How to find the catch

Summer 2008

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

by Dan Armitage

I am frequently asked by non-anglers why I fish. The short answer is that angling leads me to places I might otherwise miss. As with recreational paddling, one of the joys of angling from a kayak is the ability to fish waters that are not accessible by conventional fishing craft. By trading between paddle and rod and reel, you get to sample the bounty found both above and below the water’s surface. The same stealth that allows you to get within casting distance of fish, also puts you close to wildlife above the surface—some of my most amazing wildlife encounters have come while I was quietly fishing from a kayak.

Some may question the need for an additional incentive to explore such waters. I simply know that the places I’ve paddled and experiences I’ve enjoyed while following my passion are unique to that pursuit, and nothing less than the potential for a hook-up would have persuaded me to go there and allowed me to enjoy the sights and situations that result.

If you are an angler, and have a few choice places where you go fishing with good prospects for catching something, chances are good that you can get there via kayak. In fact, your odds at success will probably increase with the stealth factor and the added water access fishing from a kayak should allow.

If you are just starting out, testing the waters for favorable fishing areas, here are a few pointers to bear in mind.

Explore the Edge

Fish, like most creatures, prefer edges. Just as deer and pheasants and rabbits and raptors like to work the edges of woods, fields, fencerows or suburban lawns, venturing out into the open only when they feel secure, fish frequent the same kind of cover and transition zones. Fish will be found at the edge of weed beds, near a drop-off or point where deep water meets shallow, or hanging around rocks or coral. Fish may also be found at “edges” where water of different temperatures, oxygen levels, current or clarity meet, which are known as “breaks.” If you know of a particular place where you can pretty much count on finding fish, chances are that an edge of one kind or another is nearby.

Ask Around

One of the best ways to learn of good fishing spots in any locale is to ask around. The local bait or tackle shop is able to stay in business based on anglers finding success and requiring bait and tackle to do so, and it is in their representatives’ best interest to serve as source of local fishing information. Ditto the local wildlife or fisheries agency, which are funded by license sales and exist in great part to provide the public with information that will help them find good fishing. While fellow anglers may not have the same incentive, most fishermen are friendly to novices or visitors in their area who come right out and ask for advice on where to go fishing and what to use once they are there.

Think About It

Once you do get into fish, either following advice or finding a productive place on your own, the key is identifying what makes that particular spot a haven for the bass, perch, bluegill or salmon you are catching. Then, seek out other waters with the same attributes and you’ll be on your way to accumulating your own fishing “hot spots.” And when you do find success with a particular bait, lure or tactic, consider what you did differently to make it work. Did you allow the lure to rest on the surface for longer intervals before the bass blasted your popper? Did that salmon suck the streamer on the dead drift or when it appeared to be fighting the current? Did you hook the minnow that fooled the trout through the lips or under the dorsal fin? You don’t necessarily need to know why the subtle changes worked, just recognize them so they can be duplicated.

Once you start to determine places and the fishing patterns that work under a particular set of conditions at each, you can start considering yourself an angler, with knowledge of your own worth sharing with fellow fishermen.

Whether or not you do so, of course, is up to you!