FRESHWATER


Keep good records to find the patterns


that produce. PHOTO: JEFF LITTLE


Slow rolling


through summer. PHOTO: JEFF LITTLE


Escape the well-traveled ruts


of road-bound trout fishing. PHOTO: JUAN VERUTE


and a small box of lures. You never know what portages, hazards or launches you may encounter; when you’re fishing virgin waters it pays to travel light. —JUAN VERUTE


PATTERNS


LOW AND SLOW IN THE SUMMER


“Slow rolling” usually describes slowly retriev- ing a spinnerbait in early spring when bass are still halfway asleep from winter’s chill. When I tried this technique in the middle of the sum- mer over deep water vegetation, I discovered a deadly trick for taking big largemouth. My favorite set up for slow rolling over deep


weeds is a St. Croix Magnum Cranker paired with 20-pound braid and a 12-pound fluoro- carbon leader. Moderate action rods load well and allow for much longer casts. A 3/4-ounce Assassinator Clacker Spinnerbait stays deep at a slow to moderate retrieve. Two large double willow blades clang on one another, calling bass out of the thick vegetation. Cast out the spinner and let it free fall un- til the braided line stops sinking. Then, give


2012 SKILLS GUIDE 42 …KAYAK ANGLER SUMMER/FALL 2012


the bait a hard rip to free it from the grass. With the rod tip held low, slowly turn the reel handle and retrieve the lure just above the thick grass. Stop reeling and the bait should hit the bottom in a few seconds. Big bass hold- ing in the grass won’t waste energy chasing a bait that is too high in the water column. Slow rolling a spinner bait across a creek mouth that cuts through a weedy flat will produce so many hook-ups that even the glossy rocket jockeys will take notice. –JEFF LITTLE


TROUT STREAMS OFF THE BEATEN PATH


Kayak fishing is an ideal way to escape from the well-traveled ruts of road-bound trout fish- ermen. These tough little boats can hit lightly fished waters that are miles from easy access. To find secluded sections of stream, study satellite images and topographical maps. Don’t overlook local outfitters; they can offer advice on good floats and point out potential water hazards. When fishing remote stretches, it’s a good idea to team up with a buddy or two. Friends come in handy when it is time to run a shuttle back upstream. Chisel your gear to a single fly rod or suitable spinning tackle


A librarian has the Dewey decimal system. Scientists use scientific method. And kayak anglers have our own system to quickly find what we are looking for. Without it, we waste precious hours. With it, we quickly hone in on that five percent of the water that holds 90 percent of the fish. This system is called pat- tern development. When you catch the first fish of the day, make observations about the location. How deep is the water? What is the current doing? If I stick my paddle into the bottom, do I feel sand, gravel or muck? What cover is pres- ent? Is there wood, grass, shade, a mud line, manmade cover such as pilings, rip rap or jet- tisoned garbage? What is the structure? Are the fish on a creek channel, ledge rock, trench, submerged island, flat, rock slide, rock bluff, sandbar or drop off? Next, think about the lure and presentation. Consider the lure’s size, speed, color, sound and scent characteristics, and depth. Are you using a topwater lure, bottom dragger or something in between? When you catch fish number two, make


the same observations. Then look for com- mon denominators with each fish you catch. While you’re on the water, keep track of the factors that repeat. Then seek out similar spots and replicate the presentation. Later, you can record it in your fishing log. Pattern tracking saves precious fishing time. Plodding along and fishing blind would be like looking at each book in the library until you find the one you want. —JEFF LITTLE


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