Published Kayak Fishing Articles

LIGHT TACKLE TOG FISHING FROM A KAYAK
by Pat Gallagher

Originally Published in The Long Island Fisherman - October, 2012

As September rolls into October, many kayak anglers fish the fall run for striped bass, bluefish, and false albacore. However, the Long Island tautog fishery is often overlooked by kayakers. While most kayakers will be chasing the fall migration or fishing for resident striped bass in local bays and harbors, they are ignoring one of the best niche fisheries on Long Island. These anglers don’t realize that they are missing some of the best and most challenging fishing that can be experienced from a kayak. 
In 2010, I decided to make a conscious effort to target tautog from the kayak during the fall season. To my surprise, finding and catching these structure-dwelling fish was one of my biggest challenges as a kayak fisherman. The tackle and techniques were different than anything that I had experienced in the past. Further, it took me three weeks to locate a decent body of large fish. After finding the tog, catching and landing these fish was also an effort that involved extensive trial and error. This article will discuss my experiences. Hopefully, it will provide some helpful tips to kayakers that intend to target tog in the future.

Narrow Window

The fall tautog season officially begins on October 1. Although there are plenty of shallow-water tautog in our area prior to this, we are limited by New York State regulations. At the beginning of the season, the tautog are generally in shallow water ranging from 8’ to 12’. At this time, tautog are readily accessible to kayak anglers. As the water cools, the tog will continuously move to deeper water. By the end of the first week of November in 2010, I had noticed that the water temperature had dropped to 51 degrees and the tog had moved to 20’ to 30’ depths. It seemed as though the best fishing occurred at water temperatures above 55 degrees. 

As the tautog move to deeper water, fishing becomes difficult for a kayaker for a variety of reasons. Firstly, even with a fishfinder, it is hard to accurately find appropriate structure in deeper water unless you are fishing near a bridge. Seeing structure on a nautical chart and actually finding it do not always go hand-in-hand. It isn’t as easy as it looks, especially with a fish like tautog that are usually literally on top of a small piece of structure and will not move from this structure for long periods of time. In addition, anchoring a kayak becomes more and more difficult as water depth increases. Finally, as the tog move offshore to the depths, they are normally found in open water. As such, a kayaker will be more exposed to the wind and other elements of mother nature as the tog move deeper. This is especially true on the Long Island Sound, as the dominant wind pattern for fall is north or northwest, creating rough conditions on our side of the sound. For these reasons, the best window to fish for tog for the kayaker on Long Island will normally be the first four to six weeks of the fall season. 

Choosing Where to Fish

From the start, you need to find the largest concentration of tautog to ensure success. For the most part, a kayaker is limited to inshore waters. Generally, I have found that there are larger inshore tog on the north shore than the south shore. Like fluke, there is definitely more quantity on the south shore, but less quality. Tautog are found throughout the Long Island Sound. Although there is plenty of great looking structure in the western sound around New Rochelle including David’s, Pea, and Huckleberry Islands, I found that this area holds far fewer tog than locations further to the east, especially around Westport. Even though our side of the western sound has a better reputation for spring fishing, it produced the biggest tog for me during the 2010 season. The best area for me was from Mattinicock Point east to some pieces of rocky real estate around Eaton’s Neck. I did not venture east of the Western Sound this season. The North Fork has a good reputation for tog as well. 

For the south shore, any of our bays will hold tog during the fall. The best areas to find them are bridges that are close to inlets. The west end generally holds the most inshore fish. Jamaica Bay has an excellent tautog fishery. Additionally, the bridges around Jones Inlet will also hold a good number of tog during the fall. The downside to fishing the south shore for the kayaker is the current. Most of the bridges and other structure that hold tog on the south shore during the fall have heavy current, especially during moon periods. As a result, do not anchor around any bridge with current. If you do, you will run the risk of the anchor getting stuck and the current pulling your kayak underwater. To effectively fish these bridges, you must improvise. Many of these bridges have structures that block the current. If you go behind these structures, you will find protection. You can always hold on to something on the bridge to keep your kayak in place. Utilizing a kayak with a peddle drive allows you to work hands-free and can help substantially in mitigating the current and wind. Otherwise, try to focus your fishing efforts during slack tide periods on the south shore. Slack tides are longer between moon periods and this is a good time to try the south shore bridges. You can also fish the first hour before and after slack since the current will not be as strong. If you plan on fishing the south shore, you must choose your launch location and fishing times wisely to coincide with the direction that the current will move. Another drawback to fishing the south shore bridges is that they often become “fished-out” early in the season. Unlike other species present in our area like striped bass or bluefish, tautog tend to stay in one, small area for long periods of time. If a bridge is fished-out, you will have to wait for a new body of tog to move into the area. This doesn’t always happen. 

Structure

Much to my chagrin, I have found that not all structure is created equally for tautog fishing. Tautog like rocks, but not every rock pile will hold fish. They also love bridges, but some bridges will not produce tautog. In my early planning stages for the fall season, I had marked several areas inside Hempstead Harbor that had riffraff, ruble, pilings, and rocks only to learn that the tog never went that far inland and stayed near the sound in the mouth of the harbor. Similarly, I fished at Glen Island Bridge in New Rochelle in early October and found no tog there either. Experienced tog anglers attribute this to the fact that the Glen Island Bridge is too far inland. 

