt it was strong enough to survive. It kicked of slow but strong. For the rest of the afternoon I caught 10 more from 16 to 21 inches. The next day, nothing. The next day, 8 including a 24"er. The next day 2 12"ers.

Last years specks averaged 15 to 18 inches. This year, they seem to be 19 to 21 inchers. Last years occasional 22 inchers are now trophy 24 inchers. Speck fishing is up and down, day by day. If you have a spot were you've caught specks before, even if they've been small, hammer it every day you can, the larger will come around. Constant fishing, after hours of casting and thoroughly working an area, you'll GET ON'EM.  kev

1ST WEEK OF OCT.

It's been an interesting week on the lower Chesapeake Bay. Strong easterly winds had most boaters inside, the resurgence of the algae bloom, the red tide,  has the bay streaked with brownish red algae, and the water temperature has risen from 73 to 76 degrees. It may not feel like fall with highs in the mid 80's, but the fall run has begun. The fish are following their migratory patterns into their fall feeding areas.

A wave of small specks, 9 to 11", have moved through providing me with a great tagging opportunity. I tagged  6 to 8 each afternoon I fished. A few larger ones have been swimming around.

This is the time of year I target silver drum, aka big croaker. Yea, that's right, I target croaker. I don't use the conventional double bottom rig and bloodworm's. I use light tackle, a half to 5/8 ounce jighead and gulp. I hover with the one arm paddle technique and vertical jig for them.

I've been hunting for a citation croaker for three years. They have to be 20" for a release or 3lb's for a kill citation. I've come close every year, many times. I've landed fat 18"ers that weighed 2lb's, 14 oz and long 19.5"ers, but never big enough.

Lee laughed when I said "Let's try for the silver drum."  "Were going to target croakers?" he asked. I answered " Yea man, big croaker." I drop in and land a 18"er, then a hefty fighting 26" red. A little while later I set into a heavy head that din't budge and my rod doubled. It slowly rose a few feet and pumped to the bottom. I new it was a croaker and not a red, a red would have ran off horizontally. Big croakers fight down like a tog. Just not as fast and hectic. They also lean against you like a black drum. I got him within site and it was big, it had to be a 20"er. I was ultra excited when I landed the silver drum. I put the tape on it, it was only 19". I was let down "Man, I thought that was the one."

A 19" croaker is totally picture worthy. I was ready to release it when lee reminded me that he wanted to keep a few. He put it in his cooler. Later, I pulled out the fish to show a buddy and it seemed a lot fatter half dead than when I was holding it all flared up for the picture. I remembered I had my hand scales. It read 3lbs. I didn't trust my scales, Lee said," That's to close." I said " Dude, we gotta go."

We get to Oceans East Tackle Shop and it weighed exactly 3lbs. I was shocked, I finally caught a citation croaker. If it wasn't for Lee wanting to keep some, it would have been released.

Trophy spot should be here in a matter of weeks. I can't wait to GET ON'EM.    kev

The inshore fish are getting bigger and fatter, preparing for their move, their metabolism is speeding up as the water temperature slowly drops. From the peninsula to the southside, mid 20" range reds, specks and silver drum, aka croakers over 16", are putting on the weight and are all over the area. The only fall fishery that hasn't started is the citation size spot. They're getting closer though, I've caught some up to 11". It wont be long, last year it was mid to later Oct when a few showed up.

The big croakers have been fun. Someone chuckled when I said I target croakers. But they are truly a lot of fun on light tackle and a trophy one is hard to get, Ive been trying for a while. I've gotten close alot with fat 18"ers and long 19"ers. I don't fish your standard bottom rigs for them, I jig and cast the usual gulp on a jighead. Vertical jigging in deep water they fight like a cross between a tog and a small black drum. In shallow water they peal line like reds. I love them silver drum.

 What are you doing behind the computer, GET ON'EM.   kev

3RD WEEK OF SEPT

 I'm working on my way to recovery. Paddling doesn't hurt, but jigging and retrieving the lure irritates my entire shoulder. Five days of strong northerly winds kept me inside pretty lake this week. Between Sat and Tues something dramatic happened. The temperature dropped six degrees from 80 to 74, in three days. That a fast drop, I was worried that would cause temperature shock to the fish or it should cause the fall run to kick into gear. In pretty lake I caught a small 9" speck and 14" red. A few ladyfish were around, I jumped two.

