10/5/13 Video Report

Food for Thought

I didn't create this video, but have thought the same thing many times...
doncha know...

In Good Company

So yeah, I've been slacking on putting up a new post... my apologies.  The downward spiral was hard to pull out of until recently.  I've put in 5 trips for cobia this year, all with chum, eels, etc.  I've seen more cobia from my kayak this year than any previous year, but the brown clown still eludes me.  I've also had a few recent trips for bull reds, catfish, croaker, spot, and smallmouth but again, they all had the heebeegeebees like some saboteur hid a banana in my kayak.  To make things worse, Lumbergh just upgraded the chains on my office chair so sneaking out for those perfect weather windows just got tougher.

Ok.  Enough bitching.  

I helped my buddy William Ragulsky land a 61lb citation cobia and put the hammer to the dome.

I've also been enjoying the new Predator MX on the James River.

Full review to come later.

Spent some time with her royal wifeyness…

And at the 2013 TKAA tournament, I got to enjoy the company of many great friends and met a lot of new faces.  To those of you who had so many nice things to say about my posts, photos, and videos, I can not thank you enough.  I deeply appreciate it, as it puts a lot into perspective for me.  I hope to continue to provide the kind of content that you all enjoy.

As far as tournament fishing goes, the last two years I helped out with HOW, so this year decided to catch up with a great friend that I don't get to fish with as often as I would like.  

Photo credit: Kayak Kevin Whitley

The wind was brutal, so we tucked ourselves into a creek and got into a good number of little reds.

I almost forgot how fun those little reds can be, especially when you're sight casting to them in less than a foot of water.  

Basic white curly tail grubs on 1/4oz jighead

Did a little exploring and found a turtle skeleton.  Remains were about 2 feet long.

Reed Heckert of Bethesda, MD won the redfish print I donated to the raffle

After it was all said and done, our biggest reds (21.5" and 20") didn't place in the tournament.  But to be honest, I wasn't the least bit disappointed.  

Between all the people at the weigh-in and getting to fish with Kayak Kevin,

 on his birthday at that, 

it was really nice just to take it easy in good company.

VIDEO: Kayak Fishing for VA Trophy Shark

17 Boat Beating Champs and a Trophy Shark

This weekend was

LEGEN

DARY.

Plans were to remain on task and search for saltwater trophy specie number 5 of 6, but two days before the Catching for Kids Club Challenge Tournament, I got a message saying a few anglers were not going to make it.  Several weeks earlier, I told Mark Lozier (team leader and organizer) that if he got in a bind, I'd join.  So with blessings from my wife, I signed up and even recruited another skilled angler, Jay Brooks for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) subgroup of Team TKAA to compete against 7 other fishing clubs... who all used big boats and motors.

There were 17 TKAA members spread through 4 subgroups to target different species at different locations.  The CBBT, HRBT (Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel), Eastern Shore, and Back River were the areas we focused.  The CBBT group, consisting of William Ragulsky, Alex Britland, Joe Underwood, Jay Brooks and myself launched at an ungodly hour to make it to the prime spots by the designated lines-in time of 5am.  And it was worth it. 

Ragulsky 25" - Choi 26" - Brooks 25"  Triple Sheepshead Photo courtesy of Joe Underwood.  And Lee Williams is a badass

It turned out to be an amazing day filled with decent sized triggerfish, spadefish, flounder, spot and four citation sheepshead.  Joe Underwood, who's had some tough luck with his quest for trophy sheepshead finally got his right before we had to head back to the weigh-in.  To top it off, it was the biggest of the 4!  Check out his story and pics(link).

The other groups had great days as well.  Three man group Richie Bekolay, Chip Camp, and Drew Camp fished Back River and were successful in sweeping 1st, 2nd and 3rd in both the puppy drum and speckled trout divisions.  With 2 anglers being MIA, that's pretty darn amazing if you ask me.  Richie tells the story from Back River and explains the point system well on his post (link).  It was truly a team effort as every group had significant catches and added points to our total.... a total that broke the tournament record.  The unprecedented 32 points trumped second place by 13 points.  We swept the puppy drum, trout, and sheepie divisions, got 3 other first places (spadefish, spot, and triggerfish) and the accolades can go on... we pretty much dominated.  

