A Day on the Water

I put in at a big Lake Erie tributary boat boat launch, 200 trailers for giant motor boats parked there.  The wide creek channel was lined with moored big stink boats.  Plan A was to fish adjacent "Wet Lands" that lacked ramp access.  It was fenced off and the weeds were solid 2 feet above the water surface.  Plan B was to paddle upstream.  Skipped past decent natural cove on the northern shore and some pockets on the south. That all ended at a low bridge, only 2 feet of clearance, PERFECT!!! Upstream was a perfect shallow weedy football field...

This is the latest fishing report on great Bass and Pike fly fishing top water in a Lake Erie adjacent backwater AND an argument for simple, small kayak fishing as the better way in tight shallow waters. This photo was taken in one of maybe 100 Cattail Labyrinths in this shallow 1.5 square mile marsh area.  This and similar weed edges is where the big bass and pike are.  It is the best place to be out of any wind is blowing, no tress anywhere here.  Is there a path out or to another "room" ahead to the left or...

I went to Michigan's off road Catch and Release lake known for lots of big Blue Gills, lots of bass and an occasional huge Bass.   It takes a half mile drag to get your kayak in.  The water was darkly colored and I couldn't see deep enough to find any bedding Bluegills.  I was prospecting along the edges of the Lilly pads and getting occasional bass to rush or eat a 2/0 White Dive Banger Popper fished in a steady cadence of medium pops followed bay a 10 second sit still 15 feet out from the kayak.  After landing three...

Busy Saturday afternoon after work.  I was 3rd in line to launch my Kayak, The two guys ahead of me had a total of 9 rods.  Should I expect to get out fished 9 to one or just 2 to 1?  I paddled hard only stopping to fish quickly to the edges of 2 spots before reaching the far dyke more than a mile to  the east.  Fishing shoreline cover that was difficult or near impossible to reach by kayak or on foot respectively, I hooked 3 good bass loosing 2 while pulling upward really hard but easily landing the...

I heard they were in but practically no cars in the lot.  Couple of guys in the downstream corner on our side of the river.  A couple of guys in a boat anchored across from me casting plugs.  After not getting anything for hours I knew plugs would be more likely to break through than the relatively subtle jigs I was drifting. A big fast fish took a plug, leaping and racing around the pool before breaking off.  A couple more hours laterI tied on a big Size #1 Opal Minnow Jig I had tied for Salmon this past fall. ...