Fellows Lake 7-30-16

[Flysmallie]

Decided to give Fellows a try Saturday afternoon. I had spent most of the morning installing a fishfinder in the kayak and was anxious to try it out. Hitting the water right in the middle of the afternoon on a hot summer day wasn't the best idea but that's how it went. 

Dropped a twenty on the permit.

Got the boat in the water and immediately was stressed at the electronics again. I knew it wasn't 9 feet where I was standing next to the boat. Wait what does that say on the screen? Simulation Mode. AAAARRRGGHHHH!! Problem solved.

 

I did catch some fish. Nothing of any size but still plenty to entertain. Here's the biggest little fish of the day.

There are a bunch this size. And they are all full. I caught a bunch and you can see gangs of them cruising around everywhere. Thinking the musky are probably loving these.

I did catch one with teeth. But not a musky and still just a baby.

 

Majority of the fish, including the walleye, were caught on a 4" zoom finesse worm in junebug. 

 

Need to head back out there with a pocket full of gurglers and a 5wt and have some fun with those little bass. 

[Johnsfolly]

Looks like you're loving the kayak. Always love to catch fish no matter the size. Tell us how you do fly fishing those bass.

[jpb2187]

9 hours ago, Flysmallie said:

Decided to give Fellows a try Saturday afternoon. I had spent most of the morning installing a fishfinder in the kayak and was anxious to try it out.

Did you install the transducer through a scupper hole or make some kind of mount?

[Flysmallie]

6 minutes ago, jpb2187 said:

Did you install the transducer through a scupper hole or make some kind of mount?

 

Neither. I spent a lot of time looking at different mounts and even bought the Lowrance scupper hole mount and tried it but did not like any of those things. The problem I had with the scupper hole mount is that on my boat (Ascend FS12T) it allowed the transducer to hang down to low. I still want to be able to take this thing on some rivers without having to pull the electronics completely out every time. I won't have wires running on topside. Too many chances to screw something up like that. The ram mounts looked interesting but have the same problem. Maybe even worse since I have to haul it on top of my car. 

So I did the terrifying thing and drilled a couple of holes in the back transom area. Inserted some well nuts with silicone and installed the transducer bracket to that. Ran the cable up and then under and through the drain plug mount. The transducer sits low enough so it's under the water but not so low that it will ever touch anything. And when I haul it or take it on a river I can flip the transducer up so that it's out of harms way. 

Of course if I ever take it off or go to sell the boat it will have two 3/8 inch holes in it below the water line but that's what plastic welders are for. 

I will add that if water temp isn't a big deal for you then you can just do a thru the hull mount on the inside of the kayak. 

[DADAKOTA]

How do casting, working a bait, and setting the hook siting so low to the water compare to standing in a boat?  Did you find it awkward or more difficult? 

[Flysmallie]

2 hours ago, DADAKOTA said:

How do casting, working a bait, and setting the hook siting so low to the water compare to standing in a boat?  Did you find it awkward or more difficult? 

 

I was the guy that used to pull the seats out of the boat before hitting the water. If you weren't standing then you weren't fishing. But I also grew up learning to bass fish out of a float tube. I got my first float tube and baitcaster when I was 8, my dad was awesome. So I'm totally comfortable with sitting low in the water and fishing. I have zero issues with it but that might not work for everyone. I've been mostly gear fishing until tonight when I'll take just fly rods. I hear people say that it will be almost impossible to fly fish that low to the water but I've fly fished many times waist deep in water. I'm thinking the guys that have an issue with that need to learn to cast better. 

I'm having a blast fishing out of a kayak. Fished out of everything from float tubes to 20 foot glitter sleds. And I can honestly say this is a pretty good time.

 

[DADAKOTA]

I too grew up fishing out of float tubes, canoes, jon boats, waders, bass boats, etc.  Hadn't thought of the similarities with wading.  Can't see how you can utilize a wtd bait that low to the water.  Ideas?

[Flysmallie]

8 minutes ago, DADAKOTA said:

Can't see how you can utilize a wtd bait that low to the water.  Ideas?

Don't point your rod tip down.  

It's different, but not an issue when you get used to it. Not that I throw a WTD bait that much. More of a frog or chug bug kind of guy. 

[David Unnerstall]

I have to sit on the bottom of my cedar strip solo.  I have no issues casting.  But I have yet to try a fly rod.

[Flysmallie]

Okay I have no problems casting the fly rod sitting at all. Yeah I could be a better caster but I suck standing too. However I totally blow at line management. It would help if I didn't have all the extra crap in my way. An extra rod, a camera with a floaty strap, a big gulp from the store. Plus I've got a paddle in my lap. Not impossible but I'm going to need to work on it.

Caught some of these.

 

And I was right about those little bass. They like a gurgler.

 

I did hook a pretty good one but he ran right at the boat and I wasn't prepared with my mad line skills and couldn't catch up to him before he was gone.

Then a bunch more of these.

A smaller popper and a 3wt would be a blast up there right now. Those gills have a little trouble getting hooked on that size 2 B10S.