Huntrava

Kayak here. Fishing from the bank is fine, but I get bored when I'm not moving around. If you're feeling left out, check out Craigslist. You can be on the water in a kayak or canoe for cheap these days.

Germantown lake has some finnicky, picky fish.

Hello! Welcome!

Better than average day at Occoquan yesterday kayak fishing cover along the banks, but I wasn't able to get the topwater to work. Anyone want to enlighten me on how to identify and fish shad schools? I'm not certain what to look for...when you see the water boiling/popping in an area...are those shad? Do you have to follow the shad?

Labor is a commodity. Like any commodity, quality is an aspect that determines it's value. When they pay their associates barely above minimum wage, I think we're safe to assess that these stores aren't concerned about staffing with subject matter experts. Companies paying minimum wage are just trying to find employees that won't embarrass themselves and/or the company. Of course, sometimes you'll find someone who really knows his $**t. Those people are under-valued, and could leverage that know-how somewhere else (and be making a lot more money).

No question there are some large bass in there.

Quick fishing report here: Drove down to Germantown Lake today in search of new bass. It's located in Faulkier County, about an hour from DC. After putting in the kayak I made my way around half of the lake over the span of 5 hours. I'll tell ya, I've never been so skunked in my life. The bite didn't pick up until evening, and even then, HUGE bass were biting the topwater all around me, but I wasn't able to sell a single bite. It was one of those "throw the tackle box at them" evenings; guess I need a bigger tackle box. Somebody on these forums once mentioned fish at Germantown Lake are "very finicky." Truer words have never been spoken. The mosquitos were horrendous, probably on account of the thick salad covering large parts of the lake.

Yesterday I was fishing a black spinnerbait in a muddy lake. No luck. So, knowing that bass are responding well to spinnerbaits lately, I threw a chartreuse and black spinnerbait on the line and got bites immediately. Personally, I think color is as important as the type of lure itself. I'll change color before I change type.

This story is awful. Earlier tonight, while I was distracted, a bass took a partially tied spinnerbait OFF of my line while it was tangling in the water. I was in the middle of changing lures and didn't have a chance to tighten the knot. Once the two of us realized what was happening, he started fighting, and I grabbed the rod and tried to pull him in. No luck, he's now wearing a spinnerbait. I feel kinda bad for him (a spinnerbait in your mouth has to be super annoying) and I also feel bad for myself, because I'm out $5. Anyone have any comparable stories?? Any fish out there wearing some of your bling?

Just got back from Accotink today. Pulled in a single largemouth on a spinnerbait. For large fish in Accotink that's been my most successful lure. Definitely not the best fishing in NOVA, best get that out of the way. However, if you've got a kayak/canoe, there are some decent spots. Most 75% of the lake is probably 2-3 ft deep and muddy. Fun way to kill some time if you only have a few hours.

PMing you a Western Union address of a guy selling these on Craigslist for a great price. He'll ship it from Nigeria. Will that be a problem?

Definitely wouldn't overthink an anchor for a kayak. I welded myself one with some spare angle-iron laying around the garage. It is just a weight on a rope.

It's one of the reasons I don't buy the high end lures and baits. I'm sure they catch more fish, but I can't afford to dangle wads of cash on the end of a tiny fluorocarbon line when most fish don't know the difference.

My trick is to keep going smaller on bait till something bites. Minnows are fish. Haven't been skunked in years.

I would recommend buying the cheapest, most solidest, most comfortable sit-on-top kayak you can find on your local Craigslist. Alternatively, buy a patch kit and fix your inflatable. I think it's perfectly alright for beginners to use beginner equipment. No need to break the bank if you're just getting into a sport.

Kayaks are something I have some professional experience with after spending a couple years working at a wilderness adventure shop...and testing the equipment. The primary advantage of a sit-in kayak is that you'll be kept relatively dry and have a lower center of gravity. You can turn harder, but I suppose it's also (slightly) easier to capsize. Great for taking down a river, and I think the season is longer due to the dry-factor. Fishing in my sit-in kayak is enjoyable, but sitting lower in the water does cause back discomfort after several hours. For fishing purposes, sit-on-top kayaks have virtually every advantage--more (flat) deck space, room to stretch your legs, easier getting in and out, etc etc. They can also be very maneuverable if you engage the knee straps and know how to buck your hips when turning. You'll see both types can move quite quickly on the water, depending on the width and quality of the hull and keel. That said, sit-on-tops tend to have wider hulls and paddle a bit slower. I'm making the move to a sit-on-top myself, but I'm keeping the touring kayak for treks.

