Kayak Fishing

From Tarpon to Bass, Nothing is Off Limits when Kayak Fishing

Catch all species Kayak Fishing


Photo courtesy of Justin Ritchey
From the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission

Kayak fishing is a growing sport and it’s easy to see why. Kayaks are nimble, less expensive than most motorized boats and provide access to places even the best casts from land just can’t reach.

The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation confirms that kayaks are the most popular type of boat for Americans to own and that the number of people participating in kayak fishing has gone up in the past six years.

But those who love the sport say kayak fishing is more than just a quick and less expensive way to get on the water.

“You are more in tune with what is going on,” said avid kayak angler Tony Hart, who runs YakOutlaws.com, a website dedicated to all things kayak fishing and stand up paddleboard angling. “The slower approach gives you an opportunity to take in more. It’s almost as though you become a part of what’s around you.”

“Because you are so low in the water, there is this sense of vulnerability when you start fishing, but you also have this feeling of freedom and accomplishment, blood, sweat and tears,” said Justin Ritchey, who has been kayak fishing for 10-plus years and has competed across Florida and internationally, taking fourth place in the 2014 Hobie Fishing World Championship in Amsterdam. “I’m very passionate about it, it’s a huge part of my life.”

Interested in kayak fishing? Read on to learn more about why this sport is booming and how you can get in on the action.

Access for all

Like many kayak anglers, Hart and Ritchey got into kayak fishing for similar reasons: they loved fishing and didn’t have access to a boat.

Ritchey, a fishing manufacturer representative from Orlando, got his start in college renting a two-person kayak for the weekend and asking random classmates to foot the rental fee for time on the water. Ritchey would provide the car, fishing gear and knowledge.

Hart was fishing from a dock in Jacksonville when he noticed fish off a point too far for him to reach casting. “That’s when two young guys paddled by and I thought, that’s the smartest thing in world,” said Hart. “The next weekend I got two kayaks.”

What often gets people into kayak fishing is the ability to access places they just can’t reach from shore.

“You can go anywhere you want with no stress of a motor breaking down or electronic failure,” Ritchey said. “And because you are quiet, you can often get closer than boat anglers can get.” You also can often get in shallower waters than many motorized boats.

Some might be thinking, kayaks are great for seatrout and redfish, but what if I want to catch a monster tarpon or a sailfish?

While what you catch within paddling distance will vary according to where in Florida you are fishing, if you can catch it, your kayak can take it.

“Being able to catch every species from a kayak is personal goal of mine,” said Ritchey, who has personally caught sailfish, blackfin tuna, mutton snapper, kingfish and tarpon from his kayak. “In a boat, when a fish takes a lot of line, you have less control. In a kayak, you might be getting towed, but you are never too far away from the fish, which allows you to get the fish in much faster.”

Ready to get your line wet? Check out these expert tips.

Buying a ‘yak

Don’t be afraid to spend more for quality, safety and access. Ritchey says most kayaks will hold their value, so if you decide kayak fishing is not for you, you should at least be able to get some of your money back.

Safety is key. Invest in a personal floatation device you will actually wear, carry a whistle or other sound-making device, and establish a float plan or let someone know where you are going and when you will be back. “Buy a life jacket that fits and is comfortable,” said Hart. “To me that is the biggest thing. Spend the money. Get a PFD that’s going to take care of you.” Inflatable lifejackets are very comfortable and are gaining popularity as well.

Try one out. “A lot of outfitters offer demo days,” said Hart, who suggests getting a feel for different types of kayaks before making a purchase.

With any luck, your paddling hands will be busy reeling in a big one, so look for a kayak with foot propulsion pedals.

Start with a sit-on-top, which is easier for ocean going trips (and dealing with Florida’s hot summers).

Accessorize: kayak fishing may have started with nothing more than a pole and boat, but these days anglers can customize for whatever preference or need they have, and we are not just talking cup holders. One of Ritchey’s three kayaks has a livewell, depth finder and a downrigger. Consider having more than one kayak for different types of fishing.

Where to start

Learn from others. Attend seminars about kayak fishing, find others who kayak fish and ask lots of questions.

Get started in saltwater by sight-fishing in shallower water, two feet or less, or try bass fishing at a local pond or lake. The key is to look for places without a ton of current to contend with until you get used to the feel.

Concerned about tipping? Try to keep the fish off the front of your kayak, which is the best and most comfortable way to fight a fish.

Make it a lifetime sport

Have kayak, will travel. Florida is bountiful when it comes to different fishing experiences. Strap that kayak securely to the roof of your vehicle and take it with you. You never know what you might catch next.

Catch a Florida Memory. Add fish to your Saltwater Fish Life List, conquer a Grand Slam or land that Reel Big Fish, all while earning prizes and supporting marine fisheries conservation. Submit catches on com.

Bring the family. Kayaks come in all kinds of sizes and make for a great family outing. Take out those kayaks and build fishing memories that will last a lifetime. “My fondest memories are when my wife, kids and I all go out together,” Hart said, referring to his two young sons.

