Lanark 26 November 2016

[Can'tCatchAnything]

Put in just east of Carrabelle early Saturday around 8 am. The tide was way low but incoming, and the wind was cooperative for the first... half hour. It got pretty windy, blowing me out to sea, so about a North Northwest ish wind. I started in about 2 ft and incoming and couldn't get a bite on the top or a DOA shad. The wind pushed me as far as 4ft before I would turn back, with very slow action all the way out.

I decided to turn close to shore in about 1 ft of water, maybe 20 yards from the grassline. I was throwing a Super Spook Jr and having mishits almost every cast. I switched to a DOA cal shad on 1/8th oz jig and got into some action.

Caught a limit of lower slot trout in short order, same drift line, maybe 1.5 ft of water at most. Then tossed down the grass line and saw my line move to the left really weird. Pulled up, started reeling, it was a 21 inch redfish! It looked like it didn't even know it was hooked, it only woke up when I tried to grab it and almost tore my rod into the water.

I was surprised how subtle a redfish bite could be, if I didn't see my line move, I wouldn't have felt the bite. There's a definite 'thump' with trouts, but the red was unexpected. Also learning to go shallow to find my fish lately, I've been having more success in a foot of water than three or four feet recently.

[DixieReb]

That sounds like a great time, nice catches. I think this time of year some fish pick up the bait and just sit with it, notice that a lot when I'm pier fishing. I don't know I had a bite til I try to reel in, and have a fish on. Do you have a drift sock or some way to anchor your kayak? Might keep you in the strike zone longer. Yesterday was terrible, my 2 anchors barely held the boat. But at least we caught some.

[FishWithChris]

Gotta love those surprise bites!

I remember a month or so ago sitting on an oyster bar working a Spook Jr.... not paying attention, I turn back to my cast line and said, "Where'd my lure go?" start reeling and then FISH ON! real subtle bite. fun stuff!

[silverking]

Nice job. Until it gets cold and stays that way, there will be some fish hanging out in the shallows although most will be relatively close to deeper water access.

Have you been using the drift sock? it'll definitely slow you down to stay in the zone longer, as DixieReb mentioned. Wind and waves make it tough for yakkers and doubles the exercise factor.

[Can'tCatchAnything]

I uploaded a picture in the original post. That red looked like something swiped at it a few months ago.

Capt. Silverking I do use that drift chute a lot, thanks again! It's pretty serious for my kayak and works really well. That drift chute on an anchor trolley is as good as it gets for a kayak drifting in the wind. I also carry an 8ft Yak-Attack Park-n-Pole I use nowadays as an anchor pin.

DixieReb, I have a pretty serious Danforth style anchor set-up I picked up from SK a few months back; anchor, chain, and line. Way too intense for the kayak, I could probably anchor with the chain alone. If your anchors aren't doing it for you, send me a PM, I'm sure we can work something out.

[JeffB]

I bet I saw you. I put in at the Connecticut Street dirt ramp that morning. Someone had thrown out a bunch of fish carcass's there. Anyway, I caught quite a few undersize fish but only one that was big enough to keep.
I did the opposite of you. I started in 3 ft of water and fished out to maybe deepest water of 5 ft.
And, I was using live shrimp.
I'll try shallower water next time. Probably going back in a couple of weeks.

[2Salty]

That's a good day of yak angling in my book !