The beat of a different kind of drum!

                                                                           
Over the past few weeks I've gotten a few chances to head out to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel for that ever elusive sheepshead. For whatever reason, I just can't seem to land one of these fish. I can get a few bites, but pilings and bad hooksets seem to get the best of me.

I had gotten word from Rob Choi that a few sheeps were just caught at the first island. So I quickly made my way there. I ran into another kayaker who told me he just landed a 20 and 21" sheepshead. So I was feeling very optimistic about my chances.
After an hour or so with nothing to show for it, I decided to put a little Hog Tonic from PowerTeam Lures on my mole crabs. I figured it couldn't hurt and I finally got a solid sheepshead bite! Well, at least that's what I thought...

I felt my line moving to my left and set the hook, HARD! I realized immediately that this was not a sheepshead, it was way to big with some unreal head shakes. It took me about 5-6 minutes to land this fish. Getting this fish into my lap on a Hobie Revolution was not an easy task. After a few tries I landed my first ever black drum that measured a whopping 43 inches!
Big thanks to Rob Choi for helping me out with this fish. He took the time to give me a hand in reviving "bid ugly" and helping me with some great photos!

For the record - I won't leave home without my HOG TONIC!
 

Photo Credit - Rob Choi

 

Photo Credit - Rob Choi



If you ever get a chance to catch a Black Drum you will get SLIMED!

On my second trip out to the first island I was again hoping to land that elusive sheepshead. I was rewarded with my first ever Tog. This one measured at 15 inches. Plus, I got a chance to check off another species from my list.

 

And the sheepshead chase continues….

HOOKED UP

Tournament Fishing for Boston...

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to be fishing the The Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association (TKAA) and the Pirates of Lynnhaven (POL) Kayak Fishing Tournament to Benefit the Victims of the Boston Marathon Bombings. More information on OneFund Boston can be found here OneFund Boston.  

This morning was going to be a different kind of fishing day for me. Today was going to be a relaxed atmosphere and more of a social tournament than what you would normally expect. Plus, today I was going to have the best fishing partner I could ask for, the kind of partner who thinks you’re the best fisherman around. The kind of partner that doesn’t care what type of kayak or fishing gear we were using today.

My son, Wyatt, was that partner today. He actually woke up and ran into our room and said “DAD, you ready?” I got up and made us some breakfast, then loaded up the rest of the gear. I told him to get into his seat and he ran back to the garage and grabbed the net. The last trip we made I forgot the net and we lost a nice flounder at the boat. He made sure that didn’t happen today!

Today I was getting to fish Lynnhaven Inlet. This was an area that I have never fished before so I didn’t expect much. My goal for the day was to help Wyatt land some fish, and that we did…

Our first fish of the day was a nice 21” flounder, followed by 2 more keepers, 17 ½” and a 16 ½”.

A big THANK YOU to Jeff Lockhart for helping me out on the water today. I had forgot my Hawg Trough measuring board and Jeff was almost always within sight to allow me to measure our fish.

Wyatt got a chance to head to the bar with me, an oyster bar, J. We got a chance to stretch our legs and fish along side Wayne Mills, Tommy V and Ben Hoover (the other Philly guy). This was our chance to try for the slam and get a redfish or speckled trout. We didn’t catch anything on the bar so we headed out again.

We headed off oyster bar in search of our slam. Wyatt was having a blast casting his little ugly stick with gulp. While we were drifting and the sound of “I got one” rang out very loud. Wyatt’s little rod was buckled over and, at first; I thought he had nice red. It was a 15” STUD croaker! All while enjoying a ring pop, haha.

It was getting late and we were about to head to the ramp with our catch. I decided to head over to drift by some of the docks and see if any reds were around. My first cast was perfect right near the edge of a little eddie right up against the docks. I felt the strike right away and hoped this was a red. Sure enough I had my 17 ½” red on the board.

 

I loaded up the kayak and headed to Salty C’s for the weigh in. We met fellow Hobie team member, Chuck Wrenn and his son Jacob and grabbed a table for a bite to eat and wait for the results.

