Living in Delaware we don’t typically see many Red Drum in our waters. Traveling for the opportunity to target these game fish is exciting. Fortunately its only a 140 mile drive south from my home! It’s only a little over 2 and a half hours to make it to the trip to Cape Charles Virginia. I’m spoiled since I have been driving maximum an hour to the water all my life and now it has become my backyard. This drive is worth it though. This is the story of A Fourteen Hour Fishing Trip.

After Work Fishing

Midway through October 2017 and the days have been still warm. I have been getting out after work here and there for the evening Striped Bass bite close to my work. Some good fish but it’s still like summer. The size of the fish is still 30″ and below. Tuesday Oct 10th during an evening on the water I sent Joe H a text giving him a fishing report. He called soon after informing me that he was planning a trip to fish in Virginia for Sunday. The weather looked good so I decided to ask if it was cool if I met up with him there. The trip was on.

The Plan:

Photo by Joe Hosler

Meet up at 06:30 near the Eastern Shore Wildlife Refuge Boat ramp Sunday. Then go fishing targeting reds. Simple enough!

The Chesapeake Bay can get rough in this area but I loaded my Jackson Kayak Kilroy as i feel it is the best suited for saltwater creek style fishing. The kayak has a Torqeedo Ultralight 403 installed for those days when you need to get back quick or against a river style current ripping tide. It comes in handy!

Sunday Fishing Day!

Out the door by 3:45 am on the road. It’s still raining and foggy. The misting and fog finally became intermittent around 2 hours in.  I can spot the deer peering into my headlights while passing through heavily wooded areas. Warm coffee and maximum concentration. Thinking to myself how much i love my 2016 Ford F150 over my old truck. Waze on the consul broadcasting the distance traveled and my ETA its 6: 30 to start but traffic light s and such made it more like 6:40.

I arrived and everyone was there gearing up. It was just starting to become light. There was an eerie yellowish cloud as the sun hit it from below the horizon. We hit the water and fished a small creek. It was slow fishing only with a few small Speckled Trout.  So we crossed the channel and begun fishing that area. The tide was on its way out. A few more trout early. Paddling through the shallows I went as far back as I could. There were oysters all over in the sod banks. Not sure if these are edible or if they are even legal to harvest. I found one laying on the bottom and picked it up to examine it. They were pretty small and flat but i put it back and went back to fishing.

There was no water only an inch or two. I circled back and figured id throw some casts at a drop off I saw on my way in.

First cast reeling slowly bump bump across the bottom and bang fish on! Great fight on my bull bay rod paired with the Abu Garcia Revo Inshore casting reel. Peeling drag running towards the kayak and back deep again. A great fight to land a 23 inch healthy Red Drum!

Released him and caught a few more on that drop until there was inches of water left. The clouds had finally broken away to sunshine. It was nice and warm now as everything begin to dry out. The tide slowed to a crawl so did the bite. Managing a bunch of Speckled trout a few more reds and small Striped Bass. At this point it was 12:30. We realized we were now landlocked. We fished for another half hour on a slow bite until finally dragging the yaks across the sand bar to return to the launch.

I took a detour to go take a few photos of a large chunk of drift wood that had washed up on the sandy part of the island. As an amateur photographer I spot these things and have to get there to grab a few photos. This particular piece of drift wood i spotted from a mile away in the morning on the way across the channel. After getting my shots using the Torqeedo I went back full throttle. 6.5 mph most of the way. A following sea made it a bit strange.

Fortunately the drive home wasn’t so bad. I was worried that id be exhausted as I have been in the past coming back from really long fishing days in the summer heat. Arriving home around 5 PM the concluded the fourteen hour fishing trip.  Will defiantly be doing this trip again in the future.

One of the most unique places in the United States is Assateague Island. Located in both Maryland & Virginia the barrier island is home to hundreds of feral horses. It all began in January 2017 when in a conversation with Joe Hosler about doing a Kayak Fishing Excursion there. Not knowing the area it was tough to pick a date but we picked what worked out best for the two of us. I then figured it would be nice to extend it to fellow kayak anglers. A post on facebook and an enormous amount of interest followed. The date was set for June 9 – 12 as still in the spring the hope was for a less buggy experience.

