Scout New Water Kayak and Fishing Trips

Sooner or later you will want to fish new water or plan a trip to paddle new water with your kayak. How do you make the choice of where to paddle or fish? If you are new to kayak fishing, keeping the trips close to home is a good starting point. As you get more experience and even venture out to fish a tournament or two, finding fish on new water can be a challenge. Here are a few sources that I use and found to be very helpful.

Before the Internet there was and still are the local bait and tackle stores. That’s where I will still go to get local information.

 Usally the shop owners are anglers themselves and know what to use and where to go. 

Next on my list is to find a local kayak shop. They either have a kayak fishing advocate on staff or on call.

Next on the list is a local kayak outfitter. The information they both have will help you with where to launch your kayak and any hazards you may face on your water excursion.

A quick internet and Facebook search for any local kayak fishing or paddling clubs will get you more intimate knowledge of a body of water.

After talking with the shop owners or fishing advocates and any local kayak fishing or paddling groups, I will go to that state’s Department of Natural Recourses. Usally I can find some valuable information on their site like, where a state record fish has been caught.  Fisherman creel surveys and other fish sampling devices that are used by the DNR offer great insight to a body of water. The time you spend on the DNR’s site will pay you dividends in your fishing endeavors. 

          

The next internet search is for the local county parks or county sites that help with kayak information.

 

Another little known local wealth of information is a possible Aqua Marine Biologist who monitors local rivers and can give you good spots to fish like this video.

A quick trip to the USGS website, https://waterdata.usgs.gov/in/nwis/rt and I have a good picture of where I want to go and what I can expect to catch. 

Oh, one more check, the weather channel. 

Sat DEC 1	Rain/Thunder	51°46°	100%	ESE 16 mph	98%
	UV Index	Sunrise	Sunset	Moonrise	Moonset
	0 of 10	7:46 am	5:12 pm	1:29 am	2:25 pm
	Rain early…then remaining cloudy with thundershowers developing in the afternoon. High 51F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.

Yep I better pack the rain gear!