 

The results were in and Wyatt and I won 1^st place with a 38 ½” Slam! Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who participated.  

On the way home my little guy couldn’t wait to show mom HIS trophy.

We met a lot of great people and made many new friends. I truly enjoyed every minute of this tournament and want to thank Joe Maccini, Russell Hamm, Andy Backowski and anyone who helped make this tournament possible.

For me this wasn't about winning, this was about spending time with my son and to support a great cause!

BOSTON STRONG!

Result:

Croaker Division:
1st:  Kyle Sullivan - 14 5/8" (yes 14 5/8")
2nd:  Jimmy Miller - 14.5"
3rd:  Bob Deml - 11 1/4

Largest Saltwater Species:
1st:  Tim Quintana - 21.5" Ray
2nd:  Thom Mattauch - 10 1/4" Roundhead

2 Fish Slam:
1st:  Joe Underwood - 38.5" Red/Flounder
2nd:  Kris Lozier - 37 1/4" Red/Flounder
3rd:  Andy Bakowski - 32.5" Red/Flounder
4th:  Louis Nguyen - 31 3/4" Red/Flounder

Honorable Mention:
Joe Underwood's 4 year old son, Wyatt, caught a 15" CROAKER!!!!  Way to go Wyatt - we have anglers who wont catch a 15" Croaker all season!!!  Great job Wyatt!!!!!!!!

We had a total of 36 Anglers competing today in the tournament.  Thanks to Salty C's for hosting the after and awards party and for their generous donation!!!  Thanks to Rob Lee, Mark and Kris Lozier, Russ Hamm, and Wayne Bradby for your generous donations for prizes and raffles.  And finally thanks to all the anglers and spouses/friends who came out to fish and then join us at Salty C's.  We raised a great deal of money for One Fund Boston.  Thanks again!!!

HOOKED UP

Finding Reds and Fishing with Friends....

My last couple of outings have taken me to the Eastern Shore and to Rudee inlet.

The first trip was to the Eastern Shore.

I got to the ramp early and was soon joined by quite a group of fisherman; Rob Choi, William Ragulsky, Alex Britland, Tommy DeWitt, Luther and Tyler Ciphers.

I was lucky enough to hook up with the first fish of the day; a 47”er.

 

Williams Ragulsky was the second to land a fish; a 45” drum.



Photo Credit William Ragulsky



Soon after that Tyler Ciphers was fan casting after seeing Billy hook up and landed his first ever red drum @ 42”. Luther’s said at the ramp that his main goal today was to see Tyler get on a fish. Way to get it done Tyler!

Rob Choi was the last to hook up on a nice red. Rob has had his ups and downs chasing bull reds this year and I was stoked to see him land this 48" red! Check out his report here --> Angling Addict .

 

Rob Choi's 48" Drum

The second trip I finally got a chance to fish with Marty Mood; AKA “The Champ” and my good friend Richie Bekolay. We fan into a few fish but never were able to get on a hook up. On the way back to the ramp we were greeted with 25+MPH winds and a school of drums that we spooked. I ended the day with my first ES Skunk!

Trip #3 was the TKAA monthly member event at Rudee Inlet. This was a special trip for me because I got a chance to bring my son Wyatt for his first ever flounder trip. He kept telling me he wanted to a catch a striper, haha. While we didn’t catch any stripers, but we were able to get on a couple of flounder, reds, spot and some croakers.

 

We got back to the ramp at around lunch time and loaded up the car to head home. And before we left the ramp he was already sleeping.

Trip #4 took me out the Eastern Shore. I was heading out for a solo trip so I had my YakAttack Panfish Portrait w/dogbone ready for some hero shots if I was lucky enough to get a hook up. The day started off with me trying to catch some bait. And I couldn’t find anything around the usual spots. I didn't waste much time. So I figured this was going to be a trolling or random casting kind of day. I ended up running into Kayak Kevin. He had run into a few random fish but no hooks up yet today. We decided to tag team and see if we could find the fish.

