Jul
23
Affordable Sport Fishing
July 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Many of us dream of sportfishing but how many of us really have the means to pursue such an elitist sport? Here in Hawaii, the cost of chartering a boat for a day could easily run around $600-$900 and most will agree that owning a boat, even a relatively small one, is the proverbial “hole in the water.”
Over the last few years, a quiet version of sportfishing has evolved into a class almost unto itself, kayak fishing. Although kayak fishing may have been around for years, the innovations and trophies being pursued these days have been turning heads in the fishing world along while attracting ranks of new paddling anglers!
Take the “tupperware” kayaks that have long been the durable go-anywhere beach toys, rig some rod holders, fish bags, and even fish finders and you’ve created a mean and lean fishing machine. With a price tag of under $2,000 for a dream cruiser and some decent tackle to boot, kayak fishing could be the biggest thing to happen since Bertram Yachts came out with the Deep-V!
Propelled with nothing but a paddle, kayak anglers can often be found working the coastline far out enough to where they’re boating pelagics like wahoo, dorado, sailfish, and even marlin! It’s a fishing combination that gives the angler an opportunity to fight a fish like no other. The slow trolling speeds required and relatively great stability of most of these fun kayaks make kayak fishing something most can slide into pretty easily. You don’t have to be one of those macho-types associated with the tippy surfskis or one-man outrigger canoes that have exploded in popularity in recent years.
Trolling on a kayak is to glide silently through the water in anticipation of “the bite.” The lack of any engine noise adds to the drama when the reel starts screaming and line starts to peel out from the spool with the fish’s initial strike and run. Then the excitement takes on a whole new dimension as the light weight of the kayak allows the fish to tow it through the water, a sensation one would never experience on even the smallest of conventional fishing craft.
It’s been nearly two years since I started kayak fishing and I can’t believe it took me so long to give it a try. Having fished from boats and from the shore, I really thought I’d “been there done that” until I got my first big strike trolling a lure on a kayak. What turned out to be an eleven-pound trevally on light tackle got me hooked on fishing like I’d never been before. Soon, we moved up to larger tackle and eventually began working much deeper water for the pelagic trophies.
Certainly, we’ll never come back with a collection of fish to cover the dock like many of our “bigger boat” counterparts, but when fishing from a kayak one or two are really all you need as the memory of landing a bluewater tropy from a kayak is more than enough to satisfy the saltiest of us all.
Richard Young is the creator of http://www.hawaiibeachcombers.com
A lifelong native of Hawaii, Young is an avid beach lover and has been involved in many of the ocean activities Hawaii has to offer. The sections on Kayak fishing and Hawaii shore fishing are among the site’s most popular and offer a good overview of fishing in Hawaii.
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Jul
21
Top 20 Bass Fishing Tips
July 21, 2007 | Leave a Comment
1. Fish slowly, providing better action and enabling the fish to have ample eye contact.
2. When the bite seems to slow down, you should slow also down. Work methodically until you find the fish.
3. Always be aware of your weather forecast. Wind, storms, and lightening kill. Safety comes first.
4. If wet feet bother you on rainy days, try a pair of GORE-TEX sox. They are waterproof and can be worn in any shoe or boot.
5. Be alert and watchful. Fish give away their presence 90% of the time through baitfish fleeing; surface action; or vegetation movement.
6.Always look in a bass’ mouth before releasing it. Most of the time, when fighting a lure in his jaw, a bass will try to throw up whatever is in his stomach. You may be able to determine what prey the fish are actively feeding on and choose a lure/presentation to duplicate it.
7.Set the hook on a fish by feel rather than by sight.
8. Regularly check your knot for weakness and hook for sharpness.
9. Bass are not that smart. A swivel does not affect the action of a lure in a negative way and fish don’t really care about it. Use one anytime there is the potential for line twist.
10. If you are using small hooks, don’t jerk hard on the hookset; just tighten up the slack with the rod and reel faster.
11. Check your line just above the lure frequently when fishing crankbaits around rocks, gravel, stumps, and other hard obstructions. They can quickly fray your line.
12. Bass normally respond best to an erratic retrieve and a lot of motion. Keep that lure in front of the fish as long as you can.
13. Hold your rod tip down and to the side for better feel, keeping the angle between rod and line at around 90 degrees.
14. Black buzz baits seem to produce more strikes than bright colors.
15. Since the bass’s metabolism is high, use large crankbaits in warm and hot weather. Switch to smaller baits when the water is cooler.
16. Use a wire cross-locking snap when fishing crank plugs. It allows you to change lures quickly and enables the bait to vibrate more freely.
17. If you notice feeding fish and baitfish movement, the predators are actively after the prey. Switch to a fast moving crankbait and burn it through the area of activity.
18. Protect your eyes with a good pair of plastic polarized sunglasses. They will protect you from the sun’s rays and also provide a shield against a snagged slip sinker or lure flying back when pulled loose.
19. Keep baits fresh and airtight with a food vacuum sealer. You can also store hooks and other terminal tackle this way.
20. Store small quantities of hooks with a few grains of rice and they will never rust.
Using these tips will help you increase your bass catch!
Joan Yankowitz publishes consumer and business “Kwik eGuides” at http://www.kwikeguides.com Instantly download “Bass Fishing 101: How to Catch the Next Big One Kwik eGuide at http://www.kwikeguides.com/bass.htm
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