Kayak Fishing In North Dakota

[ORCUS DEMENS]

Jasonsman, personally I keep a cooler with ice in the storage area behind the seat. I both bungie the cooler and have a separate one for the lid. I slide the lid bungie forward, put the fish in and re-bungie. If I flip, nothing is lost. Happened once, never again. Oh Keep crawlers in the cooler as well, keeps them lively on a hot day.

 

[svnmag]

Did you get the invite via PM?

 

[Jasonsman]

I did not

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Did you get the invite via PM?

Nope

 

[svnmag]

Johnr, Guywhofishes, Jiffy and SDMF run a winter nudist colony with a two-way petting zoo. They must be off-line.

 

[Jasonsman]

What does that have to do with kayaking?

 

[Allen]

I've thought about getting a fishing kayak for several years now. I really like the concept of the ones with a Minnkota drive unit, but man alive those buggers are expensive. I figure (perhaps incorrectly) one of those would be the better alternative when fishing the mid-summer crank and spinner bites to keep your hands fishing, rather than paddling. One can always still paddle for fun with them, right?

 

[svnmag]

What does that have to do with kayaking?

Not a damn thing. Just trying to protect you from all the present nudists.

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Don't keep a too tight drag or you may be pulled about to the amusement of others.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

I’ve had one for several years. I haven’t used it in about 2 or 3 years. It’s tough to fish in the wind. If you’re slow trolling, it’s tough to paddle and fish at the same time. It’s not very dry either. Exercise, getting into hard to reach fishing spots, and vessel size storage and transportation issues are the only reasons to yak fish IMO. If you want to focus more on fishing, stay drier, bring a friend, have more room for gear, don’t have an issue getting into small water, buy a small Boat. By the time you buy a yak with the foot pedal or a small trolling motor, you could have just had an older 12-16 foot dingy with a 10-25 horse Johnson.

 

[KDM]

I've thought about getting a fishing kayak for several years now. I really like the concept of the ones with a Minnkota drive unit, but man alive those buggers are expensive. I figure (perhaps incorrectly) one of those would be the better alternative when fishing the mid-summer crank and spinner bites to keep your hands fishing, rather than paddling. One can always still paddle for fun with them, right?

I'm kind of surprised you don't have one already JayKay. I would think a kayak with a power pole or other vertical anchor system would be your cat's meow for your nocturnal fishing excursions. Hands free fishing, you are already wearing waders and other stuff to stay dry, and you could move quickly and fish deeper waters. No worries about tripping over bottom snags or falling into holes as well as all the other fun and games that come with wading. Stay away from conventional anchors though. We watched a couple guys kayak out from the honey hole at garrison dam, throw out a conventional anchor, and go down like the titanic just seconds after the anchor caught bottom. Scary how fast that kayak disappeared. Yikes!!

 

[honkerslayer]

I've thought about getting a fishing kayak for several years now. I really like the concept of the ones with a Minnkota drive unit, but man alive those buggers are expensive. I figure (perhaps incorrectly) one of those would be the better alternative when fishing the mid-summer crank and spinner bites to keep your hands fishing, rather than paddling. One can always still paddle for fun with them, right?

i “troll” with cranks a lot with my pedal drive. Amazing how much contour control you have compared to a boat. It’s not tiring either. A very casual pedal speed puts you at the right speed for trolling. Electric adds expense and weight

 

[wslayer]

i “troll” with cranks a lot with my pedal drive. Amazing how much contour control you have compared to a boat. It’s not tiring either. A very casual pedal speed puts you at the right speed for trolling. Electric adds expense and weight

You happen to have any pics of yours rigged up ?

 

[honkerslayer]

I don’t sorry! It’s a radar 115 with pedal drive. I put a Lowrance 9” elite on it with the transducer mounted on the pod. I also added a couple of rod holders to the track and have the WS cart for hauling to the water. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.

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I don’t sorry! It’s a radar 115 with pedal drive. I put a Lowrance 9” elite on it with the transducer mounted on the pod. I also added a couple of rod holders to the track and have the WS cart for hauling to the water. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.

if you want pics I can take some next time at my cabin where I store it.

 

[Jasonsman]

I'm kind of surprised you don't have one already JayKay. I would think a kayak with a power pole or other vertical anchor system would be your cat's meow for your nocturnal fishing excursions. Hands free fishing, you are already wearing waders and other stuff to stay dry, and you could move quickly and fish deeper waters. No worries about tripping over bottom snags or falling into holes as well as all the other fun and games that come with wading. Stay away from conventional anchors though. We watched a couple guys kayak out from the honey hole at garrison dam, throw out a conventional anchor, and go down like the titanic just seconds after the anchor caught bottom. Scary how fast that kayak disappeared. Yikes!!

