4/26/15 Hard Times and a Good Choice

Besides Lake Michigan and it's tributaries, I have had a pretty difficult spring fishing season. Our rivers in town have been inhospitable and have not given up any Walleyes and very few Crappies. The Crappie fishing should be very good by now and it still continues to baffle me. It's like they are not around at all. Out of 3 trips on the river I have only got 1 Crappie. Conditions have not been right under our dams to chase Walleyes from a kayak. Despite the hard times, I invited fellow WCO kayak fishing team member Kyle P. up to fish with me. We started off fishing under a dam for Walleyes with absolutely no luck. We then moved downstream to a stretch of river I know holds lots of nice game fish. After pounding the banks with nothing to show for it, it was clear that we needed to make a change before the whole day got away from us. Over lunch we discussed our options and decided to fish a small stream for Smallmouth Bass and Pike. Upon arrival, it was pretty evident that stream conditions were absolutely ideal. Good flow and a slight tea color to the otherwise clear water made for a welcome sight. We began fishing and within minutes, I had landed my first Smallmouth. We worked our way upstream and I continued to pick up fish. The smallies were extremely aggressive and were demolishing the large double bladed spinnerbait I was throwing in hopes of enticing a nice Pike. I did end up catching two small "hammer handle" Pike but the highlight was definitely the exceptional Smallmouth fishing. On the return trip, the fading light of late afternoon was shining between the trees giving the water a striped appearance. From a standing position in my Predator MX, I could see my spinnerbait each time it moved into a section of water illuminated by the sun. In view, out of view, in view, out of view. The next time I could see it, a bronze fish darted from out of nowhere and snatched the lure and headed back for cover. Once hooked it came to the surface and jumped a few times before coming to hand. Getting to watch the entire thing from strike, to hookset, to landing the fish makes for a great memory. In total I brought 10 Smallmouth, 2 Pike, and 1 Rock Bass to hand. The biggest Smallie was just under 16 inches in length. It was awesome to be out and have success even if it wasn't the plan at the start of the day.

Fishing Kayak and Paddle for SALE!

I'm looking to sell my first fishing kayak. It is a Future Beach Trophy 126 and will come with an "Easy Rider" paddle. I purchased this kayak new in 2008 for $350.00 and used it mainly for fishing. It is 10' 6'' long and is pretty stable. Both the kayak and paddle were extensively used but are in good condition. Some of the features of this boat are: Shallow front dry hatch (for storing small items), a large back hatch (for storing large items), adjustable foot pegs, paddle keeper clips on both sides of the cockpit, and a seat that I installed myself (much more comfortable than the factory seat). The boat itself has holes where I added rod holders and a depth finder. I can either fill these with epoxy or re-install the Scotty rod holders at cost for the holders. The "Easy Rider" paddle is in good shape and was originally $65.00 when new. It includes rubber splash guards. I would like to get $300.00 for the kayak and paddle as is, or $350.00 with the Scotty rod holders installed. I will consider other offers. Email me at kphammond86@gmail.com or message me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kyle.hammond.102 if you are interested or would like to set up a time to come over and take a look.

Future Beach 126 Kayak and "Easy Rider" Paddle for sale.

This photo shows the back half of the boat including two flush mount rod holders and the large storage compartment.

This "Easy Rider" paddle will come with the kayak. It was $65 originally.

This photo shows the shallow front hatch and two Scotty spinning rod holders that were previously mounted on the kayak.

4/18/15 Elkhart Expedition

I made a trip to Elkhart over the weekend. I met up with two kayak anglers, Keith and Eric, from the Elkhart area. We planned to fished the St. Joe River for Walleyes. Upon arrival at the put-in, it was evident that there was still a lot of water coming through the dam. There were relatively big waves and a strong current in the area. I got in and paddled upstream to the dam to get into a big eddy that was protected from the waves by some bridge pilings. While in this eddy, I caught a small Smallmouth Bass and Keith managed a decent Pike. Action was slow at the dam so we tried moving downstream to see if we could find some fish. While moving over shallow rocky areas, it was evident that the Sucker run was in full swing. I saw literally HUNDREDS of suckers on spawning gravel. There were so many, that at times you couldn't fish some spots because your lure would be constantly hitting them. Eric accidentally snagged one at one point and it gave him a decent fight on light tackle. I got a quick picture for him before he released the fish. We decided to make a short run up the Elkhart River to a dam just upstream of the confluence between the Elkhart and St. Joe Rivers. There was one section of this river that was pretty shallow and fast moving. It was relatively difficult to paddle up it. I had to paddle up an eddy, then ferry over onto, and paddle up a tongue to get up the river. It took some good effort to fight against the current. When I had made it above the fast water, I heard clapping from the bank. I looked over and a guy had watched me paddle up the fast water and had apparently been impressed that I was able to make it. On the way to the dam, I spotted a dead fish floating down the river. I was curious to see what it was so I paddled over to check it out. Much to my surprise, it was a Brown Trout. It was maybe 12 inches long. It must have come from a tributary of the Elkhart that is stocked with Browns, but that stream is a long way from where I found this fish. It was a pretty interesting find. Once we were near the dam, I started fishing a deep pool out of the main current and before long I hooked into a very nice Smallmouth (pictured below). It gave me a great fight and was a beautiful fish. I had a nice fish on at the dam but it came off after a brief fight and I never got to see what it was. Fishing on the way back downstream, I picked up a few more smallish Smallmouth Bass. Once back to the St. Joe, I had to eddy hop my way back upstream to get back to our launch point. All in all, fishing was pretty tough but it was still a fun day. I got to see another new river system, meet some new friends, and catch a few fish.