flyboy7

The magnum dipsy diver chart goes to 100' (without the super ring attached). That is the dipsy that I use in my kayak if I need to go really deep.

I put 12.75 miles on my kayak this afternoon/evening out of Sandy. Same slow fishing for me. I marked fish on the bottom in the 100 to 110 foot range. I managed to land one laker in 110 FOW. Water temp on the bottom measured 58 degrees at 110'. My arms and shoulders are tired from paddling. Maybe it is time for some rest !!

I was happy when I got directed to this site and specifically this post. I plan on adding a couple rod holders and a fish finder to my Prowler 13 with the intent of doing what you guys are. I knew there had to be some people out there trolling for kings out of the yak. I have a few questions for you:

How many rods are you running?

What type of setup are you using? Is it just like you were trolling on a powered boat? (ie dipsy/flasher/fly or spoon, or J-plugs) Have you tried the lure Jensen divers?

Do you find it difficult to track straight with the increased resistance of the bigger set-ups/is it easier to run the same thing on both sides?

I only run one rod. The reason is that I don't want to deal with the possible issues when a fish gets on and lines from multiple rods start to cross or drag on the bottom. And there is nobody else to hand the other rod to if both rods hook into fish. I like to use a rod holder in front of me that keeps the rod tip out to the starboard side. This does provide some tendency for the boat to pull to the right but I can compensate by paddling harder on that side. If the wind and dipsy both pull me in the same direction, I will sometimes put the rod in one of the flush-mount holders that I have behind me. That eliminates the sideways pull but puts the rod out of sight which I don't prefer (yesterday I unknowingly dragged a small king salmon for a long distance because the rod was behind me and he was too small to take out drag).

I pull a dipsy diver set at "0". I have one that dives to 40' and one that dives to 100'. (still building my arsenal as this is all new to me since I am primarily a fly fisherman). Behind the dipsy, I have been using an 8" Spin Doctor followed by a spoon or fly. I use a Shakespeare line counter to get the desired line length. I use Power Pro braid line and fluorocarbon leaders. I have a Humminbird fishfinder with GPS. This provides depth, fish/bait location, boat speed, surface temp and of course my position relative to earth. I use a Vexilar Deptherm thermometer to measure temp at depth (I have to stop moving and fishing to take depth temps). I permanently attached a compass to the console. I carry a hand-held marine radio.

For the most part I am set up like a power boat. Although very limited, I have most of the capabilities that the real boats have. It is just a whole lot more work to get to the fish and can be quite a workout trolling for 4 hours. And, things that you'd take for granted on a power boat are a bit more complicated on a kayak. For example, how to handle a thrashing fish that has hooks hanging out of his face when the only place to work is in the water or on your lap.

For safety on the big lake I recommend the following (sorry if these things seem obvious, but it can be dangerous out there):

• Use safety items as required by law

- Always wear a life jacket

- Whistle or air horn

- White light visible from 360° (if paddling at night)

• Sit-on-top kayak

- Most are self bailing

- Most are very stable

- Easy to get in and out of

- Open water re-entry is much easier

• Compass and/or GPS

• Cell phone and/or marine radio

• Paddle leash

• High visibility color kayak and clothes

• Dress for the conditions

There are online kayak fishing communities out there that can be very helpful and where you may find friends to fish with. Here is one base in the rochester area.. http://fishgator.ning.com/

While this is new kind of fishing to us, this is not stretching the capabilities of the sit-on-top fishing kayaks that we have, which were designed and have been used for the past few years in blue-water applications. Believe it or not, I have friends who have caught fish weighing into the hundreds of pounds from kayaks similar to ours. I can stand on mine and have a lot of mobility to move around on the deck. If I take water over the top, it runs out through scupper holes instead of swamping. I'd get wet, but stay afloat. If I fall off, I can also climb back on. This kind of fishing is definitely not safe for sit-inside recreation kayaks though - once you get swamped or dumped in open water, there is really no way to recover.

I share the concern about visibility, and we are taking all the precautions that we can by having the proper safety equipment and by taking care to watch for other boaters. We have Visi-poles and brightly colored kayaks to help others see us. Our top cruising speed in these kayaks is around 5mph or just over 4.3 knots - trolling at 2.2-2.5 mph is right in our sweet spot.

We've found that once we are out a ways, we really had no problem watching out for the larger boats and trying to respectfully cooperatively troll through shared fishing areas. Folks seemed to be able to see us. The boaters that make us the most nervous are the pleasure craft that speed along the shoreline...

I know that some are out there trying to run a business and the last thing we want to do is interfere with a great day out on the water due to our ignorance. Any tips on ways that we can safely share the water would be welcomed.

The folks I've interacted with here and out on the boat ramps with bigger boats have all been great. Since I moved up here from Oklahoma 7 years ago, it's been fantastic to learn about experience the incredible fisheries that exist in Western NY. It truly is a treasure and by far, most of the folks I've met out on the water have been first-rate.