Wow. How big of an anchor did they have ?

 

[Migrator Man]

Very interested in doing the same thing and have been considering buying a kayak. Anyone have experiences/suggestions on what is best to buy? Are they hard to get in/out of? I am not overly flexible and have been that way my whole life, it is better to get one with a chair/platform or are they less stable?

I would concur with the numerous small lakes around Hawley and would suggest going that way as well. Might be some sloughs in eastern ND that have pike in them that normal boats can't get to also.

I went with the Ascend H12 from Cabelas’s. It is a sit in style that you have to paddle. Very stable, not too hard to get in and out. I bought it for walleye fishing and hunting and because it was the most affordable fishing kayak I could find that had a high weight capacity.

A pedal drive or electric motor drive would be really nice for trolling but the are at least double the price. I can troll by putting my rod in a holder in the front and paddling until I get a fish to bite, otherwise I just cast or drift with the wind.

If I was going to spend 2-3 grand on a kayak I would have just bought a small boat. Look into the Ascend 128x because you can add an electric motor that it has a built in mount for it.

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I’ve had one for several years. I haven’t used it in about 2 or 3 years. It’s tough to fish in the wind. If you’re slow trolling, it’s tough to paddle and fish at the same time. It’s not very dry either. Exercise, getting into hard to reach fishing spots, and vessel size storage and transportation issues are the only reasons to yak fish IMO. If you want to focus more on fishing, stay drier, bring a friend, have more room for gear, don’t have an issue getting into small water, buy a small Boat. By the time you buy a yak with the foot pedal or a small trolling motor, you could have just had an older 12-16 foot dingy with a 10-25 horse Johnson.

In the wind I do not fish far from shore. I’ll drift a lot in those conditions and it works really well. It’s a lot easier to drift than it is to troll by paddling so I enjoy it much more.

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Wow. How big of an anchor did they have ?

I’m betting the current is what took them down not the anchor weight. Anchors are good to have for lake fishing.

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I've thought about getting a fishing kayak for several years now. I really like the concept of the ones with a Minnkota drive unit, but man alive those buggers are expensive. I figure (perhaps incorrectly) one of those would be the better alternative when fishing the mid-summer crank and spinner bites to keep your hands fishing, rather than paddling. One can always still paddle for fun with them, right?

It’s not easy to paddle to troll but you get the hang of it eventually. Pedal drive would be a good alternative so that your hands are free to hold your rod. I have lost many fish because I miss the bites when the rod is in the holder and not my hand.

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What do you recommend for storing your catch while you are on the water ? I've seen people use fish bags, a cooler, a stringer, etc. Kinda seems like there are many options.

I just use a stringer on the side of the Kayak that I’m not fishing on. Big fish go where they want so it’s not foul proof but it works fine. I also have a Helix 5 on mine with a transducer arm that hangs over the edge of the kayak on my non fishing side to avoid line being caught on it. Get a kayak with a yak track system already built in on the sides and front of your seating area. The ascend h12 has the perfect track system set up. I keep a smaller pelican dry case for my phone and keys so they don’t get soaked or sink to the bottom. I also tether my rods and tackle box in the case I tip over which I’m lucky to haven’t done yet.

 

[BRK]

I looked at upgrading Kayak's about two years ago because it's how i started open water fishing when i got back into it. After some quick analysis, I decided a light, cheap, old aluminum boat would be best for me. I can dump it nearly anywhere, i upgraded all of my electronics, I can move around in relatively quick order, and i have plenty of room to maneuver inside. Best investment i made and already full of memories with my son and i.

 

[KDM]

Wow. How big of an anchor did they have ?

It's not about the size of the anchor, it's the current. Once the anchor catches on the bottom the line starts to pull the upstream end of the kayak down. Once the upstream end of the kayak goes below the water line, the entire kayak acts like a crank bait and the whole thing goes down. Full size boats do the exact same thing. There are plenty of full size boats on the bottom of the tailrace that tried to anchor up and the current pulled them to the bottom. Like I said, current can kill you if you don't pay attention. Now with a power pole or vertical anchor, the pressure is on the pole and not the line and kayak. The kayak stays horizontal and doesn't start to tip down on the upstream side.