 Fri lee and I fished the coal piers around Lambert's point. We cast on a few points with no takers. We paddled to one of the old piers and jigged down deep, 20 to 30 feet. We hooked up to some hard fighting reds. 20 to 24". We had some great pulls as they ran away from the pier. It  was allot of fun working them out from that depth, they were strong. One gave me ugly fight, raping around a piling. I got him out of that, then he runs under a horizontal pile while Lee laughed at me. He came out and yanked me under the pier. I planted my feet on the wood and kept him from going further in. They were all as fat as they could be, big and heavy, mean and still hungry. I caught a nice white perch and Lee caught some small flounder. We both caught medium croaker.

 I will be speaking at Bass Pro Shop on Fri and Sun. Fri and sun at 3pm on kayak fishing for striper. Sun at 5pm will be the Florida tour show. Come on out and check it out.

 The water temperature is on the decline and the fish are fatten'ing up. Fall has begun. GET ON'EM.  kev.

I finally was able to put my butt in the boat in the water. The clicking in my shoulder has stopped, but my muscles are weak. I only paddled 100 yards or so in pretty lake. Paddling doesn't hurt but fishing works my shoulder. It irritates it a little, it will build back up. On wed I caught the smallest slam, a 12" red, 9" speck and a 6" flounder. On fri I landed two reds at 11 and 14", I hooked something that jumped, I thought it may have been a baby speck or blue.Then I jumped another,  and then one leaped three times before throwing my hook. Ladyfish. Totally rare for our area. I caught them up to swansboro nc on my tour, but not up here. This year has had a few anomaly's, the jack crevalle at the first island, the huge tripletail  that Jorj Head caught while buoy hooping, I recently heard of a big grouper spotted at one of the islands buy divers. And ladyfish. If this is an effect of global warming then bring it on. How long until we have tarpon in the light line at the HRBT.

Out of the dozen I jumped on fri, I only landed one. They are tough to keep on when they spend most of the quick fight in the air. After the third jump I think they're done, then they shoot out of the water, head shaking with my gulp flying the other way. Sat was the same. And I got a picture of the one out of a dozen jumped. I could see them coming, they looked like mullet pushing water. I jumped four out of four cast. They were aggressive and fun but small, 12 to 14 inches.

The cold front that moved thru on sat is the beginning of fall; the water is already cooling. This should trigger the fish to start fattn'en up for their run south. I'm slowly getting ready, recovering. Fall is creeping up, its time to GET, ON'EM.  kev.

 I'm still recovering, and my shoulder is getting better everyday, I should be paddling again buy next week. I went with Capt Reese and Damion who is Reese's show producer and a fellow kayak angler, but on Sat we were boat anglers. when I asked Reese on the show if I could go he said " come on I've got the minnows and the squid."  I answered " I don't need any of that, I've got my jig heads and gulp." I think I heard Reese laugh a bit. We get out there and Reese prepares his flounder rigs with the 'sandwich'. I put on a 'jigasaras gulp' and drop it in the water. I bounced it along the drift for a few minutes and caught a 18"er. And then a 17"er.  Then Reese and Damion caught'em. They were all undersized and were tagged and released. Damion also caught a decent sized roundhead. We didn't stay to long we came back around 1:30. That afternoon I went to the HRBT with my dad and caught nothing but one 11" flounder.

 Is there any questions or story you want to hear about? email me and I will answer them here in the weekly catch. Hopefully ill be back in my kayak this coming week and i can GET back ON'EM.  kev.

 LAST WEEK OF AUGUST

 Well, I'm still on the injured list, no paddling for me this week. But lee went out on labor day along with a million boats and fished the Yancy. Lee landed a 24" sheep and broke off three others. Two weeks ago, lee caught a triggerfish that I tagged a few weeks before. On labor day Lee caught the same one again. This time, the trigger didn't get released. Lewis on the 'Hooked up' was flounder fishing off of cape Henry and boated a 50" cobia. The guys aboard the 'Freedom' dived on wrecks off of Wachapreague over the weekend hunting for lobster. Instead shot flounder, with one at 30", and some of the biggest tog Ive ever seen. Multiple 30"ers.

 I received a couple of cool tag returns this week. Rick Williams caught one of my flounder that I tagged in may at the HRBT. Rick caught the 12" flounder off of cape Henry. The largest black drum I caught was recaptured three days later. Why this is so cool is that it was a long fight. It took me a half hour to land him. And I had him out off the water for a while. But I spent nearly 20 minutes reviving him. I held on to his bottom lip until he bit me then I held on to the top lip so he could breath better. He drummed and I flipped him around and held on to his tail until he fully kicked hard and out of my hand. I had heard someone saw three floating dead black drum at cape Henry. You gota put the time in reviving these monsters, not just toss them in. Theres a spot on the eastern shore were Lee and I were tagging real small tog and black sea bass. In June I tagged  sea bass, in July Lee caught the same one. In august I caught him again. A week later it was caught on his way out at the CBBT. As the tag returns are showing, some fish are starting to move. GET ON'EM. kev.

