In the Dark

Just wondering: From a yak, for stripers at night, the stealth factor has got to cut down on the distance casting that is sometimes necessary during the day. Right? Please say, "Right!" I can't cast a big fly during the day without nearly killing myself. At night, from a yak, trying to toss something heavy? Oh man, I'm dead.
  I'm thinking that I should/could roll it or just flip it toward the bank to feeding stripers. With hardware when I'm walkin it and being really stealthy, I can get 'em to respond positively within a few feet from where I'm positioned. From the water side, I'd think it'd be even better. Am i just being too optimistic?

Yes. All of the guys that I know who fish at night fish from powerboats & can really sling the flies. They often fish surface lures, esp. big foam jobs like Noel's Diver. It's simple math, really: the further you can cast, the longer you pull the fly thru/over the water, the more fish see it, the more strikes you get.

BTW, I've been fishing the delta from a kayak during the day for over 10 years & can cast pretty well sitting in a kayak. Easily 60 ft, and often well over 80. I agree that this is tough with big flies, so I use smaller ones. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. I use a 9wt  most of the time, and an 8 wt pretty often too.

Bill

Yes, those guys can cover a lot of water with very little effort. I guess I didn't explain myself very well. There's a lot of water out there. I'm not that interested in being able to throw my fly a long way, so it can be in the water longer so more fish can see it. I didn't explain that I'm talking about fish in the north bay. Stripers that can be 'snuck up on. From shore, a stealthy fisherman or woman, can't see how it would matter, can get a whole lot closer than 80 feet.
  So, I said to Self, "Self, if you can get close to them from shore, you ought to be able to get even closer with a yak."
  So, long casts wouldn't be as necessary. The bottom line is: If I can keep from knocking myself out with a weighted fly, not fall out of the yak and keep the yak facing in the right direction, well, then, I oughta not have to throw a fly 100 feet.
That's what I hope anyway.
David

Just fish and have fun , too much thinking. I do that alot too.

Too much thinking, you're right. I know you're right. I tell myself to shut up, but the voices just keep up. This is day two without making a cast; the voices in my head are getting louder. Five days to go before I can cast; it's gonna be party in my head by then.

Too much thinking, you're right. I know you're right. I tell myself to shut up, but the voices just keep up. This is day two without making a cast; the voices in my head are getting louder. Five days to go before I can cast; it's gonna be party in my head by then.

LOL

To avoid hooking yourself try angling your rod at about 2:30, I'm assuming your a righty. and keep your cast slow it will give you a bigger  loop. best way to go with bigger flies.

I don't know if it provides you any comfort, but I regularly startle trout who didn't see me coming until I nearly ran them over. I've also had LMBs, in shallow water, check out my yak as though they were curious. Seems like your stealthy thought would make sense.

P & F: If I could keep my arm in any one slot for more than 2 or 3 strokes, I wouldn't look like a shadow boxer out there. My bobbing, ducking and weaving skills are to be admired. lol. No, just messin. I know what your saying, in theory. I've done okay for lmb from a float tube with a fly rod, so it's should be okay, as long as I don't really have to zing 'em.

FF: Yup. done the same in a float tube. In fact, even from shore  -Oh no; here's where you guys may never talk to me again- I've had stripers swim up to me. See? 10 guys just hit "back to forum." Yea, swim right up to me, backs part way out of the water. Oh, there goes another 20 guys. Given the patients to be really still, stripers are funny curious little fishies. I once crawled on my hands and knees, comando style, up to a low saltwater bush. Two stripers were feeding on the other side. I slowly dropped my presentation over the top and jigged it up and down; they were popping it. Now, I'm writing to myself.
Anyway, I hope when the water hits about 55 degrees that I'm able to get out on the water and test it. I know one thing,,,,Sailfish,,,,,I'll have pics to prove that I can give my self a black eye.   

Sorry. One more thing; it's been 4 days since I've had my line in the water. The voices in my head have been multiplying expedentially. If ya knew how many voices that I/We started with, you'd understand how loud it is right about now.

And I hate that we cannot fish at night at the Forebay—just when the big'uns get into the shallows and hit poppers, we have to leave. It borders on criminal.

You don't have to leave you rascally rodent, you can fish from shore.

You'll have to school me. All the times I've tried I have never caught a single one wading at the Forebay. Not a one and I never get skunked from the float tube or the kayak there.

First lesson, don't wade.

I would wade because Lee Haskin told me about wading and catching Striper in the Forebay—he's just probably not as clumsy and loud as me though.