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!

Jamiaica Bay holds a place in the hearts of many kayak anglers of the north east. A stormy reunion at Jamaica Bay wasnt the plan but became a good time after all.  Joh Shein started the Jamaica Bay Kayak Fishing Classic somewhere about 15 years ago. This year however the tournament wasnt carried over so a small group of anglers decided to camp and fish the same date as the tournament was always held. The tournament would draw 350+ anglers every year and was the Hobie Qualifier. Chris of The Kayak Fishing Store set aside a small number of campsites for a few via word of mouth. It was set to be the first of the Jon Shein Memorial Jamboree.

Jamaica Bay Camping & Fishing

Typical Jamaica Bay weather was slated for the date unfortunately a nor’easter had it targeted to rain for 4 days accompanied with high winds.  Some participants decided to stay home. I was in no matter what. Over the years of fishing I have learned not to put a lot of trust into a weather forecast. Just go to the water and see how it is. My trek to Brooklyn New York begun. What used to be a 45 minute drive is now 4 hours from my home.

Upon arrival it was blowing 15-25 mph East. It continued throughout the day. So we rearranged and built a canopy shelter with tarps and the campers to block the wind. Also set it up for the forecasted rain. We were able to block most of the wind and with a patio heater keep it pretty warm within our camp. There were 7 of us camping in the spot. Charlie LaBar hooked me up with a pad in his camper since the crew i was bunking down with bailed. I cooked every one some skillet chicken thighs Friday evening which I over salted. Oops. It still earned me the Camp Chef title Replacing ‘Bob Mullet’ Miller whom didn’t make it to the event.

Waiting out the weather

The Maryland crew and Wolfpack were also camping J-Bay regulars. It was great to see all of them. Saturday most of the day was heavy East winds that really chopped the bay up with 2 – 3 foot waves. The rain had begun early in the morning and poured throughout the day. A few of the Maryland crew braved these conditions as they were leaving that afternoon. We kept pretty dry at camp and just relaxed with some good old stories and busting each others balls. I remember the days waiting on the weather before smart phones and wondered how we used to make it through!

A group of Kite surfers gathered to take advantage of the stiff winds. I was able to get some killer shots of them harnessing the wind cruising on plane and catching air. Some of the surfers were able to do multiple flips while in the air. One had a board with a hydro foil. It was pretty cool to see him plaining 4-5 feet above the water’s surface.

The rain and wind finally let up Saturday evening. We were able to get out and fish for a few hours. Chris landed a nice bluefish and Gene got a nice striper for dinner. I came up with a skunk unfortunately. Only one blue hit the Da Tube. We all gathered back at camp Gene brought the striper and filleted it. I cooked it along with some sautéed shrimps onion and mushrooms.

It was excellent.

Great weather before packing up

It was around 5 AM when I awoke. Charlie was up and it was the start of a beautiful morning.  Carlie and i were the first to get out on the water. We trolled around for about an hour in search of Stripers  or Blues. Again nothing on the troll. By this time some of the others were on the water and we made the decision to bounce some jigs for flattys. Picked up a nice Sea Robin close to shore then decided to go into deeper water. The tide had just turned around and was now incoming. A bluefish then hit my rig on the teaser and took the entire thing except 12 inches of leader. Not having any more teasers with me i decided to tie on a 1/2 oz spro and fish it with spearing I had. Since the gulp wasn’t producing  it was a good move to switch to bait. Next fish was an on the nose 19″ fluke. Then the next was a real nice 12.5″er! THe next was a real nice 26″er! All of these fish hit within a 30 minute time span which was excellent for the short amount of time we had.

The wind picked up and the bite turned off. We headed in to break down camp. Hopefully the permit can be obtained from the J-Bay tournament directors and the gathering will continue next year with the large attendance there was in the past!

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.