Dave and John  grabbed the Ride 135′s while Russ wanted to paddle the Tarpon 160.

We hit the grass for the flood tide, the fish never really got active in the grass tho.

Moved out of the grass to hit up one of my mid-tide flats only to have the guys catching stingrays.
I got freight trained on the mid tide flat. He pulled 12 lbs of drag  from my little Okuma Trio like it was nothing, wrapped me around a submerged mound and I’m pretty sure I heard him laughing as he swam off. 

We moved back across the sound to fish a grass edge as the fish were coming out. Didn’t take long until GAME ON!

Russ boated a 31″ using the Okuma Trio on a St Croix Avid.  While taking pics of Russ, Dave gives a shout; he’s hooked up but the red spits the hook after a short run.

Next thing I know I hear Dave again, FISH ON!! GOT HIM ON THE PADDLE TAIL. I start over to take a couple of pics then

” WOOOOOOOO Another fish on.” His bait rod had started screaming.
The video tells the rest of the  story

31″ and 25″ STAND UP DOUBLE

Then Russ hooked a 27+’ fish and just like it turned on, the switch turned off.
Lots of oysters showing, so time to bug out. We made it just in time a full 3 hours before dead low. 
Super Moon means SUPER LOW TIDE.

Water – mid 70′s and dirty

Air temp low 80′s and HUMID

Bite turned on at “mid tide” by the clock or just before low by the water level.

I’ve got to give a shout out to YakAttack.  I wouldn’t have gotten the video without the GoPro mounted on a PanFish.

Fun times on the water.

Who would turn that down?  Not me, I spent 2 days paddling my Wilderness Systems Ride 135 all over one of the prettiest lakes I’ve ever fished.

Friday we hit the water a little late to catch the morning topwater bite. That mean t day of grinding with spinner baits, crankbaits, and soft plastics. I threw crankbaits until I thought my arm was going to fall of before switching over to soft plastics.
Motor Oil with red fleck worm, Zoom Craw, and a lizard I didn’t recognize all produced equally well. The challenge was getting the bait under low hanging branches and dang near touching the shoreline.

There were plenty of little buck bass willing to play both days.

and I managed to break off the bass of a lifetime Friday afternoon.

Saturday morning we hit the water just after the butt crack of dawn. Hoover was KILLIN IT with topwater. Me, I was missing blow up after blow up and not getting the hooks in them

After the topwater bite shut down around 8:30 it was back to the subsurface grind.

I FINALLY managed to pull in my best bucket mouth ever at 24 inches and change and estimated over 8 lbs. My prior best was a 22″ 7lb 6oz fish a looooooong time ago.

All in all a great couple of days fishing a WAY COOL private lake with amazing friends. Who could ask for better?

Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com

We fished downstream toward the 41 bridge on the falling tide throwing a variety of baits.  There were a couple of blowups on top water Pop R and One Knockers without any hook up.  The fish seemed to be slashing at the baits instead of a solid strike and eat.

We continued downstream hitting all the points and creek mouths.  We were a little late as far as the tide was concerned because most of the creeks were already fully drained.  Russ picked up a skinny little keeper trout in a deep channel behind an oyster bar and gave him a quick release to grow up.

The redfish bite really didn’t turn on until about an hour into the incoming tide.  Once the bite turned on, it was ON BIG TIME.  We boated 6 reds between 23 and 30 inches, broke off 1 BIG GIRL, broke off a smaller fish on the oysters, and had 2 fish come unbuttoned after a solid hookup and screaming drag.

Russ had never caught a red before and I’m pretty sure he is now a brand new redfish addict.

Redfish bite is HOT, bait has moved into the rivers.

It’s time to book a trip.

Tight lines

Tommy

There was ONE problem though, the wind was HOWLING out of the NorthEast at about 15-20 mph.  The section of river that I wanted to fish angled NE to SW so it was nothing but chop and slop.  Wind blown waves about a foot high with spray blowing off the top and spaced at less than a second interval.  You could fish in these conditions and I would if I had to on tournament day.

I decided to punt and move to a different river a little further north where I knew I could find shelter against a leeward bank.  There’s a nice little bend with a few docks, some oysters, and some rock piles.  Basically the same conditions that I wanted to target at my “Plan A” location.  Besides, if the absolute worst came to be, I could always fish this area on tournament day…  It’s not good enough for a WIN, but it could work for a place or show.

Let’s make this post a little more interesting and incorporate some video I shot during the trip.  The video is kinda long, so relax, enjoy the music, and enjoy the fishing.