It has been my experience that tog prefer structures that are close to open water. For example, the best structure on the north shore will be found either along the Long Island Sound or near the mouths of the various harbors and bays along the sound. I have only rarely encountered tog deep inside north shore harbors. Even this rule of thumb has some exceptions. I fished for tog on Centre Island Reef in early October and caught nothing. This surprised me because it is a very rocky area. Another tog angler told me that this reef wasn’t very good for tog because the boulders were too spread out with sandy areas between the structure. My later experience proved this point to be true as I found that tog prefer concentrated rocky structure – boulders on top of boulders, or even submerged jetties. In terms of the south shore, bridges are your best inshore producers. However, the caveat for this rule is that the bridges that are closer to the ocean or inlet generally produce more fish, such as the Marine Parkway Bridge in Jamaica Bay or the Big Meadowbrook Bridge on Jones Inlet. 

Once that you find tog producing structure, another caveat exists. The tog are usually not spread out along the structure, but tightly concentrated in very small areas. For example, while fishing a rock pile near Burying Hill Beach in Westport, there was a boat 10 yards away from me catching tog on almost every drop. Over two hours, I witnessed this boat catch about 40 tog, while I was only able to hook into one. This same situation occurs with bridges – not every piling will produce tog. Sometimes, only a couple of these pilings will hold fish. Once you find a rock or area that produces tog, you may be able to pick a dozen fish during a tide. However, you will find that the area that you are catching fish may only be a few yards in diameter. For this reason, a GPS is an important item to use in any fishing trip for tautog. Using a GPS will allow you to mark the coordinates of good structure for future fishing trips. 

Tackle, Jigs, and Bait 

Some old-school tog fishermen will cringe after reading this, but light tackle is the name of the game for tog fishing from a kayak. For me, there are three reasons for this. Firstly, I do much of my tog fishing near bridges. Since I won’t anchor at these bridges for reasons previously discussed, I will sometimes hold on to something on the bridge to hold my position (wooden pilings, metal objects, even old fishing line). As such, I am normally fishing one-handed. Because of this, a light rod is essential to quickly set the hook and pull the tog away from the structure around the bridge. Secondly, tog bites are very, very subtle for the most part. Using light tackle helps to detect even the slightest tap. Finally, I primarily fish with jigs and a light rod helps me feel the jig bouncing off structure on the bottom. In fact, this light tackle can help me feel whether I have been stripped of my crab. 

For this ugly fish, I use an ugly stick. My ugly stick is a 6’6” medium action (6 lb to 15 lb) spinning rod. It is light enough to feel the slightest nibble but has the backbone to pull a good-sized tog away from any structure that I am fishing. This is light tackle and while it is true that tog may fight harder than any of our other local fish pound-for-pound, most of the inshore fish that you will encounter will only be 13” to 17”. I have caught tog as large as 21” using this rod. For my reel, I use a Penn Sargus 4000 spooled with 20 lb Power Pro braided line. The braided line is also essential in feeling the light taps of a tog bite. It has much more sensitivity than mono. You can go much heavier with this braided line because casting is not an issue with tog. 

Most people will use conventional outfits for tog fishing, but I use a spinning rod as a matter of preference and comfort. I use the same rod for casting plugs for spring schoolies and summer fluke fishing. Believe it or not, it has handled stripers as large as 40” for me from the kayak. Unlike boat or shore fishing, catching a large fish from the kayak gives you supreme leverage in fighting a fish. I can’t tell you how pleased I have been with this light and inexpensive outfit. Attached to my braid, I will tie 20 lb mono. I tie this mono directly to the braid and do not use a swivel (a swivel is just another piece of equipment that can get hung-up on the bottom or get stuck in your guides as you are attempting to land a big fish). Generally, I try to change my leader after every trip that I catch fish, as it will invariably become frayed by the abrasion it is exposed to around structure, especially bridges where barnacles can wreck havoc on your line. I learned this the hard way by losing a nice fish while lifting it on the kayak. 

I do not use rigs for tog fishing. For this light-tackle fishing, I use jigs. Using jigs offers a huge advantage to the tog fisherman. It allows you to quickly set the hook without worrying about lifting the weight off the bottom. Additionally, it ensures that your crab is on the bottom and this makes a big difference. Jig selection is important. I prefer to use the blackfish jigs manufactured by Tidal Tales. I have had my most success using ½ to 1 ounce jigs. The size of the jig will go a long way to determining your success. As any tautog fishermen knows, these fish have very small mouths. Additionally, with the exception of fiddler crabs, your bait will generally be larger than their mouths. As such, a smaller jig with the accompanying smaller hook will increase your catch rate substantially. One of my biggest mistakes at the beginning of the season was using jigs that were too big. Because of this, I prefer using ½ jig under most circumstances. I will increase my jig size to 1 ounce if I am fishing in wind, current, or deeper water. I have found that a 1 ounce jig easily holds the bottom in 20’ of water. In my opinion, your catch rate will be cut substantially (or even eliminated if there are primarily small tog around) if you use a larger jig than this. 

