Kayak fishing: I caught one! Now what?

Fall 2008

Letters

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

To the editor,

In reviewing the article Trolling for Salmon? (Wavelength Summer 2007), Adam Bolonsky made some good points but excluded one of the most important considerations when fishing from a kayak, that being where to put the fish once you have caught it.

Over the years of fishing cod and salmon I have experimented with various approaches to handling the catch while on the water. These techniques varied from draping the fish across my deck under the bungee, to simply dropping them into the cockpit. The first method resulted in an unstable paddling condition, as the catch dragged in the water significantly, slowing the kayak. The second method resulted in a slimy mess that required a thorough cleaning after each time out and left my kayak smelling way too fishy for comfortable wilderness camping.

After a few trips I discovered that the most efficient system is to gaff the fish as opposed to netting it. "Bonk" it into submission at the side of the boat and then simply drop it into a dedicated dry bag between my legs in the cockpit. I prefer a tough 20-litre Baja bag for this purpose.

This method leaves the cockpit (and you) clean and only requires a quick wash of the bag once back at shore. Here are a couple of additional tips.

Always drop your catch in head first to avoid snagging sharp fins, and keep your skinny shanks clear of the bag in the event that an unruly half-dead rock cod should seek revenge with its dorsal fin!

Kelp beds and wind drift cost you in lures, but fish and chips around a campfire? Priceless!

Peter Brunning
Vancouver, BC

Carry on, backwards

To the editor,

I was looking at some of the articles in the Coast&Kayak Magazine and noticed Alex Matthews' article Getting Started – The Solo Kayak Carry in the Winter 2007 edition and felt compelled to make a comment.

He writes about carrying the kayak so that the bow is facing the direction the carrier is going. Then he writes "Be particularly mindful of the stern of the boat, which is hard to see over your shoulder."

I've been a paddler for over 30 years and it didn't take me long to figure out that the balance point of the boat doesn't change whether the bow or the stern is to the front. Since the rudder is the most sensitive piece of kit that I have on the boat, I want to see where I am guiding it so when I carry my kayak, I carry it with the stern in front.

Food for thought.

W.L. Bruce