 4TH WEEK IN AUGUST

 I was riding my bike home from work on a typical sunny sunday afternoon. I always cool down the last block from my house by riding with no hands and relaxing. I can ride like that for miles on my 15 year old Gary Fisher mountain bike. I have good control usually, until my left foot slipped off.

  Time sped up when my foot hit the ground. I tried to my weight to my right and grab the handle bars. They spun to the right, locking the bike up. I knew i was going down. Time slowed, I brought my hands into my chest, pulled my legs in away from my bike. I tucked my head in and spun my body in mid air, aiming my back toward the road and prepared for impact. I hit hard on my left shoulder blade. Time sped up fast. The hit jarred my entire body. I rolled over my back and stoped upright on my butt. I took a breath and made a damage assessment from head to toe. Two of my fingers were bleeding, my knee was scraped and my shoulder hurt. It wasn't a sharp pain so I knew nothing was broken, but it hurt like it should after landing on it with that much weight and force. I stood up and shook it all off, double checking for any sudden pains with each step. I hopped back on my bike and rode home. In the five min it took to get home my shoulder was hot and swelling. I immediately iced it down. There was no way I was going to the emergency room and sit there for four hours just for some bruising.

 Four days later their was a lump on my shoulder that didn't go away when the swelling did. I was worried it was a carer ending detached muscle. I went to Dr. Cohen who saw me last year when I was crushed by the boat at work. Got an x ray and my collar bone is dislocated from my shoulder. It sounds bad but not as bad as a detached muscle. I asked " can you pop it back in?" he said "not without opening you up, most people are 100% after six months, you'll be back paddling in no time."

 Lee went to the CBBT this week and whacked the triggerfish up to 18". Joe capt of the 'decisions' caught a nearly impossible Chesapeake grand slam. Citations of cobia, red and black drum, all around the 1st and 2nd islands.

 For now I'm on the bench with the injury for a few weeks. I probably wont be able to hunt big fish, till the stripers in the winter. I was handling small sharks and bringing big rays to close enof to get me a week before. Something as mundane as riding home from work, nearly took me out. I have to start out slow, fishing for bait and work my way out to further waters.Reds and specks will be the target in another month, i'll be ready by then. There should be allot this year, I hope to stick allot of tags if I can get GET ON 'EM. kev.

 3RD WEEK IN AUGUST

  Ric and I jumped out to the first island for the afternoon early in the week. We couldn't ask for a nicer day. Though we could have had clearer water. Ric was ahead of me and saw a few black drum but they were low. The water visibility was about 5 feet and the fish were allot deeper than that. After trying the tube and getting robed buy baby black sea bass, i eventually went to the Yancy and caught one 16" trigerfish.

   On the way back, right after sunset, I saw two fins coming down current around some pilings south of the Yancy. I thought it was two rays. when the fins circled around the last pile I saw the white underside of the 50+ inch cobia. I started shaking and loud whispered to Ric "cobia, cobia." I pitched the jigasuras up current, a bluefish bit the tail off as soon as it hit the water. I reloaded and fired back but the cobia disappeared down deep.

  For the last couple of weeks we have gone for tarpon on the eastern shore. So far, we haven't even seen one. But it is nonstop action with rays and small sharks. The rays would take off. Even when I slammed the hook in them, they just keep going, theres no stopping them. I watched my spool empty out and drop my anchor rope to wench down on them to get some line back. All day long. I went thru 20 hooks and two dozen spot, croaker,blues and menhaden which a cut in half for baits.

 Lee always said the eastern shore givith and takeith back. In the past Ive last anchors and ropes and broken rods. This day I did both. my anchor buoy slipped off of the rope. I tried to get it wile holding on to my rope which slipped from my hand and sank. I had a spare.

 On the last bait of the day I fought a large ray to the boat. I almost had the leader when the ray shot under and out away from the kayak, breaking my rod in three places. Lee is right.

  Although no targeted fish were even seen, I enjoyed having a day fishing with both of my fishing buddy's. And that's what its about anyway. Fishing with your Friends even though you don't GET ON'EM. kev.