I ran over a school of bait on my fishfinder and decided this was a good time to try and catch some. I landed 4 kingfish/Roundheads pretty quickly and decided to troll with live bait. After only a few hundred yards my Release Reel was zinging and peeling drag. I grabbed the rod and starting to reel. After only 15 seconds or so the circle hook pulled out of this fish and I was left with only an empty hook in my hand. Quickly realizing that I had the other rod out with a swimbait, I started retrieving the line very quickly and got slammed!  I had a solid hook up and it was game on! I landed my 12th red of the season and my 8^th Red Drum Citation of the year.

 

The winds started to pick up so we called it a day.

Red drum fishing is very addictive! When you know they're still around, it’s very hard to stay away!

Hooked Up

An abundance of Reds...

Do you know whats better than being dragged around the Chesapeake Bay by a Bull Red?.....

My day started off a little later than expected. The night before I packed my truck and was ready to hit the road by 5:00am. When I was about 25 minutes away, I realized I had forgotten my battery for the fishfinder. Those who have fished with me know that it’s one of the most important tools that I use. Turning around would take another hour away from my fishing time but I knew that I would regret it later.

With my battery in hand, I finally arrived at Ocean’s East 2 for my blue crabs and was quickly out the door and unloading my kayak at the ramp. There were only a few other boats and kayakers out before me and I took my time getting to my spot.

The winds were expected to die down a little from the last few days and I was a little excited from my last trip. My expectations for the day weren’t that high because I knew my last trip was a rare occurrence. Not too many people go out on their first trip and land 3 bull reds, so trying to duplicate that feat was considered by all - “impossible”!

It’s been said that the Chesapeake Bay fishery can down right magical! And for me, that day was today.

The day started off by heading out to Fisherman's Island and then out to the shoals. The wind and tides were a little rougher than predicted and since I was planning on fishing alone today I really didn't want to anchor up.

I decided that I would peddle around to different area's and just fan cast. Trying to sightcast to reds with the water clarity at about 12" wasn't going to work today.

I pretty much had the entire area to myself until I saw a kayaker heading my way. It was Kayak Kevin heading out for a few days of fishing and camping - Kevins fishing reports. After a quick conversation about my last few hours of fishing without even a hit. Kevin had decided on another plan of attack for the day and I was all in - until... FISH ON!!

While talking and drifting I was still fan casting when my rod buckles over and I was Hooked Up with my first Bull Red of the day, it was a 46" Va Release Citation.

46" Red Drum

Needless to say Kevin's plans had quickly changed and within a few minutes he landed a nice one as well.
Remember earlier when I said I had forgotten my battery. Well, now I was really happy that I turned around for it. While Kevin and I were paddling/peddling around looking for the school, my Lowrance just lit up with marks. I knew right then that we were in them. I stopped peddling and was ready to make a cast when my line gets tangled. Kevin makes a cast right in front of me and FISH ON! I made a few cast and I was Hooked Up.

44" Red Drum


We went back and forth for the next few hours chasin' bull reds and by the end of the day I had landed 6 Virginia Bull Reds measured at 42", 44", 45", 46" and two at 47”!

   

47" Citation Red Drum




47" Citation Drum

45" Red Drum

  Today was one of the those days on the Chesapeake Bay that you dream about! The reason we get out of bed at 4:30 when nothing else could possible wake us. It's the kind of day you hope you and your buddies have on every trip.

Thanks to Kayak Kevin for all the tips, advice and capturing these great shots!

If you've never seen Kevin's DVD's, please check them out here www.kayakkevin.com.  They're worth every penny and will make you a better fisherman!

At the start of this report I asked - Do you know whats better than being dragged around the Chesapeake Bay by a Bull Red?

Well, there isn't too much that can top that!

HOOKED UP

Eastern Shore Rookie Reds...

