KayakKevin.com

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

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

MAY 30- JUNE 3

The big red drum grand finale. Three days on the Eastern Shore, three days of getting beat up on the Fisherman Island Shoals. For the last 5 weeks my main target was the big reds. Each week was its own wild adventure! Not that I won't go to the shoals for a try, but usually May is the prime time for that area. The May full moon is the time that crabs shed. I think that is what attracts the reds to those shoals. The fishery will continue on the nine foot and middle ground shoals for another month, too far to fish from a kayak. My season in the washing machine is done. Final tally;after 55 hours, I caught six reds, 41", two 43", 44", 46", and a 48"er. Two blacks at 30". Lee had three reds at 40",42" and 47" , and one black at 38" which was caught six days later at buoy 13. Ric had a kayak-caught red at 45" and a boat-caught red at 47". And Jay Beeler on his 1st time on the shoals and his 1st cast landed a 46" citation red.

THURS, I make a quick escape from work after a near $80 disaster with our peelers, the last peeler crabs around. I put them in my to frosty fridge and nearly killed them. I revived them at work and back on ice thay went. I evacuated the southside across the CBBT and met Lee at the launch at 1pm. We paddled out to the shoals with perfect timing as the outgoing tide ended and the flood tide began. The wind was from the south up to 15mph. The waves were rolling in at 3to 4 feet with a little wind chop. 15 min after putting out the baits, the line moved with slow steady clicks. I gradually thumbed my spool, hooked the fish and he ran hard for the breakers. my anchor rope broke loose as usual, I was heading for the breakers. I grabbed my anchor rope and started that tug of war again.        

" Forget this!" I yelled and lighted up on the drag. The wind held me of the shoal while I kept pressure on and waited for him to come of the shoal. I engaged my other reel so I wouldn't have allot of line out, so i wouldn't get tangled in it during the fight. The fish eventually ran to the deeper water and i tighten down the drag and went after him. Winching down on him, moving fast, POW! my other rod gets hit hard! The tip was nearly in the water and line was getting striped from my spool, loudly, my clicker was still on. I looked down to se my rod holder flexing my kayak! l had to loosen the drag so the fish wouldn't rip it from my boat. Then my clicker really started to scream. 

I called Lee on the radio "Lee I've got a double and he's spooling me, get over here and get this fish!!"

The two fish held me in place, one heading for the shoals and the other going inland. I handed Lee the other rod. " This is a nice rod" he said about my JB big fish custom rod. finally I was free to fight and land my 41" red. I tagged him as lee fought and landed the 42"er. The waves grew as the tide rose then lee hooks up. I drop my anchor rope and float back for some shots. The full moon current was cranken. It was hard work hovering with lee as he fought the fish on anchor. It was a tough fight against that current. He would get him close to land him and he would keep going forward against the current. He eventually landed the 47" citation red.we fished for another 3 hours with not a bite.

 FRI Ric and I were filming with Barclay Shepperd and his TV show ' the smoking gun outdoors show' this was our second shot. We tried for cobia last year and got skunked. We felt confident since they were there the day before. We mother-ship on Barclay flats/bay boat. We loaded up and launched from Kiptopeake. We unloaded into our kayaks behind the shoals. It was windy and choppy, with a raging current. we were all jumping waves. Eventually Barclay couldn't stay anchored in position after almost taking a wave over the bow, and retreated to deeper water. I was ready to throw in the towel, but Ric moved closer into the shoal. I hovered around Ric yelling, "there's no fish here today!" No other boats were catching and I was well over the beating, and after two more white rolling walls of saltwater slammed us, he was ready too. That was the first skunk in 5 weeks. And the 2nd skunk trying to film with Barclay. Ric and I camped at the creek launch, loaded up in case we had an opportunity to get out for the early morning incoming tide. 

 SAT 4am came early as Ric and I woke to low winds and we launched. Ric was way ahead of me as usual in his prowler 15. when I came around the Smith Island Point, I hit the incoming current. I called Ric on the radio, " I just hit the current wall, I think we are to late."

He called back, "It's not that bad out here, just come on!"

I padded at a snails pace, 1mph and crawled out to Ric already set up on the shoal.

"Yea, its not that bad out here"  and that was the problem. The waves were weak, the water was too clear, no turbulence churning up the shoal. And the temp had dropped 5 degrees. By 9am the current should have been cranken, but it was flowing like a half moon tide. We both had sweet spots. I was right on the edge of the shoal, the breaking waves within 10 feet. I was luckily over a small hole, waves would break infront of me, then reform under, then break behind. As the water level rises, the waves are able to keep their energy over the outside bar. They don't break over the same shallow area when the water was lower. They keep their form and break further in, where we are anchored. We always have to move to deeper water toward the top of the tide. As the peaking waves would almost break and roll over, I would think, "I'm probably going to have to move".  Not long after, I looked up at a wave that rolled in from a different angle. It was bigger than the others. 

I thought, "that's not going to break there."

It peaked up to the limit and broke. I yelled "no way!"

I tried to paddle fast up the wall, but it was already too late. The wall of white water hit me square in the face! I slammed down the back side and looked at Ric through the water running off my hat. He was singing the Hawaii Five-O theme.