Need more inspiration? Check out these videos by Justin Ritchey:

Tarpon off the Beach (Cape Canaveral) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSE4WzoVmIo Adventure Fishing World Championship https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xqCe4PDYYw
The quarterly Gone Coastal column is one of many ways that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Division of Marine Fisheries Management is helping recreational anglers understand complex saltwater regulations and learn more about saltwater fishing opportunities and issues in Florida. We are also available to answer questions by phone or email anytime, and we would love the opportunity to share information through in-person presentations with recreational or commercial fishing organizations. To contact the FWC’s Regulatory Outreach subsection, call 850-487-0554 or email Saltwater@MyFWC.com.

How and Where To Catch Seminole Bass In November

Seminole Bass In November with Steven Wells

All summer long the hydrilla beds at Seminole have been full of bass, but often the weeds are so thick you can’t fish it very effectively. In November the hydrilla begins to die back and open up, giving you access to those bass. And the cooler temperatures mean they feed even better.

Seminole is a one-of-a-kind lake in Georgia with its huge grass flats and stumpy water. So far south the dam is in Florida, it is like a Florida lake in many ways. The bass grow fat and spawn early in its warm waters. And every bit of the lake looks bassy, like you should be able to cast anywhere and hook a hog.

Unfortunately for the bass fisherman used to other lakes, looking good and being good are not always the same thing. The sheer size of the grass flats often make it difficult to locate bass unless you have an idea what they are doing and where to start. The bass are in the grass but you still have to find patterns within the grass to catch them.

Seminole is right in the corner of Georgia, Alabama and Florida on the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. It covers 37,500 acres and has been famous for its bass fishing for many years. Jack Wingate and his Lunker Lodge are one of the reasons for that fame and many happy bass fishermen have passed through his restaurant and dock over the years.

Steven Wells grew up right on the lake in Faceville, and is kin to Jack. He loves to fish and was on the lake so much Jack talked him into guiding there. Jack told him “As much as you like to fish you might as well let somebody else pay for your gas.” Steven also manages Outland Plantation, a hunting preserve near the lake, so he gets to spend all his time outside studying nature.

His time fishing paid off in another way this year when he married Pam Martin, a top angler on the Women’s Bass Fishing Association professional trail. She guides on Seminole out of Wingates with Steven when she is not off on the national tournament trail. She and Steven share patterns, tips and fishing spots and help each other out on the lake.

“If you are not fishing the hydrilla you are not fishing where the bass live, they get in the hydrilla,” Steven told me. We were fishing on a hot early October day and he was showing me patterns and places that would be good in November when the water cooled down a little.

In November you should start with topwater, then switch to spinnerbaits and lizards as the sun gets up,” Steven told me. He likes to fish a topwater bait around the hydrilla early in the morning, varying his bait according to the wind. If it is dead calm he throws a Mirror Lure topwater bait but if there is some ripple he switches to a Pop-R.

“Throw the plug within inches of the grass mat,” Steven said. You have to get it close to the edge, especially early in November when the grass is still thick. Work it slowly in place, keeping it as close as possible to the grass while making it act like a hurt baitfish. The longer you can keep it close to the grass the better your chances of getting bit.

Steven chooses a silver plug and throws it using 12 pound Stren line. The lighter line helps the bait work better and will still bet most fish out of the grass if they head back into it after you hook them. You can also make longer casts which are needed if the water is real clear.

Later in the month when the grass mat on top is breaking up, Steven will throw a buzz bait since it can be worked better. He likes a white one and ties it on 14 to 17 pound Stren line. If the grass is thick under the water he uses the heavier line to horse big bass out of the cover. The lighter line allows longer casts.

As the sun gets up Steven will switch to a spinnerbait and work it through openings and channels in the grass. Some of his favorite places will have clumps of grass out from the main mat even early in November and he tries to run it right beside those clumps, too.

Steven always chooses willowleaf blades since they come through the grass better and he varies the color depending on the water color. White with silver blades is better in clear water and gold blades and chartreuse skirts are best in stained water. The spinnerbait is fished on 14 to 17 pound Stren like the buzzbaits and for the same reasons.

“Bring two packs of watermelon seed lizards and leave everything else at home and you won’t go too far wrong,” Steven said. His go-to bait and what he uses most of the day is a Texas rigged Zoom watermelon seed lizard. He uses a 1/8th ounce lead unless the current or wind forces him to go heavier since the slower fall seems more attractive to Seminole bass.

Tie your lizard on 12 or 14 pound Stren since you will be fishing right in the grass. If the water is heavily stained Steven will go to Junebug lizards and sometimes he dies the tails of both colors chartreuse. Lizard fishing is slow so he likes to start with topwater and spinnerbaits, but the lizard will produce all day long.

“Cast the lizard right on top of the hydrilla and slide it to the edge, letting it fall when it hits open water,” Steven said. You must watch your line carefully since bass hitting on the fall often don’t give much indication they have taken the bait. If you see your line tick or move at all, set the hook hard to pull them away from the grass.

Steven shared 8 of his favorite November spots with me and they will all produce fish this month. They are just a few of the hundreds of similar places but there are key things to look for. Most of these are within a few miles of Wingates and Steven says some of the best fishing on the lake is a couple of hundred yards either side of the channel going in there.