Crabs may be the most important part of this discussion. Throughout the fall of 2010, I experimented with a variety of crabs. To begin with, I did not like using green crabs. For the smaller tog that inhabit our inshore waters, they are too big to use whole. As such, you must divide them in two or four parts. This creates quite a mess on a small kayak and slows down your fishing considerably. Secondly, these crabs are soft after getting divided. Tog are notorious bait stealers and rip these pieces of green crab off the hook with ease. Fiddler crabs are a good choice. You can use a whole crab because they are so small. It is easier to set the hook using fiddler crabs because they are so small. Because of this, your bait will not be stolen as easily. Despite my success with fiddler crabs, I have found that tautog have an extremely strong preference to Asian crabs above all others. This is especially true for the bigger fish. I have found that Asian crabs out-fish green and fiddler crabs at a very high ratio. At times, it quadrupled my catch rate. These crabs are larger than a fiddler crab but not as big as a green crab, so you can use the entire crab and it offers the tog a good meal. Additionally, it is my understanding that these Asian crabs are one of the most prevalent local crabs, so tautog see them frequently. If you can get your hands on these crabs, definitely use them. Calico crabs are also a great local choice as well. 

Techniques

Jigging for tog from the kayak is relatively simple. First, position your kayak as close to your desired structure as possible. Second, rig your crab to the jig and drop it vertically from the kayak straight to the bottom. After your jig stops falling, vertically jig it a couple of times to ensure that it is holding on the bottom. If you get a bite, do not set the hook until you are sure that the tog has the crab in its mouth. For the most part, the tog will clip the crab initially with a couple of short and furious taps to crack the shell or pull off the legs. When you feel that the tog has the crab in its mouth, lift the jig quickly to set the hook. After catching a few fish, you will develop a feeling for when the tog takes the crab in its mouth. Often, your line will feel a little heavier and you will see your braid moving in a circle. It is often not a bite or take that you can feel. At this point, set the hook but keep your rod tip high and reel as quickly as possible to get the tog away from the structure. If I am at a bridge, I will often use my free hand or leg to push myself off the bridge and away from the structure to fight the tog in open water where he can’t use the surrounding structure to his benefit. 

Conservation

Although tog are some of the best tasting fish in Long Island waters, I generally practice catch and release with these fish.Tautog populations are at low levels. Further, their slow reproduction and growth make them more vulnerable to overfishing. In fact, it is estimated that a tautog grows one inch per year. As such, a keeper tog at 14” is approximately 14 years old. Try to keep as few tog as possible to ensure a better fishery for future generations.

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KAYAK FISHING EARLY SPRING WESTERN SOUND STRIPERS

By Pat Gallagher

Originally Published in The Long Island Fisherman, April 18, 2013

A surf fisherman’s knowledge and mentality coupled with freshwater fishing tactics can pay big dividends for kayak fishermen in the harbors of the western Sound for early spring stripers

In New York, the first saltwater striped bass of the year usually appear in the harbors and bays of the western Long Island Sound. The cold weather of the early season keeps boat traffic light and fishing pressure low. The skinny water aspect of this fishery gives a huge advantage to kayak anglers that combine the mentality of a surfcaster with the tactics of a freshwater fisherman.

When

Smaller striped bass often don’t travel very far from our western sound harbors in the cold months. These resident stripers are normally schoolie sized and smaller. After a period of warm weather, these smaller fish usually start to feed when the water temperature reaches 46 degrees. Once the water temperature hits this benchmark, each moon period will bring in more stripers in a smaller size class from 15” – 25”. In my experience, these fish can appear any time from the beginning of March to the beginning of April. When the weather becomes slightly warmer, menhaden begin to move to the back bays to spawn. This brings in a larger class of stripers in the 26” – 40” range. This usually occurs by the middle of April. Before the arrival of menhaden, forage isn’t as abundant as later in the year. With less baitfish and more competition, I find that these stripers are more apt to take artificial lures than any other time of the year except for the end of the season when forage again becomes scarce.

Where

Any of the harbors on the western LI Sound’s north shore from Willet’s Point east to Cranes Neck usually hold some early season stripers. However, you will not find the stripers spread throughout the bay at this time, nor are they necessarily as orientated towards structure as they become later in the year. These first scouts are looking for warm water and food after a long winter with very little feeding. The waters in the back of the bay are usually warmest and you will find most of your stripers in this area.

Forage

Silversides hatched during the prior season often holdover in the back portions of our harbors through the winter. After the winter, these baitfish orientate themselves towards the warmer water of the back bays and are effectively there waiting for the stripers as they move into the harbors after the water begins to warm. Once the water temperature hits 50 degrees, the first bunker of the year will be seen. Although the bunker draws bigger stripers into the harbor, the big girls aren’t wearing their feedbags yet and are more likely to gorge themselves on silversides than taking the effort to chase and digest a 14” bunker with water temps usually in the high 40s. Much to the delight of fly fishermen, many of the more fertile harbors hold grass shrimp. As the presence of bunker usually kicks up the silt in the shallow portions of the back bays, shrimp become an important part of the striper’s diet and a clouser minnow has worked as a very good approximation for these tasty morsels.

