LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Northeast
stripers was great in Boston, but slow in many areas both north and south.
Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas
ERIC HARRISON WON THE SLAM DIVISION OF THIS YEAR’S JAMAICA BAY KAYAK FISHING TOURNAMENT WITH A 97-INCH TOTAL FOR A WEAKFISH, STRIPER AND BLUEFISH.
F
or many of us in the North- east the Jamaica Bay Kayak
Fishing Tournament sponsored by Kayak Fishing Stuff is the kickoff to the saltwater season. Te fishing did not disappoint; bluefish were around in huge numbers and anglers that could get their offerings past the blues caught large weakfish and striped bass. Danny Viscardo caught the biggest fish in the tournament, nailing a 36-inch striped bass on a live pogie to win a Hobie Ad- venture. Will the pogies show up and
bring in the big bass like they did last year? Kayakers from Con- necticut to Maine were finding schools of pogies as early as mid- May and it didn’t take long for the big fish to follow. Pogies are most commonly found in harbors and around the mouths of rivers. Tey are filter feeders and won’t hit any offerings, so the best technique is to snag them with a treble hook. Once snagged, leave the pogie struggling in the school or reel it in and put it on a big single hook on another rod. Pogies run be- tween one and two pounds; a 20- to 40-pound fish has no problem eating bait that size. Many yakkers think of August
as a tough month, but August can be a great month for big bass from Boston north. Tis year we have seen plenty of blues all over New England and August should be a peak month for finding the toothy critters. By early Sep- tember the young of the year’s herring and pogies should be all over, and this will ignite the fall run. Last year the fall run of
44 … KAYAK ANGLER summer/fall 2008
CHAD HOOVER IS AN ACTIVE DUTY NAVAL OFFICER STATIONED IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, WHERE HE SERVES AS PRESIDENT OF THE TIDEWATER KAYAK ANGLERS ASSOCIA- TION AND MEMBER OF THE WILDERNESS SYSTEMS KAYAK FISHING PRO STAFF.
T
he Mid-Atlantic and Carolina spring fisheries produced ex-
ceptional catches. Rising lake, riv- er and reservoir temperatures have anglers out in full force. Te fish- ery saw record numbers of trophy largemouth. Established trophy destinations held true to their rep- utation while several underrated locales emerged as bucketmouth factories. Many of the drought-af- fected lakes have returned to near normal levels and shallow-water fishing is exceptional. Smallmouth anglers enjoyed
success chasing the bronze- back in the Susquehanna, New, Shenandoah, Potomac and James Rivers throughout North Caro- lina, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Aſter brutal late- spring storm systems, Jeff Little from Maryland-based Blue Ridge Kayak Fishing reports his clients are having an exceptional early summer. He attributes these un- usually aggressive fish to the mul- tiple interruptions of the spawn- ing process. Heavy rains opened previously inaccessible sections of each watershed. Anglers will- ing to ply these waters enjoyed unparalleled success. Fishing for redfish, trout and
flounder remained consistent throughout the Carolinas’ coastal flats and marsh creek systems. Te brute red drum made their
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
migration to the North Caro- lina sounds and up the coast to the shoals of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Cobia have shown in large numbers and the tarpon should have arrived in late June and will hang around until temperatures start to drop. South Carolina Kayak Fishing
has information about fishing the Carolinas on their website at
www.sckayakfishing.com. Visit their forums and calendar for information on tournaments, events and upcoming trips. Tis is sure to become the go-to info source for kayak fishing in the Low Country. Virginia Beach kayak fishing
guide Cory Routh recently com- pleted his book Kayak Fishing: Te Complete Guide. His book profiles kayak fishing destina- tions in the Mid-Atlantic and across the country while pro- viding an outstanding source of information for beginning, in- termediate and advanced kayak fishing, rigging, safety and pad- dling techniques. Look for it at your local paddling retailer.
North Florida and Georgia
corded a fourth place finish over- all. Big deal, you say? Daniel is only 12 years old and easily wrapped up the junior angler division. Everyone has been catching
lots of big redfish on topwater baits such as the Skitterwalk and the Super Spook. Tis time of the year is also a good time to catch a gator trout as the females move inshore to spawn until late Sep- tember and early October. Now that the water has heated
up, many kayakers have set their attention on bigger prey as the tar- pon makes his way into the warm coastal waters. Tey can be caught using live mullet, ladyfish, or blue crabs. Also you can try cut mullet or ladyfish with an 8/0 circle hook and a minimum 60-pound fluo- rocarbon leader. When chasing tarpon make sure you wear your PFD—they’ll knock you out of your kayak if you’re not careful. As you go west towards Panama
City, get ready to troll the beaches for kingfish with live menhaden on a wire leader with about 15- pound line and light drag. Meanwhile, inland fishermen
are enjoying bountiful catches of speckled perch, shellcrack- ers, shoal bass, and largemouth bass. Working the lily pads with a topwater frog has been very pro- ductive in the mornings and fish deep during the day with a Texas- rigged plastic worm. Fish the For- gotten Coast; it’s crazy fishing.
South Florida
JEFF SUBER OF CRAWFORDVILLE, FLORIDA IS THE OWNER OPERATOR OF FORGOTTEN COAST KAYAK ANGLERS. HE PUTS ON AN ANNUAL CHARITY TOURNAMENT BENEFITING MEALS ON WHEELS.
T
here have been great tour- naments this year so far in
Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Mobile, Pensacola, and Lake Blackshear. USN Chief Preston Chapman came down from South Carolina with his father to the Jacksonville Classic to fish in their first tourna- ment and recorded a 31-inch red- fish. Daniel Ganoe was the news of record with a 59-inch slam and re-
JASON STOCK GREW UP IN CANOE COUNTRY OUTFITTERS, THE FAMILY BUSINESS. HE’S NOW A TOURNAMENT ANGLER, MEMBER OF THE WILDERNESS SYSTEMS PRO STAFF AND OWNS AND OPERATES J.M. SNOOKY KAYAK CHARTERS.
T
his time of year snook are in spawning mode and they will be on the beaches and passes.
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