Lee, Zach and I got out to the island looking for some tautog. For the last few weeks they have been deep and on the pilings. Now we are finding them relatively shallow in 10 to 15 foot of water. They are going to be spawning soon and the females bellies are looking like they are stretched to maximum capacity, and they are still biting. If you are taking tog in this time of year try to limit your catch to male togs and let the females go to spawn, it will help the future fishery. The closed season for tog is from May 1st through June 24th while they are spawning. So there is plenty of time to GET ON’EM!kev
Male Tog
Female Tog
Zach with a Wrasse
1ST WEEK OF APRIL Slow tog'en.
Mike with a nice tog
Lee, Zach, Mike and I loaded up on crab and paddled out to the island hoping for the togs to be biting like they were two weeks ago. Lee caught one early on and we thought it was going to be good. We were picking at 'em, I had one chance at a tog and I missed him. Zach and Mike caught one each and Lee was the top tog'er of the day with a whopping three. I headed to the ships for some tog, when I got there the wind was blowing hard from the south east throwing a two foot choppy swell on the ships. I didn't even have to get out of the truck, I knew what that was going to be like in the ships. In any kind of swell the inside caverns of the ships are like a washing machine. I changed my day from a fishing trip to a exploratory trip. I launched in the lee of the land and paddled around for the rest of the afternoon. the water was clear and I saw small bait fish and small mullet but no predators. I paddled up to a pound net to see what was running and it only had menhaden. The water are only going to get gradually warmer and more fish will enter the bay for us to GET ON'EM! kev
Lee with the first one of the day
4TH WEEK OF MARCH Nothen caught this week.
Mike P and I went to Rudee this week, the water was clear and we didnt see a fish, or any bait fish. The water temps droped to below tog temps after this weeks cold front. this weeks video is a cameraman angle at filming. check out the cameraman hustle on the Weekly Video Report we are looking for the water temps to rise again so we can GET ON'EM! kev
3RD WEEK OF MARCH Tog's started biting and lightline stripers
My fishing year has finally begun. Earlier in the week Shante, Ric and I headed out to the HRBT looking for some sight casting lightline action, and we found it. Striper in the 22 to 26 inch range were roaming the lightline for the picking. On the second night, Ric hunted down andlanded a 33 incher.
We have been watching the water temp this week as it broke 50 degrees. Zach and I paddled out to the first island and got into some nice size tog. It was as on as on could be. The conditions were perfect, no wind, a slow current and hungry spring tog.
I had my weight slide under a rock and get wedged, like it did a half dozen times that day. And like I did a half dozen times before I pointed my rod down and pull until the weight broke off. This time as I began to reel my line in there was a heavy tug back down. I big 22 inch female fought me hard. That one should make it onto the next DVD. Its toggen time, GET ON'EM! kev
My first fish of the year
Zach and a 20"er
Big daddy tog
2ND WEEK OF MARCH Ric, Lee and Matt get on some tuna
Matt geting a ride of a lifetime. photo: Ric Burnley
I still haven’t caught anything but I did get out paddling a few miles in this week on the first real warm day this year. I’ve started out a new weekly video report page with the turtle fight from last spring while cobia fishing off Grandview. The big news is Ric, Lee and Matt mothershipped out of Hatteras for some monster tuna and all had fights, Matt landed….. “Guys fishing out of Hatteras have been blasting big bluefin by trolling, jigging, chunking, even throwing topwater poppers.It was time to try the kayaks.Matt Shepard, Lee Williams, and I loaded our ‘yaks on Captain Scott Warren’s Big Tahuna and headed for the blue water.When we got to the edge of the Gulf Stream, the bite was on.Big bluefin rolling and busting on the surface.Launched the kayaks and started hooking up immediately with vertical jigs and rigged ballyhoo.Fish were so big and powerful that we kept breaking off.Finally, Matt got one to stick and an hour and a half later he landed a 166 pounder.Fish dragged him over 2.5 miles at speeds up to 7 knots.Experience of a lifetime!Scott’s looking for more kayak warriors…http://www.bigtahuna.com/.Ric.” Id like to thank everyone who has bought the DVD. I really do appreciate it and would like some feedback on it. If you enjoyed it or have any questions post up on the kayak fishing forums and help spread the word on it. The water is warming into the tog’en range I’m looking for 50 degrease to GET ON”EM!.kev
Lee chasing it down for the kill. photo: Ric Burnley
Matt's 166lb bluefin tuna. Kayak world record, biggest tuna from a kayak.
3RD WEEK OF FEB DVD should be ready to go next week
In the meantime check out the Columbia add that just came out on they're website, Columbia.com
4TH WEEK OF JAN DVD out real soon
I know it seems that I have been slacking on my weekly reports. The truth is, I haven't been on the water since the ships, pretty much a month ago. But I have been utilizing my time inside to finish the DVD and send it to the manufactures, we should receive them in two weeks, so the count down is on. I will leave the teaser trailer up till the DVDs are ready to go. If you want an email on the day they go on sale, email me and I will email you back. then you will be on the mass email list. (contact) the DVD will be sold on the DVD page. We are also on facebook; kayak fishing the Chesapeake bay On another note, check out Jake Stachovak kayak touring the "loop" click on the spot locater on his site; Portage to Portage Paddling Project