The Advantage of a Surf Fisherman’s Experience

Wind, moon period, and tidal stage are hugely important factors for this type of fishing. As such, the knowledge obtained from a few seasons in the surf is a great advantage for a kayak fisherman in this situation. At the beginning of the run, tidal stage is a huge factor. Far in the back, most of these harbors contain mud flats. At low tide, these areas usually dry up and are directly exposed to sunlight. Since mud heats faster than sand, the exposed mud warms quickly in comparison to the upper harbor. Consequently, the water heats over the sun-exposed ground as the tide rises over the mudflats, attracting baitfish and striped bass. In an extreme situation, the back portion of a harbor can be as much as 10 degrees warmer than the front, but I have usually found a 5 degree temperature differential to be average. In early season, you want the mudflats to be exposed during the warmest part of the day. So, ideally you want to look for a low tide that occurs between 10 am and noon. Generally, the fishing peaks at the top of the flood, but it could also occur at the end of high tide slack. As a rule, I usually fish the last two hours of incoming, and the first two hours of outgoing.

Since the tidal differential correlates to the moon, the moon stage is also very important. On one hand, spring tides will push out more water during the ebb, exposing the mudflats to the sun to a greater degree, resulting in warmer water. On the other hand, the slack period around moon tides is much shorter than usual, so the water rises fast, negating the benefits of pushing out more water. Also, a moon period combined with an onshore wind can push water up onto the marshes, making the water dirty with little visibility.

Of all factors, wind may be the most crucial. A hard and prolonged onshore wind will cause the mudflats to become brown and the fishing will not be good. Such a situation causes very limited visibility and you will literally need to put your presentation inches away from a striper for it to see it. This is exacerbated by spring tides as previously discussed. The best situation is a moderately strong offshore wind. This will clear the water and make it flat. When the water is flat, it will enable you to see the bunker schools moving around the shallows. Generally, the water in the back bays is shallow and, as previously mentioned, bunker schools tend to tear up the bottom as they move through in big numbers. Stripers of all sizes will be around these schools, not only picking off the occasional bunker, but also taking the morsels that are being kicked up from the bottom as the bunker move. Also, an onshore wind on the western sound is from the north. North winds usually coincide with cold weather, which also kills the bite.  Pressure systems are also a critical factor. Your best weather pattern is a stable high pressure system. Periods of variable low pressure systems usually correlate to slower fishing with smaller stripers.

Freshwater Tactics Applied to Stripers

My early season set up for the LI Sound resembles a freshwater setup for largemouth bass or pike much more than saltwater stripers. I use medium to medium heavy fishing rods at least 7’ long. Although these rods would never handle a big striper on the surf or boat, the leverage of the kayak has allowed me to land stripers up to 40”. With these rods, I use spinning reels in the 4000 class, although I have used reels as low as 3000 and caught large stripers as well. I spool the reels with 15lb power pro and tie a 20lb fluorocarbon leader. The light tackle is very important for this type of fishing because you are primarily casting very small plugs and need to cover as much water as possible. As such, long distance casts are important.  I also always bring out an 8 wt fly rod spooled with sink tip line. At the beginning of the run, this setup is essential and usually outfishes my spinning equipment.

For lures, I recommend using a variety of plugs, including yo-zuri, redfin, and rapala. Size is more important than model and I recommend anything in the 4” – 6” length to match the hatch in terms of silversides. Vibration is important. Often the water is stained even with an offshore wind, and a strong vibration helps the stripers locate your lure faster and better due to their lateral line sense. For flies, go with a chartrusse and white clouser of a similar length. This can approximate any bait from silversides to shrimp.

I’ve had very limited success throwing plastics at these fish. I’ve found it difficult to match the weight to the shallow waters of the flats. However, I believe that a weightless, small (about 3” – 4”) plastic like a Sluggo or Hogy worked across the flats with an erratic retrieve could be a killer lure on a calm day. However, you will likely lose opportunities with some fish because you won’t be able to cover as much water as you would with a plug.

Finding Stripers in the Back Bay

For anglers with peddle drives, trolling is a great option for locating fish. I will often troll until I find a school of stripers. After I catch one, I will stop and work the school by casting. When trolling, it is important to vary your speed and direction to illicit a strike. A powerful thrust can sometimes be a trigger for a hard strike from a striper.

Unlike later in the season, these fish aren’t orientating towards structure. They’re main attraction to the flats is warm water and forage. Find the mudflats and you will likely find stripers. Try t go on a scouting trip to some of these harbors during a low tide during the pre-season. It could be very helpful to finding fish at the beginning of the season.

Sometimes during this run, the location of the stripers will be obvious and you need only follow the “Tin Can” hatch – look for boats catching fish. During the peak, the stripers can become thick. You will catch more schoolies than large stripers. However, unlike the western sound striper fishing in the fall, you will definitely find cows swimming with the little guys, especially if menhaden are present.

Conclusion

For kayak anglers, the early spring is one of the best opportunities to catch striped bass on artificial lures and flies. Take advantage of the great fishing in our north shore harbors by learning the weather, lunar, and tidal conditions that can combine for an amazing day of early season fishing. After that, it is often a matter of matching the hatch with your choice of presentation.  