Top row left to right - Joe Underwood, Rob Choi, William Ragulsky, Andy Backowski, Alex Britland, Jay Brooks, Richie Bekolay, James Short, Wayne Bradby, Chuck Wrenn, Jeff Lockhart, Kris Lozier and Tom Powers.
Bottom row left to right - Chip Camp, Drew Camp, Mark Lozier and Joe Maccini.

Much love and respect for our boating friends, 

but after coming close a few years in a row, we got you this time...  

in our dinky little kayaks!   

Before our heads get too big, we can't forget what this was really all about.  The proceeds from the tournament help to collect toys, school supplies and donations for needy children in our community.  In conjunction with Toys For Tots, the organization helps thousands of kids smile on Christmas morning.  

A big thank you to all the volunteers for making this tournament possible and help such a worthy cause.

After a little celebrating, focus was returned to my personal endeavors.  With all the hoopla around shark week and suggestions from good friends, I decided on my next target.

The next morning, Jay Brooks generously put his personal agenda aside to serve as a witness on my citation quest.  We drove over the prior day's fishing spots and launched on the Eastern Shore.  My plan was to anchor up next to a deep channel and put cut baits out.  I've caught 4 to 5 foot sharks before doing just that.  But as we were paddling across a flat on the way there, I saw a big tail thrashing on the surface in 4 feet of water.  With an unweighted whole dead spot trolling behind me, I immediately paddled over.  To try to get a better view, I got up on my knees and slowed down when I got to the area.  Not a minute passed when a little splash behind me caught my attention.  I looked back to see a massive swirl where my bait used to be...  then the clicker screamed at a pitch I never heard before and it was on.  Before I knew it, I was on the fastest sleigh ride I've ever been on.
 

There was no up and down play like my previous sharks.  It was all flats and insane horizontal runs with unreal directional changes.  Their agility and speed can really test a kayak anglers ability to make appropriate adjustments during a fight and avoid potentially dangerous situations.
 

I almost lost my rod once, took a backwards sleigh ride a few times, and almost broke my rod on the gunnel twice.  The shark liked to scream off in one direction, then abruptly turn around and charge back the other way, leaving me guessing as to where it was actually going to end up.  After almost half an hour, I finally got a good look at it.  It was close to the 6 feet I needed.  The Virginia Saltwater Tournament rules states that it needs to be 72" but estimated lengths may be used for sharks.  And technically, I can touch the leader and if a witness thinks it was 6' or bigger, I can cut it and it counts as a citation.  But "close enough" just isn't my style.  So I decided I had to measure the beast.

It took me a while but I finally got my fish tailer looped on.
 

Much to my surprise it stayed calm when I first did it.  But then all of a sudden it freaked out and I came ever so close to tipping over.

 

Got some stank on my face :)

There was a marsh island close by so I decided I had to drag it there.  But the thing is, dragging something that big is miserable even for a relatively short distance… not to mention I ran the threat of killing it.  In my stubbornness, I tried for a short bit then Jay thought that maybe it was worn out enough to lift it on to my lap and take a quick measurement.  I attempted to it try it but about 1/3 of the way up it freaked out again...

Hindsight is 20/20

It was definitely still lively enough so I dragged it to the marsh.

From tip of the nose to tip of the tail - 75" Black Tip

Big thank you to Jay Brooks for helping with pics

After 5 to 10 minutes of reviving it swam off nice and strong.

Citation #5: Check

Afterwards, we went right back to the same spot and caught several 4' to 5' blacktips.

I know sharks are an alluring species to target, but if you are not used to battling large fish, I highly recommend starting with big stripers or red drum before tangoing with grey suits.  It's a different kind of fight.  They are extremely erratic and unpredictable with maneuvers that are difficult to manage in a kayak.  The potential for dangerous situations and bodily harm is very real.  I know I made some mistakes that I luckily recovered from.  I'm not saying don't ever do it because they are a blast, but please do not take them lightly.

Sheepshead Tips and Rig

This post includes additional info and graphics along with the published article from the July 2013 issue of The Chesapeake Angler.

Sheepshead can give one heck of an adrenaline rush, especially in a kayak. The stark contrasting bars that mark their body earned them nickname, convict.  And when hooked, they definitely run like they just broke out of jail.  A trophy sized sheepshead will put your tackle to the test and challenge your ability to negotiate the structures they dwell.  Kayakers who know what to look for can take advantage of the world class sheepshead fishery that is the Chesapeake Bay.  