It would have been nice to have a grander grand finale, like a 50 incher, but a double on Thurs was wild! But that's the way I like it. I fish a place hard until I get skunked. Next on the list and in our sights, cobia! One was weighed at Wallace's late last week, it has started. Until then, I am getting ready for a short tour from VA beach to Cape Henlopen, Delaware. And all the inside fishing spots have fish, it's all on -so GET ON'EM. kev.

May 25- 30

I know I sound like a broken record when talking about the 'shoals', burliest fish, burliest place,blah,blah,blah. And it seems that every week I've got another crazy story from the eastern shore. Well, it's a wild place! With big wild fish! Only experienced kayak anglers should try.

After posting on the tkaa.org forums, there was a small fleet of kayakers going, there was Lee, who has fished with me alot in the last year, sheepshead, tog, striper (check out the fishbox page). If it's big and burly -  he has fished for them with me. There was Linstad, who has fished with Ric and I a number of times in imperfect conditions. He is always cracking smart jokes in his North Dakotan accent. There was Jay and Rick C; 10 year fishing partners, pier and surf guys who in the last two years have put alot of time in the kayaks. A good crew, experienced in the water, in their kayaks, and prepared for big reds.

I get a call the night before from a guy who wanted to come down and hit the shoals with us. I basically interviewed him, " what's your kayaking experience?"

He said, " I just got my kayak and I've gone in my creek a few times." 

I said, "dude, you don't want to paddle out to the shoals! You need at least a year paddling before you even think about going out to the shoals." 

I spent the next 15 minutes trying to talk him out of it. But he was real persistent about going.

He said, "I'm a young guy."

I said, "It doesn't matter. It's your skill level and ability I'm worried about. It's how much you can take. Haven't you read my reports (here and TKAA)?  It is the burliest place we fish and they are big and mean!"

He still wanted to go. I thought to myself, what is this guy thinking?  I guess when you look at the pictures of us holding big reds in relatively calm water, it doesn't look bad. But those pictures are taken after the fish has already pulled us away from the shoals. So he was going to come out. And I wasn't going to tell the dude, no you can't go. I just wanted him to know what he was getting himself in to.

"Do you have any kids?" 

"No."

"Good, no dependents.  You're going to be a liability to us out there, if you go in, one of us is going to have to risk his life to save you."

FRI we paddled out with the crew. The newbie was way under-geared, with medium weight tackle. I pointed to the other guys' heavy tackle and said, "If you hook one, he will spool you on the first run. If you do get lucky and get to fight one you'll be back at the launch by the time you land him."

We went over a tiny boat wake and teh newbie said " whoa."

Lee and I laughed. Not trying to be mean. Lee said to him "you don't know what you've gotten yourself in to." 

Luckily, the newbie got sea sick in a hour and paddled to Smith Island to recover along with Rick C. who also had gotten sick.  Lucky he got out before the tide changed and it really got crazy. I know some of you sickos wanted some carnage story about teh newbie, but him getting sea sick so quickly was the best thing that could have happened.

I always get scared approaching the shoals. Scared of missing the slew and getting closed in a shoal with the out going tide and getting sucked into the breakers. You never know what its like until it's to late and you're in them. Plus the added pressure off all my buddies following me into the teeth of the monster. But again I found the same spot at the right time.

The current was slacking and we all did the pitch and drift technique. One of Jay's first pitches put it right into a red's mouth. Unanchored, he fought that fish with the slightest drag so not to get pulled into the shoals. He had just enough pressure to keep him on until he ran for the deeper water. He fought it so lightly I doubted he even had a fish. Incredible, expertly executed drag control kept Jay out of the shoal, and disaster. Jay tighted down on'em in the deep water and landed his first kayak 46" citation red!

When the current began to flood back in, it brought the waves. They began to grow, 2 to 3 foot. We anchored up, in a line next to the breakers. Lee was tucked in tight into a small deep hole. Waves were breaking in front of him, reforming and breaking behind him. When the waves grew to 4 feet, I think I saw Lee get vertical a couple times. My problem in those waves is my anchor rope cam. With the sudden jerk of a wave, my rope gets released. I'm usually riding the waves with the rope in my hand like a rodeo rider.

The crab on the line in the wash began to move. Slowly my reel began to click. Linstad was within hearing distance, I called to him, "here it goes!" I slowly tighted down my drag. the fish really picked up speed as the circle hook worked its way in to place. He was heading deeper into the shallow, shallow water.  A 4 foot wave nearly broke on me, and pow -  my anchor rope is out and I'm heading into the breakers. I could have loosened my drag put my rod in the rod holder and paddled out, but he felt like he wanted to go all the way across the shoal. I didn't have enough line for that. On instinct, I grabbed my anchor rope with my left hand. With my kayak broadside to the peaking 3 to 4 foot waves, and a tough red steadily trying to pull me into a deadly washing machine, I was in a life threatening tug of war!

