I am presenting my Freshwater Surfcasting seminar at the Buzzards Bay Anglers Club on September 8 at the BB’s Bar & Grill.
In this seminar I will cover the fresh water species that you can target from terra firma using surfcasting knowledge and techniques. I have expanded this seminar to include spots and additional species like carp and pike. When you are waiting for the tide to turn, why not fish the near by pond, lake, or river? The strikes by freshwater fish can be absolutely explosive!
Today I had the opportunity to fish some new water in the Belgrade Lakes, Maine. I was on the road by 3:00 AM and on the water before sunrise (5:00 AM). When kayak fishing, I have two rods rigged for shallow water and two rods rigged for deep water. I troll to my spots. When I get to my spots, I cast to both sides of the 10 foot water mark. 100% fishing. 😉
My first bite was at the begging of trip. The fish hit a 4″ Gary Yamamoto senko in shallow water (less than 3 feet). This fish was the meanest bass in under the dock. A new personal best for the smallest large mouth bass.
I continued to work deep and shallow water as I paddled towards an island that got further away the more I paddled. Nothing! So I started to make my way back to my first spot. I worked the dock where I got my first fish. Nothing!! So continued working the water column as I drifted. Nothing!!! I was about the insert my rods into my rod holders when I noticed some PVC pipes coming down from a cabin into the water. I made a long cast towards the PVC pipes with a blue/white 1/4 oz spinner bait with small silver Colorado blades and a white Gary Yamamoto grub that I bought at the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club 4th Annual Fishing Flea Market this past April. Fish on!
OMG! This fish put a parabolic bend in my St. Croix mojo bass rod. I fought the fish to the starboard side of my kayak. I leaned over, lip gripped the fish with my left hand, and pulled it out of the water. This fish is my new personal best for the largest large mouth bass: 4 lbs.
This trip was epic. I achieved, not one, but two personal bests. I will continue to fish shallow and deep water. But, I will also fish big and small presentations. Fish outside the tackle box. 😉
I recently took a friend surfcasting. He wanted to learn how to chunk. When we got to the water’s edge, I told him that when I go chunking, I break all the rules, except one: the 15 minute rule. He looked at me perplexed. Â So I explained the rule to him.
My chunking methodology is simple. I dress my bleeding sharp hooks with tasty chunks. I secure the chunks using an elastic. A blue elastic for Mackerel. A tan elastic for clam. I aim to the Azores and make a cast. I then wait for 15 minutes. If feel a bite, but do not hook a fish, then I real in my rig after 15 minutes. Why? Scavengers!
I made the first cast for my friend to show him how to properly load a rod and propel a chunking rig into deep water. 15 minutes latter, he reeled in a skate. For the rest of the tide, he checked his rig every 15 minutes!
Scavengers like skates, crabs, lobsters, scup, and other marine species will politely remove all the meat off your hook and leave you the elastic! Bare hooks do not catch fish!! Check your rig every 15 minutes!!!
Targeting large predatory fish under the blanket of night increases your success rate. But, it also introduces risks. One risk is getting disorientated when fog settles down. Hence, I always carry a compass! 😉
When you are fishing at night on a remote rock, beach, or lake and the fog settles in around you, having a small compass in your pocket is better than no compass. But, I personally prefer the Suunto SK7 wrist compass.
The liquid filled and water proof SK7 has a 2.25″ diameter face and a phosphorescent card, which makes it super easy to read under all conditions. Despite it’s size, the SK7 is surprisingly light. During my trips, I often forgot that it’s on my wrist.
I am an all species and all methods angler. The Suunto SK7 is my go-to compass for surfcasting, skishing, and kayaking. Whatever compass you choose, make sure it’s accurate, easy to read, and easily accessible.
Large predatory fish are not vegetarians. The best presentation to hook a trophy fish is a fresh chunk. To keep your chunks fresh, you need a cooler. An optimal chunking cooler is the Coleman 16 quart cooler. It’s hard shell can take abuse. It’s walls are stuffed with insulation to retain temperature. The non-removable flat top can be used as a cutting board. Hence, it’s a good chunking cooler. But, with a simple modification, it can become a great chunking cooler!
Customizing a cooler for portable, hands-free chunking is easy. All you need is basic tools and inexpensive materials.
Materials
Tools
First, make a 1/4″ hole on each side of the cooler using a drill bit and power drill. Be sure to make the holes at the same height from the bottom and centered on the sides.
Second, insert a stainless steel washer on to the stainless steel eye bolts. Insert each eye bolt into the holes.
Insert a second stainless steel washer onto the eyes bolts. Secure the stainless steel nuts on the eye bolts using an adjustable wrench.
Third, clip a carabiner to each end of the shoulder strap. Clip each carabiner to an eye bolt. Adjust the shoulder strap until the cooler hangs at waist level.
You could use a soft cooler with a built in shoulder strap. But! They do not hold up the demands of chunking the surf on a regular basis. The zipper is typically the first thing to break; followed by a punched wall or worn out corner. I have had my Coleman chunking cooler for 15 years!
