Hoop Net: Suspended Bait Box

Most store bought hoop nets are designed with a double mesh pouch in the bottom ring to put your bait. One of the problems with that is it may take a bit to initially bait or re-bait. Some lobster/crab netters get a wire or plastic bait box to zip-tie to the bottom ring. This speeds up initial baiting and re-baiting, you can also have multiple bait boxes full and ready to go in your home freezer. A major disadvantage to both of these is that the bottom ring does not always land in the center of the larger ring. Having your bait off center can cause you to loose lobster/crab because they may not be in the larger hoop when you pull up. A solution to this is to suspend a bait box in the center of the top ring. This will allow quick bait changes and will help put the lobster/crab in the center as well.

What we need is a bait box, small bungees, utility clips, and stainless steel hog rings.

I picked up a pack of these small bungees at Home Depot for a couple of bucks. First cut off the ends, then clean up the ends with a lighter.

Run the bungee through the utility clip. Then put the hog ring on and partially crimp it down.

Tighten your loop, then crimp the hog ring down all the way.

 Do it to both bungees with both clips.

Then do the same on your bait box. Now you can clip your bait box to the top ring and no matter where the bottom ring goes the bait will stay in the center.

Comercial Float Chemical Light Install

 This is a pretty simple install all you need is a chemical light stick, 4 1oz egg sinkers, two drill bits, a drill, and a hammer. The drill bit for the chem light needs to be slightly smaller then the light. Same goes for the lead.

 

Figure out where you want the top to be and drill about 1/4in deep with the small drill bit. Make sure you can put your chem light in securely.

Once you have your chem light hole drilled drill the hole for a keel. This is the part that will make the chem light stick above water. It needs to be on the opposite side of the float to work properly.

 Now hammer in your weights until flush and you are done.

Hoop Net: Large Float with Rope Management

I am gearing up to go down to southern California to do some fishing and catch some lobsters. My brother gave me some hoop nets he does not use so I decided to rig them the way I want them. The first thing I decided to do was change the main float with a larger commercial style float. I also decided to add a weight at the tag end of my line so it will pull through the float and manage excess line. By sending it to the ocean floor out of the way of boat propellers.






The first step is to remove the small float. It is as simple as untying the knot. Then thread the line through the commercial float with the pointy end towards the net.

I went with an 6oz torpedo sinker to manage my excess line and a stainless steel fender washer to stop the float and rope from being separated.

Thread the rope through the fender washer and tie a double over hand knot. Then zip tie the sinker to the rope next to the washer and trim off the excess.

You can pull the sinker into the float for easy storage.

Now you have an upgraded hoop net with a bigger float and an excess rope management system.

Tiki Bass Boat

Got a call Friday to go out early Saturday on my buddies, new to him bass boat. Got up at 3:30am to drive back down to Tiki, only to find their launch ramp under construction. We went up the road a little to launch at Turner Resort. We were on the water by 6:30am. Our plan was to target Strippers and Black Bass. I would have liked to soak some cut bait off the bottom, but the new boat did not have an anchor. So we were confined to artificial lures, a definite disadvantage due to season, tide, weather, and location. After going around Mildred Island with only a Largemouth to show for it we went north to a 50ft hole to do some jigging.
Just as we are about to leave Kat gets a fish on, that shows us some great acrobatics. She gets it to the boat only to find we have no net, so I tell her to loosen the drag a hair but keep pressure on it, so I can grab it. A couple or runs later it was fish off. It was roughly a 26" Striper. Shortly after my buddy reels in a huge 10" Stripper. Then we went down to Whiskey Slough for some more Black Bass action. I missed two blow ups on top-water. Kat and our buddy brought in two each, including an under-size. At 3pm we decided to take off, get some pictures and pay for the launch. Going 50mph on the water is a nice relief from paddling at 4mph.

--Ryan

2011 Yakhopper Kayak Fishing Series, Delta (Tiki) Striper

Arrived at Tiki a little before noon on Saturday the 22nd, got the kayak rigged up and headed on the water. First stop was right over to the docks to drop half a night crawler on a size 10 bait holder hook for some Bluegill. Should have brought some split shot as they were right off the bottom, it took awhile for it to flutter down. Once I had my bait bucket full I proceeded further into the delta to pre-fish the tournament. I had one rod rigged with a 1/2oz lead head and white with yellow tail Fish-Trap. The other was rigged with a spreader and 3oz banana weight to slow troll my Bluegill right off the bottom.

I was out on the water for around three hours, it was a rough day of fishing, though I got the intel I was looking for. I managed to land a 15" Striper on the Fish-Trap and a 24"er on a Bluegill.
Sunday the 23rd, Kat and I stopped at a local bait store to pick up some live minnows, but alas they were sold out. So we picked up a pound of 1.5" fresh Shad instead. We hit the water in an awesome fog, I trolled the Bluegill she trolled the dead Shad behind a Wiggle Fin. About a half hour into fishing her rod went down. Fish on. She lands a nice 24"+ Striper, I tell her thats the winning fish and sure enough it is.

