BY TERRY GOWEN
STANDUP BASS. PHOTO: TERRY GOWEN
Why the Kayak Beats the “Basscar” Glitter Rocket
The bass boat charges in with a roar and a wave. Waterfowl scatter and splash to retreat from the obtrusive beast. The mechanical clunking and clattering and the tread of anglers shifting position further disturbs nature.
The kayak is cloaked in stealth. The paddler glides in si- lently and scarcely throws a shadow. Nature takes no notice. In the silence, it’s easy to find the zone, to get in the mind of the bass and focus intently on bait presentation. Access also proves that the way of the paddler is the wiser. Many of the deepest, darkest backwater haunts where the big girls lounge are only accessible by kayak. —TG
NOT QUITE THE NEXT
WORLD RECORD. PHOTO: TERRY GOWEN
I
f you are searching for a full-figured photo op with the largemouth of a lifetime or even the next world record, grab your kayak and go west. The tie atop the list of the world’s 25 largest largemouth is an aberra- tion (Japan? Georgia in 1932? Please!). The rest is a virtual clean sweep for California. The west’s giant bucketmouth fatten up on everything from stocker ‘bows to baby ducks and they chow down year round. The irony? California’s lunkers trace their genetic history back to a hatchery in Pensacola. But bring your A game. The big girls thrive in gin-clear water where they’re notoriously difficult to fool. Hard to catch fish live longer and naturally grow larger. Not to worry, western bass anglers can hone their skills on plenty of hungry, less-ed- ucated fish. Largemouth snap in the famous Sacramento Delta and aggressive smallies are all over the Pacific Northwest.
32 …KAYAK ANGLER SPRING 2012
Soft plastic creature baits are an enduring favorite. The Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits Senko accounts for piles of western bass. Rig it “wacky,” with the hook cross-wise through the center of the plump slow-sinker and pitch it at structure. Trophy bass out here seem to love the craw jig. When you just have to find them, try a lipless crank such as the famous Rat L Trap. Western bassers fish all four seasons. When it’s cold, cheat a bit. Drift a live bait.
DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT BASS BATTLEWAGON
Western bassers get into pocket water at times, but this place is different. Many of the big bass factories are large impoundments, where a longer 14-foot kayak shines. Many are stable enough to stand for sight fishing. If a higher vantage point is a must, a standup paddleboard / kayak hy- brid such as a Diablo Chupacabra or LiquidLogic VersaBoard is hard to beat on shorter trips.
A good headlamp. When a ripping evening bite finally goes quiet and you come out of your fish daze, the world has usually gone dark.
FAVORITE BASS FISHERIES
Clear Lake: California’s largest natural lake is a giant bass pond with more than 113 miles of shoreline packed with every kind of fishing terrain a lunker hunter could wish for.
Castaic Lake: Lake Dixon, where Mac Weakley foul-hooked the would-be 25-pound world record largemouth, tragically doesn’t allow kayaks. Castaic is a worthy Southern California substitute, source of the reigning 21-pound state record.
Terry Gowen has toted a rod and reel along on his kayaking trips since 1996. The lucky dog lives a stone’s throw from Clear Lake. He can fuel his fascination with bucketmouth at a whim.
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