 

50"er Photo Credit : Kayak Kevin Whitley



First off, let me start by saying that I am a rookie when it comes to Red Drum fishing.  A little research is the first thing anyone who knows absolutely nothing about reds would do! Where to start? First, check out websites from guys like, Kayak Kevin, Rob Choi, Jay Brooks and Lee Williams. Also, spend hours on the internet for red drum tips and tactics. That’s exactly what my buddy Richie Bekolay and I did a lot of this winter.

While it’s no secret that the Eastern Shore holds some monster bull reds, it takes hours and hours on the water to find these fish. Local kayak fishermen with years of knowledge and experience aren’t going to just give that information away. You’ve got to put some time on the water and earn it.

With that being said, my first trip is equivalent to a rookie MLB pitcher throwing a perfect game in his first major league start. It’s rare and unexpected, but it can happen.

From the research I had in hand I ventured out for my first Eastern Shore red drum weekend trip.  It was one for the books! In fact, it was 3 for the books!

This is such a huge area to fish, so “where to start” was the first thing that came to mind. This is where experience and time on the water would have played a big role into my decision process. Since this rookie didn’t have that, “instinct” or as some have called it “luck” was going to play a big role.

 I started out by standing and sight casting in my Hobie PA12 looking for any signs of reds. I had near perfect conditions with good water clarity and little winds (apparently a red fisherman’s dream). I saw my first bull red within the first 1 ½ hours. The fish was on the surface about 20 yards in front of me and turned quickly to my left and out of sight. I quickly grabbed my rod rigged with a swimbait and made my first cast.  I started the retrieve and within a few seconds I was hooked up! I almost had the rod jerked out of my hand from the sheer power of this fish. Remember I said I was a red drum rookie. Well, one thing I know how to do is fight a fish. The heads shakes on a bull red are the most violent of any fish I’ve ever fought. The power of these fish is almost indescribable.  The fish had spun me around multiple times and had dragged me around for a few minutes. It took me about 8 minutes (from the GoPro footage) to land my first ever 45” Bull Red.



45" Red Drum



I could see two kayakers a distance away when I started the fight. And by the time I landed my fish they were within pretty close talking distance. It was none other than Kayak Kevin (click name for link to Kevin’s report) and Lee Williams – aka - red slaying masters! I asked for help with some pictures and immediately Lee hooks up! Kevin comes over to help me out and while taking my pictures his rod buckles over. I got to watched two well respected kayak anglers battle bull reds – now that’s something not everyone gets to do!

Kayak Kevin Hooked Up

I didn’t want to be left out so I made another cast and SMASH! The fish made a quick run on the surface and it didn’t look like a red. Within a few minutes I landed my this 38” striper.

38" Striper

The action got slow for a little while until Lee hooks up again and this time it was a 49”er!

We started trolling around again looking for the school and my rod buckles over! I’m a quick learner and after a few questions to Kevin and Lee about my gear, Lee’s says to “crank down the drag” (those of you who know Lee know I’m paraphrasing, Haha). Before long I was holding my first Virginia Citation Red Drum at 47”. A few pics and she was back in the water.

47" Red Drum - Remember to clean your lense - water drops can spoil an othewise great photo!





I threw my line over and started to get another rod ready and Lee yells “JOE- YOUR ON!” Sure enough my rod is buckled over and I’m fighting my 3^rd bull red of the day! I just can’t believe my luck and neither can these guys. This fish took a little longer to land; it just wouldn’t come off the bottom. I was only using a 7’ Shimano Compre  med/heavy rod so I really didn’t know how much pressure I could put on this thing. For the record - you can put a lot pressure on this rod! Once I had this fish in my lap I knew it was a beast! Kevin quickly put the tape on it and said “fiddy” (with a big grin).  My third redfish and my second citation - 50” Bull red.