Hello everyone, This board has been extremely helpful over the last couple months, and I intend to tap your knowledge again! I'm an experiences kayaker, so fishing from a kayak seemed like a natural progression. Believe it or not, my current setup is a (heavily modified) 12 foot Pelican touring kayak. I think I've outgrown it in size and utility, particularly when it comes to fishing. There isn't enough deck space and I'm constantly fighting to hold position when fishing a particular piece of structure or cover. I'm constantly juggling the paddle and my two rods, not to mention having to strap milk crates to the front and back of the kayak. I'm sure I make quite a sight. In any case, I've been eyeing the Hobie Pro Angler 14 for a while...it seems like the holy grail of sit-on-top angling kayaks, but it has a steep, steep price tag. They hold their value at about $2,200 used, and about $3k new and fully loaded. Who can afford that much for a single-person plastic kayak I will never know. I'd prefer a tandem kayak to take a partner in crime fishing, but the new 17T will cost about $5,500 when it comes out in a few months. Not happening for this guy. My question: Has anyone had personal experience with any alternative fishing kayaks that are a little more value-oriented? Especially tandem kayaks? Or, alternatively, would anyone say the Hobie PA is worth it? Open to feedback.

If what he's saying is half true, it's still a pond good enough for me! Thumbnail looks like any number of houses in the Occoquan area...I like a good mystery...

Okay, so I realize the premise of this question is extremely relative. But it's been on my mind since I pulled my first PB lunker out of the water yesterday. After weeks and weeks of fishing, finally some paydirt. Now I'm kinda worried that I might have peaked for the season. What I want to know: assuming an experienced bass fisher is targeting big bass, is pulling a 5lb bass out of the water every trip...? Or once a week? Once a month? Once a year? I fish by myself, so it's hard to gauge exactly how well others do in this regard.

If you're going to buy cheap cranks, might as well buy REALLY cheap cranks. http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-Lot-30-pcs-Kinds-of-Fishing-Lures-Crankbaits-Hooks-Minnow-Baits-Tackle-/191094960648?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c7e25b208 That said, caveat emptor my friend. You may find a gem on the cheap. Alternatively, you could end up with junk.

Hate to double post, but here's a worthwhile update for this lake: We had a front roll in over the weekend, and I wanted to make it count. So, down to the lake with the kayak, my new Zebco micro spinning rod and reel (it works, sue me!) and a bunch of lures. I started with topwater lures after having success at Occoquan with poppers the day prior. No dice. Then I went to jerk baits/crank baits/diving baits...nothing. At this point I was starting to worry I'd missed the window and the feeding was slowing down. Boy was I wrong. I slapped on a black/chartreuse spinning bait and WHAM, two small bass on back-to-back casts. I've gotta say, catching with a spinning bait is fun…they hit it harder than with other baits. The sun was getting low, and I didn't have more than 30 minutes before sunset when I bagged by new PB, somewhere between 3-5 lbs (I guess) with the spinning bait. Unfortunately, since Lake Accotink has a reputation for poor fishing, I didn’t even consider bringing my Go Pro. No proof, no pictures, no exact weight. Dang. In a nutshell, Lake Accotink continues to surprise. And I might have caught it’s biggest fish (ha). When there's rain and mud at Accotink, give a spinnerbait a try.

I would not recommend Lake Accotink. There are some big fish in there if you have access to a canoe or kayak, but it's heavily pressured and 75% of the lake is shallow and muddy.

Yes that was me. I was trying to make the 8:00 gate time as well. By my watch I rolled out at 7:58. Fishing was alright. Good topwater action near sunset with poppers. I let me new PB get off the hook :-(

Were you out there tonight? I saw someone who looks kinda like you loading up a canoe while I was bringing in the kayak.

Never called in sick to go fishing. But strange enough, usually I start feeling better after I make the call. It's like there's medicinal value in calling in sick!