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KAYAK FISHING THE SOUTH SHORE BRIDGES FOR DOORMAT FLUKE

Take Advantage of the Stealth of a Kayak to Fish Waters Where Boats and Shore Fishermen Can’tGo

By Pat Gallagher

 Originally Published in The Long Island Fisherman - May, 2013

If someone saw me working the south shore bridges for fluke from my kayak, they would think it was far more likely that I was fishing for tautog. You would see me holding tight behind the eddy of a piling gently vertically jigging a bucktail. This is a far cry from the long, open water drifts through current that most anglers envision when they think about fluke fishing on the Long Island south shore.

Inshore fluke is one of the most pressured fisheries of the year. As such, an angler needs to make their offering stand out from the crowd and find big fluke in their hiding places. A kayak offers the fluke angler the advantage of fishing in waters where boats can’t go – the nooks and crannies of bridge structure such as the sloughs between bridge spans and the backwash around bridge pilings. The vast majority of my large fluke on the south shore have been caught from the kayak around bridge structure. By utilizing this technique, you will outfish most boats.

When

Early season fluke normally move into the warmer backwaters of the south shore bays at the beginning of the season. At this time, the fluke are away from the inlets and found in areas with softer current than they will frequent later in the year. After the water temperature heats up, these fluke will begin to associate more with the cooler water offered by flood tides from inlets fed by the Atlantic. This usually occurs near the beginning of June. At this time, the fluke will form feeding lanes around current breakers in the inlets. I generally fish this pattern from Memorial Day to the end of the season. The peak occurs from the middle of June to the beginning of July

During the peak of summer, the cooling ocean waters of incoming tide can trigger a very good bite. This is amplified during spring tides with offshore winds. The force of the moon brings in substantially more cool water during moon periods than neap tides. North winds push the warm water out, bringing in cooler ocean water from offshore. Spring tides will also bring a greater concentration of fluke around these inlet current breakers, as the stronger current forces more fluke to feed in eddies and backwaters around bridges.

In fact, the incoming tide is the safer bet for this pattern throughout the season. East winds or spring tides (or a combination of them both) can cause the marshes on the south shore to flood. This often causes brown, dirty water to appear during the outgoing tide. The lack of water clarity caused by these factors negatively impacts the fluke fishing. However, it often takes time for the water quality to deteriorate. Because of this, you can sometimes fish the first two hours of outgoing before the water becomes too dirty to fish.

The best time for the kayaker to fish this pattern is during high tide slack. Despite the possibility of dirty water, I have also had success with this technique at low tide slack as the tide changes to incoming. The lack of current movement during slack tide allows the kayaker to work every inch of the backwash around the pilings on bridge structure. For example, it would almost be impossible to work every bridge stanchion during moving water on any of the bridges near Jones Inlet. However, a kayaker can safely work all sides of key pilings in this area at slack water. Some of these pilings are stacked back to back. No boat or shore bound angler can effectively fish these areas between pilings.

Big Presentation for Big Fluke

Like many anglers, I like using Spro Bucktails for fluke. However, I am a big believer that size matters when targeting doormats. A 25”+ fluke can take out an adult bunker or devour a small squid. Heavy bucktails are big and provide the perfect profile of a supersized meal for an oversized fluke. In addition, they make it easy to remain connected to the bottom. For this purpose, I use a 2-ounce bucktail at a minimum and generally prefer using 3-ounce bucktails, especially in the deep waters and heavy currents of Jones Inlet and Rockaway Inlet. Even in the shallower waters of the east end, I will always use a large bucktail.

The current around the south shore bridges is very strong. In addition to presenting a big profile, the heavy bucktail will keep you connected and in touch with the bottom in both the deep channels of the west end and the shallow flats of the east end. Feel is an incredibly important part of this type of fishing. Sensitivity allows you to feel the subtle changes in the bottom, like the rubble that fluke may be hiding behind as an ambush point.

Finally, the heavy bucktail allows you to fish vertical. Large fluke have a tough mouth and a good hook set is essential to landing a trophy. While a lighter bucktail could be swept away from the kayak at an angle while drifting, a heavy bucktail keeps your line directly perpendicular to the water to ensure that you have the right leverage to get a solid hook set so the fluke can’t spit the bucktail while you grab the net.

I do not recommend the use of a teaser for this type of fishing. The bottom around the south shore bridges is filled with snags. A teaser increases the likelihood of a snag substantially. Re- rigging takes time away from fishing and the time to fish the pilings is relatively short. I also believe that the teaser inhibits the movement of the bucktail in this situation.

The Gulp! Advantage

Although they are aggressive sight feeders, fluke rely heavily on the sense of smell for finding food, even more than stripers and bluefish. For this reason, tipping your bucktail with Gulp is recommended. It is easier to use than bait and stays on the bucktail better. In addition to ease of use, I also believe Gulp provides a better scent trail. Gulp Rejuvenate and Gulp sprays allow the angler to control the amount of scent and apply as objectively needed. I soak my bucktails in Gulp before using them and between fishing trips. The hair absorbs the scent. I even soak the bucktail in these juices between drifts. Many times, I will get a hit immediately after soaking. But, I’m confident that the bucktail will remain scented at all times, even if stripped by a hungry fluke.

