LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Northeast
Mid-Atlantic and the Carolinas
ERIC HARRISON WON THE SLAM DIVISION OF LAST YEAR’S JAMAICA BAY KAYAK FISHING TOURNAMENT WITH A 97-INCH TOTAL FOR A WEAKFISH, STRIPER AND BLUEFISH.
T
he number of new kayak fish- ermen on the water in New
England every year is amazing. Last August, New England Kayak Fishing’s Fourth Annual Mass Bay Striper Shootout in Salem, Massa- chusetts, filled its 100-plus spots very quickly. Rob Ullmann took first place with a 47-inch striped bass while Kyle Medbery was close behind with a 46.5-incher. Many fish over 40 inches were photographed and released. A great raffle included kayaks from Hobie and Ocean Kayak. Te big story for last sea-
son was the number of quality fish landed. Roland St. Denis, a kayak fishing guide in Connecti- cut, described the season as one of great quality and moderate quantity. Anglers using the right techniques, oſten live scup or menhaden, were scoring some very large fish all over the re- gion. Te one notable exception was Maine—many Maine an- glers described the 2008 season as the worst in years. Tat com- bined with a quieter than usual fall run has many wondering about the overall health of the striper fishery. Make 2009 the year you try
something new. If you always fish salt, go fresh! Before the bass and bluefish show up along our coastlines, the big lakes of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine offer great trout and salm- on fishing right aſter ice-out. Many lakes and rivers in Mas- sachusetts and Connecticut have trophy pike and tiger muskies, and these fish get very active as soon as there is open water.
56 … KAYAK ANGLER spring 2009
CHAD HOOVER IS FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE TIDEWATER KAYAK ANGLERS ASSOCIATION. HE’S NOW ON ASSIGNMENT IN STUTTGART, GERMANY, WITH THE U.S. NAVY. HIS BOOK KAYAK FISHING FOR BASS, CATCH ‘EM WHERE OTHERS CAN’T WILL BE RELEASED THIS SUMMER.
L
ast fall the Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association con-
ducted another successful tour- nament raising nearly $10,000 in cash and product donations for Project Healing Waters, a char- ity dedicated to getting disabled veterans out on the water. Te South Carolina Kayak
Fishing forums continue to grow and there are plans to have several tournaments and orga- nized outings. Tere has also been some competitive banter with the Georgia Kayak Fishing crowd that should help inspire participation in the “Battle of the Border.” Fall and winter in the Mid-
Atlantic guarantee tangling with brute striped bass and this year was no different. Te spring still produces some remarkable catches and it is worth a road trip to the Virginia or North Carolina coast. Spring brings promise of new
experiences, anxious anticipation for those that hibernated and a transition for those that stayed on the water. If you haven’t done it yet, I urge you to take your kayak out for some low-sodium pur- suits this year and spend time in a river or lake chasing bass. Te spring spawn is an especially ex- citing time to get into those plac- es that the big bass rigs can’t get to and hook up with a big mossy back. Tere are hundreds if not thousands of places to access with
JEFF SUBER OF CRAWFORDVILLE, FLORIDA IS THE OWNER OPERATOR OF FORGOTTEN COAST KAYAK ANGLERS. HE PUTS ON AN ANNUAL CHARITY TOURNAMENT BENEFITING MEALS ON WHEELS.
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008 has been a fantastic year for kayak angling in the
Southeast. Tere has been tre- mendous growth in kayak an- glers and kayak angler products and merchandise. Te Georgia Kayak Fishing Club kicked off and completed its series with two freshwater and one saltwa- ter tournament. Jason McRae emerged as the overall winner. Te Jacksonville Kayak Fishing Classic had its largest atten- dance yet with 340 anglers. Todd Lewellyn reports that the Pad-
dle-Fishing.Com Tournament Series, the longest-standing tournament series in the South- east, averages 55 participants each month with lots of formats and boundaries. Mobile Bay Kayak Fishing and Gulf Coast Kayak Fishing have also seen a large increase in the number of participants at their events. What better way to kick off
this year than by attending the Forgotten Coast Kayak Fishing Classic 2nd Annual Tourna- ment, March 27–28 in Medart, Florida? Hobie’s putting up the grand prize for longest slam. Last year over 100 attended and everyone caught fish. Te biggest highlight of 2008 has been
321fish.com with its
JASON STOCK GREW UP IN CANOE COUNTRY OUTFITTERS, THE FAMILY BUSINESS. HE’S NOW A TOURNAMENT ANGLER, MEMBER OF THE WILDERNESS SYSTEMS PRO STAFF AND OWNS AND OPERATES J.M. SNOOKY KAYAK CHARTERS.
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inter through spring is one of the best times of year
for kayak fishing. Te super nega- tive low tides are key. Tey leave the flats bone dry and all the fish fall into the potholes and deeper water. It’s good to bring a pair of waders with you this time of year to cover the flats slowly, and if it’s a windy day the waders make it easier to jump out of the yak. During the winter months use darker colors like the DOA root beer or golden brim on a 1/4- ounce jig. As the water warms up, the fish will start focusing on the greenback or white bait that come back in the spring. Tere’s world- class trout fishing in the deeper potholes throughout the winter. Te redfish will focus on crabs and shrimp. On the incoming tide look for the reds to be tailing in the shallow water. Snook go up in the backwaters (bayous, rivers and canals) for the whole winter. Tey go way up in brackish or even in freshwater to keep warm. You will want to wait for the wa- ter to warm up to catch snook during the winter, because they can become very sluggish and even die if it gets too cold. As it warms up, snook head out of the backwaters and make their way to the passes and the beaches.
K A Y A K F I S H I N G N EWS , E V E N T S , C O N S E R V A T I O N A N D K I D S
a kayak. I recommend trying one of the following: Briery Creek Lake in Virginia, Falls Lake in North Carolina, or Lake Moultrie in South Carolina, especially the area known as the Hatchery.
North Florida and Georgia
monthly series of online kayak fishing tournaments. Tis site enables kayak anglers to compete against each other without leav- ing their home waters. Kayak clubs are encouraged to use the site to have their own private monthly or weekend events.
South Florida
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