Assateague is said to have the second highest mosquito populations just under the Everglades in Florida. Insect repellent with deet is highly recommended. The camp is set up for tenting camper or RV but has no hookups. It’s amenities include an out house with cold showers but its a  great trade off for the outdoor beauty the park provides.

Assateague Island National Seashore Park Kayak Fishing Camp

This was the first run while personally never visiting the park had no idea what to expect. For this reason the car camping was our best bet. There are many factors while wilderness camping that can make it a good trip or a tough one weather conditions being a main one. Rain can be one of the worst. Even in the summer things will not dry in humid places making the adventure cold and risky. “Backcountry Camping” at Assateague the closest camp in Maryland varies from 2 1/2 to 13 miles away from the ranger station.  No fresh water is available at the back-country sites so paddling in water would be a must.

Car camping as opposed to wilderness camping is much easier while weather is still a factor it can be overcome easily. The amount of gear you have with you is not limited to what you can take in your kayak. So for those reasons car camping was the way to go on the first run at Assateague. Campsite reservations fill up quickly at the park so planning out dates happened well in advance. I booked 2 sites in January which can hold up to 6 campers 2 tents and 2 cars.

Friday:

Assateague Island National Park is located in Maryland about an hour south of my home. Ricky took the drive from Philly and crashed at my place the night before. I was waiting on a special delivery from Torqeedo of a Sunshade 50 solar panel for charging the Torqeedo battery. It was amazing as it arrived at the moment we are hitting the road!

The Road to Camp:

Fortunately the camp is only an hour from my house so we were there in no time. We stopped at Buckys bait and tackle shop for bait and also got a flounder sandwich for lunch.  Ed and Noriel were already there and set up by the time Ricky and I arrived. Dee and Kelly were also already there so we set up our camp. We needed firewood as the park states you cannot bring firewood from out of state.

Its pretty neat as the Assateague road in there are about 20 different places that sell firewood both honor boxes and salesman. After loading up on wood we and then hit the water. In search of flounder and set up with crapping handlines we fished and crabbed until the evening. Suddenly Ricky had a fish on. It was a small striper. Who knew. Some time went by and I started catching them on the buck tail and gulp.

One after another 14 in all which was followed by an amazing sunset.

Right after the sun past the horizon horses crossed the water from sod banks which they were grazing on the salty grass during the day. The full moon raised above the trees at that exact time.

We did a bit of grilling back at camp. Some sausages that Noriel brought. It was late due to the long days and no one really felt like cooking. We then all went and crashed out only to be awoken at 2:30 am by other campers setting up and being very inconsiderate. Ricky said something to them and they didn’t care. We figured in the morning since they packed up quite early that they were not supposed to be camping there to begin with.

Saturday:

Waking up around 5:30 to await Jeff Little’s arrival and to cook up some breakfast.  The mosquitoes that were caught between the screen dome and the rain fly of my tent were still trying to eat me alive. The dash to unzip the door and run to the concrete or become breakfast to the blood suckers. Well I made it. The other guys were just getting up also. I started cooking bacon and eggs for everyone. Jeff arrived and ate with us. We filmed a short video on the Torqeedo Sunfold 50 Solar Charging Panel.

Convoyed up we drove off the island to South Point which lies on the west side of Sinepuxent Bay. Launching at a boat ramp we learned the water was colder than that closer to the island. It was funny because it probrably took us about 20 minutes to drive to the boat ramp while it was only 1.8 miles from the Assateague Island Drop in.  Water was deeper in this are a reason we went there but couldn’t find a fish the whole day. Resorted to crabbing and caught mainly females which is illegal to keep for dinner in Maryland.

Jeff was able to get in a bunch of footage for the Torqeedo video. I covered how to use the Torqeedo motor while flounder fishing. Making new drifts wind tide etc. It does save from a lot of paddling throughout the day. Then went onto hand lining from a kayak for crabs. Technique bait, and how to anchor. All great information which I will post up on my blog when I get around to it! Everyone ended up giving up around 2 PM and headed back to camp for dinner. Becky, Ricky’s wife had prepared  chicken and veggies for grilling! Good thing I brought the Camp Chef cook op and grill top.

