Last month we talked about how to dress for cold weather kayak fishing. I told you that no matter what you wear, it should minimize your contact with the cold water. In 50 degree water, hypothermia can take an unprotected swimmer in minutes. Being protected will allow you enough time to self rescue, or to get help. You should also ALWAYS wear an approved PDF, and never paddle alone. Also entering and exiting the surf can be dangerous, especially with bigger waves. Combine this with cold weather and you truly have an extreme kayak fishing situation. Practicing surf entries is a good idea; however January is not the time to practice. This kind of fishing is not for the faint of heart. Even small waves can wreak havoc on the most experienced kayaker. Look for an article this summer about negotiating the surf, when the water is a lot warmer.

January is absolutely my favorite time to fish for trophy stripers. For many years I made the long boat trip from Lynnhaven Inlet to Sandbridge looking for gannets and gulls. Last year after on such trip, I realized just how close to the beach these fish were feeding. I thought to my self, "I could have saved a lot of money by driving down in my truck and surf casting to them". So the next day I drove down to Little Island to see if I could cast to these fish. Well they were just out of casting range, even from the pier. Then it hit me, with the right weather conditions, I can get to those fish on my kayak. Just break through the surf zone, and the fish will not have a chance. Because of the kayak, fishing has never been the same for me.

For this type of fishing, the less gear you carry, the less you can lose if you do get rolled in the wash. It also comes in handy for loading the yak onto and off of your vehicle. It will be lighter and you will get to the water faster with a ready-to-fish boat. This is good when your buddy 5-miles down the beach calls to tell you he is in the bite. I actually put all my tackle inside the hatches or under bungies before I enter the surf. When I get past the breakers I will get my tackle out. The same goes for coming in. Put everything up and that way it stays with the boat.

With all your gear stored you can load the boat as is and get to where the fish are. I will typically carry a fly rod and a conventional rod and in two small watertight boxes I carry my favorite big striper flies and lures. In a dry bag I carry a waterproof VHF marine radio, cellular phone, and standard boating emergency equipment. All the safety equipment is strapped down in the kayak, where I can easily get to it. My paddle is also leashed to the boat; this is the most important piece of equipment. Everybody knows about the up the creek saying, "try being in the ocean without a paddle."

Once through the surf you can get out your tackle. Most Sit-on-top kayaks are very stable and allow you to get to your gear with out capsizing. You can fish so many ways from the kayak. I prefer to cast to surfacing fish, or drifting and letting the bait bounce across the bottom. Other guys even troll lures from their kayak. For kayak fishing I would suggest rods in the 20-40-pound line class. I prefer fly rods in the 9 to10-weith class. Stronger rods will allow you to use the kayak to fight the fish. Now let's discuss the above methods further.

As I mentioned, I prefer to cast to surfacing fish. I often start looking for birds diving close to the beach. I like to see herring gulls mixed in with the gannets. This is a sure sign that stripers are chasing menhaden to the surface. Good thing about the kayak is that it will not put the fish down. I have even felt fish hitting the bottom of the kayak. Once I get to the edge of the diving birds, I cast my favorite fly or lure into that area. For casting lures I use a 7-foot medium heavy rod. The reel is spooled with 300-yards of 50-pound power pro. I use 40-pound mono as a leader for easy handling of the fish. My favorite lures are the 6-inch Storm and Chesapeake lures in bunker colors. For flyfishing I use a 9-foot 10-weight outfit with sinking lines. My favorite flies are 8 to 6-inch bunker patterns tied from yak hair.

Not every time do you see birds. This is where a fish finder comes in very handy, and yes I do have a fish finder on my kayaks. Often the fish are holding near the bottom. Once you see fish on the fish finder, simply drop your bait to the bottom and jig it up and down. The current or wind will provide forward motion to the lure. I like this better than trolling because your hand is on the rod at all times, so there are no missed strikes. This way is effective, but unless the tide is ripping, does not cover a lot of water. I use the same equipment here as I do when casting. For flyfishing, I use heavy 500 and 700 grain sinking lines. Depending where the fish are in the water column determines which technique I use.

Another way to fish is to troll, although not my favorite way to fish. It is probably the most effective way to fish for big stripers. You can use the same baits as you do from a boat, such as Stretch-25's and rattle traps. Average speed of a kayak is about 3mph so the tackle can be lighter and still get down. Just like boat trolling, kayaks can be equipped with rod holders. The Scotty trolling rod holder is the best for the job. So all you have to do is put the lure in the water, let it out to the desired depth, put it in the rod holder and start paddling. Some guys are even trolling the smaller Mojos. I prefer to troll the larger Storm swim baits and Chesapeake lures. The downfall is that you may not get a hookset at every knock down. I like to have the rod in my hand when the fish strikes.

I know that a lot of you think that we must be crazy to get out the in the winter, but believe me we take all necessary precautions to make safe and enjoyable trips. We never paddle alone and always wear PFD's. Do the same thing and I will guarantee you will be hooked on kayak fishing. I hope you enjoyed this article and look forward to writing about my kayak fishing adventures. See you on the water.