1. N 30 47.355 W 84 43.050 – Upriver from Wingates at channel markers 13.8 through 13.3 the Flint River makes a sweeping turn across the lake. Along the downstream edge of the channel the water is shallow and hydrilla grows in a thick mat all along it. People use a cut-through behind a small island to run down to Wingates so sometimes there is a channel in the grass there.

Start at the first red channel marker just downstream of the grass island and work the edge of the hydrilla all the way past the turn back up river to the third red marker. The grass drops off deep here so you must cast topwater baits right to the edge of it. Concentrate on any cuts or holes in the edge and try to work your topwater bait in it as long as possible.

After the sun gets up switch to a lizard. You may need a 3/16 or even a 1/4 ounce lead here if there is any current since you want the lizard to drop straight down the side of the grass. The bass will hold all along the vertical face of the grass and suck in food, and your lizard, as it falls.

Cast your lizard up on top of the grass and pull it off. That insures it is as close to the wall of grass as possible. Watch your line carefully. When it stops falling, make sure it is not a fish then twitch it to make if fall on down. If it is on the bottom twitch it a couple of more times then reel in for another cast.

If you start here early, it is worth a pass with topwater then another pass with the lizard, especially if you catch a few fish on the first pass. The fish may be scattered the whole length of the bed or concentrated in one place, so pay attention to where you get bites.

2. N 30 46.736 W 84 44.381 – Just upstream of the Wingate cut there is a rockpile out on the old river channel where the ferry used to cross. You can see the old road bed on most maps. The grass bed along this edge is another good place to fish. The fish hold in the grass and also hold on the rocks and move into the grass to feed.

Fish the outside edge of the grass here. There is a wide band of grass and there is some open water behind it, but the best fishing in November is usually on the outside edge. Work it with topwater first then come back with a lizard. The water is not as deep on the outside edge of the grass here and a light sinker is usually best.

3. N 30 46.397 W 84 45.351 – The poles marking the Wingate cut have grass around them out where they get to the river channel and this can be an excellent place to fish. If you start upstream of the marker poles you should work the outside edge of the grass. Below the cut there is a bed of grass on a ridge and it has water 9 feet deep on the back side of it. This is a good place to work both sides of the bed.

The outside edge has clumps of grass growing out from the main bed and a spinnerbait or buzz bait is good in that area. The inside edge drops to 9 feet and a lizard falling down that drop is an excellent way to get a bass to bite. You can fish down the outside edge then cut through and fish the inside edge going the other way to cover both sides. If you catch a fish, concentrate on that area since there should be others nearby.

4. N 30 46.143 W 84 45.710 – Further downstream out from a couple of docks and pontoon boats on the bank the grass bed continues in closer to the bank. The river channel is a long way away here and the big flat has some grass on it, but as you get closer to the bank you will find a thick ridge of hydrilla. There is standing timber out toward the channel but it will be well behind you when you are fishing the outside edge of the grass.

On the outside edge clumps grow up well out from the mat. This is a good area for spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. The inside edge has enough water to be worth fishing and the lizard should be better here. Work all around the ridges of grass and fish both sides. Again, if you catch a fish work that area carefully since there should be others nearby.

5. N 30 45.943 W 64 46.122 – Straight downstream from areas #4 you will see a red channel marker where the channel swings back across the lake. Where it turns and runs down the bank is another good ridge of grass to fish. It is right along the channel and drops off fast. Fish the outside edge of it, keeping your boat in the channel and casting to the edge of the hydrilla.

6. N 30 46.036 W 84 48.063 – The Tractor bank is a well known local fishing spot. It is called that because the DNR used to keep a tractor there to use in the management area. You can follow the channel downstream then cut across to the north bank just downstream of a tall dead tree standing in the water. Be careful, there are a lot of stumps in this area and you need to find the clear area before running it if you don’t know it.

You will see a point of land with a cove on the upstream side. In the mouth of the cove is a small grass island and you will see a yellow sign on a pole out in the water upstream of it. There are big grass beds all along this bank. Start fishing near the management area sign and work down the bank. You can fish all along here, concentrating on areas where you catch fish.

Watch here for scattered clumps of grass out from the main bed and fish them with spinnerbait, buzzbait and lizard. It often pays off to drop a lizard down beside one of these clumps after running a buzz bait or spinnerbait through the area to catch a bass that is attracted by the faster bait but will not hit it.

There are also scattered stumps near the bank here so watch for them and cast to them. You also need to keep your boat out in 10 feet of water or more when running this bank because of the stumps in closer to the bank.

7. N 30 45.550 W 84 47.903 – Back across the lake at red channel marker 7.3 a ridge runs out from the bank and hydrilla grows on it. Fish both sides of this grass bed. It runs down to channel marker 6.9 and there are several sand bars in the area.

This is a spawning area for bass and most of these grass beds are good in November because they are near spawning areas. At Seminole bass are often moving near spawning beds to hold until the water warms, which can happen in January here. When looking for similar places to fish keep in mind that you should look for fish near spawning areas.

