The water temps at kipto revived to 44 this past week, but not long enough to get the fish biting. Then another cold front slammed in and really put some cold air in the area which dropped the water temps. I heard of fish off of sandbridge before this front hit. The stripers should be far south or far east by now.
I’m working hard on the DVD to get it out to y’all. It’s coming along real cool. Its definitely a kayak view on how we GET ON’EM!kev
4TH WEEK OF DEC The cold front shut down
Last weeks cold front put a hurten on the fish at the ships. The water temps plummeted to the dreaded 42 degrees. Folks are seeing them on they’re fishfinders but they have lock jaw.The temps have risen in the last few days but there is another cold front on the way. Last year during the “Game On” shoot the fish were off the entire week. The friday the crew flew out the winds turned south and warmed the water to 46 degrees. That saterday, we wacked ‘em. What we need is the water temps to get to the mid 40’s and stabilize. They will turn on and this could happen any time, I’ve caught them in Feb when an east wind pushed ocean water in. It may be off for now but there is still a chance to GET ON'EM! kev
3RD WEEK OF DEC The action finally picked up
The bite became real consistent around the current changes this week. With multiple fish caught instead of one per change. The best day was Friday before the nor'easter blew through. The sky was overcast, the wind was light, the water temps were right, and the pre-dawn air was frigged as I paddled out for the morning slack. I hung out with Rob Choi and waited for the zip-zip from my line. As the color of the sunrise crept over the shore line I got a zip-zip and yanked a 43"er from the pilings. At daylight, Rob dropped on the ship and hooked up to a 45"er that pulled him out and back to the ships. I was adrift out from the ships after taking pictures of Rob when I felt a hard tap from the eel I had dangling. I picked it up and fish on! Awesome, except for my reel was broken and reversing. I fought the 45"er holding on to the handle and letting line out on runs by reeling backward. Afterward I had to come in to harm my hands and Rob went on the drift. I came back out for the mid-day slack current. I made a ship-rip drift close by and ended by the southern ships. At the slack the fish woke up, I saw one fought at the pilings, one the ship drift, and Charlie church landed a big one on the ships which he promptly took to Chris's bait and tackle to weigh. It was a beast and I think it weighed in at 47lbs. After another break I headed out with Ric and Shante for the evening slack, it was our last chance before the storm, and the winds were already picking up. We fished into the rain, I hooked a good sized one but didn't back my drag off after the hook up, and broke my 50lb braid on a lunging head shake. I sat there looking at my line and said "I never knew I could do that." luckily I got another shot and hooked a 48"er that really liked to be beside the ship wall after a run outside. I would like to be optimistic about the water temp recovery after this blow, but I am just hoping for the best as the water temps are dipping to 44 degrees (sun). Keep track of it at the link at the top of the page. If it gets to 42 its over for now. But if it rebounds to the prime temp range of 45-48, we will be able to GET ON'EM! kev
Rob Choi with a 45"er
kev's early morning 43"er
kevs evening 48"er
2ND WEEK OF DEC Working for the bite
This week was Shantes turn to land a trophy striper. She had a long weekend and was ready to put one in the boat. Defiantly not as easy as it sounds or as it looks. We fished each of the current changes on the days we could get out. Few were pick up but on Saturday it was on there was a run that had a kayaker getting pulled every 20 mins, but Shante and I wasn’t lucky enough to have one come our way.
On our last day we fished the morning and the evening current change, nothing in the morning and one in the evening. Chad Hoover was in the middle of everyone and hooked up to a 51”er check it out at kayakbassfishing.com. That was it for that change, facing defeat Shante decided we would have to hit the late night current change.
The wind picked up from the southwest as we launched. We hid behind the ship until we heard cussing from the pilings from one that just got off. We tightened our boot straps and headed out into the mess. The waves had us pitching 2 feet as we hovered constantly paddling into the wind. I hooked into a 44”er and didn’t re-eel as I knew Shante was going to hook up in min’s. She did but it came unbuttoned during the fight. She was a littler frustrated but dropped again. The next one she hooked solidly, fighting it with tight drag, only giving inches of line. At the side of the boat she didn’t even bother with lipping it she scooped the 45”er in with only leg and leader.
Sorry I’ve been slacking on the weekly videos. I’ve been concentrating on filming the DVD footage I’ve neglected the gopro’s. But we’ve got some really cool footage so far, five fights from hook up to release. If you can get a chance get to kipto and drop an eel. It’s never a sure thing but you have a good chance to have one of those big striper come across your eel and you will GET ON’EM!kev
Shante worked hard for this 45"er
1ST WEEK OF DEC Pick'en at'em.
Lee's 48"er
Lee was asked, “So when do the stripers start biting around here?” Lee said, “When you have given enough of your money to the bridge toll, they will start biting.” The eastern shore will let you know when you have given enough to the fishery to let you land a fish, whether it is money, fishing rods, loads of tackle, cell phones, and paddles, what ever you can lose to the water is payment to land a trophy fish. The e-shore is a due paying fishery. But you never know who might just get lucky. Lee and I thought is was going to be a calm wind day so we headed out for the drift. The current was ripping in so we thought we’d drift out and come back with the outgoing current, which would be noonish. The wind came up hard from the north and we wanted to get back to the shelter of the ships. We paddled against the strong current only making headway with the waves as they pushed us against the current. It took us two hours to paddle the two miles. Here’s where the luck come in to play. We work our way in the alleys to one occupied buy a few guys who had been there for a while. Lee dropped an eel along the ship wall and hooked up to a 48”er, his first big kayak caught fish of the year. That’s how that place is. I saw a group of kayakers lined up along the wall and the middle guy gets the bite. All you can do is execute the proper technique, put you time in and be lucky enough to have a striper come up to your eel for that chance to GET ON’EM!kev
My 1st big striper of the year, 46"
Kyle's 1st over 40" kayak caught fish, 42" striper
4TH WEEK OF NOV Winter fishing has started
The water temps were almost in the striper zone earlier in the week and I headed for kipto. I had 54-55 degrees as I slow trolled around kipto. My eel didn't even get nervous. I finished the evening at the ships for the current change with no runs. Al Stillman from Kayak Fishing Magazine online rented a kipto lodge with a group of friends this weekend. Shante and I meet them out at the ships for the night tide change. Two of them landed striper. It has started a little slow but should grow better if the weather slowly cools. It's worth it if you get a chance to try to GET ON'EM!kev