All in all an AWESOME day one the water.  The fish were hungry and would crush anything I tossed into an ambush point.

Here’s a tip on how I was fishing the Z-Man Rain MinnowZ

Give me a shout when you’re ready to book a sleigh ride

TooBusy@KayakFish SC.com

Here’s a bit of advice:  If you’re going to fish a “weather window” then keep a marine radio tuned in for weather updates.  The alert let me know the wind and rain was coming and the approximate location of the severe thunderstorm that followed along in the frontal boundary’s heels.

The reds decided to cooperate.  Here’s and a video highlight reel from our day.

Hey gang.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m sick to death of the weather pattern we’ve been stuck in lately; nice through the week and sucksverymuchbad on the weekend.  By the way, I stole that term from my buddy Ken Bergmann.

It seems like we’ve been in this same pattern all winter.  I’ll be sitting at my desk on Wednesday or Thursday when my crackberry starts to vibrate.  I check my text messages and there’s a picture of a fat slob of a red lying on the deck of Carter’s kayak.  I immediately start to drool and daydream about chasing reds in skinny water on Saturday morning or Sunday after church.  Instead, Friday rolls around; I check the weather forecast for the weekend and see winds out of the East at 15 mph.  I’m sick of it I tell you, just SICK OF IT!

Here are a few things you can do at home to keep from losing your mind while waiting for a change in the weather

Most saltwater fishermen rinse their rods and reels after each trip to get rid of the salt.  Bad weather days are a great time to bring rods and reels into the dining room for a more complete cleaning.  Helpful Hint:  It’s a really good idea for your wife to have plans for several hours before you put fishing gear on the dining room table. 

Even if she’s out of the house it’s a good idea to spread paper, or better yet, a plastic table cloth out on the dining room table to maintain peace in the family.  Remove the reels from the rods, clean the accumulated dirt, sand, grit, and grime from the reel seat.

There are a few cleaning supplies that you should always keep on hand:  An old toothbrush, Armor All cleaning wipes, or baby wipes, fine sandpaper, and Penn’s Corrosion Inhibitor.

Use cleaning cloths or baby wipes on the rods and an old toothbrush on the guide feet.  Cleaning the cork requires a gentle touch.  I start with soap and warm water in the kitchen sink and work the cork over with the toothbrush.  As a last resort you can use 320 grit or finer sandpaper on cork rod handles to brighten them up.  Be careful though, once you sand away cork, you can’t put it back.

Strip old line from your reels.  Water from splashing, rinsing, or just from the line leaves deposits.  Left untreated, this leads to corrosion on the spool.  Use the baby wipes and tooth brush on your reel.  Wash and brush all the exterior nooks and crannies.

If you’re comfortable servicing your own reels, this is the time to disassemble, clean and re-lubricate them for the  season.  Kayak Fishing is especially hard on reels, so don’t be too surprised if you open the side cover and find a disgusting mess like this.

A little more time with a different toothbrush, some light solvent, and several paper towels will put things back in order.

If you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, then give the guys at Haddrell’s a call and let them put your reels back to like new condition.

Replace your line.  This can be an expensive proposition depending on the number of reels and the type line you use.  Here’s a pro tip for where you have multiple rigs spooled with Power Pro or similar braid.  Strip one reel spool.  Then wind the braid from another reel onto the one you just stripped.

This puts the old, faded, fuzzy braid against the spool and exposed fresh unused line on top of the new reel.  This tip applies to your inshore rigs that are often spooled with over 150 yards of line, but only this first 50 yards or so gets used repeatedly.  It also works for your bottom fishing rigs that are spooled with hundreds of yards of line and only the first 100 feet gets used.

Now clean up your mess off the dining room table and dispose of the evidence.  Keep in mind that a happy wife WANTS you to go fishing.

Once you have the mess cleaned up inside; move outside and start to work on the kayak.  You’ll need the same supplies as you would for a thorough car wash plus one, a cup of household bleach.  I give the Kayak Fish SC fleet a light wash after every trip to keep the yaks from getting too disgusting.

A long string of windy weekends give me a chance to do a complete detail, so follow along.  Add either dish soap or car wash detergent to your wash bucket, and then add at least 3 gallons of warm water and a cup of bleach. 

I use a big sponge, a tire and wheel brush, and a red or green 3-M Scotch Brite pad for really getting the yak clean. Wet the yak down and hit the big areas with the sponge.  Take your time, after all, the wind is howling and you aren’t going fishing today.  After the initial rinse, you’ll probably notice some areas stained from pluff mud and fish slime, go over those a second time with the tire and wheel brush or the Scotch Brite pad.