8. N 30 44.134 W 84 51.837 – Down near the dam where the bank turns south, a huge area of grass runs all the way from the swimming area at Chattahoochee Municipal Park down to the Coast Guard station at the dam. There is an old road bed running parallel to the bank and some real shallow places on it are marked by danger poles. Grass grows all along the ridge the roadbed is on and also behind it.

You could easily fish this area all day. Work both the inside and outside areas of grass. This is a big spawning area full of sandbars so fish will be positioning themselves here in November. Concentrate on areas where you catch a fish and look for keys. Is the bottom a little deeper, are there cuts in the grass or is it a solid mat? All those keys can point to concentrations of bass in similar areas.

Seminole is a great place for a November trip. It will be much warmer and the bass more cooperative than in more northern lakes if we have a cold month. And just fishing legendary Seminole is a thrill. Check out these patterns and spots and you will be able to find many more like them.

Salmon, Steelhead and Trout Smoking Tips

Salmon/Steelhead/Trout Smoking Tips from Yakima Baits
By Yakima Baits Pro Buzz Ramsey
from The Fishing Wire

Smoking fish tips


For over 20 years, I spent a month or more at a time chasing winter steelhead on the Oregon Coast, taking outdoor writers, fishing tackle buyers and industry VIP’s fishing. Since I worked for a fishing tackle company that made smokers designed for fish and game, I went out of my way to have fresh smoked fish available during our fishing adventures. The method that enabled me to fish friends and business associates each and every day and share fresh smoked fish too was the following:

I’d fillet my catch at the end of the day and place the best cuts for smoking (the bellies and collars) in my favorite liquid brine and refrigerate until the end of the next fishing day.

It’s then that I would remove the fillets from the brine, rinse well, let them air dry for an hour or two before sprinkling them with spices and placing in my smoker and letting the heating element burn two pans full of wood smoke during the evening hours (before bed).

Given that most of the smoking process, after the smoke from a couple pans of wood is applied, is just drying the fish to the right consistency, I’d just let the smoker run all night, while I slept, and unplug it shortly after the alarm rang the next early AM. It was then that I’d let the fillets cool before placing them in a paper bag with several layers of paper towels in the bottom.

Having fresh smoked fish in the drift boat while chasing fish each day was a big hit with everyone and especially those whose job it was to keep retail stores supplied with smokehouse products.

The home made brine that I mixed then and continue to use includes (remember to stir well):

1/4 cup non-iodized salt (iodized salt is bitter)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup apple juice
1 cup sugar (brown sugar works too)
1 to 1-1/2 quart water (depending on amount of fish)
Immerse fish fillets in the above solution, refrigerate overnight (longer is OK), rinse thoroughly in fresh water, pat dry with paper towels, place on smokehouse racks (skin side down helps prevents sticking), sprinkle with ground garlic, onion and black pepper (or other favorite spices), and add a final sprinkling of sugar and let air dry of an hour or more before placing in you smokehouse.

Smoke until done, depending on quantity and desired texture– 6 to 12 hours usually works depending on outside temperature and the heat generated by your smoker.

Have You Ever Been To A Turkey Shoot?

Have you ever been to a turkey shoot? I remember attending them with my dad when I was a kid. We would drive to a field where paper targets with a big “X” on them were hung on a wire and a shooting line established away from the targets. Hay bales often offered backstops and places to sit near the firing line.

Each shooter put a dollar in a hat and got to fire one shell at his target. The one with a shot hitting closest to the center of the “X” won a turkey. There were often side bets between the men on who would win each round.

I will never forget one shoot. On one shot, the wad managed to hit the target, leaving a big hole near the “X” was vislible from the shooting line. There were quite a few bets that would win, but when the targets were checked, one tiny hole was right on the “X” and won.

Turkey shoots are still held, usually as a fun raiser. Check around for one and see if you can win a turkey!

Fall Reds On the Beach

Red is the Color of Fall at the Beach
By Frank Sargeant
from The Fishing Wire

Catch redfish like this from the beach in the fall


For those who like to take their vacations on the Gulf Coast after the crowds are gone, now is the time to head south.

Though the weekends are still busy, the weekdays have a shadow of the numbers of vacationers pre-Labor Day, and that’s nothing but good for anglers.

Fall is prime time for redfish, which move from the beaches into the lower bays to spawn as fall nears. Particularly on the northern gulf, roughly from Cape San Blas all the way to Dauphin Island in Alabama, the fish show up in schools that sometimes number in the hundreds, literally turning the water red.

The “bull” reds—which are actually mostly females—settle on the edges of the bars, jetties, passes and bridges, and provide amazing sport for those who know where to find them. The average fish weighs 15 to 25 pounds, and some are much larger.

Harvest of any red over 28 inches long is illegal in Florida waters, while anglers are allowed one redfish over 26 inches daily in Alabama waters, but these jumbo reds are not nearly so tasty as the smaller fish and most anglers release them to spawn and make more reds. They make great catch and release action, and will hit just about anything when the feed is on.

