TACTICS
Stripers THE KEYS TO FRESHWATER KAYAK FISHING’S MOST FRENZIED CATCH
Unlocking Landlocked
LIP GRIPPER I
n all of freshwater, there may not be a better- suited fish for kayak angling tactics than the
striped bass. The popular saltwater imports have seasonal
patterns unlike most other warm water fish. They move into shallows to feed on baitfish in winter and early spring and out to deeper open water during the late spring and summer. They’ll travel over 10 miles in a given day. Kayak anglers can target them in two distinct ways.
TROLLING Striped bass are often on the move, so trolling is a great way to find and fish them. Free-lining large forage baits such as shad, herring or alewives is particularly effective. Planer boards are often used to spread baits to either side of the kayak, covering more water. Planers are easy to rig and don’t exert much
drag. Simply attach them in-line using the in- cluded release clip. When a fish strikes, the float- ing planer will pull free for later recovery. When you get a big striper on—a fish of 20 pounds or more—everything is a mess anyway. As a rule of thumb, place the planer about as
THE RAPTOR The Raptor blends the grace of a mono hull kayak with the stability of a catamaran. Our patented design combines stability and speed
with a comfortable and spacious cockpit. The interior sections create the feel and look of molded carbon fi ber. TAKE ONE OUT FOR A TEST TODAY.
RUDDER MOUNT IS CONVERTIBLE FOR ELECTRIC DRIVE
26” X 18” X 6” SELF DRAINING STORAGE WELL
FLOATATION FOAM MOLDED UNDER SEAT. FLOOR ALLOWS STAND-UP PADDLING.
WAVE PIERCING BOW ELIMINATES HULL SLAP
far from the bait as the depth of the water you’re fishing, to a minimum of five feet. Now you can fish long stretches of shallow flats where striped bass feed while moving from location to location. Don’t paddle too fast; one to 1.5 miles per hour is about right. Stroke and wait, stroke and wait, traveling just fast enough to keep the line straight.
FLAT SURFACE AREA PROVIDED FOR OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
RETRACTABLE FOOT- CONTROLLED RUDDER ASSEMBLY
PADDLE KEEPERS ON BOTH SIDES
28 …KAYAK ANGLER SPRING 2011
LAP SKIRT COCKPIT COVER AVAILABLE
TWO FLUSH MOUNTED ROD HOLDERS
www.santacruzkayaks.com 866-749-8848
CASTING Working in packs, hungry stripers often corral schools of baitfish on or near the surface. Typical- ly, smaller fish do the herding while larger fish lag behind for an easy meal. Locate schooling striped bass by watching for shore birds—gulls, terns and loons—to dive on driven baitfish while striped bass attack from below. Keep one or two rods rigged with a noisy surface bait that you can cast a long distance. A Creek Chub Knuckle-Head in natural colors or a Zara Spook in white or char- treuse works well. The time-tested bucktail jig with a plastic trailer is another great standby. Paddle along the edges of a frenzied, feeding
school but not into it. Kayaks aren’t likely to spook boiling stripers. The action can go on and on. Two kayakers working in tandem can keep a school on the surface by alternating fish. Try not to release your fish until your partner is hooked up.
PHILLIP GENTRY, former Striped Bass magazine freshwater editor, loves a wild, lineside sleigh ride.
Small Boats Big Fish!
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