Labor Day Stripes

I got the opportunity to get out with my buddies Lee and Joe (hookedup1.blogspot.com) the Friday before Labor Day. I knew I probably wouldn't make it out that weekend with the crazy boat traffic but Friday with light winds and current predicted we made the trip to the island for some striped fish fun. Sheep were about 40 feet down and chewing on fiddlers and mole crabs. Spades were along the pilings and you could find them by looking into the water. Once you find a school drop clam down and wait for tap and swing away. For the sheep I use a dropper loop and 40lb mono paired with a 2/0 Gamakatsu live bait hook. For the spades I use a 3/4 ounce egg sinker before a swivel. 20lb leader and a #2 live bait hook for the spades.

Boat traffic was actually fairly light for a Friday before a long weekend but it seemed like the entire fleet was coming in for the weekend. 

Joe was first to strike with a citation sheep. 

I got on the board next with a light bite citation sheep, 25.5". 

Reviving the 20 year old fish. 

Actual Release

The guys at Oceans East II baitshop asked for some spades so we delivered them. 

I turned around just in time to see a huge swell. I told Joe he might want to turn into this one and get away from the pilings. This could make your outing a bad day quick if you don't spot it in time. 

After we cleared the set, Joe looks at me and yells I couldn't see you when you dropped into the wave!

It was a great day spent with some cool guys. Water conditions were good but there was a slight red tide the first mile or so fro the beach. With the cooling temps this shouldn't become as bad as last year. Be careful out there and tight lines guys!

Catching for Kids Club Challenge

You know, it really ticks me off when boaters see me on the water or at a launch and assume I know nothing about fishing because I am on a kayak. Just this weekend a guy tells me about "good fishing location for spot and croaker" with a tone that implied that's all a yak was good for. Little did he know I was fishing for those spot and croaker for my bait! I have even gone on my Wilderness Systems Profile page to say that my favorite past time is catching trophy fish in front of boaters from a piece of plastic and watch their reactions. This being said I have met some awesome boaters on the water and have often gotten great advice so they are not all bad.

As luck would have it I got an invite from Rob Choi (angling-addict.com) to fish the Catching for Kids Club Challenge because some folks had dropped out at the last minute. I gladly accepted knowing what I was getting myself into. You see, this isn't a kayak club challenge, its a fishing club challenge, meaning the other clubs were power boats gunning for pride to prove who the best  anglers were in the area. They pick out the best captains, or ringers to compete on behalf of their clubs name. The previous year Tide Water Kayak Anglers Association (TKAA.org) placed third, which was by all means a win in every ones book. This year just to match that they would have to beat out five power boat teams to place third again. The rules are four teams (4 boats if you are in a power boat) with five anglers (five yaks per team). First place fish gets 3 points, 2nd 2 pts and 3rd gets 1 pt. Highest total points wins the challenge but more important the bragging rights.

We went to the captains meeting Friday night and every club seemed confident. The winds were predicted to be heavy Sat morning and drop out by noon. Heavy winds don't affect the boaters near as much as yakers so there were no worries for them. Mark Lozier had set up the teams already, some targeting Specks and Reds like the team led by Richie Bekolay (HookLine-Sinker.net) some were headed out for flounder, others were headed to an area known for giant sheepshead, spades, and triggerfish.

The morning began at 0345 and I was up to meet the team. There we spoke about our plan to get on the best fish possible. Our team consisted of Rob Choi of Ocean Kayak, Joe Underwood of Hobie Kayaks (hookedup1.blogspot.com), William "Billy" Ragulsky of Hurricane Kayaks(coastalkayakfishing.blogspot.com) and Alex Britland. 

Joe Underwood, Rob Choi, Alex Britland, William "Billy" Ragulsky

We all headed ot with sheep on our minds but the current was pushing out at nearly max with a solid wind kicking up chop in the same direction. I had to move up to 5oz just to hold bottom for a while, I finally came to the realization that it just wasn't going to happen until the tide slacked at bit. I took cover with Billy  behind the lea of the island. He had already landed a solid trigger fish we thought may place. We fished and I began landing big spot which was another targeted species. I then hook into a fish who takes lin off my 15lb set up. I get it in and its a big trigger, measures 17 inches. We keep fishing for another hour and I land a smaller trigger to max us out at three.