Topwaters are particularly interesting because big reds really stir things up when several of them start chasing one of these lures at once. You may want to clip off several of the trebles, though—getting a big red untangled from a multi-hook lure it has swallowed can be a big problem. A single-hook swimbait works just as well and is much easier to get out of the fish—use one about 6 to 8 inches long and weighing 1 to 2 ounces.

The prime spot for big reds in Florida is the south tip of Cape San Blas, but they’re also found at every inlet and pass at this time of year, as well as cruising along just outside the first sandbar off the beach. They also linger around the many big piers found along the Panhandle coast.

The most famed spot in Alabama waters is Dixey Bar, a shallow ridge of sand just off Fort Morgan. This is a big piece of shoal water just off the edge of the ship channel, and it’s a natural feeding area, averaging 5 to 10 feet deep. It’s 3 miles long and up to 2 miles wide, providing lots of fishing room for a number of boats. And in fall it nearly always has plenty of jumbo reds.

While artificial lures are the most fun way to connect, sometimes a more sure way is natural bait— pinfish, grunts, small mullet, pretty much any fish in the 6 to 10 inch range won’t last long—put enough weight on them to hold bottom, and fish the outgoing tide. If live bait is hard to get, a chunk of cut mullet fished on bottom will do just fine—reds quickly home in on the scent, if a shark or catfish doesn’t beat them to it.

If reds are not your thing, trout fishing will quickly improve with the shorter days and cooler nights, with steady action around the shrimp and menhaden schools in the large bays and sounds here. Best bet is live shrimp under a big noisy popping cork which you “baloop” about twice a minute to attract attention. Some anglers catch much larger trout, big “yellow mouths” over 6 pounds, by wading the surf at dawn and throwing big Spooks and other topwaters.

Just off the beaches, Spanish and king mackerel will continue to cooperate until about mid-October, when the bait schools start to migrate south, taking these speedsters with them. Trolling a Clark spoon behind a number 2 planer gets the Spanish anywhere from 100 yards on out, while the kings usually like a larger Drone-type single hook spoon with a small strip of mullet or bonito, also fished on a planer. Kings hang around artificial reefs, navigation buoys and the major passes.

In short, there’s a lot of great fall fishing action waiting at the northern Gulf Coast right now, and it’s a great time to visit.

Jam Up and Jelly Tight, But What About Preserves?

Do you know the difference between jelly, jam and preserves? Growing up on a farm, I watched mama make all three. We ate apple jelly, muscadine and blackberry jam and fig preserves all year long.

Jelly is translucent, made from fruit juice with no pulp or skin in it. Jam has fruit pulp or crushed fruit in it. Preserves have chunks or whole fruit in it. All three take a lot of hard work. I’m not sure why she made the different types from different fruits, but they sure were good.

My role was to go to the woods to gather muscadines and blackberries when ripe, pick figs from our huge fig bush and go to a neighbor’s house where he allowed us to get all the apples we wanted from his trees.

My favorite were the fig preserves. The whole figs, in heavy, super sweet syrup, were great on toast or mama’s homemade biscuits for breakfast. And I sometimes just ate the figs straight from the jar for a snack.

I haven’t seen fig preserves for years but found a jar of fig preserves in a store recently. It was good, and the taste brought back good memories, but it could not compare to mama’s cooking.

Something else I can’t find is pickled pears.
Mama put up lots of pickles but the tart, sweet pear pickles were great. Its odd I have never seen them in stores since they were a staple of all family and church potluck dinners.

Pickled peaches she made were also a staple. I have found them in stores, and they are good, but they lack something in my memories. Both pears and peaches were picked on neighbors’ trees until daddy planted some of each.

Mama made sweet cucumber pickles, and I have never had any as good as hers. The bread and butter pickles in stores are similar, but hers were sweeter and tarter, and the slices of pickled cucumber were very dark, almost black. I hated picking the cucumbers since the vines made me itch.

I had my first pickled okra just a few years ago, mama never made them. That surprises me since the pickled okra is great, and we grew lots of okra for soups and other dishes. She never made dill pickle, either, that I remember. Maybe daddy didn’t like the dill taste of both.

Mama could take anything and make a good dish from it. When I was 15 years old, Bobby Fox, a young single man was hired to teach at daddy’s school. He boarded with us and became almost like an older brother. He told mama his mama in North Carolina made persimmon pudding, much like the bread pudding mama often made.

Her bread pudding was fantastic, and she adapted her recipe to make the persimmon pudding. In the late fall, when the persimmons turned dark orange, we would gather a bunch of them and mama mashed them up, removed the seeds and made the pudding. It was very good.

String beans were a staple of summer, but mama put up dozens of quarts of canned string beans, we ate at least a jar a week all winter. That involved lots of work, too. I didn’t mind picking them too much but hated the tedious task of stringing and snapping them. Shelling peas and butterbeans, which were blanched and frozen, and stringing beans occupied most summer nights, sitting in front of the TV, watching one of the two channels available, and wanting to be outside!

When I was 12 we built mama’s dream house, a split level brick house that sat right where the old wooden farm house sat. We tore down the front half of the house to make room for the new one and lived for a few months in the bedrooms and small kitchen and bath that were on the back of the old house.

