FRESHWATER
TAKE A STAND FOR SIGHT FISHING
Fishing kayaks may be stable, but that doesn’t mean standing in one is easy. Going vertical can take some practice. The first time I stood up in a kayak, I was sure I would fall into the drink. But I didn’t, and the summer that fol- lowed was filled with fish caught on structure that I would have never seen from the seat. Here’s how I learned to stand in a kayak. Start with the kayak on dry land. Sit in the
cockpit and lay the paddle across the hull a few inches forward of where your feet will be planted. Slide your butt towards your heels and roll your weight forward onto the balls of your feet. This may require you to push or pull yourself up with your hands. Finally, use the paddle to stabilize yourself before moving from the squat position to standing upright. Now put the kayak in shallow water and try
again. If you feel unstable, bend your knees to lower your center of gravity. Experiment with moving your feet forward and back to find the most stable spot in your kayak. Test your kayak’s stability by standing on one foot like a flamingo. To sit down, bend your knees and make a controlled fall back into the seat. Before you know it, you’ll be dancing on the deck. –JEFF LITTLE
DAMN SKIPPY!
In a dock skipping contest, put a kayak an- gler up against a glittery rocket jockey and my money is on the boat with the seat closer to the waterline. A kayak angler using a sidearm cast can skip a jig or tube deeper into dock shade than any stink potter can. Match that delivery with a drift and drag presentation and you’ll be able to pull fish from a dock where a bass boater blanked. Position your kayak so that your cast lines up with as many pilings as possible. Then, conjure up the muscle memory of skipping rocks as a kid and transfer it to the tip of a spinning rod laced with 14-pound braid and a short piece of 12-pound fluorocarbon leader. Many jig designs skip well, but nothing gets
more shade penetration than an internally weighted tube. Shove a ¼-ounce egg sinker and a glass rattle inside a four-inch tube, then slide the plastic on a 5/0 extra wide worm hook. Once you’ve delivered this package deep into the cover, let it free fall. When the worm hits bottom, flip the bail and slowly take in line. Use one hand to paddle backwards and the rattling tube will bump every piling on its way out of the dock. –JEFF LITTLE
DIGITAL EXTRA: To watch Jeff Little demonstrate how to skip docks using jigs, go to www.kayakangl-
ermag.com/0029 or download the Kayak Angler app.
SUMMER PANFISH MADE IN THE SHADE
In the summer, panfish can be found under deep-water piers and around bridge pilings. These structures foster plant growth, attract forage, and provide welcome shade for cold- blooded panfish. Target these slabs with small baitfish imi-
tations. Present a one- to two-inch twister or boot tail grub with an ultralight spinning rod. Rig the grub on a 1/64- to 1/8-ounce ball head jig. Lay your casts tight against the shady side of a piling and then free spool the bait down to the bottom. Once the bait reaches the desired depth, a slow swimming retrieve is most effec- tive. Many times the fish are suspended and will strike the lure within a few feet of the pil- ing. —JUAN VERUTE
Start in the shade to bring panfish
into the light. PHOTO: JUAN VERUTE
As easy as skipping stones. PHOTO: JEFF LITTLE
2012 SKILLS GUIDE
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