First Place Trigger!

By this time Joe and Alex make it out to us and we decide the current and wind should allow us a couple hours to fish for sheep. I had already been out for sheep a couple time but hadn't been able to even get a  sheep bite. These guys are my absolute favorite specie with their digging, drag burning, piling scraping runs. I dropped and waited nothing. I moved and immediately had my bait crushed. not as in a hit but the crab was crushed and still on the hook. I looked at Joe and said that's a sheep bite. I drop down and feel the familiar grinding of a sheep bite, I set the hook and feel pressure for about a second and its gone. %$#@ !!!! I settle down and say maybe he didn't know what it was. I rebait staying on the same piling. I drop to the bottom and raise it up two cranks, this time I don't feel the griding but a slow steady pressure, so I swing hard and the fish dives for cover with my 2/0 Gamakatsu buried in his mouth. I kick away from the piling and begin to feel the fish of this 25 year old fish, he has some pent up aggression. I get him in and measure him out at 25". Rob comes up and I get him to take some photos. 

Photo By: Rob Choi

We look over our shoulders only to see Billy on the piling I just left bowed up. He lands his fish, and we are all delighted that we are on the board this early. I decide that since I just caught a fish that I would take the photos of Billy and his sheep while the others fish and before I could finish I look over to see Rob legging in a sheepshead! No way we all three of us caught three citation sheeps in under 20 min, rob measures his at 26"!

Photo By: Joe Underwood

We let the other fishermen fish for sheep but since we are maxed on those already we start on spades. These fish were not having it. I caught one at 8". I knew two 9" placed last year but I wanted more. Joe and Rob turn to flounder and they begin catching them, easily. At this point I cant believe how good the fishing has been. I begin moving to my spade hole Kevin (KayakKevin.com) showed me in the past. There was a boat and a kayak on the pilling I wanted and they were on the school of spade fish. The boat limits out and I ask the fellow fisherman if we could come over. He agrees and I tell Billy to come and call Rob on the radio. We all begin hooking up left in right.

We even start giving each other hard times for missing a hookset. I look at billy and say you gotta visualize the hook set billy, its like sports you gotta see the bite, then I nail a small spade and release him. I come back full of bravado exclaiming you gotta VISUALIZE yourself catching these fish, I get another bite and I rear back with my Shimano Chronarch with 15 lb braid on a medium rod used for bass and spades only to have it double over and have drag scream towards the bottom. Rob exclaims "did you see that bite, I don't think that's a spade", I kick franticly away from the pilings  and have to slow play this fish because I only had 20lb leader. I knew if it was a sheep his gnarly teeth would easily break our connection. I get color and can tell its a big sheep what Kevin has coined a spadefish surprise, he has had this happen a ton of times. Every one is whooping and hollering for me to leader it in but there is no way the leader would handle 10 plus lbs after being chewed on by a sheepshead. I lead the fish to Rob who cradles him in. He looks at me and says the line is real thin. He measured 23" and was tagged by Rob and released. Luck was finally on my side!

Photo By: Rob Choi

 I call it a day and paddle in. I couldn't believe how we had caught everything we tried for. Before I could get packed Billy got a call, Joe landed a big sheepshead, his first ever! He brought it in and it was easily the days biggest! 

Oh back to the tourney, out of 8 clubs total we scored 31 points, the second place finisher had 19... Yes the best boat team had 19 to our 31! We scored 6 number ones, a several category sweeps, 4 citation and a tournament record 32 points for team TKAA. Our CBBT team brought in a sweep of first through third sheepshead (a boat brough in a 10 plus pounder but the sheep we culled was still bigger then that one), first place trigger, first and second spadefish, and first and third spot, 18 points. On top of that I won a raffle of buck tails and rigs.

Photo By: Joe Underwood

The next day Rob and I went fishing but Ill let him tell that story, it was a good day.

