It definitely seems like all the local migrations are happening earlier this year. The warm water temperatures are expediting the process and I, like most kayak fishermen, am not complaining. The magic of this time of year is more than welcome, as many of the popular sport fishing species enter our local waters and get our juices flowing.

Friday night couldn't come soon enough – I was itching from anticipation. At 10:30 p.m., the first stop was HRBT, where I met up with Justin. I paddled out, keeping my eyes peeled for the welcome sight of a striper silhouette. I was paddling over a small one when a voice greeted me out of the darkness: "Dude, there's a big one right in front of you…"

As the year comes to a close, I decided to sit back and take a look at the year that was 2011.  The year really started in the last few months of 2010 for me when I really started to get involved in on-line fishing forums, especially YakAngler.com.   This led me to launch YakFish.net with the help of YakSushi Media in January. 

Sometimes, my brother and I don't talk for a while. But when we finally do, we pick up right where we left off... joking around, talking sports, and generally reaffirming how awesome it is to be a Choi. But, one thing we haven't been on the same page about is fishing. So all year, I've been trying to get him out on the water. It finally happened on Black Friday.

What’s the best part about being a kayak fisherman? Bringing home fresh fish for the dinner table. Every kayak angler needs a new way to prepare the days catch, here’s a recipe by professional Chef and kayak fisherman Robbie Delaney for a spicy Seafood Creole using Stripped Bass

I you haven’t already, make sure you add a Kayak Fishing the Chesapeake Bay 2 to you kayak anglers Christmas list! Kayak Kevin’s newest DVD hit the stores this week and by the looks of the trailer, has all the tips and techniques to help you land your next citation fish. This DVD focuses on the warm water species in the lower Chesapeake Bay but is still full of a ton of hard core kayak fishing action.

So I was sitting there in my office, being productive, getting my work done, feeling good after the recent tournament, when I decide to give Kayak Kevin a call to wish him a happy birthday. When he picked up I could tell he was excited about something. It turns out he had a 46" red drum in his lap! My palms instantly got a little sweaty and my mind started racing (I know, I have an addiction). I immediately wanted to be out there fishing for those powerful bulls. He went on to tell me the story, which I'm sure he'll share on his website, then hung up to chase some more. He was under the CBBT fishing for sheepshead when the reds showed up. About 10 minutes later, I get a call from Kevin's buddy Lee Williams and he says "dude, I was on your piling fishing for sheepshead when I hooked into a massive red!".

Who's Awesome?!? My wife! That's who! She agreed to hold the fort down with both kids while I made the annual trip down for the TKAA tourney. I got permission to leave Thursday night and soon felt a good binge coming on. It was like being back in college and it was the first day of spring break. I smiled as I thought... I'm going to get crazy hammered on some fishing then hang out with all the cool kids at the biggest kayak fishing party in VA. WooHoo!!!

Saturday September 10 the 7th Annual Hook The Cure - Striped Bass Fishing Derby was hosted by the Elks Lodge in Winthrop, MA, after a two week delay caused by Hurricane Irene. Over the last 7 years over $100,000 have been raised for the Michael J Fox Foundation which helps fund Parkinson’s disease research. For the first time this year there was a kayak division that was catch, photo, & release instead of the traditional weigh in. The conditions were great on the water with light winds, calm seas, big tides and lots of fish caught.

Sunday morning I decided to fish Joppa Flats for the first time. High tide was around 2AM and since you have to fish this location +/- 3 hours from high tide I decided to launch at 1AM and I would be off the water around 5 when the sun was coming up.