My new work schedule in 2018 has been kayak fishing friendly! Affording the ability to fish TKAA and then the Columbus Day Weekend Boondoggle the week after. The Boondoggle is a kayak fishing camping social event created by the founders of Yak Angler and Kayak Fishing Radio back in 2010. With two yearly scheduled events falling on Presidents Day and Columbus Day weekends. My last attendance was the VA Beach event in 2013.

This years Columbus Day weekend Boondoggle located at Kiptopeke VA is an excellent location as its somewhat local to me. When it was announced in 2017 I booked my camp site that November! I was already thinking of the excellent fishing and fun camping with my fellow anglers.

Before I knew it the date was upon me. Joe and I headed down to the eastern shore Thursday night to set up camp and prepare for early fishing Friday morning. I took my 2014 Jackson Kayak Big Rig for this trip. Equipped with the Torqeedo Ultralight 403 this is my big game fishing setup. We hit our usual spot to find a ton of small speckled trout, flounder and one small bluefish. It was good fishing although all the fish were smaller.

The next day we set out for bull reds. Its October now so catching spot and croaker for live bait can be a task. It ended up taking us 6 hours to gather 10 baits keeping them alive in a mesh sack. 

I even tried throwing the cast net. This is something I had never done before but from the deck of the Big Rig actually isnt too hard. Next time in going out armed with a sibiki rig!

Finally we started live rig fishing for the bulls but only ended up with a bunch of brown sharks. Ironically the 10 baits we caught lasted a total of maybe 4 hours. Loosing four baits in the first 10 minutes.

The sharks were fun to catch although were not the target.That evening we went and hung out with the rest of the boondogglers and enjoyed swapping stories around the camp fire. Unfortunately we were starving after our 12 hour fishing day and made food at camp. The boondoggle pot luck looked amazing but was too full to sample.

The next morning we tried for the bulls again. Fishing was very slow besides pods of dolphins swimming by. Unfortunatlly had to cut it short as I had to leave to be back in Delaware to the next journey at Ohiopyle PA. Delaware Paddlesports team trip. One adventure to another. I missed the low country boil and fishing Monday but it was worth it to be on another trip of a lifetime!

Its August 2018 and the weather is hot! Stopping in at Delaware Paddlesports Dean Lokey passed on an invite to join him fishing the Eastern Shore. I love this area and its unique fishery so of course was down for the trip! We met up at 4am fueled up and headed out for the 2.5 hour drive off to Kiptopeke VA!

Traveling very early in the morning is a bonus.  Theres not many people traveling which makes driving much more enjoyable. The drive seems to pass by quicker although it tends to be the easiest route to travel. Pretty much a long streight flat road. Its literally three turns within the entire trek!

Arriving at Kipto around 6:30 and made a quick stop at Chris’s Bait and Tackle. I unfortunately left my fishing pants at home and didnt even bring board shorts. Luckily the Tackle shop had board shorts right out in front! To top it off they were 50% off. Win!! The guys working there told us that it was blowing around 20 on the water but it wasnt windy inland which was only a mile from the bay. The also told us fishing was pretty tough the past few days.

We then headed into the campsites to see what was available. Unfortunately it was tough to tell what was reserved and what wasn’t. So technology arose and I searched available campsites on my phone and booked reservations literally in front of the campsite. This was a first for me but was really cool!

We then headed down to the water. It was blowing but fortunately it was coming from the west/north west. The Kipto concrete Ship break wall is great to hide behind in these conditions! On our way out there was a pod of porpoises playing in the waves! It was a sight to see! Being on a kayak grants the ability to be up and close with this type of wildlife! Fishing the ships begun at slack tide. Which is key at this location. The tide always rips through here. You’ll find yourself using 3+ oz to fish the bottom in no time.

We met up with Dale and John. Maryland anglers that Dean knows. These guys were on vacation and asked us to join them! We fished the slack tide at the ships. Dale and John had caught a few fish including a small Cobia! Unfortunately small fish were tearing off our gulp tales so i decided to head out to open water around pound nets to see if i could find some trout. Well i found one little guy. It seemed a bit early for the specs but they were around.