Photo By: Rob Choi

Photo by: Rob Choi

Slump Busting

I got an invite from a local kayak guide, Tim Taramelli (NCPierMan) to head out looking for top water reds. I needed to break my recent luck and I knew he was a guy that could help. We launched at just after day break and began looking for top water reds. This is all pretty common, fishing low light conditions with top water and covering ground. It got interesting when we didn't stop despite several short strikes. The sun rose high in the sky and we still went with topwater, crazy I thought. Tim looked past my negativity ensuring me we would find em and he was excited to see me catch one, despite our luck to the contrary. At one cove he waved me over and showed me a school, he hooked two and had a ton of missed blow ups, I tried to not crowd him but he insisted. Before I could get close enough the bite died.

We kept looking and I was thinking my luck had followed me from Charleston. Tim hooked up on two more reds, one being a hoss at 25". He offered the lure he was throwing but I insisted I would find some fish on my lure.

I finally got in on the action with three reds of my own, the first was a double with Tim besting me with a 24" to my 19.5" Red.

We kept at it until I got a fish that stretched to 26" with a pinched tail!

 

 

 

Tim put me on some nice fish and we had a great time in between bites. If you are ever in the Jacksonville, NC area I'd give Tim a call. He and Wilderness Systems Team member Michael Ortiz can be booked at:   www.airborne-angler-adventures.com

Tourney Troubles

 

 

I will admit to you right now, I am depressed and a bit embarrassed but let me introduce the situation first. I recently fished the IFA Redfish Kayak Tourney in Charleston. I was pretty excited about the opportunity to fish against some of the region’s best tournament kayak anglers. I specifically specify tournament anglers because these guys consistently place or win tourneys. I went down to Chucktown on the weekend prior. I found a school of reds, although easily spooked and tight lipped but plenty of trout. Trout up to 18” were pretty easy to come by. During the week the area received a tropical storm, several inches of rain and sustained winds over 40 mph.

The next Sat, the day before the tourney, I landed a nice 19” Speck, so I was pretty confident when it came to trout. I knew reds would be tough but decided to fish the area because I knew it and could easily get a scoreable trout larger than 14” then concentrate on reds. The day came and I was up at 0400, ready to launch by 0510. I had a baby gator watching me prepare for the day. It was just me and him in the early morning light.

 

 

Can you see my buddy in this pic? He kept a close eye on me for 30 min.

 

 

On the way out I had to stop and snap a shot, sometimes no matter the fishing I can appreciate how beautiful mother nature can be.

 

 I went straight to the trout spot three miles away and began casting, nothing. I changed from a popping cork to a paddle tail, nothing. I knew they would be there and caught them on the incoming but they weren’t on the feed. I waited for the tide change burning precious hours. In the meantime I realized the trail mix I picked up had banana chips in it (google bad luck fishing bannanas if you don't know why its bad. I have never caught a fish after eating a banana or having one on board), I pour my breakfast into the water hoping my luck will change. The tide slacked and I began getting bit. I caught 5 trout before 1000, but the largest was  under 13”. The current started to rip and time didn’t stop. I looked at the clock, addressed my attitude, thought about my 5 hour trip back home and called it a day.

 

 

 

I am embarrassed because for the foreseeable future if you look up the results you’ll see:

Jay Brooks           Red: 0”                 Trout: 0”              Total: 0”

 

I am better than that, I know it. Did this knock me down a notch, yeah for sure. Am I having a pitty party, probably. Will I become a better angler or tourney fisherman, we will see! Do I have excuses, of course I am a fisherman but in the words of my buddy Justin Mayer, that's loser talk. I either caught what I needed to or I didn't, its that simple.

 

Memorial Day Blues

I had plans to hit Rudee Inlet Friday morning of Memorial Day weekend for some reds and flounder. I was rigged up and met up with a buddy, William Ragulsky. He looked over my gear and said you wanna borrow a rod, I got an extra. I laughed him off and he handed me some leaders and said to retie, but I already had my plan. I was gonna chase flat fish while him and his buddies Tommy, Alex and Lee chased big blues. Well after a little over an hour passed I had nothing to show and I paddle up to the guys and they yelled “Where have you been?”.  They had all hooked and landed Blues over thirty inches. Well I am no dummy so I asked for the leaders back and retied. I caught a smallish 20” and the bite died. We looked but they seemed to have moved on along with the warm air. A cold front blows in bringing freezing rain and I can see my breath. The other guys start calling it a day until its just Tommy, William and myself. I finally get a run but instead of pulling me forward he hit the lure right at the boat headed to the rear. I immediately start losing line as the drag screams off. Tommy and William chuckle at my amazement of the power of this thing. I finally get him in the boat and we know its big but we only have a hawg trough so we guess its around 33”.

