# Mother Nature's Fury



## yakattacker (Mar 19, 2011)

Well I got out onto Rhode's River via Carr's Wharf as intended on Saturday, with a forecast of 40% rain. I wasn't too intimidated by the forecast as I was wearing a wetsuit top and my rain gear from head to heel (I am in the market for some good water shoes). When I first got there, it was flat calm, a bit chilly, about 51 with some light wind. Water temperature was about 49 according to my GPS/Fishfinder. I was only on the water for about 2.5 hours, but about 45 minutes in, a VERY fast moving storm poured a ton of rain on me, it got a little bit choppy and a little windier, but nothing too bad except a very large lightning bolt that crashed down not too far away that was very loud (immediately pulled down my rods for a few minutes after that on). 

After about 20 minutes of hard rain, it cleared up and was beautiful out, flat calm again, sunny and comfortable. Wasn't marking any fish, so I dropped a high low rig with fish bites when I was drifting and casting. About 90 minutes later a sailboat came by and said that there was another fast storm coming that was gonna be worse. I hauled rear and paddled with my mirage drive and regular paddles back to the launch. 

As I was pulling up, it started HAILING, no kidding, a little larger than the size of BBs used in air guns. It hailed for a solid 15 minutes, leaving a nice layer on the kayak that I had pulled up to shore while putting gear away. Skunked, but very happy to be on the water for the first time this year. Hoping to run into schoolies soon.

Learned a couple of things: 
- My Eagle Cuda fish finder's automatic sensitivity setting is not optimal. I adjusted to 87-88% sensitivity as I was getting a lot of disturbance in the water column.
- Keep a fresh pair fo dry clothes for long rides home in the car .

Shout out to ComeOnFish for the Duct Seal transducer mount idea, I tore up the transducer attached by marine goop before I went. It reduced my time on the water, but looking at how many air bubbles were in the dried goop, it was worth it. The Duct Seal worked like a charm! I just took the entire 1 lb. brick and molded it into a cradle and pushed down the edges with my finger to create a nice trough for the water to stay in. Seems very snug!

Shout out to robchoi for the garden sprayer idea. I picked one up for less than 9 bucks before tax at the hardware store 2 aisles down from the Duct Seal. Was able to rinse everything off once the hail let up. Used less than 1/2 gallon of water since since I could easily control where I needed to spray. Especially helpful for sandy/gravelly launch sites like Carr's Wharf to get the debris off the bottom of the yak. I have to mount the kayak ontop of my SUV by myself, using a towel to prevent scratching. Scratched it up pretty good last year because I didn't have a way to spray it.

Hope some of you were able to make it out this weekend or this week with the nice weather coming.


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## yakattacker (Mar 19, 2011)

*Pics*

Some pictures to accompany my post...

Pictures of the second storm that brought the hail, you can see the sheet of water/hail coming in...









Carr's Wharf.. A nice launch site onto the river, flat calm and there is a public pier but only parking for about 5-6 cars and no launch fee... easy to get in and out of a SOT kayak without getting wet legs..









My setup.. a Hobie Outfitter 2 person (2 mirage drive) SOT with an Eagle Cuda fish finder/GPS. I used a RAM ball wedge mount that fits into the Sail mount hole right in front of the rear seat's mirage drive. Other than that, its a pretty plain vanilla Outfitter. Thinking about adding rod holders to get the "rocket launcher" effect for 2 rods when trolling..


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## ComeOnFish (Apr 8, 2009)

About the sensitivity setting of the FF.

I set Cuda and HummingBird at 90-95 in the clear water. I think your setting 87-88% sensitivity sound pretty good where you fished. 
We fished on Saturday in Lake Anna for striper. We went through multiple cycles of calm, sunny, rain, sleet, and gust

joe


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## yakattacker (Mar 19, 2011)

Any luck at Lake Anna? I'll post a pic of the duct seal once I upload it off my phone.


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## ComeOnFish (Apr 8, 2009)

I forgot to mention this. Thanks for the posting the pictures of the launch site. Those pictures help kayakers. It looks that I can drive the vehicle right to the launch spot.
Regarding the pedal drive hole: 
If you want to save money (by not buying foam filler for the drive hole), you can make the filler using a block of foam packing material (not Styrofoam, the flexible kind). I did it before because I forgot to bring the pedal drive. I filled the hole with Pool Noodle I always carried inside of the center hatch to prevent tackle boxes from sliding.
This will make the kayak move faster and turn faster.

