LOCAL KNOWLEDGE New England
Te freshwater scene in New England gets going at ice-out for hardcore yakkers. Warm water lakes can be hit or miss early sea- son, but both bass and pan fish are in pre-spawn mode, which can mean big schools of fish and some pretty fast fishing. By mid-May, these lakes will offer a steady bite as fish really work on fattening up for the spawn. Some of the biggest largemouth in New England are caught in April and May as they prepare for spawning. Kayakers all over the Northeast
are looking forward to the KFS tournament at Jamaica Bay. With over 200 yakkers this is a fun tour- nament and a great way to start the season. Last year’s tournament got blown out, but the two days before had some very good fishing with blues, stripers, and big weakfish in the mix. In mid- to late April, small strip-
ers will be filling in along Connect- icut and Southern Massachusetts, with bigger fish arriving in increas- ing numbers in May. Te focus in April will be fishing river mouths in rivers with herring runs. Small plastics like Fin-s and Zooms are very popular, but with these small fish, just about anything plastic will work. As the big fish arrive and start chasing herring, we will be upsizing our plastics to big Hogies and 10-inch Fin-s fish. Remember, Connecticut and Massachusetts have bans on using river herring for bait, but there are plenty of other effective methods. Keep your eye out for other
early season bites that pop up— big weakfish spawning around New Haven and big bluefish chas- ing spawning squid in southern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Every year offers something new to try, as the fish fill in through- out May and June. Try some new spots and meet up with other kayakers—the great thing about
44 … KAYAK ANGLER spring 2008 kayaking in New England is the
camaraderie on the water. ERIC HARRISON IS ON THE WATER YEAR-ROUND IN NEW ENG- LAND, CATCHING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT SWIMS
Mid-Atlantic
Nearly 100 anglers from four states attended the 2008 Mid-At- lantic Kayak Fishing Symposium hosted by Wild River Outfitters at the Great Neck Recreation Center in Virginia Beach, Va. Te event raised $2,000 dollars for the Vir- ginia Beach Parks and Recreation Foundation. Featured speakers included local, regional and na- tionally recognized kayak fishing experts conducting classroom seminars as well as on-water demonstrations of various kayak fishing disciplines. Manufacturer representatives from Native Wa- tercraſt, Wilderness Systems, Hobie and Ocean Kayak were available to answer questions on their complete product lines. Visit
www.wildriveroutfitters.com for additional information about this annual event. Te Mid-Atlantic region really
heats up as signs of spring begin to emerge. River fishing for large- mouth and smallmouth bass has already begun to produce good numbers. Lake and reservoir tem- peratures are rising and signs of pre-spawn activity have bass fish- ermen out in full force. Chesapeake Bay catch-and-
release striper fishing still re- mains hot in the light lines of the Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnels as anglers prepare for the bay season to re- open. Trophy striper fishing on the Susquehanna Flats is right around the corner and the buzz has already started on many area Internet forums. Speckled trout, flounder, red
drum and croaker inshore fishing will soon be in full swing. Raſts of monster red drum will begin their migration up the North Carolina
K AYA K F I S H I N G, N EWS , E V E NT S , C O N S E R V AT I O N A N D K I D S
coast. Te late April full moon will bring them to the shoals of Virgin- ia’s Eastern Shore where flotillas of kayak anglers will test their tackle against these brutes. Te Tide- water Kayak Anglers Association website (
www.tkaa.org) will have information on where and when
to catch many of these species. CHAD HOOVER IS AN ACTIVE DUTY NAVAL OFFICER STATIONED IN NORFOLK, VA., WHERE HE SERVES AS PRESIDENT OF THE TIDEWATER KAYAK ANGLERS ASSOCIATION AND MEMBER OF THE WILDERNESS SYSTEMS KAYAK FISHING PRO STAFF.
North Florida
Tere has been a tremendous
and Georgia Kayak angling has really taken off in the North Florida area with tournaments from Pensacola to Tallahassee and the biggest of all in Jacksonville. Georgia Kayak Fishing has stepped up to the plate with a series that includes two tournaments on freshwater lakes and one coastal saltwater location. Te website
321fish.com has ex- panded even further with online tournaments where you post your measured catches and payouts to the winners are determined by the number of participants. Tis year has been fantastic
for catching redfish with several kayak anglers including brothers Jason and Liam Callaghan log- ging over 250 redfish in less than the first 90 days in 2008 fishing the Panacea region of the Gulf Coast. Jeff Dutrow of Crawfordville, Fla., landed a 39-inch cobia in the mid- dle of February near St. George Island. Te speckled trout bite has been very productive for the kayak anglers working the grass lines and banks on an incoming tide and at high tide. Using the same strategy Steve Lambert landed his personal best, a 36-inch redfish in less than two feet of water. In years past late June has been the much-sought- out time to begin catching tarpon, but this year with the temperature increasing so early, expect catches in late May and early June.
growth in kayak angling in this area which is evident from the number of tournaments and kay- ak angler clubs, and the increased participation in each. Much of this growth has occurred in the coastal region but look to see the growth heading inland as many anglers experience the ease of use in getting to those freshwater hon- ey holes as well. Especially in the South Georgia and middle Flori- da regions where coastal trips are once a month and the local lakes and ponds can be fished produc-
tively every other weekend. JEFF SUBER LIVES IN CRAWFORDVILLE, FLA., AND HAS BEEN PADDLE FISHING FOR 26 YEARS, THE LAST FOUR HAVE BEEN SPENT KNOWING WHAT HE’S DOING.
Louisiana, Mississippi
and Alabama Our fishing is getting ready to im- prove with the water temperatures increasing and the recent heavy rains that we have received aſter a long drought are causing fish to migrate out of the rivers and deep- er holes in the marsh. Te speck- led trout, redfish and flounder are moving back to their spring and summer habitats. I just paddled out in front of my house yesterday and caught some nice sized speck- led trout, so they are definitely on the move here in Alabama. I am also hearing reports from Louisi- ana and Mississippi that fishing is picking up in the marsh and bar- rier islands. I like to think of kayak fishing
as being environmentally friendly. I am happy to report that the state of Alabama now has its first no- motor zone. We desperately need these zones to protect our nursery areas and therefore our fisheries. Te State of Florida was a leader in implementing no-motor zones and I hope to see all of the Gulf Coast states follow their example.
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