I told William I wanted to take my wife out for round two and there was a TKAA Club get together that Sunday. I saw lots of folks and it was great putting some names to faces. Allie thought it was cool some people recognized her from some of her fishing pictures too. We head off looking for the blues hoping they hadn’t been scared off by the holiday boat and yak traffic. On Allies first cast she hooks up to a nice blue but it shakes her off and I throw in next to her and hook up and hand her the rod. She fights and lands on her own a mid 20” Blue, but she didn’t like it. She looked at me and said "no, I am gonna do this by myself next time.". So the next fishy looking spot she fires and hooks into a big blue. Allie looked at me and screamed its taking my line as the fish pulls her and her 14 foot kayak with ease! She finally gets it close and pulls it in and it’s a beautiful 32”er. She asked how big they are supposed to be, these are my first ones, hahaha. We take some pics and the bite dies. William comes out and catches several and I am left with the skunk until I land one at the bottom of the ninth narrowly avoiding the skunk.  I couldn’t have asked for a better day out with friends and loved ones.

 

Check out William Ragulskys report at http://coastalkayakfishing.blogspot.com/

  

On a side note I just got some stickers printed with the site logo and the quality was great. I went through “Sticker Steve”, you can find him on Face Book at https://www.facebook.com/StickerStevePuckett

This one is in the Tarpon 140.

Waiting on the wind

I got done with work Thursday at 1300 and knew I wouldn't be able to relax while I still had new water to learn, and I have a lot of it here in Jacksonville NC. On the other hand I also knew the winds were pegged at 15knts and the water was a shade darker than chocolate milk. F it, I am going fishing. I head out and fish some holes taught to me by NCPierMan. I slip onto some flats and pound the banks with a gulp ripple mullet and pick up a 17" red. That was it. I decided to let the tide cycle carry out the murky water before I try again.

 

I got out again today Tuesday 5/7 and hit a pond on Camp Lejeune. Those that know me know how hard up I have to be to fish freshwater. I fish for two hours with one small bass to show. I spooked a big bass off some shallow flats so I know they are in there and can be shallow. I get to a creek that looks nice. I hook a baby and he jumps off. I cast again to the center of the creek with a bush sticking out. Number two in the boat. Not bad and I am building confidence in my senko worm. Then I see it, a tail waving in the shallows. It moves ever so slightly, taunting me and I am not gonna waste any time. I jet to the opposite side for a good angle and I see some bait scurry away from the tailing bass. I get to the other side and cast but it doesn't hit the mark. I recant and cast close enough that I know he sees it, although far from the perfect toss. I work it ever so slightly when it begins to move causing a wake and I know I am about to hook the one. The wake grows larger then it breaks the surface and its a 6-7 foot gator tying to get into the center of the creek where I am, in the deeper water. He veered to my left and I sat there for a second before I got the hell out of there.  I caught another bass on the way to the ramp but kept my legs in the boat! That was my first experience with a  gator, hope its my last. Sorry no pics of the gator.

 



Seeing Red

I went out a few weeks ago and fished the shoals between Smith and Fishermans Islands but the water was still a little too cold. The next week I received my pro staff shirt from Wilderness Systems and wanted to get some good shots with it and I knew the reds were getting close so I went despite unfavorable reports. I drove the four hours from NC and hung out with my wife that morning. She had an engagement that afternoon so I knew I could get out without much grief. I got set up right in the thick of the shoals, got my anchor set and cast out the first crab, weighted with a 5oz sinker and an 8/0 circle complete with a whole crab. I turned around to grab a weight for the second rig when the clicker started humming from the first rod, its pretty common for the boat to drift back and forth esp right after you anchor up, I reached over placing my thumb on the spool but the line came tight, the rod doubled over and I engaged the reel. The fish began taking a decent amount of drag and I released the freshly dropped anchor. The fish ran out of the shoals and I had her play kamikaze with me several times while trying to shake the hook free. I got her to the boat and with a pull and leg sweep had her in the boat. I couldn't believe my luck having only been on anchor for less than three minutes and thanked god for the experience. I got some quick photos and released her healthy to go make some babies. I didn't bother getting a measurement on her because I wont be submitting any citations this year. Ill be in North Carolina most of the year and wont be chasing the coveted Expert Angler, this year is just about the chase and the thrill of fighting the fish.

