Monthly Archives: June 2016

Hunting Fish

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For my last fishing trip, I researched a certain river via litterateur and Internet. I identified some fishy spots. I geared up the night before: organized my presentations, made new leaders, mounted my kayak, and stuffed all my gear into my Suburban. I got up at 4:30 AM. When I arrived at the access ramp, the number of trucks and boat trailers exceeded the parking capacity three times over! I squeezed my Suburban between two trucks with trailers and launched my kayak.

Fish360 Hunting Fish

Given all the traffic in the main river, I used Google Maps on my iPhone, which was secured via lanyard and a water proof case, to find the Oxbow. The entrance had a submerged rock with 8 inches of water above it; my kayak floated over it without a scratch. Once in the Oxbow, the hunt began.

I do not yet own a fish finder / chart plotter. So, I read the water to identify structure and measure relative water depths using old school techniques. My polarized sunglasses helped a lot; particularly when locating bait fish.

I fished frogs through a field of lily pads. Nothing! I fished frogs behind a shadow line created by 30 foot trees. Bite!! The aggressive fish swam off with one my frog’s legs!!! Fish: 1. Angler: 0.

Fish360 Hunting Fish Frog

I continued to fish in the shadows with another frog. Explosion! A fish engulfed my frog in less than two feet of water!! With my rod fully bent, the fish swam right into a stump protruding through the water’s surface!!! Fish: 2. Angler: 0.

I switched to a chartreuse-over-white, 1/2 oz Mags Lures swim jig (lead free) with a Gary Yamamotto grub. With my kayak anchored, I made a long cast into deep water (10+ feet). Nothing! I made a second cast just to the right of my first cast. Nothing!! I made a third cast just to the left of my first cast. A fish hit the jig like a freight train!!!

Fish360 Hunting Fish

The chain pickerel was full of color and without a shortage of food. It pulled the scale down to 1 lb 2 oz. I still have all my digits, thanks to my lip gripper. Fish: 2. Angler: 1.

When I hunt for fish in new waters, I carry four rods pre-rigged to fish various structures, depths, and cover/vegetation. I never know exactly what I am going to cast into or towards. I find the hunt as much fun as the catch.

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Carp Gripper Leads

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Sliding sinkers (a.k.a. “leads”) are common in carp fishing. Their primary function is to allow the carp to swim way with the bait in it’s mouth without feeling the weight of the lead. A carp gripper lead does this and more!

Carp Gripper Lead

Carp gripper leads are multi-functional. They hold bottom without rolling. They feed carp. And they allow the line to pass without resistance.

Carp Gripper Lead

Commercial bait mixes are available.  I make my own with one can of cream corn, one cup of corn meal, and a 1/4 cup of Oats. I add just enough water to get these ingredients to adhere.  Carp chum! 😉

Obtaining carp gripper leads in the U.S.A. is unfortunately challenging. They are not readily available is most bait and tackle shops or online stores. However, they are available from Wacker Baits in 2 oz, 3 oz, and 4 oz.

Why use mono-functional lead? Increase your hook up rates by using a multi-function lead. Fish carp gripper leads!

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YakAttack Ram Tube 2008 Rod Holder

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I use the YakAttack Zooka Tube rod holders for holding my rods in the front of my kayak. LOVE them! I have been using PVC pipe rod holders on my milk create to store my rods in the back. HATE them! I almost disconnected my right shoulder on a trip trying to insert a rod into one of the PVC pipes. That night I ordered RAM® 2008 Composite tubes with 1.5″ screwballs from YakAttack.

YakAttack RAM® 2008 Composite Tube

The tube has a diameter of 1 7/8 inches and a depth of 9 3/4 inches. Hence, it can accommodate a wide range of rods. The tube also has two modeled holes for clipping a lanyard.  It is only currently available in black.

I really like the screw ball mount because it allows me to quickly secure the rod holder to the Yakattack Mighty Mount behind my seat. The screw ball allows you to adjust the angle of the tube. But, frankly I would not recommend using this rod holder for trolling. The bottom of the tube is closed. Hence, when a fish strikes, the rod butt will not provide full leverage. When trolling, leverage is what sets the hook. For trolling, I recommend the YakAttack Zooka Tube rod holders.

When I started kayak fishing, I had one rod and no rod holders. I now kayak fish with four rods and four rod holders. Having my rods pre-rigged, untangled, easily accessible, and ready to cast has helped me to catch more fish!

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Fish360 Journal 5.5

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Fish360 Journal 5.5 is now live! This release is overflowing with fishy features!

Fish360 Journal 5.5

SUN, MOON, TIDE, WEATHER
The sun, moon, tide, and weather all influence your fishing. To learn how they can impact your fishing, you need to record data for 15 parameters when you catch a fish. I personally would rather spend more time fishing than record keeping. In this release, when you add a fish, the sun, moon, tide, and weather information is now automatically collected and saved with your fish!

SPOTS
One of my favorite features of the Fish360 Journal is spots. Having the ability to collect photos and notes on my spots and centralize them in my journal is a huge time saver. I have limited memory in my brain! Too many spots and too many subtle details to recall. In this release, when you add a new spot, the LAT and LONG fields are now automatically populated with your current location. For example, when you find a new hole in the Cape Cod Canal or a new drop off in your favorite river or lake, you can now create a spot and the LAT and LONG will automatically saved with your newly found spot.

Fish360 Journal 5.5

REPORTS
The only reason to keep a fishing journal is to find patterns. In addition to using Search to find patterns, you can now use Reports. In this release we have added four reports that will help you visualize patterns: Time of Year, Spots, Presentations, and Moon Phase. You can generate these reports for all time and all species or limit them to a specific date range and species.

We are working on additional reports to help you identify additional patterns. One of them is wicked fishy!

PRIVACY
By default, your Fish360 Journal account is private. No other subscriber can see your data. In this release, you can now choose to share your fish catch data with organisations that manage and contribute to the recreational fishing. By providing organisations like NOAA and your local state fisheries department with your fish catch data, they can better manage our fisheries by making data-driven decisions. A well managed fishery helps the fish and anglers. It’s a win/win! 😉

Fish360 Journal 5.5

USABILITY
We are always looking for ways to improve the usability of Fish360 Journal. In this release, we have made some small, but significant improvements. First, we added content specific icons for Trips, Fish, Spots, Gear, Searches, and Reports. Second, the species field on Fish, Spots, Search, and Reports now auto-suggests species as you type. Thirdly, the fish caught date now defaults to trip start date. And fourthly, the web app no saves your login credentials. This allows you to switch between apps on your device without having to re-login. Very convenient!

The Fish360 Journal Angler Edition gives you access to all the functionality for FREE. The Angler Edition only limits the number of trips, fish, spots, gear, photos, searches, and photos you can create. You can now upgrade to the Fish360 Pro Angler Edition for unlimited content for only $10.00 per month. Subscribe today for FREE and start identifying patterns!

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