The fish was digging in like a pit bull trying to break its chain. I kept my drag tight holding my ground with my rope. My line went slack a couple of times and I transferred my rod to my left hand.  The rope burned as it slipped thru my hand with the pitching waves while I reeled furiously. This ugly fight seemed to last 10 minutes.

I wanted it to end. I wanted to land the fish! It was a long stand off. I was tired, but holding on. The waves were breaking so close it was just a matter of time, one would break on me. My muscles strained as I held on.

He finally ran to the deeper water, then it was my fight! With tight drag I winched down on'em, to the boat and he would burn drag, sprinting away. Spin me to the left, to the boat, splash! Tail wash! And out 20 yards! I'd wench back to him, he sprinted at my boat, blam! He rammed my hull, spinning me to the right. It was like two heavy weight fighters exchanging brutal body blows. He wrapped me in my other line a dozen times, but I worked it out. And eventually worked him out. We measured the length and I was shocked that he was 44". Don't get me wrong, any fish 40+ inches is a prize catch in a kayak, but a BIG red is 50" and up. I just got my butt whipped by a moderate size red. And I was beat.

The rest of the crew headed back and Lee and I moved across the slew to the other shoal. We had the perfect conditions and shoal structure but no fish the rest of the tide. We had the current and the wind on the way in. I practically paddled lying on my back.

This coming weekend is the full moon, prime time! And fast, fast currents. I'm sure another wild weekend on the shore is on its way, and if the weather will let us, we will try again to GET ON'EM. kev.

May 18- 24

I don't call the Fisherman Island Shoals the burliest place we fish for nothin. Maybe we should rename it to 'hold on for your life shoals' or 'trauma wave shoal.'

SAT; low tide at 6pm. the forecast nw 10-15 dropping and shifting to sw 5-10 in the afternoon. Betting on the forecast, Ric, Lee and I committed, buying crabs and preparing. After the Wild River Outfitters kayak demo, we headed over, the wind dropped at the right time. Driving over the CBBT, there were big smooth breakers on the 9 foot shoals. I knew it was going to be a wild wave riding evening. We took our time gearing up and drifted out. I get nervous on the approach to the shoals, they always look like there breaking all the way across, and there are no openings.  I wanted to get in the same spot as last week, and some how again, found it. The current was finishing up the last hour of the outgoing and I wanted to try a new technique. I put on 2oz and baited with a whole peeler crab. Drifting along the edge of the shoal, I looked for an opening in the breakers, then paddling hard into the temporary opening, hit the breaks, and cast as far as I could in to the messiest water. I kept my reel in free spool and backed out fast. With the 2oz, the bait drifted down the shoal with current. i did the same with a little controlled drift. It felt cool but no hits.

When the tide switched the waves began to grow and grow. We anchored off in a row along the edge of the drop, in 6-8 foot of water. Occasionally a set of 5 foot swells would roll thru and break 10 feet away along the shoal. We were out of range of the breakers, barely. But not out of range from the rest of the almost breaking, peaked out, slightly deeper part of that wave. I watched lee in front of me as he climbed the growing rolling wall strait up. His bow in the air, then over and disappearing behind. And then my turn, I paddled forward over my anchor rope giving it some slack. The climb up the wall seamed to take forever, like when I use to skateboard the local vert ramps. I could see daylight thru the thin, over vertical, wispy top. Busting thru with a spray of water. With my bow completely out of the wave, I'd only crash down the back side after the wave past the mid section of the boat. A few times I didn't give enough slack on my anchor line and it would snatch me down thru the wave, scary.  I turned around to watch Ric disappear then explode over the top, entire bow air borne. He was smiling as he slammed down the back side.

After a while, I was beginning to think we were going to get skunked, then Ric's clicker screamed. Lee yelled" that sounds like a red!" Ric left his clicker on so we could hear the entire fight. We watched as Ric transferred rods when the fish circled his boat. An amazing thing with Ric and big fish is his ability to land them on anchor, he did it with the cobia, and he did it with this 45" red. At sunset Lee hooked up and landed a beautifully red, red. We through in the towel at dark. Inside Fishermans Island Bay we unknowingly paddled onto the Raccoon Island flats. The swells were keeping their strength over the now deeper shoals. I didn't see it but I felt my boat get picked up. I gave one good paddle stroke and I was gone. The super fast ride was unexpectedly long and real wet from the spray. When I finally slowed I looked into the darkness and saw Lee's light bouncing fast in the night. Lee caught a ride but Ric got broken on, swamping his boat. He was wet but not swimming -  the "swamp yer' boat shoals!"

OTHER REPORTS

Some flounder from the First Island area came in at work this week but not alot. There was a school off 40" stripers working a bait pot near the Second Island on Thursday. Lewis on the 'hooked up' had an interesting catch this week. He was flounder drifting along the Hampton Bar area when his rod bent double and the line screamed off. It was no flounder. After a tough fight a 7.5lb tog was in the net.

I will be back on the shoals this weekend and next. Then its cobia time. Two more weekends on the 'death defying shoals' or the ' is your life insurance up to date shoals' or the ' fish worth risking your life for shoals' absolutely, without a doubt, wish us luck and hop we can GET ON'EM.  kev.