Tackle

I use a medium rated St Croix with a 3000 class reel for this type of fishing. For line, I use 15 lb braid. The lighter braid provides the sensitivity necessary to feel the contour of the bottom. I attach 15 lb – 20 lb fluorocarbon leader to the braid. I prefer the lighter leader because the smaller diameter gives the bucktail superior action and keeps it better connected to the bottom. I tie the leader to the braid line to line.

Techniques

For best results, fish the tail ends of either tide, preferably incoming. Wait for the tide to slow and start working the structure around the pilings. A peddle kayak is useful in this situation because it allows you to hedge the current by controlling your peddle speed. This allows you to easily fish your bucktail vertically. For paddle kayaks, you can hide in the eddies behind pilings and fan cast up-current until the tide slacks. You can also “crash and grind” into the pilings and jam your kayak between pilings on certain bridges with a paddle kayak. I would never recommend anchoring. It is always a bad idea for kayakers to anchor around the south shore bridges. The anchor is sure to get stuck in the rubble around the pilings and could sink the bow as the current picks up.

At slack tide, jig the entire area around pilings with your bucktail. The jigging motion should not be exaggerated, but soft, quick bounces. Make sure you feel the bottom, and get the bucktail into any recesses that you can feel out. For this reason, sensitive rods spooled with braided lines are necessary. Most times, the fluke will be on the down-current side of a piling, but I’ve seen big fluke switch positions near the end of slack and hold on the opposite side as well. On bridges that have multiple pilings back to back, I’ve often had good luck working between pilings. Again, this space is only fishable by kayak. Since it is a highly pressured fishery, the doormats will often be found hunkered in places where boats and shore-bound angles cannot easily fish.

Finally, fish the sloughs between pilings on moving water. The current scours out the bottom between most bridge spans in both directions. This effect creates a bowl under the bridge that is very similar to the area that surf fishermen refer to as a slough or trough. In this case, the drop-off is much steeper and not connected to land. This is a great location for catching fluke because the slough acts as a current breaker and feeding lane. The fluke lie on the slope of these troughs resting while facing up-current, waiting for the tide to sweep a struggling baitfish or other tasty morsel to them. Again, I usually fish these areas by drifting while vertically jigging bucktails. Unlike a boat, a peddle kayak is very useful to hedge the current so you can drift at the right speed and you can change direction by utilizing the rudder. Always keep your kayak faced into the current for the best drift.

Conclusion

Kayak anglers must take advantage of stealth to get to the areas that other fishermen can’t go. This increases your odds at landing a doormat of a lifetime. I believe that Long Island offers the best shot at a trophy fluke on the east coast. No other area in their range has produced more trophy fluke recently than these waters. There is nothing like the experience of seeing a doormat fluke rise out of the depths. The sheer size and unpleasant disposition of a trophy fluke is a memory of a lifetime. Their strength is remarkable and their bad attitude ensures that you aren’t guaranteed a dinner until the fluke is safely locked on your game clip.

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KAYAK THE FLATS FOR GATOR BLUES 

A kayak offers the perfect platform to target skittish bluefish on the shallow south shore flats of Long Island

By Pat Gallagher

Originally Published in The Long Island Fisherman - June, 2014

Each year, huge schools of bluefish invade the Long Island South Shore in masse as the water temperature climbs to the mid-50s. As the water warms, these blues spread throughout the south shore and provide a dependable shallow water fishery on the flats for the light tackle enthusiast in the spring and summer.

A Spring and Summer Pattern

The first wave of bluefish usually consists of fish in the 27” - 32” class that have wintered offshore near the Gulf Stream. These blues usually first appear on the West End in good numbers around Jamaica Bay and east to Fire Island Inlet. In addition to being long, these blues are usually slender and feed very aggressively after the decreased feeding activity that occurs during the winter. Soon after the arrival of these racers, a second wave of bluefish of all sizes appears. These blues spread across the inshore waters of the south shore and remain in the area until the end of the summer. Each moon usually brings in fresh fish of differing sizes, but the blues will always be present as long as forage remains constant. By the end of the summer, this pattern loses intensity as the blues change gears for the fall migration.

Although all bays on the south shore contain flats, not all flats are created equally. The best flats for this type of fishing are on Jamaica Bay, South Oyster Bay, and Moriches Bay. For Jamaica Bay, the Pumpkin Patch contains extensive flats with well-defined channels surrounded by marshlands. These channels are broad and the blues congregate along the edges. Reynolds Channel and Jones Inlet also have extensive marshlands surrounded by flats with dredge holes and small channels. This area also has little creeks between the marshes that baitfish push into as the tide floods. The blues are usually right behind them. The north side of Moriches Bay contains excellent flats throughout the bay, with the best flats being closer to the inlet. Any one of these locations will produce excellent fishing throughout the spring and summer. 

Tidal Considerations

This pattern is best fished during a flood tide. More than other saltwater fish, finding inshore bluefish can be fairly predictable based on tides. During the ebb, you will normally find blues at the mouths of inlets or creeks waiting for the tide to wash out baitfish. During the flood, these blues will push bait onto shallow flats. The marsh banks, breaks, channel edges, and holes on shallow flats provide perfect ambush points for these hungry blues. Generally, the blues will be found in water 3’ – 5’. The bite will generally stop at slack tide as bluefish disperse and change positions for the ebb.