50" Red Drum - Photo Credit : Kayak Kevin Whitley



Having an obvious fishing high, I was eager to get out again quickly. Richie Bekolay and I decided to carpool down to save a little on the gas and tolls and parking fees. Within the first two hours I was on! I fight this fish for about 5 minutes, before I get a good look at her and all I could say was “WOW”. I finally got this fish in my lap and Richie helped me get a measurement. It’s another 50” Virginia Citation Bull Red and my 3^rd citation of the weekend!



50" Red Drum - Photo Credit: Richie Bekolay





50" Red Drum - Photo Credit: Richie Bekolay



I started off by saying that I was a rookie red fisherman. That’s a fact, even if the results don’t reflect it! I know guys that put in hundreds of fishing hours at the Eastern Shore to land just 1 in a season. Now that I’ve had a taste of the red addition I will certainly be putting more hours on the water if the potential is Giant Bull Reds!

I have three words that sum up my day - Humbled –Thankful –Blessed!

HOOKED UP

Spring Fling...

It starts out like this… so what do you want to do on your day off? Followed by a slight pause… the answer is pretty obvious – FISH! Where is the only decision left.

This time of year with the bass getting ready to spawn it’s hard to not think about it every minute of the day.

I had a few hours to fish in the morning last week so I called my fishing buddy Richie Bekolay to get his input. I knew he’d just been out chasing bucketmouths the day before with good results.

One code amongst fisherman is when they give you a little intel you never and I mean NEVER give that information away. If you ever had a spot burned then you know exactly what I'm talking about...

With the information I received I quickly made my morning plans to launch at ---------.  The morning started off with winds at 15 and they would be increasing throughout the day so I knew the early bite was going to be my real chance at a big girl. The first fish of the day was a beauty at 21” and 6lbs+. NorthStar Custom Baits jig tipped with a Rage Craw was the ticket on this bass. This bass was caught deep in a laydown in 12' of water.  

The sun was high enough at this point (9am) to be able to see beds and the bass were there but not willing to bite - yet. I tied on a lighter leader (10lb test) and then I was able to coax these bass into my offerings. I landed quite a few 15”, 16” and 17”+ bass before I had to call it a day.  

 I love this picture of 16" bass with a mouth full of Jig N Craw! It just flat out produces fish...

Now the weekend was upon us and I only could fish until 12 or so… I had a pretty good plan to fish a different lake than my earlier trip and decided to give Richie (click on his name to see his report) a call to see what his plans for the day were going be. After a quick discussion he decided to head on up my way. We hit the water early and decided to fish some laydowns and drops offs until the sun was high enough to find some bedding fish. The early going was tough, this really didn’t produce fish like I thought it might but we kept at it like most anglers would. Then I noticed some baitfish busting surface and decided to throw a white double bladed Colorado spinnerbait right in the middle and landed my first fish of the day. Little guy maybe 12” or so… (good tip here - have plenty of rods rigged and ready) then landed another little guy about the same size.

I then decided to toss out the Northstar Custom Baits Jig and Rage Craw. I did some research and most Pro's say that 70% of the time (or more) a bass hits a jig on the first fall. This was exactly the case on this fish, right as the bait was falling I felt that little thump. Yeah you know what I'm talking about - thats when you reel in fast and try to get a good hookset before he knows your offering is about put a whoopin' on his jaw. He put up a real nice fight for an 18” bass. 

Here's a great sequence of pictures of this fish...

Photo Courtesy - Richie Bekolay

Photo Courtesy - Richie Bekolay

Photo Courtesy - Richie Bekolay

Photo Courtesy - Richie Bekolay

Photo Courtesy - Richie Bekolay

Photo Courtesy - Richie Bekolay



I landed 6 largemouth and before I knew it the time to head home had come. It’s tough to leave when the fish are biting but the wife had plans and I didn’t want to be late.

Richie went for round 2 - see the rest of his day here http://www.hookline-sinker.net/

This time of year is an exciting time to be a bass fishing. Before long the saltwater reports will be starting to show up on websites and blogs and the bass will be long forgotten. Until the next trip.

Be safe on the water and enjoy every minute!

 HOOKED UP