One feature mama wanted and got was a huge pantry under the carport. The shelves were lined with jars of pickles, jams, jellies, preserves and string beans. I know it gave mama and daddy a comfortable, fulfilled feeling to have a store of food for the winter, something common back then.

We ate a lot of fresh stuff, too, especially when out in the woods and fields. Some of it probably should have been left along, but then, like now, I will try eating just about anything.

I learned fast that yellow persimmons would “turn your mouth inside out,” by trying them. They were great when fully ripe, and I liked the ones that had already fallen to the ground. There was always a little dirt stuck to them but it was worth the grinding for the taste.

I ate lots of snake berries, too. The tiny wild strawberries were everywhere, and rumor had it that they were poison, but if so I must be immune. One thing I never tried were poke berries. The dark purple berries looked good enough to eat, but I was convinced they were poison, as well as knowing they stained everything they touched.

I enjoyed sucking the nectar out of honeysuckle, and often wished there was some way to make jelly from it. Daddy showed me a mulberry bush on our fence row when I was in my late teens, and they were great. For some reason, although I walked by it hundreds of times, I never noticed it growing up.

Some things I tried were not good. As much as squirrels loved acorns, they had to be good, right? Not to me! We tried them raw, boiled in an old tin can over a campfire and roasted on campfires, but never could eat them.

I miss those adventures but miss mama and her cooking even more.

Finesse Fish for Bass

Finesse Fish Your Way to Bassing Success
By Frank Sargeant, Editor
from The Fishing Wire

Finesse Jig catch fish


Elephants eat peanuts, one of my fishing guide buddies likes to say.

That was right on target for two major national tournaments in the last month, as both a B.A.S.S. Elite event and the Major League Fishing Redcrest championship were won by anglers relying heavily on tiny jigs that would appear better suited for crappies or bluegills than bass.

And while elephants also eat hay bales, a switch to finesse-sized lures and tackle can bring a change in luck for Alabama anglers, particularly in the dregs of summer when hot water and months of fishing pressure have slowed the bite to a trickle on many days.

At the St. Lawrence River B.A.S.S. event, winning angler Micah Frazier relied on Z-Man ShroomZ jig heads, tipped with little 2.5 inch YUM Ned Dinger tails that look like a leftover section of the head of a conventional plastic worm. While smallmouths in the clear waters of the St. Lawrence are a long way from largemouths in the murky waters of the South, the lures and tactics work here as well as there.

These jig heads come in a wide variety of sizes, but the ones that won at the St. Lawrence were not what most anglers would think of a “bass-sized”. They weighed just 1/8 ounce, with hooks about size 4. Compare that to the typical jig used for largemouths, with a 1/2 ounce head and a size 5/0 hook, and you get a better understanding of the difference between finesse fishing and standard bass gear.

The ShroomZ heads are made to sit on bottom with the head down, the hook standing up vertically, particularly when rigged with the high-flotation ElaZtech soft plastics. (The whole system is based in part on the Ned rig, devised not by Ned Flanders of The Simpsons but by Ned Kehde of Missouri, who devised the set up, pushed into Z-Man production by Missouri angler Drew Reese.) The look and action is so different from most other bottom-hugging lures that it seems to have an almost magical appeal to bass.

The finesse package includes a whole suite of gear; it’s not just about the lures, though they are key. The little lures might work on conventional bass tackle if you could cast them, but you can’t–a 1/8 ounce lure simply won’t throw on a baitcaster. In fact, it doesn’t cast very well on a full-sized spinning rig with the typical 10 pound test mono many anglers use, either.

The set up that most pro anglers now use is a spinning reel with the spool filled with 10-pound-test braid, running to at least a rod’s length of 6- to 8-pound-test clear mono. This gives them the sensitivity of the braid, but the clear mono is nearly invisible to the fish and also lets the tiny lures work naturally.

The lure may imitate a hellgrammite or a crawfish, or perhaps a small baitfish feeding head down. Whatever it represents to bass, they consider it edible, often when they ignore everything else you throw at them. (Part of it may just be that it’s so different from the hundreds of lures they’ve been seeing all summer–bass definitely get conditioned to avoid lures they’ve been stuck with.) It may just be the potato chip syndrome–while you may only be hungry enough for a steak at dinnertime, you’re likely to eat a chip most anytime someone offers one. Ditto bass.

Bites tend to be light–just a tap on the line sometimes, or unexpected slack or tightening. Hard strikes are rare.

Setting the hook is a bit different with the finesse gear, too–the sharp over-the-head snap that many anglers use for conventional tackle will result in a lot of breakoffs but few hookups. Best way to set the small but very sharp hooks is simply to raise the rod until you feel tension and then start reeling. Most of the time, the hook sets itself.

Anglers used to water-skiing their bass to the boat on heavier tackle may have to re-educate themselves a bit, too–with the ultra-light gear and 6-pound mono leader, even a 2 pounder can present an interesting challenge. But in the open water where the tactic works best, it’s just a matter of keeping the pressure on and pumping and reeling–eventually the fish gives in. (Of course you can’t jerk them into the boat on the light line, either, if they weigh over a pound or so–the lip lock is necessary.)