Dawn and Dusk

At the beginning of the season, action can occur at any time of day. As the sun becomes stronger and the season progresses, the best fishing occurs at times closest to dawn or dusk. In fact, the bite will become shorter and shorter as the season progresses. By the end of the summer, the bite will be very short in duration corresponding to sunrise and sunset. Generally, it stops abruptly at dusk and there is very little action after sunset or before sunrise. At night, you will have very little success fishing this pattern.

Run and Gun with Heavy Metal

The best way to catch bluefish on the flats is to move around and throw metal at them. As such, your tackle box should be heavy in shiny metal lures including krocodiles, diamond jigs, and cast masters. My personal preference is a ¾ ounce Luhr Jensen Krocodile. It is heavy enough to achieve the long casts necessary to cover large expanses of water while blind casting, but light enough to stay near the surface and away from the sea weed and other debris that normally sticks to the bottom of these flats.

However, each tin has its own place in the metal arsenal. When the birds are working, the blues are normally roaming the flats in tightly packed schools feeding aggressively. On these days, the action is fast and it is better to use a single-hook lure such as a diamond jig. You can quickly and more safely unhook the blues on diamond jigs giving you more casts at these fast moving schools. The heavier cast masters are better on windy days both to achieve longer casts into the wind and hedge the wave action caused by gusty weather.

Carrying a variety of tins also allows you to match the hatch. For the most part, these bluefish are foraging on spearing and other small baitfish on the flats. A 007 diamond jig is a flashy approximation of spearing. Later in the year, more peanut bunker mix in with the spearing. A krocodile closely resembles a peanut bunker in both shape and size. That being said, I have found that krocodiles will out-produce other tins in any forage base.

Slightly heavier tackle is suggested for this type of fishing. A 7’ moderate-fast action medium power rod with a stiff tip and a reel in the 4000 – 5000 class is a good match for targeting blues on the flats. I prefer the St. Croix Triumph. The heavier rod and stiff tip allows for good casts into the wind with lighter tins. The stiff tip also makes it less likely that the tip will break as you unhook the bluefish. To cover more water, light line is must and I use 15 lb braid. In terms of leader, 30 lb mono will suffice.

For best success, burn the tin through the flats as quickly as possible. This fast retrieve will illicit powerful hits from the blues. In fact, the shockwave caused by a 30”+ bluefish hitting a fast moving tin will almost jar the fishing rod from your hands, so brace yourself! Run and gun is the key to success. The fast retrieve increases your likelihood of success by allowing you to get in a greater number of casts and cover more water putting the odds into the angler’s favor. For best results with run and gun, be prepared to make many casts and move with the bluefish.

Finding Bluefish on the Flats

Oftentimes, finding bluefish on the flats will be as simple as following the diving birds. Other times, there will be no visible sign of feeding blues and anglers will have to search the flats. As long as the tide is flooding, you will find the bluefish in the areas described above with a little patience.

Bluefish are creatures of habit and appear on the same flats year after year. As such, your first searching pattern should be making a number of long casts in areas that have produced blues in the past. If this doesn’t work, trolling is another option. However, tins don’t troll as well as other presentations. Because of this, plugs can be employed as a last resort. Plugs are less than ideal for kayak fishing for bluefish due to the double treble hooks. There are very few more dangerous situations that you will encounter in your kayak than unhooking a thrashing bluefish with two sets of trebles. But, the blues have a definite preference for trolled plugs over tins and plugs are a very good searching pattern. My favorite searching pattern plug for blues is the Yozuri Tobimaru. Another good searching pattern is trolling a spearing or peanut bunker-pattern fly on an 8 wgt fly rod. Make sure that the fly is tied with shiny tinsel for best results.

Kayak Advantage

The shallow nature of flats fishery gives the kayak angler a huge advantage. Despite a bad reputation for intelligence, blues are as sensitive to noise on the flats as stripers or redfish. For this reason, the kayak gives the advantage of silence as well as stealth. The sound of a boat engine will scatter a bluefish school on the flats before the boat comes within 50 yards of the school. The kayak allows you to get very close to the feeding fish without spooking them like you would on a motorboat. It also allows you to cover more water faster than casting from the shore. As a result, the kayak is the perfect vessel for targeting blues on the flats. 

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2014 KAYAK FISHING CLASSIC AT JAMAICA BAY RECAP

By Pat Gallagher

Originally Published in The Long Island Fisherman - June, 2014

The 2014 Kayak Fishing Classic at Jamaica Bay occurred from Thursday, May 15, 2014 to Sunday, May 18, 2014. Weather was a major factor this year. High winds and heavy rains forced the tournament organizers to cancel the first official day of the tournament. Because of this, the competing anglers had to squeeze three days of fishing into only two. This made the Slam Division particularly challenging. The runoff from Friday’s rain resulted in very poor water quality for both Saturday and Sunday creating tough fishing conditions for all species targeted. However, quality striped bass, weakfish, bluefish, and fluke were all caught during both the pre-fishing days and the tournament itself.