The tide was now ripping out with the wind that had switched to a NW at 15 mph easy. We pretty much all gave up at the same time due to the deteriorating conditions.

Dean and I went back set up camp ran some errands and ate some RoFo Fried Chicken. Its sooo good!!

Around 3 we decided to head out again. Dean wanted to find the big bull reds. I wasnt set up for big fish so didn’t really care and tagged along. We arrived at the spot very early and it being so hot we all took a dip in bathtub like water. However we did find a few cool spots.

We headed to the bridge and fished the pilings catching small sea bass croaker and oyster toads. BEtter than nothing. The sun set and we decided to head in against the tide the entire way with the mosquitos feasting on us. The Torqeedo saved me as it would have been an 8 mile paddle back.

The eastern shore at night is pitch black besides the lights on the bridge. Typical night humidity will create a fog which a headlamp beam can barely pass through. We managed to find the cars and load up.

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The next morning we broke camp and headed back to the ships to find an awesome flounder bite! Picking thru the shorts I ended up with one nice fish for the table. This was keeper flounder in four total states for me this season! Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia!

It was a shorter fishing day but after packing up we took in the scenery and weather prior to hitting the road. These road trips are what I live for. Relaxing times fueling a passion that I enjoy most! Its important.

Camping Kayak Fishing and Fun at Janes Island Maryland!

Every year I put together a Kayak Fishing Camping and Paddling weekend. This year the selected location was Janes Island Maryland. Located on the Eastern Shore a just outside of an old crabbing town named Chrisfield. Janes Island is a campers paradise.  With its beautiful sunsets that can be seen from any campsite. Also a kayakers destination featuring marked kayaking trails. You can take in nature at its best or paddle to a sandy beach on Tangier Sound a portion of the Chesapeake Bay.

However it’s April and we are here to fish for the large striped bass (aka rock fish locally) that will migrate south through the Chesapeake Bay and eventually swim north to their summer waters in the Northeast. Although extremely windy on Friday the winds calmed down to allow us to explore and learn how to fish a new body of water.

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Camping Kayak Fishing and Fun!

Although the Saturday wind forecast was wrong and we intended a late start. There were a few small striper caught right near the launch. Starting with the creeks on the outgoing tide marked a decent amount of bait. Fishing wasn’t hot. The water temps still at a cool 52 degrees apparently had an effect on the fish in this area. Although in my home waters of Delaware fishing was pretty hot through the winter with water temps in the high 30’s.

We navigated the creek as it became very shallow nearing the entrance to the bay. I was able to paddle through with my Kilroy. Others decided to portage over the short beach area to avoid paddling their pedal kayaks through the shallows. Once in the bay we targeted the drop offs and even deeper water with no good results. Easily an eight mile day of trolling. A local boater went by and stated there’s no one rock fishing yet the water is too cold. Well figured that out the hard way. Made the best of it and was able to explore a bit.

On the way back to the ramp Corey and I found a few really small fish up to 22 inches. Ending the day not skunked was a bonus. Being on the water on a small craft such as a kayak is relaxing and somewhat empowering. To be one with the water and the sky. If you understand what that is like then you may be closer to god than you really think!

Finding the fish is typically a task. This makes you a better angler honing your skills. To even catch fish in these cool water conditions was a great achievement!

Enjoying being outdoors!

Another great part of camping besides the camaraderie is the food! The first evening I prepared london broil and fire roasted potatoes. The next night Ed made a pork stew and the last night I cooked both our meals on the grill which consisted of chicken breast potatoes and some salad greens. Simple but its camping! We found out Ed has a knack for getting the fire roasted potatoes perfect! Also we enjoyed breakfast consisting of eggs and bacon prior to fishing.

The last day of fishing was also pretty uneventful with myself catching the lone rock fish for the day which was a total of around 13 inches! I however do look forward to fishing this area again in the summer when the reds and trout come in. The area seems to be a really fishy area on the right time with its sandy bottom with tons of vegetation.

In all it was great to visit a portion of the Eastern Shore that was new to me and enjoy its beauty with friends doing what we love best.