I went back and got set up thinking that was all luck, and that I was in for a long wait if I was gonna catch another one. I sat for all of 45 minutes and notice one line has moved toward the front of the boat. I check the rod tip but it looks normal and no drag has come off, so I decided to check my bait. I reel in the slack and  it feels like its stuck in the mud. It's slowly coming toward me and then a switch goes off in the fishes mind and she starts screaming away. I know its a red from the head shakes and drag she is pulling off with ease. I get her close and I get a call, I answer laughing hysterically because of all the people to call in the middle of a fight it is Rob Choi. He asks what I am laughing at and I said "Can you hear that?" as the big red slaps her tail on the surface and he asks what it is, I said "I gotta land this red and Ill call you back haha". I barely get her in the boat and she is a beast, prob the thickest red I have caught. I look around and wanted to get a good shot so I paddle back to Smiths and keep her on the boga grip to make sure she stays healthy. I get close, get my photos then release her.

I went back and after about an hour I had a screaming run but the red jumped and came off. I was bewildered, I had never had a bull red jump me off... That was it for the rest of the day but not bad for heading out for a few hours while Allie was busy.  

   

Good News and Bad News

Which do you want first?

The good news is that the water temps in Virginia are warming and the fish are beginning to turn on. The water temps in the bay are in the upper 40s which means the Tautog should really be turning on. I made the trip to the island and was skunked, tried the ships and was skunked. I began thinking I lost my touch from last year when I caught more than I can remember. I tried the island one last time and ended the day with a single 17" tog. I have never seen one with this much color, most female are nearly all black / brown with an occasional white spot. The males have more white with a dark back. This one had a school buss yellow on both sides like a kindergartener tried to color her. I took a couple photos and called it a day with the current picking up, narrowly missing a third skunk. Have patience and the tog will turn on as the water temps rise.

Now for the bad news..... I have been selected to join a Marine team headed to Afghanistan within the next few months. I will be training for the next few months and am taking my kayak and truck down so i can fish for reds, specks, and flounder there in the area. I am also going to try to make it back up for my other loves, bull reds and sheepshead.... Oh and you too Honey. Yall have a great summer and hopefully Ill see some of yall on the water this summer. If yall have any honey holes down there please share, my time on the water will be limited and I know Ill be feigning for the fight. Once I have a chance to get on the water Ill post reports until I depart.

Overdue Report

12/8/12
My wife and I just recently moved to Ocean View, right on the water. We purchased a home knowing we wanted to raise it but we were waiting for FEMA to put us on the list. In the mean time Hurricane Sandy hit, and the max flood happened during the highest day of storm surge forcing my home underwater. I have been blessed with many people including fellow kayak fisherman Jason B and Lee Williams. Jason allowed me to borrow a dehumidifier and air filter while Lee came over and helped me rip out all of my carpet and drywall. This community continues to impress me from its work in Heros on the Water (HOW) to reaching out and helping an individual in need. I got messages from fishermen I had never met in person, who were willing to help in any way. Needless to say I am impressed with the character of those around the sport.



After a few weeks off the water I needed to bend my rods. I would be out of town the following week so I had to make this week count and wouldn’t you know it a noreaster blew in with cold temps, howling wind and heavy rain. I decided to head to the Elizabeth River and make the best of a bad situation. I fished the main river and found plenty of Speckled Trout up to 21”.



After my trip I was eager to get out for Tautog but the winds would not cooperate. Every weekend was a carbon copy of the last, windy. Finally the wind was forecasted to slack and I went out with Kayak Kevin (KayakKevin.com), Lee Williams, and Rob Choi (Angling-Addict.com). We planned to make a long drift and catch some of these Striper that are making their way down the bay. It took a while but we finally got on some fish. These two were 42” and 41” and were caught on eels free lined.

42”


41”