History

This is a charity tournament to benefit Heros on the Water, The Fisherman’s Send a Kid Fishing program, and the Robert K. Sweeney Sport Fishing Education Center. Jerry Collins, aka Captain Kayak, has been running the tournament for the last several years. During this time, the tournament has grown to be one of the largest kayak fishing tournaments in the world and attracts anglers across the coast from Canada to Florida. Under the guidance of Captain Kayak and his staff, some excellent changes have been made to the tournament recently. For example, the tournament is now three days instead of one with an additional day of pre-fishing. This allows anglers travelling long distances to have more time to experience the tournament. It also allows anglers to explore the fishery in greater detail. In addition, the slam was expanded last year to include fluke as well as striped bass, weakfish, and bluefish. Captain Kayak and his staff work tirelessly year-round organizing this charity tournament. They also work around the clock for the entire week of the tournament. Jerry Collins and the rest of the staff at Captain Kayak deserve major appreciation for organizing a first-class tournament.

Rules of Engagement

This is a catch, photo, and release tournament and the targeted species are striped bass, weakfish, bluefish, and fluke. In addition, anglers have the option of competing in five divisions. These divisions include an open division, a slam division, a fly division, an electric division, and a juniors division. All entries must be measured on a tournament issued ruler. As previously stated, the tournament takes place over four days. The first day is a pre-fishing day and any fish caught do not count towards the tournament. The first day of the actual tournament begins at 12 pm on Friday and ends at 6 pm. The second day of the tournament starts at 5 am on Saturday and concludes at 7 pm. The final day of the tournament begins at 5 am on Sunday and concludes at 12 pm. All entries must be submitted no later than the time that the fishing concludes on any particular day. This forces the participants to accurately calculate the amount of time that it will take to travel from a fishing location to tournament headquarters by the end of the day. Any entries received after the end-time is not counted. Anglers are permitted to launch and fish anywhere in Jamaica Bay east of the Marine Parkway Bridge.

For the last two years, the winner of the Slam Division has qualified for the Hobie Fishing World Championship. As such, the slam is highly sought by participants and fiercely competitive as a result. For the slam, only three out of four species is required, but each slam must include a striped bass. The other two species can be any combination of weakfish, bluefish, or fluke. All four species were caught this year during the tournament.

Fishing Report

Pre-Fishing Day – Thursday, May 15, 2014

The first day of pre-fishing was foggy and damp. However, the morning yielded lighter than expected winds out of the southeast at about 10 knots resulting in very fishable conditions. The striper fishing in the Pumpkin Patch was slow, with only a handful of stripers caught between several kayak fishermen fishing this area. However, this was the best day of the tournament for weakfish and some anglers scored very well on weakfish in the 24” – 28” class using plastics. Anglers targeting weakfish also encountered large bluefish moving through the channels and flats. Gator blues were caught to 35” on the incoming tide. By the early afternoon, the winds became heavier as the storm that would shape the tournament began to move through the area.

Day 1 - Friday, May 16, 2014

With winds out of the southwest at 30 knots, the first official day of the tournament was cancelled due to a small craft advisory. As such, the second day of the tournament became another day of pre-fishing for any anglers hardy enough to bear the tough conditions. Some intrepid anglers found some shelter at Mill Basin along with thick masses of bunker with some legal-sized stripers and gator bluefish on them. In addition to the wind, rain and fog also made the fishing challenging. The tactics employed in this area were different than the Pumpkin Patch and fishing with live bunker was the flavor of the day. Over a group of about 15 anglers, several stripers were caught including a 33”, 35”, and 37”. Some anglers drifted live bunker, while others had success trolling live bunker on leadcore outfits while working the channel edges. By 4 pm, increasing winds were accompanied by heavy rains and the remaining anglers were pushed off the water for the rest of the day.

Day 2 – Saturday, May 17, 2014

Between Friday night and Saturday morning, substantial runoff occurred due to the heavy rain. This was a bad omen for the fishing on Day 2. The salinity dilution coupled with dirty water resulted in a tough bite. The menhaden spread out in fast moving pods causing the predators disperse as well. For success in the stained water, anglers needed to get their presentation right in front of the face of their quarry For this reason, tube and worm fishermen working channel edges and hard structure had some modest success with stripers in the 30” class while the bunker anglers were mostly shut out. Anglers fishing the western flats encountered hoards of bluefish of all sizes while very few weakfish were caught. Strong west winds and brown water made this area of the bay very difficult to fish by the early afternoon. The highlight of the day in this area was a 36” striper caught on the fly rod by George White of Sayville. This striper later captured first place for George and was a well-deserved reward for dedicating many years of working the tournament.

Day 3 – Sunday, May 18, 2014

Some anglers moved back to the Pumpkin Patch in search of large bluefish and weakfish or a quick shot at an early morning striper before they moved off the flats. Anglers had success with bluefish in the 32”+ class casting or trolling metal. However, the weakfish bite shut down and only a couple of weakfish in the 21” class were encountered by plastics fishermen mixed in with small fluke.

However, the story of the day was Elias Vaisberg of Brooklyn who defended his home turf and won the slam division for the second year in a row. Elias entered the final day with without a registered fish but scored a whopping 92 inches on the final morning of the tournament while fishing the western shores of the bay. His slam included a 33” striper, a 36.5” bluefish, and a 22.5” fluke. The Open Division was won by Mike Rosa of Virginia with a 39” striper.