Maiden Voyage on my first yak!

[Hookmanski]

My girlfriend is awesome and bought me a kayak for my birthday! I picked it up this evening and couldn't wait to get it in the water, so I didn't! I threw it on the civic and launched onto a calm part of the Passaic, real close to my house.

The water is pretty stained, but i could see lots of vegetation throughout the whole riverbed. I paddled upstream and the floated down a bank and threw some topwater baits, but there was no interest. I didn't have too much time before dark, so I switched to a black and blue ned rig. If you're not using the ned rig, WHY??? It always works. I paddled to the other side of an island where the current was very slow and managed a decent crappie and smallmouth.

The kayak, a Lifetime Tamarack Angler 100, handled awesome. I'm going to make some upgrades and add some features, but what it came with is pretty great.

Now that I have this I'm really excited to be able to explore some bigger bodies of water! I've kayak fished RVR and done pretty well so I'll probably go back to try and get a laker, but I'm looking to find some new kayak friendly water to fish too. If you have any recommendations I'd appreciate them!

Hope you all enjoy the weekend before the rain this week! Looks like a gross one ahead. Tight lines!

[thmyorke1]

Awesome gift! I wouldn't float in rvr without a life jacket, I'd get thalassophobia real quick.

Nice fish. Maybe try the DnR canal? Real easy to paddle around there since no current.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Awesome birthday gift! You christened the vessel with fish on the first trip? That means it’s meant to be. Explore til you can’t explore anymore dude!!!:D

[Eskimo]

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That's a great birthday gift. Gaining the ability to leave the shoreline feels like growing wings.


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[JDTuna]

Awesome man! Like Eddie said, explore! Literally endless possibilities for fishing spots with a kayak.

[NorthJerzyG]

Congrats on the new yak!! Couple decent fish to keep the skunk away from the maiden voyage.

Pretty sure I know that spot being that I'm also located very nearby. Prob see you around there sometime, or we could meet up see what's lurking around........

[akoop]

Nice gift, sounds like the girlfriend is a keeper.

Tilcon lake is a nice place to kayak on and you might even get into a landlocked salmon.

[icebadger]

congrats on the new yak you did well on the first trip. you might try splitrock or the rockaway river.. the cong is a bit crazy this time of year if you have a battery operated stern light then you might try the night bite action. where ever you go you should always have a pfd on or with you good luck and be safe:cool:

[FishOnKV]

Congrats on the first yak! I got one 2 years ago and it has really made a world of a difference. Way to get some fish in the boat on your first outing.

[briansnat]

Some suggestions for places to try your boat. Green Turtle Pond, Splitrock Reservoir, Ryker Lake, Monksville, Ramapo River and Pompton River.

This map should give you a boatload of ideas about where to put your kayak in for some fishing https://paddling.com/paddle/locations/

[Hookmanski]

Thanks for all the advice guys! Work has been crazy but I was able to take it out on the Passaic again yesterday afterwards. I caught another decent smallie (abit bigger than the picture in this thread), a nice crappie and 6 or 7 big redbreasts all on a ned rig.

Congrats on the new yak!! Couple decent fish to keep the skunk away from the maiden voyage.

Pretty sure I know that spot being that I'm also located very nearby. Prob see you around there sometime, or we could meet up see what's lurking around........

I'd be down to meet up! Tons of water to fish around there too, im looking for the pike!! Shoot me a pm.

Im going to try a bunch of the places recommended! Love the freedom the kayak provides. Tight lines!