Finesse fishing is a particularly good tactic when you’re after lots of fish rather than a few giants—that’s why the guys in the MLF circuit like them so much. The made-for-TV competition is all about putting numbers of fish in the boat, not size. But finesse lures are also great for the weekend angler who’s got the kids or grandkids out for the day and wants to make sure they put something in the boat—the little lures will often outfish larger baits by a wide margin.

West Point Fishing in August

Sunday, August 24, at West Point, 11 members of the Spalding County Sportsman Club cast for nine hours on a cool day with pouring rain the last two hours. We landed 15 bass weighing about 19 pounds. There were only four 14-inch largemouth, the rest were 12-inch spots. There were no limits and five people did not catch a keeper.

Jay Gerson won with four weighing 4.50 pounds, Wayne Teal had three at 4.03 pounds for second and big fish weighing 1.82 pounds, my two weighing 3.17 pounds was third and Niles Murray had three at 2.97 pounds for fourth.

I stated with a buzzbait on a deep rocky bank where I have caught a good many fish, but never got a bite. Then as the sky got lighter, I started fishing deeper brush, landing a keeper spot and a keeper largemouth on shaky head worm from about 20 feet deep.

Thought maybe that would work on other places but it didn’t. Since it was a rainy, cloudy day I tried a lot of shallow stuff too, and hooked one decent looking bass in a tree top in a foot of water, but it wrapped me up and sawed back and forth until it broke my line.

Saying it was a tough day is an understatement!

River Coho Salmon

Casting Weighted Spinners For River Coho Salmon

By Yakima Baits Pro Buzz Ramsey
from The Fishing Wire

River Coho Salmon on a Weighted Spinners


Although the timing varies by region and river system, this is the month many Northwest, BC, Alaskan and Great Lake anglers start thinking about targeting coho salmon as they begin their run toward the river habitat or hatchery that produced them. (Scott Haugen Photo)

Coho, sometimes called silver salmon, average seven to nine pounds in size with some strains reaching 15 pounds or more. In all regions, any coho salmon that weighs in at 20 pounds or more is considered a lifetime trophy. The current world record sport caught coho salmon was taken in 1989 from, surprisingly, the Salmon River in New York State at 33 pounds 4 ounces. In 2012 a coho salmon was caught-and-released from the same New York river that (based on measurements prior to release) might have weighed in at 34 pounds.

And while coho can be caught any number of ways when returning to their natal stream, casting weighted spinners is one fishing method seldom overlooked by anglers.

The most common way to fish a spinner in rivers is to cast out, across and slightly upstream and reel it back to you with a retrieve speed that keeps it working near bottom. If the water is deep, you should allow your spinner sink near bottom before starting your retrieve. Fished this way, the river current will swing your spinner downstream through the fish-holding water. Once your spinner swings in near shore, it’s time to reel in and cast again.

You’ll be much more successful if you don’t get caught up in a steady, ridged, retrieve mode. Let your spinner work with the current. For example, if you feel a burst of water grab your lure, slow down or momentarily stop retrieving and let it work. Spinners are the most effective when slowly retrieved, as slow as you can, and within a foot or two of the bottom. Strikes are usually definite, but some fish will just stop the spinning blade so, if in doubt, set the hook.

In addition to allowing your spinner to work with the current, you can sometimes tease these fish into biting by working your spinner in an erratic fashion with lots of starts and stops, speed-ups and slow-downs, even changing the angle of your retrieve can sometimes produce results.

In extreme clear water, where upstream-looking fish might spook when seeing you, upstream casting can be the “go to” spinner method. Easy, position yourself within casting range of the fish-holding water and cast at an upstream angle. If the water is shallow, begin your retrieve as or just before your spinner hits the water, which can help you avoid hang ups.

After an upstream cast, especially when the water is shallow, reel fast as possible until you’ve picked up all slack line and begin to feel the resistance of the spinning blade; then slow down your retrieve speed and work your lure just above bottom.

Another productive technique is downstream casting, which works best on wide holes or tail-outs. Cast your spinner out, across and at a downstream angle. Since, the current is moving away from you, it requires a slow or no retrieve, as your spinner swings through the holding water.

When the fish are in, confirmed by vast numbers visible in clear water or due to them sometimes jumping, you may think a fast limit is a sure thing. And while you may quickly tag out (and I hope you do) realize that these fish can be finicky about what spinner size, style and color they’ll respond to. Coho salmon are famous for sometimes turning up their nose at nearly every offering but then going crazy (as in a fish-feeding frenzy) after only one cast with the right lure or color. My advice: try different offerings and let the fish tell you what they like.

Try Tipping: while tipping is a common practice among bass and walleye anglers, the trick is often overlooked by those chasing salmon. With spinners, what works is to tip the hook of your spinner with a short section (a one inch piece might be all you need) pinched from a scent-filled worm – like a PowerBait or Gulp! worm. And while different worm colors can work, what often adds to success is to hang a one-inch section of a worm in fluorescent pink from your hook – just let it hang straight back.