Starting in mid June through late October, Sheepshead can be found on most structures in the Chesapeake Bay.  The CBBT bridge structures along with the rock islands tend to hold the biggest convicts.  One of the advantages of fishing in a kayak is that we can rub right up against the pilings.  I like to feel for rubble at the bottom and target those pilings most.  Sheepshead are also known to stay suspended and even just under the surface near the pilings.  They have also been known to hang underneath schools of spadefish as well.  

My rig of choice is a dropper loop about 10” to 16” above a 2-6 ounce sinker.  I use 50-60lb fluorocarbon leader and 2/0-4/0 super sharp Owner cutting point J hooks.  I like to have about 2 to 3 feet of flourocarbon above the dropper loop.  I tie up several rigs with swivels at the top for ease of attaching and put them in a leader wallet.  When fishing in thick structure, there’s a good chance you will go through several rigs.  Another rig people seem to like is a carolina rig style set up with a 2-4 ounce egg sinker over a swivel to a foot or foot and a half of flourocarbon leader to hook.  This rig would be good for suspended fish in my opinion.  My main line is 40-50lb braid which is spooled up on a quality baitcaster with tight and smooth drag.  A 7 foot fast action-medium heavy rod, that’s sensitive yet has enough back bone to withstand some serious pullage will do.  I've been using a Shimano Trevala S jigging rod and enjoy the light weight and great balance but have full confidence in it's ability to put on enough pressure.  Lately, my preference for the reel has been a Curado 300 EJ.




Baits of choice are fiddler crabs or mole crabs aka sand fleas.  Fiddlers can either be caught in the marsh or bought at most tackle/bait shops in the area.  My preference is to take the big claw off and send the hook through the subsequent hole and out through the top. I'll save the big claws just in case I run out of fiddlers. I've caught big sheepshead on just the claw. Mole crabs can be caught in the surf using various methods, including hand digging, as well as half a minnow trap sifted through the sand where the water meets the sand, but a mole crab rake is best.  I hook the mole crabs through the apron (small flap on the underside) and send the barb through the top. Convicts will also eat various other crustaceans, including clams, mussels, other crabs, etc.  

I normally start by working the bottom, but if I don't get a bite after a few minutes, I'll reel up 4-5 cranks and suspend the bait. The bite is hard to explain.  They can be quite the bait stealer, but once you figure out the bite, you’ll figure out the timing of when to set the hook.  In the mean time, for beginners, I’d suggest to go ahead and swing if you think there was a bite.  I’d rather swing and miss than bring up an empty hook over and over again.  Sometimes you’ll just feel a sudden weight on the other end without even feeling a bite.  For that situation, definitely go ahead and swing. If you feel a heavy weight, reel as much line in as you can before it realizes what's happening.


The ensuing runs will astonish even seasoned anglers. If you’re fishing around a piling and it starts taking you around the structure; as soon as you feel your line rubbing the piling put your reel in free spool and paddle through then engage again.  Otherwise your chances at pulling that big sheepie back through are slim to none.  

Once you’ve landed a big one on your kayak, beware of the large spikes along the dorsal and anal fins.  They’re gnarly and while flailing, will leave you bloody if you’re not careful.  You will also notice the strangely human like teeth of the sheepshead.

A note about the sheepshead I’d like to share is that once they reach the 20-22” range they take a very long time to grow to trophy size.  Although they are excellent table fare, I urge you to consider releasing trophy size sheepsheads (24” and above) since we would all like to see the specie thrive for a long time.  

 

Stress Free Kitty Trip

I took a breather from my quest for VA Saltwater Expert Angler and hit the James River for some laid back catfish action.  Right after a storm blew by, I soaked live bluegills that my kids caught earlier at a local pond.  Taking deep breathes, I enjoyed the flat calm evening while several catfish found my fishfinder rig and connected with the 8/0 circle hook.

Biggest Blue Catfish went 35"

Biggest Flathead Catfish went 36"

The remaining 2 saltwater citations weigh heavy on my mind, but it was nice to stay close to home and enjoy the simply pleasure of the pullage. 

I was almost as care free as this guy...   :)