We did manage to get out again in the evening for the bass again. Wasn’t as productive as the evening prior but did catch a few.

Sunday:

The attempt to sleep in was impossible due to the fact the sun was beating on my tent. The heat was becoming intense. Ricky was leaving soon and so were Kelly and Dee. Jay Sav had to leave Saturday unfortunately due to a family emergency. Ed Noriel and myself decided to fish where we did the evening before and try some crabbing there also.  Crabbing was very slow and almost uneventful. Only a strange thing happened. I had a small bunker on one of my crab stringers. Suddenly it was pulled really hard and the bait was gone. What could have that been…

Couldnt say anything for the fishing. Didn’t even have a hit but next time i will throw a bunker on and let it sit on the bottom. We all were bored and decided to head back to camp around 1 PM. I was able to set up the Torqeedo Sunfold 50 to get a gauge on how much battery it would charge in a certain time. Realistically its 50 watts of charging so it will charge a full battery over the time of 2 full days of sunlight.

We had leftover chicken sandwiches for lunch and I cooked the steak for dinner. We were all sort of beat and didn’t go out fishing on the last evening. A heard of horses came through camp in the late afternoon.  They just walked through feeding on the tall grass not minding ours or other campers presence. Then they rummaged through a neighboring campers trash. Its bad to leave trash or food out at the camp. Horses are not built to consume human or other animals food. They eat grass.

I went down to the beach for a clear sunset. We had our last campfire and the wind in that campsite again saved us from the mosquitoes.

Monday:

Well it was an early wake up again. This time to pack up and head home. This was a very enjoyable few days of doing what we love best. Camping, Fishing, and hanging out with good friends. This will most likely become an annual trip for us. All are welcome to join. Please do! Hope to see you all next year.

For a few years it has been a dream of mine to be present at the YakAttack tournament. Previous years unfortunately the tournament date conflicted with the J-Bay tournament. 2016 was different however! The 8th Annual YakAttack Tournament was scheduled for the following weekend on Saturday May 21st. I was in and so was Ricky Wolbert! Planning started months in advance as the tournament was capped at 180 total registered anglers. For me this was a road trip being that the tournament is located in the area of Farmville Virginia, A 6.5 hour drive from my residence.

Meeting up with Ricky on a sunny warm May afternoon at his pad in Philly we transferred my gear and my Jackson Cuda 14 to his SUV and kayak trailer. Three nights worth of camping and fishing an unknown area we had to be decisive on what to bring. Our gear and everything had just fit. We were on our way crossing our fingers that we we wouldn’t get stuck in the major waste of time we call Washington DC traffic. Along the way in Virginia we stopped at Wawa for gas and a quick lunch break. It was nice to stop for a few minutes but little did we know the traffic on I95 was building ahead. Ricky calls it a “Rubbernecker” with a drawl!

Eventually arriving at Burkville the home of YakAttack LLC  not knowing what was around understanding we were deep in the country we settled eating at a strange “family restaurant” for dinner. I have to say I think it was the most bland food I have ever had in my entire life. Some research should have been done but it is the way it is. After chowing down it was the race to camp to set up before dark. Upon our arrival the camp site was perched on a 30 degree slope. We knew there was inches of rain to fall the next night and were hoping the slope wouldn’t turn into a river. Pitched our tents in a way that we would be able to tarp both of them in preparation for the impending monsoon that was forecasted. Hung out with some of  the other Jersey anglers who also made the road trip. Enjoying a few beverages before getting into the sleeping bag. The night became cold and damp but sleeping wasn’t a problem.

Friday morning it was time to pre-fish. We awoke to a very cool and damp morning which was a chill to the bone. Taking it easy and in no hurry and we left camp around 8 am in search of coffee and some breakfast sandwiches. In the country gas stations seem to be the place for quick breakfast sandwiches and coffee. Ricky found a gas station that had some amazing coffee and decent breakfast food. From there it was onto fishing at Briery Creek Lake a nationally recognized lake for its record breaking  Largemouth Bass.