2nd week in august

FRI the winds were forecasted to be southwest 10 to 20 (NOAA) and 20 to 25 (weather channel). I wanted to fish the 1st island with Ric, who had the day off, and Lee. Target: black drum. Lee and Ric hadn't gotten one yet. The forecasted strong southerly winds would be tough to paddle in against. I called around to those who had offered a mothership trip in the past. Reese from the Catchen' with Capt. Reese radio show on 850 WTAR agreed. We needed a test run for any off shore trip we might do in the future. It was easy, Ric and I have done it with Barclay trying to film for the "Smoking Gun TV show." It was really easy in the WTAR, Troy Marine 36' pro cat; big and comfortable, our three boats and room to spare.

We get to the 1st island and the winds were SE 5 to 10.  Capt. Reese dropped us off and we paddle around to the east side. I saw a sheepshead over the tube. I had to put my blinders on, "my target is drum" I said. I didn't even have my 'rock' rods. I saw a big black drum as soon as I went around the corner. I was looking for the schooling ones. They were down deep. I free lined a live peeler for a wile with no takers. When it died, I cut it in half and pitched it in front of the school. I caught a 30"er. A real small one for there! I didn't think there were any this size out here!

I kept getting small bites on my peeler halves. I slowly reeled up and had three triggerfish follow it up, nipping on it all the way. Ric watched as I kept them on the surface, trying to hook them with my 9/0 hooks. Lee went to the Yancey and caught 4 triggers up to 17". While Ric went to the tube, and got his fiddlers robbed by baby black sea bass. Lee broke his rod on a discarded anchor rope. Likely my lost anchor rope I dropped the week before.

Capt. Reese was going to pick us up around noon so we all switched to the 'jigasauras' and began hunting and casting. The wind shifted northerly, we could have paddled out and had the tail wind back; it would have been perfect. It was tough hunting with the smaller schools way down deep. I wouldn't see them until I was right over top of them. I would back off to cast. I hooked up to a 48"er, but the tail. I held on for the ride. I stayed with him as he pulled me through the school. When he was finally done, I spun him around buy the leader and lipped him. Ric was too far to get a picture; I tagged him and got him in the water. He quickly kicked away strong.

Ric was the next to hook up while standing, jigging at them under his boat. The fight was heavy, Ric hooked him buy the tail, but he heaved the 48"er up and landed for the picture (in the fish box).

Lee was almost convinced that he was not going to get one then his line snapped tight. He was pulled around fast; it looked like a good battle. The 48"er dropped his kayaks waterline when he landed it. His was hooked in the chin, real near the mouth. When he was reviving the fish, schools of spadefish were swimming down current, eating the slime that was coming off the drum.

Ric didn't register his fish for a citation, but lee did. The rule is if you are trying to get them to bite and you accidentally snag one, you can register a citation. Although Ric was trying to make them bite, he didn't want the citation. I said “you were fully intending to entice a bite, get the citation man.” Lee's fish was hooked close enough to the mouth to say he was trying to hit the jig. Lee got the citation. A mouth hook up is a much better fight. Faster, more aggressive runs, and stronger pulls and head shakes. 2 out of 7 of the ones I threw the jigasauras to, were hooked in the lip. Whether it’s a reactionary or a hunger bite, they will hit a jig.

The black drum is still there but something has changed. They are deeper and fewer than the phenomenal day I had that sat. But still worth targeting if you can handle the smelly thick slime, look at lee's legs. Even if they leave or are too deep to site cast to, there are plenty of other fish to target, GET ON'EM. Kev

1st week of August

Last week I had a schedule change at work. I was needed on the afternoon shift. Lee works in the evenings so we jumped out to the 1st island for sheepshead and black drum. We had been tracking them for weeks. First they were at the 3rd and 4th islands. A month ago they were at the 2nd island. Then I began hearing reports about the 1st. Ric landed a 46"er two years ago and last year they did'nt even show up.

I took my JB custom rock fishing rod ( tog, sheepshead) and a 6'6" cape fear rod, rated to an ounce and a half. My reel is a quantum, accurate pt low profile bait caster spooled with 20lb braid to 30lb fluorocarbon leader, and a 1oz jig head which I baited with the new 6" gulp curly tail. It's half the gear I like to fight big fish with, but I landed a 40" striper and felt fairly confident with it.

We launched at 4:30am and fished the rocks till 9. I caught two togs at 14". Lee landed 4 from 14" to 21!"

I slow paddled 10 yards from the rocks. I had never seen the big blacks on the islands before and dint know what to look for. I went 10 yards and " oh there thay are!" they were surprisingly easy to see. They were light tan against the dark background, and looked like a light colored rock that moved. I put my paddle down kinda loud and scared them. I pitched infront of the direction they took of in. The line came tight and began pealing off the spool. All while Lee was saying " what? where? you got one on !?!"

I had no control over that drum, it was bear hunting wit