The last thing I do is go over all the little bits that go on the yak.  My Scotty rod holders and YakAttack camera mounts take a lot of abuse from pluff mud, paddle drip, and fish slime.  Here’s another Pro Tip for while you wife is away; toss all of those small bits on the top rack of your dish washer and run it on pots and pans mode.

My dishwasher takes about an hour to run this cycle, so keep the timing in mind if you don’t want to get busted.

If you simply can’t stand it anymore and have to go fishing regardless of the weather, give me a call; I’ll meet you at Paradise Landing.  Even when it looks like this.

Tight Lines,

Tommy

The result has been an ongoing dialogue I have with myself called “Too Busy’s Windy Winter Adventures”. There have been some days of real excitement, like when a huge Sporty came barreling down the ICW kicking up a 3 to 4 foot wake and I had to work and pray to keep from getting flippped. Then there’s the excitement of catching my biggest inshore redfish to date a couple of weeks ago.

So this past Saturday I thought I’d just have some fun with the video camera while I was out. Enjoy.

 There are so many choices to make when you’re starting out.  Either you’ve just gotten your new kayak or you’re window shopping and you see the absolutely massive selection of paddles available on the market.  Questions start buzzing through your head. 

What length paddle is right for me and my boat?

What blade size?  Do I need one of these massive blades to go faster?

What shape works best?

I’ve got a yak and a paddle, so how do I make it go?  Or Geez, why am I so tired and why are my arms killing me when the other guys just looked like they were cruising?

This article should help answer a few of those questions, but leave some others open to ponder.
Paddle length – Your paddle should be long enough to get a high angle of attack for your kayak and roughly matched to your size. Keep this in mind. If you paddle a wider yak, you need a longer paddle. I won’t paddle a W/S Ride 135 with anything shorter than 230 cm. Why?  A paddle shorter than 230cm forces me to “rock” side to side to have a high paddle angle.  “Rocking” doesn’t promote efficient paddling.  My favorite paddle is a 230-235cm Adventure Technology FishStix.  This is an ergonomic carbon fiber paddle that I use all the time.  Paddle choice is up to you, just remember to buy the lightest paddle you can afford.

Blade size and shape- Whitewater guys use short WIDE blades. They need to move a lot of water RIGHT NOW to make instant course changes, run upriver, and make rolling easier. Touring blades tend to be longer and narrower. They are also asymmetrical.  You may plan to do a bit of everything in your fishing future, so you may want a Multi-Use paddle.  These have a little bit of everything thrown into the design…Asymmetrical blades, longer blades than a whitewater paddle, wider blades than a touring paddle, and a little heavier construction than a touring paddle.  Multi-purpose paddles are probably the highest sellers on the market.  Every manufacturer makes a few styles.  Bottom line; if you truly can’t decide, pick a light weight Multi-pupose paddle.  Besides, if you stick with kayak fishing for very long, chances are HIGH that you’ll accumulate more than one paddle.

 Symmetrical, Asymmetrical, Cupped or Spooned – Symmetrical blades are shaped the same on both sides of the central axis, so there is no top or bottom.  Asymmetrical blades have a different shape on each side of their central axis.  Asymmetrical blades are longer on the top and shorter on the bottom.  Most people feel that an Asymmetrical Blade reduces twisting on the paddles shaft during your stroke.  Cupped blades are curved along their length.  Cupping a paddle blade makes for a smoother and quieter entry into the water.  In paddling, smooth and quiet means better efficiency.  Spooned blades, well they look like a spoon.  Spooned blades are shaped to create a belly in the middle of the blade.  They can really increase the power in a stroke.  

Fit a paddle to your size.  Grab the paddle with the shaft centered over your head, grip it in a normal paddling grip with both palms facing forward, your upper arms at shoulder height, and your elbows at a 90 degree angle.  Take a look at your self in the mirror and try not to laugh too hard.  You should look like you’re doing a military press with a REALLY LIGHT BAR.  Look at your hand position though.  You should have no less than 1 grip width between your hand and the start of the blade.  Most fitters will tell you that you also should have no more than 2 grip widths between your hand and the start of the blade.

There is such a thing as a paddle that’s too long.  Archimedes said “Give me a lever long enough and strong enough and I can move the world.”  The principle is sound and it applies to paddling.  Your upper hand provides the power for your paddling stroke; your lower hand is a movable fulcrum.  Here’s my bit of caution:  You do not want too long of a lever between your lower hand and the paddle blade because the extra length is working against you.  When the lever is too long you have a teeter totter instead of a powerful lever. 
 

