Kayak Plan of Attack

Eventually intentionally or even accidentally you develop a strategy for your kayak excursions. For us our primary focus is fishing. While we do explore for new places and we paddle / pedal with a purpose. A traditional approach has become a plan for our trips. I periodically check the physical aspects of my kayak, the handles, hatches, hull and make sure that the seat is secure. A couple of times a year I check and tighten the bolts on my casting brace also. My partner Debbie has her own ritual, she maintains hew pedal drive with a visual inspection and if she doesn’t hear any noise from the previous trip after a dozen outings, she performs preventative maintenance. “I remove the two screws from the grease ports on the top of pedal drive and use the grease that came with the BITE FD. I fill the cavities and reassemble. I tighten all the remaining screws and store the pedals inside until the next trip. I carry the necessary tools with me to work on my pedal drive.”

Our kayaks stay stored in the bed of the truck; we loosen the ratchet straps to relieve the tension on the handles. To minimize “forgetting” key kayaking equipment we store essentials in the jump seat area of the kayak dedicated truck. Paddles (Debbie keeps a Bending Branches Pro carbon paddle strapped into her BITE), I carry my paddle and a spare in the storage area. Along with the paddles we have our life jackets and an extra for anyone kayaking without a life jacket. Dry boxes, extra generic tackle boxes, rainwear, spare ratchet straps and tools such as pliers, grippers and cutting implements are all part of our “go packs” stored in the kayak truck.

Now the fun stuff! I carry two Plano #3600 tackle boxes which are easily stored on either side of my Big Rig seat. Prior to the paddle I inspect and reload baits that are dictated by season, weather and water conditions. I have standard lures that stay year-round. Hooks are tested for sharp points, spinner and buzzbait skirts are checked for secure fit, a selection of crankbaits and “go to lures” stay in the trays. My favorite rod and reel combinations are retrieved from the racks. Drags are tested, line is checked, and lures are retied. Debbie’s ritual is a little different. “I restock my soft plastics along with a few weights of leadheads (my favorite way to fish) I look at the weather, also the temperature and make sure I have jigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and different colors based of water clarity. I chose rods, mostly my favorite open spinning combinations to match the weight of the lures I will be throwing that trip.

Once we arrive at our destination, I assess the weather and water conditions. Sun, wind and cloud cover help me decide what lures I will tie on. Additionally, I look at water color and do a surface water temperature check with a small thermometer which also assists in lure choice and choosing colors for the day. I consider moon phases prior to the trip to anticipate how aggressive the bite might be. Debbie chimes in, “Before I launch, I walk the bank casting a few lures to see what the mood of the fish might be. When I take off, I head for the most likely looking stretch of water, the sunny side, an area that has aquatic vegetation or rock bluffs.” We never push off until we put on our life jackets.

My initial approach is similar to Debbie’s. I generally start with the quietest baits first, jigs or soft plastics. I watch for any movement which would be a tip off as to food sources or the presence of a feeding fish. My goal is to as quickly as possible develop a pattern. The first fish is the key. What did it hit? What depth or cover did it come from? Was it a subtle hit or a heavy hit? All these will play into what I do next. If the bite continues, nothing changes. If not, I make adjustments, often just color changes or maybe a small version of the same bait. We both watch for condition changes, clouds moving in, a change in wind direction or speed and anything that might change the location or feeding mode of the fish. We carry alternate tackle to catch other species. While bass are often the target we will start searching for crappie and bluegill with a different rod and bait choices. This tactic often saves the day.
We stay in close proximity and compare catch notes and trade baits when one of us is catching more or bigger fish. We’re a team not competitors. If we pull off for a lunch break, we reassess our situation and make adjustments. Another aspect of our approach is memorializing our adventures with a few quick pictures before we release our catch. During post spawn, late May or June we might keep a few fish and clean them for a same day fish fry.
At the end of the trip we load up, secure the kayaks and recount the days events on the drive home. During the drive bragging rights are established, stories (mostly true) are exchanged about the days catch and upon arrival to our home we make journal notes of our successes (and failures) including number of fish, lures used, conditions and if appropriate the catch of the day. The final task means the equipment is properly stored with the terminal tackle restocked in readiness for the next trip at which time there will be another kayak plan of attack.