Well said Paul. Safety, preparedness and boating rules are always of primary concern for me as a kayak angler. The same things apply as when I ran a power boat. I won't go on the water without a GPS, compass, marine radio, life jacket, lights & whistle.

Nice job on the buck Perch Predator!

Chowder, I process my own deer but didn't save the ribs from my opening day buck. I would like to see "Wild Willy's Wondeerful Rib Rub recipe".

Sounds like a white bass to me...

Great job! That gives me motivation to keep trying with my kayak and fly rod!

I don't own a kayak but a friend of mine has a couple of them and we talk about how much fun it would be to catch a king in one . Have you ever battled a king while in your kayak before , and if so how was it ?

I have not yet battled a king in the kayak. Biggest freswater fish in the kayak so far was a 6 lb brown trout. Biggest saltwater fish was 10 lb striper. Big fish tend to tow the kayak around.

Fishing Report

Your Name / Boat Name: no name 14' Kayak

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TRIP OVERVIEW

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Date(s): 9/17/09

Time on Water: 3:00-8:00 PM

Weather/Temp: Clear, 65 degrees

Wind Speed/Direction: N 5-10

Waves: 2' early subsiding to calm at sunset

Surface Temp: 68

Location: North of Sandy Creek

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FISHING RESULTS

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Total Hits: 0

Total Boated: 0

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SUMMARY & FURTHER DETAILS

====================

I put my kayak in at Sandy Creek about 3:00 PM. Saw one salmon porpoise in 10' water as I was starting out. I paddled due north 2.25 miles to 180' water. Ended up paddling 9.25 miles, never marked any bait or fish. Had a nice chat with Jason and Tricia near the creek mouth at sunset. Maybe next time !!

I have a fishfinder with GPS on the yak. I just don't go far enough to find the fish. I usually limit myself to bass fishing since they are within reach. Today I logged 9 miles on the kayak and only managed to get out to 125 feet of water. Maybe when the fish get in a bit closer I'll get some!!

Thanks for the replies.

Motoman, since I am fishing from a kayak, I don't usually venture out far enough to find the trout and salmon during mid summer and don't have a down temp probe. But now know that when people on this forum speak of an upwelling I have a better idea of why the surface temp maps on the internet may not yet show it happening.

LongLine, thanks for the links!

Jude

Fishing Report

Your Name / Boat Name:14' Kayak

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TRIP OVERVIEW

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Date(s): 9/11/2009

Time on Water: 7: AM - 1:00 PM

Weather/Temp: partly cloudy & cool

Wind Speed/Direction: NE 5-10

Waves: 2'

Surface Temp: 52

Location: Near Maxwell Creek

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FISHING RESULTS

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Total Hits: 0

====================

SUMMARY & FURTHER DETAILS

====================

Saw a post on LOU that sounded like the lake had flipped. Checked the internet this morning to see if I could confirm this. The Michigan Sea Grant Coastwatch page showed temps in the high 60's (but also showed probable clouds). I wouldn't have gone bass fishing if I knew the lake had flipped but it looked to be a good day so I went.

When I got on the lake the surface temp was 52. I decided to head for deeper water and troll for trout and salmon with my fly rod and deep sinking line. I paddled out to 125' deep water and never marked any bait or fish. Surface temp a couple miles out was 58. The breeze started to increase and the swells got big enough to convince me to paddle back to bass depths. I had a nice ride but didn't find any fish.

What do others use as a source to determine surface temp and lake upwelling prior to heading out? My source isn't always too reliable...

Nice report Paul. It was a good day fishin' with you guys.

Kliph, I recommend a sit-on-top for safety reasons. If you happen to fall out of a SOT, you can flip it back over and climb back in. I have practiced this on my Liquid Logic Manta Ray 14 (now branded as Native Watercraft Manta Ray) and it is pretty easy. A flipped over sit inside kayak fills with water and is a real challenge to get back in. Plus, SOT kayaks are available with plenty of dry storage areas.

Jude

I have fished my old favorite spots near Sodus and Webster numerous times this year and the bass are just not there. One or two is a good day now. The good old days seem to be long gone.

Welcome Paul!

Name: Jude

Location: Spencerport, NY

Home Port: my garage

Boat Name/Type: Liquid Logic 14' sit on top kayak

I fish for: Bass, Trout, stripers and whatever else wants to bite!

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Howdy. I used to troll the big lake for trout and salmon but sold the boat a few years ago. Traded up to a kayak - rigged with fishfinder, GPS, and other essentials. All of my fishing these days is done with the fly rod. My favorite Lake Ontario spots are near Sodus but the bass shortage has made things pretty slow for me these days.

Here is a doe that swam past me while kayak fishing near Maxwell Creek last week.

Here is me chasing her back to shore since I didn't think she knew what a 60 mile swim was going to be like.

Jude

Nice deer.