Looking Back and Moving Forward

After a ton of drafts, I finally found my voice for this post.  One in which I feel really represents the spirit of reflection.  So with that being said, lets jump right into things.


Redfish - 2015 found multiple trophy fish in both VA and NC, lights out fishing that I will never forget, and the absolute demolishment of a personal best.

Spring 2015 48.5" Redfish
PC: Rob "RMFC" Choi

While fishing the 2015 NCKFA Oak Island Classic I was fortunate enough to experience one of the greatest NC drum run's of the last 30 years.  Even the "Old Timers" were using words like "EPIC" to describe it.  While fishing off the beach, I caught well over 40 drum between 38-42".

Beautiful "Pumpkin" caught off Oak Island NC

I also found a number of fish in the fall.  Plenty of trips were had with multiple drum caught, and more fish over 50" than I had ever caught ever in my entire time saltwater fishing.  One experience comes to mind in which my bro Tex had a hunch about the location of the fish.  He casts and hooks into his PB (at the time), While I cast and hook into another PB at 51".  Well that didn't last long for me because on the very next cast I shatter my PB at 54".

A 54" Drum that comes in at over 60 lbs (L x G formula)

I also got a fight that I had been wanting for years... the coveted bull red piling fight.  The end result was a 53" drum and a broken Trevala S rod.  Well worth the price!


Sheepshead - Words can't describe my 2015 Sheepshead season.  Insane amounts of large fish were the norm.  During a 4 month period I only got skunked twice early in the season and once on my season ending trip.  I caught them in insane conditions making for challenging fights.  It was such a good season that I completely lost track of the number of fish over 24", while breaking my personal best with a 26.5" fish.

So many fish looked just like this one - insanely fat!

Conservation is key to sustain a trophy fishery.  I personally believe in releasing all breeders over 20"

CPR is rewarded time after time.

I was also blessed enough to experience many PB's by good friends.  To include Tex and the fish that kept him sheepshead fishing.

Roland "Tex" Butler with his first citation Sheepshead

Striped Bass - If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that I would be writing about this species, I would say you were insane.  The trophy Striper fishery over the past few years has been pretty poor, but in 2015, it started off strong and kept on going through the year.

A 42" Spring Striper

One of the highlights was a Striper-Sheepshead surprise.  This 40" fish came on a Fiddler crab in 38 FOW... in the heat of summer.

So shocked!

 And one of my last fish of the year just happened to be my first "Official" Virginia Striper coming in at 45".  This fish marked yet another Personal Best in 2015.

A 45" December "eel eater"
PC- Rob Choi

Coming in as an honorable mention for 2015 was probably the toughest pound-for-pound fish I have ever caught.  The False Albacore had been a line item on a lengthy hit list for years.  After my first trip off the beach back in the day... seeing blitzing packs... and the amazing speed they possess, made them an itch that I could actually scratch.  Plenty of research, a good intel network, and lots of luck resulted in a good number of 10 to 15 lb falsies, and lots of laughs.

The first of many falsies on the day

Mr. YakAttack (Luther Cifers) with a RonZ eater

Some of the more notable absences for me in 2015 were those of the springtime chopper bluefish and sadly enough trophy speckled trout.  The blues never really were a priority for me in 2015, but will be in 2016.  After a Cold kill and loss of warm water discharge for the VA trout fishery in early 2015, gators kinda fell off my radar as well.  Both specie will find their place on my 2016 priority list.


While 2015 might not have been my "best" year kayak fishing, it certainly ranked as one of my most memorable.  In 2016 I am looking forward to the Usual Suspects of my fisheries, and some more of the less common guys such as the Fat Alberts, King Mackerel, Cobia, and if all goes well beach launched snapper and amberjacks.  I am also looking to push my paddling capabilities to my limits, with some distance and open water events that will put all my skills to the test.


Finally I would be remised if I didn't thank some very important people.  All of whom I consider friends that push me to my limits and will be along with me on my 2016 journey.  Thanks to the one and only Wicked Pissah, Tex, RMFC, Kev, Lee, Jay, Tommy, Jeff, the ARC crew, Crumbwad, Danny, Megan, Steve, Lydia, Bryan, Luther, the cats at OE, and 2nasty.  Y'all rock, and here is to 2016!

The Tides of Spring

Winter... It is increasingly becoming a period of long, cold days here in the mid atlantic.  We dont have much to hope for other than those warming south east winds and longer days which thaw us out, bring in warmer water, and break us free from our winter doldrums.  While there is still some kayak fishing to be had, the tides of spring bring us the highly anticipated return of the Redfish.  Many of these first schools contain reds that often break the 40" mark.  These are the fish that we are after, and what we look forward to upon their departure in the fall.

With our northern lattitudes and the sucesses of the Sciaenops ocellatus as a species, I consider myself extremely lucky to have the oppritunity to target, chase, and land such an amazing species.  It is what I long for.  That first five minute fight and monstorus headshakes are my sign that spring is finally here, and my vacation bank is about to be sucked dry. 

What is even more allureing about this fishery is the speed in which our spring season comes upon us.  This was never more evident than in 2015.  I find myself partaking in a bass trip one evening after work when I get the call.  Jay Brooks is on the other end of the line when I hear "Our scouting trip turned in to much more".  For me, The only question running through my mind is "are we still on for tomorrow?"  The answer was "hell yeah we are!", and thus my season began.  Jay's better half Meghan stoked the fire with a great story of her first bull (and the first kayak caught bull of 2015 that we know about).  Trip one for me ended with a skunk, but sometimes you have to pay to play.