Paddling Technique

Most newbies jump in a kayak, grab their paddle about waist high and start paddling with their arms.  They’ll climb in the kayak, reach forward, plant the blade, and pull.   Reach forward, plant the blade and pull.  It sounds right doesn’t it?  I mean we are just pulling ourselves through the water; what could be simpler?

When you only pull you are paddling using your biceps.  The biceps is a small and comparatively weak muscle group.  If you want to improve your efficiency follow these tips.

 Push Pull paddling –Instead of just pulling the blade toward your hips, you need to also PUSH forward with your upper hand.  When you push, now you’ve engaged your triceps.  The triceps accounts for 2/3 of the muscle mass of your upper arms.  It goes like this: Reach forward, plant the blade, pull with your lower hand AND push with your upper hand.  The very first time you use the push pull technique, you’ll notice that you can generate a lot more power.  You can paddle faster, farther with less fatigue and a shorter recovery period.  That definitely makes a difference when you move from your 20’s to your 30’s, 40’s, and beyond

Paddle angle and Torso Rotation - Higher is better. The more upright your blade stroke the more you rotate your torso and use the push pull stroke. Using a high angle of attack forces you to use your large muscle groups in your shoulders and torso. This spreads the load over your entire upper body, not just your arms. The result is going farther, faster, and feeling better at the end of the day.
How do you get into the habit of paddling with a high angle of attack and good rotation?  Follow this simple drill.

Get into your yak and pick up your paddle…. Duh, no secret there

Hold your arms straight in front of you and lock your elbows…. Seriously, lock your elbows.  Start paddling, but KEEP YOUR ELBOWS LOCKED!!!!!

Paddle like this for at least 15 minutes.
 

When you lock your elbows, you have completely taken your arms out of the paddling stroke.  You don’t have any choice but to rotate your upper body.  You will also automatically increase your paddle angle so you can get a longer stroke.

Stroke length – Reach forward to plant the blade beside your ankles, then pull back and exit the blade from the water about even with your hips. If you go much farther, you’ll be trying to pull your yak underwater instead of forward.

Turnover – Develop a good cadence and stick with it. Don’t let your paddle lag between strokes, just keep it moving.  You’ll notice that for covering longer distances that you can reduce the power you put into your stroke, but keep a cadence of 50-60 strokes per minute and sustain this pace fairly easily.  You will very quickly build your endurance if you don’t over tax your muscles.  If you notice your shoulders burning, you need to back off the power a bit.  The burning sensation is the buildup of lactic acid.  If you end your day with a buildup of lactic acid you WILL be sore the next day.

Relax – Your grip that is.  You only need to grasp the paddle enough to keep from dropping it.  You aren’t trying to choke the life out of it.  When you relax your grip, it helps keep the rest of your muscles loose.   When you’re pulling, you want to be pulling with your curled fingers, when pushing, push with your palms.

I hope this helps you cover more water.

About the author:  Tommy Samuels is the owner / operator of Kayak Fish SC, a kayak fishing guide service located in Charleston, SC.  You can email Tommy at TooBusy@KayakFishSC.com

As I drifted downstream I simply couldn’t believe how clear the water was.  I could see oysters, rocks, stumps and even crabs on the bottom in 8 to 10 feet of water.  It was still stained the color of weak tea, but the clarisy was incredible.  Light winds and a good sun angle made watching for fish in the shallows while a hopped baits along deeper edges easy.  All I had to do was one or tow paddle strokes to adjust and let my gaze drift along the bank; a very relaxing change compared to the wind we’ve been having for the past several weekends.

I fished downstream for about 2 hours without so much as a hit.  I had already gone past my intended spot for the last bit of outgoing, so I began to paddle back up toward the oyster bar.  This bar almost never lets me down, so I felt good about not having to ride home with a skunk on the yak.

I brough the first fish to hand within 5 minutes of setting up.  It was a nice healthy Wando red; over slot, fat and happy. 

 I followed it up with what could have been it’s twin. 

Then the fun began.  I cast a Z-Man scneted Crabz deep off the oyster mound out to where I think the second drop off begins.  I started gently bouncing it with a slow retrieve to keep the crab rigged on a 4/0 trigger hook moving slowly downstream and toward me.  Tap, tap’ a little hit.  Hop, hop andWHAM a fish slams the crab and I set the hook.

When the barb hit her lip this fish took off downstream headed for the 41 bridge as hard as she could go.    Here’s the video that tells the story better than I can.

  Get ready to go chasing the big girls.  Thanks to a very mild winter they’ll begin staging before heading out to join the breeder population early this year.