It was another slow day of kayak fishing at Tiki here in the California Delta, but this 24.75" Striper got her first place amongst 90 other kayak anglers.

--Ryan

HOW Kelsey Bass Ranch

Being a veteran helping with Heroes on the Water was extremely rewarding. My family has five kayaks we use for fishing, so we decided to loan them for this event. A few days before the event we gave them to other volunteers to take them down to Kelsey Bass Ranch. On Saturday we drove down to help get everything set up. The vets were supposed to be there at 9am but did not show until 11am. Being my first time at Kelsey I decided to go out and scout for some good fishing locations. Kat and my mom stayed on shore to help there while I took vets out to fish. We were getting hits drop-shotting but the wind and fast drift was hindering the hook set. So we did not land many. It was still a fun and rewarding time to help out other vets.

--Ryan

2011 Yakhopper Kayak Fishing Series, Caples Lake Trout

Drove up to Caples Lake on Saturday then crashed at the Rock Star lodge. Got up, turned in my waiver and proceeded to troll a night crawler on a spinner, behind a dodger. After a few hours of fishing with out a bite, or hearing of someone else getting fish, I began to loose hope. I found a spot that looked pretty fishy, so I trolled through there and managed to finally mark a few fishes, when I got hit. I was so excited I horsed the roughly 8in Brook Trout to my kayak, and while trying to land it, broke my leader. I proceeded to scream at the top of my lungs, as I watched it swim away with my spinner-bait in its mouth. Now upset, I trolled through there again with no bites. As I was leaving, defeated to find another spot, I talked to the guy who won first and told him what happened. He sat there and caught his winning fish. It was tough fishing, of the 50 anglers only 7 caught fish. And I missed the only one I caught.

--Ryan

Albion Open 2011

Thursday evening after I got off work, Ryan and I drove up to Albion, arriving around 1am Friday morning. The office was obviously closed, so our buddy Gabe let us crash at his site. The down side was, because we arrived so late, we slept in the car … in the cold … without any type of blanket/sleeping bag. Friday around 5am Gabe started knocking on our windows asking if we would like to join him on a Charter boat, another friend had set up. I kindly declined, as I was exhausted and freezing, but alas Ryan had agreed to go. 

On his way out with the boys, he did grab me a sleeping bag, so I could sleep a little more comfortably. Once I woke up, I was eager to begin setting up for the tournament, so while Ryan was away, I managed to get our campsite, put the tent up, take Ryan's kayak off the car, and get his kayak rigged (being only 4'11 getting his 13'' kayak off the car was a major accomplishment for me). Ryan returned to camp late in the day, with a limit of rock fish! Thanks to his great skill we had a great dinner of fish tacos!

On Saturday we awoke early, so Ryan could finish getting set up for the tournament. After I saw him on his way, thankfully I went back to sleep (notice the pattern .. I love sleep). When I finally rolled out of my sleeping bag, I was full of concern for Ryan. 'Did he catch a fish?', 'did he flip his yak in the ocean?' I kept asking everyone I saw with a radio, if they had heard from him, but no one had. I spent most my day waiting on the beach to see him paddling in.
Finally, just an hour before weigh in, we hear from Ryan. He caught limits with an additional SALMON!!! Ryan's rock fish got him 2^nd place in the event! We went to bed early that night, so we could head home in the morning and take care of all that fish. Overall it was a great event and couldn't get much better.

--Kat

2011 Yakhopper Kayak Fishing Series, ARW Halibut

Drove to San Francisco Saturday morning, I wanted to get some pre-fishing in, but there was too much chop in the water and a howling wind. Instead, we checked into our hotel, courtesy of an awesome friends discount. And explored the pier and Fort Mason, plus a little pier fishing with only bait steeling crabs at the end of my line. Early Sunday we went back across the bay bridge, picked up some shiners and went to the Alameda rock wall, we turned in our waivers and went on the hunt for some Halibut. We hit some nice spots, that are usually productive, with no bites, except when Kat caught a Bat Ray. I had a fun time watching and keeping up with her sleigh ride before we snapped a photo and cut the line. With so much freshwater in the delta, it is pushing the salt back and keeping the Halibut from Alameda. Only 3 were caught during this tournament. Though we got skunked, we had a great time.

--Ryan

2011 Yakhopper Kayak Fishing Series, Clear Lake Bass

Drove up to Clear Lake Saturday, got there around dinner time. Did not have a chance to pre-fish, but we got some good intel on what to use... something I did not bring. So off to find a tackle store that was still open. I managed to grab what I needed for the morning. Kat and I got a late launch for the tournament I managed to catch 2 Largemouth the biggest being 19.75in. We got back and forgot to weigh in. It would not have mattered though as the smallest of the top three was 21in. Kat and I won some hourly giveaways before heading home. For our first kayak fishing tournament it was a blast.

--Ryan