Not even a week later, Jay and I pull up to the ramp to find RMFC and Lockhart chillin in their car.  On this trip, Jay struck 1st with a 47" red, followed shortly by a 46" landed by Lockhart, and a 48" landed by RMFC.  I had a heartbreaking encounter with a red in that same class.  When i got the big ole mamma yak side, I noticed terrable hook placement which ultimately resulted in the fish sliding over my leg and through my hands.  My attitude was terrable and it was one of the only fish that I have lost that made me physically ill.  But in the words of Ike, NEVER GIVE UP kept ringing through my head, and for a second time in as many hours, RMFC found me a school, and put me on the fish!

Lockhart's First Bull

Photo Credit - Rob Choi

You can read more about that day over at Angling Addict.

A few days later Jay, Tex, and I go out on the back side of what was a stellar day for Kevin, Lee, and crew.  This day will forever be known as "Cloudfest 2015".  Not even a peek of sun through the clouds, with the occasional shower didnt stop us from conducting our search.  We paddled from here to there and back for hours on end with nothing to show for our efforts.  It appeared all the fish had just dissapeared.  That is until I hear Jay wisper "2 o'clock, 100 yards".  These fish were moving fast towards us.  We coordinate our efforts, get inot position, and bomb casts into the cloud of fish.  I was the first to hook up, but that didnt last long.  Paddle, cast, hook up, curse.  That was the name of the game for what seemed to be an eternity.  I got lucky and broke the streak and managed to stay hooked.  With my drag cinched down, I went right for a ride through the school, and they dispersed.  I was able to keep eyes on a smaller school, and sent Jay and Tex to them.  As I am landing my fish, Jay and Tex both hook up, but Tex broke off.  Much to our pleasure, we had found some dinosaurs without the help of an palentologist.  Jay and I both boated Stripers in the 41"-42" class. 

Releif!
Photo Credit - Jay Brooks

Landing a Dinosaur

Super Stoked!

Again, just a few days later I went out looking for fish on the fly.  My buddy for the day has hooked into a handful of bulls chucking bugs, but has yet to come tight.  We decided to maximize our efforts and add sidescan to our arsenal.  Thank god we had it because there was absolutely zero clarity.  We work a few areas, and I know I went over fish, not quite knowing what I was looking for.  About halfway into the day, I smell the smell I was looking for.  REDFISH FEEDING!  I pull out the fly rod and make some solid casts in the right areas, but never hooked up.  I began to get discouraged, grabbed a baitcaster, and got bumped.  I called my buddy over, he casted his switch rod to no avail, while I hooked up to a solid 47" red that we tagged and released.

 

Side Imaging scored me one more fish on the day that was around 42" that quickly came in for a quick photo opp, and went back to be caught another day.

Work, finances, and the like made my time chasing these beasts short this year.  I am always psyched to get out there and be given the oppritunity to have good fishing with great friends.  I will say that my success chasing bulls is not typical, I still find myself in awe of some of the greats in this fishery, and find myself watching them fight and land fish more than getting in on the action myself.

Im extremely thankful that the tides of spring are here, bringing with it more opritunities to do what I love!

Pulling the Trigger on some Spades

As the seasons come and go, so does our extremely diverse fisheries in the South East.  For me, the springtime allure of Specks, Reds, Flounder, and Bluefish fades to our harder fighting species as the mercury rises.   For me, the summer means one thing...  Its time for the CBBT!

As I spent early summer chasing Cobia as they entered the bay with my friends (see Richie Bekolay's Mr. Brown Clown), I couldn't help but feel like something was missing.  It wasn't until late June that I made my first trip after the glory species.  My first and second drops of the year boasted the bounty of the season to come!

The Convict Gets Captured

Sadly, after the first two drops I have been cursed with pulled hooks and poor sets in my pursuit of The Sheepshead.  The good thing is that there is plenty of time left in the season for these bay bruisers.

Another target of the CBBT is the Triggerfish.  Triggers are super aggressive, tenacious bait stealers that frustrate the most seasoned anglers.  For me, they are a tasty, willing fish that loves to grace my diner table.  I drop either a dropper loop or a carolina rig to bring these bad boys to the diner table!

Finally, the fish that completes my trips is the Spadefish.  Spades are pound for pound the toughest fighters of the three target species.  While the Sheepshead makes bulldogging runs and have fins like railroad spikes, the Spadefish is like hooking into the drum of a spinning washing machine.  While the smaller fish run in circles while shaking your rod to high heaven, the bigger spades take you on drag peeling runs, trying their damndest to take you into any structure they can find.  Oh, and I failed to mention, they too try to shake the rod out of your hands too!  In my last few trips with Rob Choi, Kayak Kevin, Seth and Kam Goodrich, and Ted Crumb, I have been extremely fortunate to find a very solid class of in (and near) shore spades!

15" Spade
Photo Credit Rob "RMFC" Choi

16" Spadefish

15.5" Spade

Thankfully, the fight of the spades can help ease the pain of my Sheepshead Struggles!  Until the next adventure!

Ted with one of his first Kayak Spade at 15.75"

Kam with a solid 13" Spade

Ted with his first Black Drum

Seth closing it out with another solid spade