I hit a lake 3 hours away. I jumped into my fully loaded truck and drove off at 2:50 am. topped off gas and hit the road. I pulled into an empty parking lot at 6am. it was windy. more wind than I like, so I opted to leave my motor and battery in the truck. I just feel my kayak is more stable, lighter.

goal was to find a Bigass spotted bass. I hit the lake and it was grassy all around, and gently sloped into the water. I cruised around looking for rocks. I kept eye balling a distance treeline. google earth showed me there was a rocky shore adjacent to the trees. so off I went. it was 4 miles away. I fished my way there, picking up random bass.

I caught the TRIFECTA!! largemouth bass, smallmouth. bass, and the spot.

I got to that shore I targeted guzzled water, and for about 30 minutes it was back to back catches. one spot went so high air-borne - advertising to nearby boats I was into them. 2 bass boats came and surrounded me. I struggled with keeping my kayak positioned in the breeze. those dudes just hit spot-lock. eventually, when I was unhooking a fish, the wind blew me too far, and the boat parked on my spot. whatever. I crushed that spot.

I did a total of 10 miles. on the way back, I saw boulders on a shore. I would bounce a jig off the face, let it drop and I picked up a few more. I fished to 1:00 pm, and the wind was just too annoying. I parked my kayak amidst an armada of boaters backing up/down a ramp with various degrees of boat-ramp skills. I parked over some flotsam (jetsam?) and did my thing way to the side out of their way. 3 hours to get home. I drove right past Clearlake on the way home. it looked pretty good.

maybe a 30 fish day. but nothing bigger than 2lbs. :D. Rockfish season opens up April 1, but I think I will stick to bass for a bit longer. so much fun.

Nice work !

Excellent. I just don't understand pursuing big Spots. They're just so aggressive, pull very hard, and fight you until you release them. That's not even mentioning what those teeth do to your thumb.

1 hour ago, GreenPig said:

Excellent. I just don't understand pursuing big Spots. They're just so aggressive, pull very hard, and fight you until you release them. That's not even mentioning what those teeth do to your thumb.

18 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I struggled with keeping my kayak positioned in the breeze. those dudes just hit spot-lock. eventually, when I was unhooking a fish, the wind blew me too far, and the boat parked on my spot. whatever. I crushed that spot.

There's a three-letter word starting with A for the person that parked on your spot. Never take someone's spot unless they actually have chosen to leave. (Especially a kayaker who is at the mercy of the wind.)

Should have brought the old school spot lock with you. I always carried an anchor in my kayak before I got the motor and still do on occasion.

One of my first wins in a kayak tournament the wind was blowing 25+ all day straight into the bank I wanted to fish and the ramp closest to where I wanted to fish was closed for repairs. So I had to pedal about 4 miles each way, into and across rolling white caps. I was soaked a good portion of the day. That was the day that I decided I wanted a foam vest instead of an inflatable. I figured I pedaled 10-11 miles that day fighting the wind a majority of it.

I think I will rig up a clamp to attach to trees next time. an anchor line is so cumbersome to me. I am not that tidy and fastidious. a bit of a hot mess on my kayak.

the teeth on spots amazes me. they bite and cling onto my fishing gloves like velcro. hahah..I love them.

On 3/31/2026 at 8:28 AM, Darth-Baiter said:

I think I will rig up a clamp to attach to trees next time. an anchor line is so cumbersome to me. I am not that tidy and fastidious. a bit of a hot mess on my kayak.

the teeth on spots amazes me. they bite and cling onto my fishing gloves like velcro. hahah..I love them.

I always have a ratchet clamp tied to a short section of paracord on my kayak. I use it to anchor to things and tie off at the dock.I either clamp directly or loop it over and catch the line back in the clamp if what I am trying to clamp off to is too thick. Takes up zero useful space in the kayak.