John Oast called in as he was on his way down from PA. He is a local to the area being born and raised nearby, He gave us some info on where to launch and I plugged the road into my GPS. 45 min later we were on a windy wooded dirt country road headed downhill to the lake. At the end we found a gate and no real access to the lake. It turned out the road number was the same on the other side of the lake!. So we circled halfway around the lake to the actual boat launch area. It was time to hit the water!

Briery Creek Lake is told to be one of the top Bass fishing destinations in the country. Loaded with timber or dead trees from when the Dam was built flooding the valley. Much of the timber resides just inches below the water line. Its easy to catch one of these in the kayak scupper and get stuck or have one hit the hull the wrong way and flip you right over. Caution was the #1 priority here. This timber is structure which holds a ton of bass. For me fishing freshwater is something that doesn’t happen often and it is always a learning experience. Fishing timber is one of those learning curves brought by this unique location. Attempting spinner baits and soft plastic worms not having any luck. Switched over to a crank bait in a shallow cove. At a sharp drop off from inches of water to about 6 feet I found the bass hanging on beds. I landed two fish up to 17 inches which is a record for me from the kayak. The bite only lasted a few minutes. By the time Ricky came over it was pretty much over. He missed one as it shook itself off his lure. By this time John Oast had arrived and we met up with him. He gave us some pointers and he ended up with a dink before we called it a day. On the way back to camp in search of a tarp for the tents since heavy rain was in the forecast. We located a Lowes where I purchased a tarp which would be very much needed for the night to come.

Back at camp we met up at the captains meeting. The ability to purchase raffle tickets was available for 3 different raffles. A general raffle which had pretty generous prizes such as an Orion cooler, an assortment of paddles, electronics, and just about any YakAttack product you could think of. Another raffle was for a nice fishing rod benefiting a local fellow (I forget his name) whom was a big part of the tournament and the sport. And the big raffle was for 4 different kayaks and a fishing SUP. The rules were discussed a prayer was said and it was time to feast. One rumor proven true is that the Yakattack tournament provided the best meals. Captains meeting dinner consisted of an excellent seafood soup, Rib eyes, T bones along with Ribs, hotdogs, and a ton of sides. The brownies were so good! They definitely eat well in the country and are generous to their guests!

Following dinner we went to back to camp to settle in for the night. It began raining late in the evening. Awaking to the sound of buckets of water being dropped on the tarp over the tent it poured for 3 hours non stop. Amazingly the tarp kept the tents dry. Opting to sleep in anyway and wait out the weather.

It was a damp cool and wet morning that eventually became an overcast day. Ricky and I left camp around 7:30 after the rain had ended. We attempted to find a gas station breakfast but didn’t have much luck. Ricky ate a questionable plastic wrapped breakfast sandwich as I opted to find something better.

Fishing wasn’t good. Couldn’t find the bass. Fished Briery Creek Lake for about 5 hours with really no luck. I threw just about every different color in my tackle box along with different lures such as spinner baits, crank, creature baits, baits and plastic worms. Nothing produced unfortunately. However I do feel the angler pressure from the previous day 4 inches of rain totaling out to a 1 foot rise in water level along with the cooling down of the water temps had a lot to do with the lack of fish caught there on tournament day. However it didn’t matter to Ricky and I. We were there to have fun which is what the YakAttack tournament is all about.

There’s no prizes for catching the biggest fish besides a fish print from Rob Choi and bragging rights. Typically the freshwater tournaments are money prizes. In this case the prizes were raffled out to everyone that was registered and all of the proceeds were to benefit charity’s such as Heroes on The Water and Project Healing Waters.

Back at the awards dinner the winners of the tournament were announced. Representatives of the respective charity’s spoke a little and raffles were read off in between. Dinner was then served as the raffles continued. Once again the food was excellent. It was a joy to be resent at the YakAttack tournament this year.IF you have never been do check it out next year! You will not be disappointed. Keep an eye out for future tournament announcements on the YakAttack Forums.

Thanks to John Hipsher, Luther, his family, and everyone else that worked so hard to make it such a successful event. The 8th Annual YakAttack Tournament was a great experience for us all.

My apologies this post should have been finished months ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwPsPYQvP9o&feature=youtu.be