The Cookout, The Citation Streak, and Frankenbass

Yesterday I met up with few of my fellow MKF'ers for a little fish fry and crab feast. I wasn't able to make the morning fishing/crabbing extravaganza but everyone was gracious enough to let me come eat the fruits of their labor. We shared stories and caught up with everyone.

I had a conversation with Turtle135, my fiercest competitor at the moment in the KBF Regional Challenge for June. We shared what had been working for us this month and thoughts on how to catch a few more big ones before the month ends. Before today Turtle was in 1st place with a total of 39 inches for two fish and I sat in 2nd with 35.75 inches. After some of the advice Turtle gave me yesterday I was itching to try out this technique.........

Fortunately, I was able to sneak home to my parents to get a few hours of fishing today after I finished my on call duty at the hospital... and I'm so glad I did!!!

Was super slow, but I was using a new technique that I had never used before so I was prepared to expect a learning curve... I stuck with it though as I really want to expand my arsenal of techniques. I was fishing a 12" ribbon tailed snake with a shaky head. Trying to fish it as slow as I could and even trying to deadstick for as long as my patience allowed. (Which is tough as I usually fish cranks and spinners)

About an hour into fishing I had only experienced a few light takes that were probably bluegills, when I made a cast about 8ft off the shore dropping my snake right next to a submerged tree. Let it sank and sit for about 2 seconds and then my line started running.... Hook Set.... Drag started screaming (and it was set pretty tight)..... I knew it was a good fish....a few more runs and avoided some jumps and finally wore the fish out....Lipped and into the yak!!!!!!

Fat 21.25" and 5lbs 6oz

 

This extended my Citation streak to 2 months in a row with 3 total citations for Largemouth Bass!!!

I only caught one more fish with the 12" snake worm and it went about 15".  I then switched over to a topwater popper as I saw and heard bass breaking the surface all over the lake and notice the water was much clearer than the last time I fished. Caught about 5 bass up to 15" with one Frankenbass... It was completely missing its top lip, but it still ate my bait and it actually had a dragonfly in its mouth too!!

So after today I took the lead in the Mid-Atlantic KBF June Challenge, but I owe my success to Turtle who said I should try some LARGE worms reallllllllllly slow... and that is what is truly great about the kayak fishing community.... we love to help each other out and are willing to give each other advice even though we're each others competition.

Bust 'Em Baits... at it again!!

Caught some more fish over the weekend on these quality plastics!!! Watermelon 6" Finesse worm and Watermelon Lizard!!

Check them out and support a great local company!!!! Bust 'Em Baits

Slow/Slim Pickings.....Freshwater Tails

It's been a struggle lately to get some quality fish in the yak for the start of the KBF Regional Challenges. Been catching fish every outing on my home lake, but it has really taken a very persistant approach with only small-medium fish as a reward.

I know that the more time I put on the water that I will be rewarded eventually with some quality Largemouth Bass. And this has kept me chugging along hoping that the more times my line is in the water the more likely I am to catch a lunker!!

The last two weekends I've spent a total of 6 days on the water with double digit number trips. Yielding a number of fish using a number of different tactics trying to get a consistent pattern and trying to practice some new techniques....

Largest Fish from the trips 16.5"

Gonna keep working at it.... I got two more weekends left to catch some more fish and hopefully take over the top spot from Turtle135, who has caught some really nice fish for our area. The competition in the Mid-Atlantic region is gonna be tough and its is exciting to see everyone catching nice fish!!!!

Yak Fishing Two-A-Days

So for the start of the month I decided to try to get a headstart on the competition for the new Kayak Bass Fishing Regional Challenges!! Three days straight of two trips a day pretty much strictly targeting Largemouth Bass.

Didn't get quite the lead I wanted but I managed to catch a good quantity of fish and really worked my butt off to scrounge up any with decent challenge size.

I fished each day from about 11am-2pm and then 4pm-8pm and it was tough going. I really couldn't find a really consistent pattern. I caught fish on everything, but I wasn't get a lot of fish and barely any with size. I decided to work with new baits and they proved to work but nothing was as productive my go to Rapala Cranks.

I caught fish on on spinners, topwater popper, 6" plastic swimbaits, Bust Em Baits finesse worms, and the cranks.

Here are my two largest fish from the weekend. I really hope to improve on them coming up in the next few weeks. I think I have a good chance to consistently place in the regional series with the fish I have been able to catch this year as long as I can consistently find them for the next four months.

I was able to manage a Kayak Wars slam with bass, crappie, and bluegill on Saturday and I was pretty excited about that because it is tough to catch a 9" bluegill!!

I'll be back at it soon!!! I really hope to qualify for the KBF Invitational Tournament through these regional challenges!!!

Oh yeah, I wasn't even using my normal rod because the last guide broke on me. So I borrowed my roommates custom spinning rods made by Ken Preston. Super nice rods but not what I was used to and the butts were a little to long for easy kayak usage, but I still caught probably over 60 on them this weekend. I did also manage to sink one of his rods with my reel on it.....

Luckily, I fished for it and was able to snag and recover it.... Don't tell him.... just kidding I couldn't not tell him because I was so proud of myself that I was able to snag it. I bragged first thing when I brought his rods back in the house.