I was preparing the report for Lake Anna Fishing. We had everything weather-wise just like you described. We fished probably 8 hours in two different places. I was wearing a thick wet-suit jacket (6.5mm) and my friend was wearing dry top. We were wearing waist-high wader. We weren’t cold at all, but were drifted too fast in 20+ knots of wind many times

We were looking for striper but end up only one small striper. We moved and went for perch. But all perch and LM disappeared from the sure spot. We both aren’t freshwater angler. We had no idea what to do to catch WP in April. We caught one LM. That was it. We guessed that LM and WP went to somewhere to spawn.

Joe


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## cducer (May 7, 2010)

ComeOnFish said:


> I forgot to mention this. Thanks for the posting the pictures of the launch site. Those pictures help kayakers. It looks that I can drive the vehicle right to the launch spot.
> Regarding the pedal drive hole:
> If you want to save money (by not buying foam filler for the drive hole), you can make the filler using a block of foam packing material (not Styrofoam, the flexible kind). I did it before because I forgot to bring the pedal drive. I filled the hole with Pool Noodle I always carried inside of the center hatch to prevent tackle boxes from sliding.
> This will make the kayak move faster and turn faster.
> ...


Check the shallow coves .... especially if there is a feeder creek in it... or any kind of shoreline with some kind of weeds/ grass and you will find the perch, crappie, gills and bass


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## wdbrand (May 24, 2007)

Girls, I'm assuming you were fishing Sat. the 2nd. Pull up your weather site and look at the BP for that day. It happened here in Roanoke Va. as well Total lockjaw for a creek that was stocked on Friday with a ton of fish. If you don't know how, get back by PM and I'll walk you thru it.


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## ComeOnFish (Apr 8, 2009)

Cducer,
We will do that next time. It was amazing that I caught 20 LM and 6 WP in the same place a week ago. They were just gone. It was the first time we fishing in Spring in freshwater. My friend and I started fishing backward, from Ches. Bay/Ocean to the freshwater. I guess we don't have the fundamentals of the fishing. Our knowledge s mainly based on the current and the direction of the current. Being in the lake, it was odd that there was no current. We, at least I, were lost.

Thanks for the tip.
Joe


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## wdbrand (May 24, 2007)

ComeOnFish, it had nothing to do with tide, current or freshwater vs salt.


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## yakattacker (Mar 19, 2011)

Hi wdbrand,
Are you saying check the barometric pressure to forecast these fast moving storms? Or is there something that I should have known as to why the fish weren't biting? Any tips you can provide would be appreciated - I probably will on the water every Saturday morning that I can from now until I can't stand the cold in the fall... Being a new father and a hectic work schedule limits my options  but I love being out on the water on my yak, fair weather or not.

Thanks!



wdbrand said:


> Girls, I'm assuming you were fishing Sat. the 2nd. Pull up your weather site and look at the BP for that day. It happened here in Roanoke Va. as well Total lockjaw for a creek that was stocked on Friday with a ton of fish. If you don't know how, get back by PM and I'll walk you thru it.


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## yakattacker (Mar 19, 2011)

Thanks for the note about the filler for the mirage drive hole. The yak actually came with two of the Hobie plastic covers when I'm not using the drives. I tend to keep the second drive in anyway, last season, a nut on one of my drives got loose and the whole drive failed, so it was nice to have the second to switch out. Needless to say I double check those screws before heading out now. I know its not as aerodynamically efficient and extra weight to have the second one in there.

Joe, you seem pretty handy/innovative. With the outfitter, I do not have the option to use the Hobie livewell because the scupper holes are not configured the same as a single person yak (pictured below) nor do I want to pay $250 for it...










I was thinking that maybe I could design something to circulate water through the drive hole or the front seat's drainage holes (I don't have the second seat in when I am alone). Maybe its not cost effective to try to have water circulated in and out, and maybe I could just settle for an aerator like this.. 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Longer-Life-Bait-Kit/14012423

or a frabill minnow bucket that I can drop in the water. Just a thought though, thought I could make use of the front seat when I'm out there on my own.



ComeOnFish said:


> I forgot to mention this. Thanks for the posting the pictures of the launch site. Those pictures help kayakers. It looks that I can drive the vehicle right to the launch spot.
> Regarding the pedal drive hole:
> If you want to save money (by not buying foam filler for the drive hole), you can make the filler using a block of foam packing material (not Styrofoam, the flexible kind). I did it before because I forgot to bring the pedal drive. I filled the hole with Pool Noodle I always carried inside of the center hatch to prevent tackle boxes from sliding.
> This will make the kayak move faster and turn faster.
> ...


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Great report. Awesome pics.


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