LIP GRIPPER TURNING TRASH INTO TREASURE:
JEFF LITTLE AND DINNER. PHOTO: JEFF LITTLE
TACTICS | FISH FOOD | RIGGING | DESTINATION | SKIL LS
only are these detrital feeders bothersome, they can be dangerous. “Watch out for teeth, spines, spikes, tails and fins,” says lo- cal trash collector Kayak Kevin Whitley. He is quick to throw the garbage back without any ceremony. “Just get as much line back as possible,” he says. “And cut the leader.” To reduce his down time, he keeps complete rigs tied up and stored in small plastic bags. “I just grab a bag and I’ve got everything I need,” he says. Rays and skates garner no love from Whitley, but dogsharks are a dif- ferent matter. “They’re delicious,” he says, “baked or fried.”
SNAKECHARMER Kayak bass buster Jeff Little turns trash into treasure. While targeting largemouth bass on his native Potomac River, Little has been catching larger and larger northern snake- heads. The invasive, aggressive and tena- cious snakehead has been declared Public Enemy No. 1 by fisheries managers across the country. Bounty hunter Little is happy to hunt them down with large swimming plugs and topwater poppers. “Snakehead hit like a wild beast then thrash and run and go airborne,” he says. Even if snakehead are mean on the line, Little says that the fish are nice on the table. “Normally, I don’t like to eat fish,” he admits, “but I love the taste of snakehead.” Which is good news for Little but bad news for the northern snakehead.
“NORMALLY, I DON’T LIKE TO EAT FISH, BUT I LOVE THE TASTE OF SNAKEHEAD.” —JEFF LITTLE
[ TACTICS ]
TAKING OUT THE TRASH W
TO CATCH A TROPHY FISH, DIG THROUGH THE TRASH BY RIC BURNLEY
hen targeting trophy fish, undesirable “trash” fish often come with the ter-
ritory. To catch a cobia, striper, yellowtail, white sea bass or bucketmouth bass, an angler may have to weed through hundreds of sharks, rays, catfish, barracuda and other by-catch. Three pro anglers give tips and
tricks for avoiding trash fish, handling trash fish and even turning trash fish into treasure.
MID-ATLANTIC MÉLANGE When kayak anglers are targeting trophy striper, cobia or red drum, annoying rays, sharks and skates can be a nuisance. Not
TRASH MAN Hobie Kayak product manager Morgan Promnitz may have a dream job but he still has to take out the trash. Barracuda, rays, sharks and black sea bass often get in the way of catching prized yellowtail and white seabass. To avoid toothy barracuda, Prom- nitz suggests using larger and livelier bait. “The barracuda can’t eat the whole thing,” he explains, “but will often injure the bait so a yellowtail can swoop in and scoop it up.” Thresher sharks are a big waste of time. “We avoid areas that hold threshers,” he says, “and leave any place where we catch one.” When he hooks a trash fish, Promintz doesn’t waste any time. “Crank down the drag and winch the trash in,” he says. Circle hooks can also help. “It’s easier to remove a hook that is in the corner of the mouth,” Promnitz says.
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