I made the two-mile trip upstream to the Pinopolis Dam - where the best fishing would be available. The trip upstream was relaxing - I got to see some nice spring foliage on the trees and other sights. One thing I tell folks about kayak fishing is the slower-pace that it brings isn't a curse at all, since you'll notice things you might miss while buzzing-by in a powerboat.
I also wouldn't be alone - there were about ten boats out there fishing. Some were shad fishing, and others were using sabiki rigs, jigging for herring.
I got to my spot, anchored and started fishing. Today I was armed with a Shimano Symetre 3000, on a Convergence 7' medium rod. I was casting small jigs - like the kind used for crappie fishing - with chartreuse 1/8th-oz jigheads. There was bait popping everywhere - pelicans were dive-bombing all over the area.
The bite was slow at first - I had started with only one jig on my line but after a few hits with no fish, I rigged up a double-jig setup and started catching them. Also had to find a presentation that worked, too - the best was letting it sink to the bottom, then jig it lightly back to the kayak.
Every fish was fun to catch - they give you a great fight all the way to the kayak. I caught a total of 5 shad - the biggest was just shy of 18". The big one spun me around on a little sleigh-ride!
After a couple hours, the wind picked up along the canal, and it was time for Easter lunch with my family, so I headed back to the launch - very satisfied with the day's fishing. I can't wait to go back - and soon!
