'Yak attack on the Mighty Muskegon River

Saturday, I was able to take a float trip with some buddies down the Muskegon River, located in West Central Michigan. We launched at the Croton Dam and floated 14 miles into the town of Newago. The weather was overcast and temperatures topped out in the mid sixties. We had a full moon within the previous few days, so the fishing outlook was good. The water was very clear and moving along at a pretty good clip, 2010 cfm discharge at Croton Dam.

Getting Ready to Launch

Mike with his Perception Caster 12.5

Derek with his Wilderness Systems Pungo 140

Jeff with his Ocean Kayak Scrambler

Daryn with his Creek Company Pontoon getting in some quick casts

Myself with my Mainstream Kingfish and lucky fishing hat



Fishing
The Muskegon River holds a variety of gamefish including Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, and Muskie. Also, the Michigan DNR stocks this stretch of the river with Rainbow, Brown and Brook Trout. The habitat in this area is pretty typical for most river, a series of deeper pools and shallow riffles. There are tons of rocks throughout the entire stretch, with many large boulders. While tying on a new lure, I wasn't paying attention downstream and slammed sideways into on of the Muskegon's massive boulders. The durability and stability of my kayak was tested and certified on this particular collision. Mike and Daryn were having good luck throwing small No. 1 & 2 spinners as well as jerk baits such as the Rapala X-rap. The hot color seemed to be a rainbow trout pattern as Daryn and Mike cleaned up using these. Most of the fish caught were rainbow trout with the occasional brook and brown trout thrown in the mix. Daryn also landed a couple nice smallmouth bass on his Hot Steel X-Rap, his go to lure. Mike had the most success throwing out a small rainbow trout spinner.


My lucky fishing hat didn't seem to help out my cause, as I officially got skunked. Even Derek, who wasn't fishing, managed to catch something.....a trophy sized minnow in his sandal. I employed various tactics such as throwing an X-Rap and small spinners. The fish must have heard I was on the river and decided to steer clear of the Kingfish. No matter what I tried, I was having no luck at all. Even Derek, who wasn't fishing, caught a minnow that swam into his sandal. To make matters worse, I had several trout surface or jump within feet of my kayak. They were definitely taunting me. Derek had found a small Panther Martin along the bank, and it was a brown trout colored pattern. Thinking it was an omen, I decided to tie it on and give it a whirl. During a rest stop along the river, Derek even found a Hellgrammite crawling around in his kayak. These little critters are like candy to trout, so I put a hook and split shot on to drift this magical live bait. Unfortunately, neither of these omens panned out for me. Looking back, I believe the problem was the line I was using. I have some Fireline Crystal that worked well for me last season, however the Muskegon is much clearer water than what I normally fish. My line looked like white sewing thread in the water and probably made the leery trout uneasy. I should have tied on a mono leader, which would have made my presentation more subtle.

The Results
Daryn's Nice 16" Smallmouth
Daryn's Dandy 16" Rainbow
Mike's Eater 11" Rainbow

Numerous keeper Rainbows in the 10-11" range were released by Mike and Daryn although some of Daryn's were unverified

Mike managed to catch a couple 9" brookies that were released



A few more pics

Daryn's Float 'Toon
Daryn custom built his seat platform for his fishing rig. It is a slick outfit, very stable and fisherman friendly.

Heading down the River

Sand Cliffs

Kayak Fishing

Last year, I purchased my first kayak for a float/fishing trip on the Manistee River (MI) over Memorial Day. Since then, I have used it on many fishing trips on my home water, the Grand River (MI). The kayak I purchased is the Mainstream Kingfish, a 12 foot sit on top kayak that is specifically set up with the fisherman in mind. (Lost my camera charger, so it's out of commission at the moment: will have some pics added later.) I picked mine up from Dick's Sporting Goods on clearance for $300 bucks, what a bargin!! It is wider than most kayaks and very stable. I have found that it paddles a bit slower than other kayaks, but this is not a problem for me. The Kingfish features a generous water tight storage area in the hull of the kayak, and has a spot molded in behind the seat that will hold a crate or a 5 gallon bucket. I have found that both these items fit very securely in the pre-molded indentations. The only complaint I have about the kayak is the seat, it's not very comfortable for long trips but this is easily rectified by replacing it.

I'm really excited to start customizing my 'yak in the next month, but already added some nice touches to it. The first thing I did was add a rod holder for trolling and for that "extra hand." It is important when installing rod holders and other accessories to coat the base with silicon sealant to prevent leaks. I also added a "brush clip" in order to clip onto tree branches or dead fall. I took about 3-4 of rope and tied a quick clip carribeaner to the end which allows me to wrap the rope around a branch, etc. and then clip it back onto itself. This provides an easy and fast means to hook/unhook as necessary. A 5 lb. dumbbell weight on about 15 feet of rope serves as an anchor. A milk or office crate works great for carry and organizing your tackle and can be customized to suit your needs. I took a "bucket mate", which wraps around a 5 gallon bucket and has various pockets, and attached it around my crate. This holds various items such as: extra line, pliers, sinkers, and other misc. items you would normally put in the large compartment of your tackle box. For my tackle, I just use the clear plano 3700 boxes and stack them in the crate.

There are definitely some items I plan on adding to the 'yak this year. The top priority is to install rod holders on my crate to accommodate extra rods. Right now, I use my rear scupper holes to stow my spare rods. It is easy and affordable to make your rod holders, and I plan on using PVC pipe to rig one up on the backside of my crate. Also, I plan on adding another front and side mount rod holder. The front mount will come in handy for that "extra hand" and the side for an additional trolling rod. Another accessory I would like to add is a mount for my fish finder, and my transducer. As soon as I build this I will post pictures and describe the materials I used to make it. My anchoring system is in need of a serious overhaul, and I plan on constructing a system that uses pulleys, much like that on a boat.

Kayak fishing is very addictive and a great way to stay in shape. You are right down at water level, and often bigger fish will tow you around. They allow you to easily pack up some camping gear and make an extended float trip. Kayaks are easy to launch and open up all kinds of possibilites you would not have open to you in a boat. They are perfect for exploring remote and shallow waters, and allow you to fish areas without a boat launch. Overall, I am extremely pleased I purchased mine and will put it to very good use for years to come.