Spinners are available in an amazing array of weights, sizes and colors. For coho salmon, the most popular weights include the one quarter, one-third (3/8) and one-half ounce sizes – it all depends on water depth and fish preference. Some of the popular names include the Flash Glo and Rooster Tail. If you’re on a budget consider the Bud’s spinner. Keep in mind that regulations might require the use of a single, rather than a treble hook, when fishing salmon in freshwater rivers.

Although salmon will respond to solid metal finishes like nickel, brass or copper, coho may prefer lures featuring a combination of color and reflective metal. Spinners having fluorescent chartreuse, pink, green, blue, black, orange or red added to their makeup should be included in your arsenal. Remember, these fish can be fickle as the stock market so take along a wide assortment of different spinners, sizes and colors.

While both bait cast and spinning rod and reel outfits work, many anglers (including me) prefer to use a spinning rod and reel when tossing blades. The reason: spinning reels facilitate the casting of sometimes light-weight spinner sizes and, at least for me, better deal with the fast starts, stops, slow downs, and speed ups associated with fishing a spinner.

When it comes to fishing rods, eight and a half to nine foot rods in medium to medium-heavy actions are the most popular for spinner casting. Most anglers will combine these with medium size spinning reels capable of holding 140 yards of 10 to 14 pound monofilament line.

Likely due to a spinner’s sonic vibration, coho salmon respond to spinners by striking them savagely. Their built-in weight makes spinner casting easy while their vibration-producing blades attract fish in waters ranging from stagnant to fast moving. In short, the right spinner style and color will produce almost anywhere coho salmon hold.

Frustration with My Minn Kota Ulterra

In April, I decided to celebrate finishing chemo and radiation by buying a new trolling motor. I have wanted the Minn Kota Ulterra for several years. My old one worked fine but was a little hard to turn, and my old back did not like pulling it in by the cord.

The Ulterra self-stows and self deploys. You tap a button on the foot pedal twice and it goes into the water. Tap it once and it comes back in. And it has spot lock, a feature that allows you to tap another button and the motor will keep you within a few feet of the spot where you tapped it.

It also comes with a Bluetooth remote to control the motor. You can sit in the back of the boat and use the trolling motor. A commercial for it shows a man by himself backing his boat in the water and letting it float off. After parking, he goes to the dock, has the remote deploy the motor and drive it to him on the dock. Very convenient.

Striper and hybrid guides especially like this feature. In their center console boat they can stay in the middle of the boat, within easy reach of all the rods out, and control the movement of the boat.

I got the motor, had it installed and took it to

Jackson Lake to test it. The foot pedal was very different, but I thought I would get used to it. I loved the self-stow and spot lock just from playing with them.

The motor worked fine the next weekend in a tournament, but the foot pedal was very frustrating.
For 45 years I have used a cable drive trolling motor. Guiding the boat did not require any thought. It was an automatic act for years, just like driving a car.

The new pedal uses a motor to turn the trolling motor. That is nice in some ways, but the pedal has no “feel” like the old one. I constantly turned the boat in the wrong direction and had to look at it all the time to control it, distracting from my fishing concentration. And the buttons were placed badly, it was way too easy to hit the stow button when trying to turn the motor with my heel.

I started to hate it on that trip and my feelings about it got worse.

The next weekend in a tournament, the spot lock feature and remote would not work. When I got home, I sent an online message to Minn Kota support and they told me to take it to Riverdale Marine, an Authorized Service Center. I did, and the control head was replaced.

Everything worked great for eight trips, and
I was starting to get used to the foot pedal. Then, in the Potato Creek Logan Martin tournament, at my first stop Saturday morning, the motor would not deploy. I sat there not fishing, fooling with the motor, for 30 minutes, missing the best fishing of the day because of the motor.

Then, it finally deployed and I was able to fish for a few hours. But the motor acted crazy, trying to stow when I was not touching the foot pedal or remote and doing other things it was not supposed to do, all on its own. I managed to catch two fish under those frustrating conditions.

Sunday morning in the tournament it worked fine for a couple of hours and I caught three keepers. When I decided to move, the motor would not stow. I was stuck in the down position and I was about four miles from the weigh-in site.

I started idling back to the ramp with my three fish, messing with the foot pedal buttons and remote. It finally stowed, and I ran to the ramp area and fished the last few hours with a crazy motor, doing weird things, but I managed to catch one more keeper.

When I got home I had it taken off my boat, fearing to try to use it again. I sent another message to Minn Kota support on their web form and got no response for three days. I started posting my message to them on social media.

That got attention and I received a call from Minn Kota. I explained all the problems and that I did not trust the motor, even if it was repaired and did not want to use it again, even though I really needed a self-stow motor for my back.

The representative offered to swap the Ulterra for an Ultrex, a non-self-stow motor that cost about $450 less – but with no refund of the difference in cost, not to mention sales tax, shipping and irritation.

The next day I called him back and left a message, asking them to swap the lemon motor I bought for a new one of the same model and cost, since I really needed the self stow. Several people said they had the Ulterra and had no trouble with it, so I thought maybe I had just gotten a lemon, and was willing to try again.

So far, no response.

I am looking at all options. There are a lot of other brands out there.