Rigging the 2013 Ocean Kayak Trident 13 (with video)

This is basically a revisit of my last rigging post that I did two years ago (link).  It's been an evolution but somethings stayed the same.

The video is a little long with shaky camera work and weird nasally audio, but the info comes across.  Hope you find it helpful.

If you need some rigging supplies, 

check out HOOK1 (www.kayakfishinggear.com) 
and use code 
ANGLINGADDICT 
for 10% off!

Clown Car Toggin'

The new kayak got a proper CBBT hazing as I banged and scraped pilings from sun up to sun down.  During the 13 hours out on the water I dealt with a fast outgoing current, slow incoming, and another fast outgoing current, along with light winds at first then the big fan in the sky whipped white caps across the bay.  My search for citation specie number 3 took me to a wide range of different areas and depths along the bridge. 

It started off slow with only two little togs.  As the day progressed, more yakers showed up with a few having fair success.  When the wind picked up, everyone else decided to leave.  It stayed slow until I revisited one of the holes I tried earlier.  The tide had changed and I guess the togs crammed themselves into a tight spot.  If I missed getting the bait into the small 2'x2' hole, I got no hits.  But if my fiddler made it's way in there, it got hit immediately.  I pulled 8 togs out of that little hole in no time.

This one must have wedged himself in pretty tight.

10 total were tagged and released.  

18", 18", 17.5", 16", 15", 15", 14.5", 14", 14", 13".

After Work Bottom Chunkin'

The shad fishing was slow, which is a little unusual for this time of year.  But I'm sure it'll pick right back up.  We managed a few white perch and decided to chunk up a few a little ways down river.  The catfishing was slow too, but I lucked out with one blue at 37.5". 

Not a monster by James River standards, but still good times.

Quick Report: Shad and Smallmouth

After launching from the 14th street takeout we got into a decent number of hickory shad as well as a few American shad.  Everything came on a 6wt flyrod with 250 grain sinking tip.  Purple and greens, pink and greens, as well as a few other shad flies did the trick.

Clayton with an American Shad

Afterwards, I switched gears and managed one 14.5" smallmouth.

Fell for a light colored spinnerbait.

James River discharge Link

As of late...

Since my last post...

CBBT

I took the risk while knowing

it's a heck of a long paddle out for a slim chance in the cold.

And the paddle back without a single tog bite

blows.

The HRBT light line held no love for me, neither.

And the kitties wouldn't come out to play.

Some RVA shad found their way to my fly

But then over in Forrest Short's fish bowl of gators n cows

 I laid an egg.  

Forrest didn't do very well either.

So you know it was a tough night.

Biggest shad went 2lb 2 oz.

And then I retired that kayak.

And got a new one.

Which is basically the same kayak as before, just different colors.

I promptly paid Luther Cifers a visit at YakAttack Headquarters

and within 22 hours of being picked up

the James river was getting some grime and slime on the new Trident 13.

It was a little windier than I'd prefer, but it was still a nice day to be out and about.

Muskrat

Seth Goodrich and a few friends confirmed a hunch earlier in the week that the bigger smallies should be active.  However, this time the jig n' pig wasn't get the job done.  With the water warming up, I decided to pick up the pace and put on a bright skirt n' willow blades.  It took a while, but I finally found the right current break.

The ambush came and it hit with a vengeance.  I was treated to two awesome aerial displays and a fight worthy of the smallmouth reputation.  

19.5" new personal best smallmouth bass

 Shortly there after, the sun dipped behind the trees and Seth scored on a lipless crank. 

18.5"

Smallmouth are a blast, but it is time to introduce the new kayak to my favorite pilings.  The CBBT awaits and as bay temps climb so does my need for tog.

A post on how I rigged the new kayak will be out soon.