Trout fishing from my yak

Hi Guys - as you know I got my new Hobie and tried it on the water today.  Was more focused on pedaling the yak than on my fishing, but slung a line, got nothing.  Quarry is a tough lake, or just has no fish, not sure which. 

Made me wonder though - can you approach trout fishing from the yak the same way you do from land - can you drop a power bait and wait for a bite if you wanted something less active for a bit?  People always tell me not to move trout food - but if that's the case why would they go for lures? 

Any tips on trolling with cast masters or Rapalas, I got a J9 Rap and not sure if I was using ti right.  Even if I had a FF, how would I know what depth my line is out to?

Any good links for info on stocked trout/lake trout habits and holds etc? 

Thanks all. 

Hi Guys - as you know I got my new Hobie and tried it on the water today.  Was more focused on pedaling the yak than on my fishing, but slung a line, got nothing.  Quarry is a tough lake, or just has no fish, not sure which. 

Made me wonder though - can you approach trout fishing from the yak the same way you do from land - can you drop a power bait and wait for a bite if you wanted something less active for a bit?  People always tell me not to move trout food - but if that's the case why would they go for lures? 

Any tips on trolling with cast masters or Rapalas, I got a J9 Rap and not sure if I was using ti right.  Even if I had a FF, how would I know what depth my line is out to?

Any good links for info on stocked trout/lake trout habits and holds etc? 

Thanks all.

Glad you got out! I'd recommend trolling a J-7 Rapala in firetiger, brook trout, or rainbow trout (that's my order of preference). Experiment with different speeds, but in each experiment keep the lure running at a consistent speed (usually around 1.5 mph). I find that I am less effective with Rapalas if I vary the trolling speed to much.

Also, the people who told you not to move trout bait? I bet they aren't very consistent fishermen. If I'm fishing with Powerbait or power eggs I keep them still at first, but if I'm not getting hit I'll slowly drag the bait, which often triggers the bite. I've had MANY days when trout will only hit power bait being slowly drug across the bottom. Good luck!

You can also lower the bait and drift with the wind.  anchoring is really not a must when fishing for trout especially when you have not located them...Once you got them zoned in, anchor and clean up.

Even if I had a FF, how would I know what depth my line is out to?

When it comes to rapala (or any other diving hard bait), each model is designed to dive to approximate depths and it will be noted somewhere on the box.  The J9 should get you between 6-8'.  When trolled or reeled in it will continue to stay at that depth until its nearly at your rod tip. 

It will not dive too much deeper than its rated for so paddling faster or letting out a couple hundred yards of line won't make it dive deeper.     


When trolling a plug I usually cast them as far as I can behind me, then paddle while letting out another 50 or so yards.....then flip the bail and start paddling.  You'll notice the rod tip moving back and forth, this is good as it means your plug is running true.....when it stops vibrating and steadily bends you got junk on your line, reel in and reset.   It varies by the lake, haven't been to quarry, but I'd estimate where the depth would hit about 13-15 feet and troll along that countour line along the shore.  6-8' is a good depth to run, should put you in the thermocline with active fish.   

Rapalas can be effective fished many ways but for me it seems the box is correct...  just fast enough to give it action.  I've gotten hits while it was on, or just below the surface as I drifted slowly in the wind.

Thanks guys, I find some reassurance knowing the Rap with run at a specific depth, no matter what I do, this removes the guessing for me.  I love the idea of taking a breather to eat a sandwich and drift with some power bait plastics sitting off bottom as if on shore.  I also love the idea of moving around the lake with the Rap going, I will look for the vibration.  I got a J-9 and a J-7 to work with, and hope to get some results when I head out tomorrow.  Do stocked trout typically run at that 6'-8' depth this time of year?  The thermocline is something I have been researching, but I find it hard to know where to get it in a closed lake.  I assume anywhere with a shelf then a drop will do it?  Tips much appreciated, I know there are fish out there, I also know I am not getting bit 8/10.

You're not gonna find a thermocline anywhere right now.  Don't worry about that until summer, when large lakes will stratify.  As a general rule for early spring, expect to find a lot of rainbows in the top 10 feet of water.  Oxygen is more plentiful there, and since water temperatures are mostly uniform from top to bottom this time of year, they won't be driven deep by high water temps.

I've never fished Quarry before, but here's what I'd do if I did: stick near the shoreline.  Fish the edges of weedbeds, shelves, the edges and the tops of main lake points, and any other kind of structure, be it boulders, docks, etc.  Avoid vast expanses of straight, featureless shoreline.  Once you hook up, turn around and really work the area by casting or drifting bait.  Freshly stocked rainbows love to school, so if you catch one, there's bound to be more nearby.  Concentrate your fishing during crepuscular times--mornings and evenings.  During midday, it might help to fish a little deeper.  If there's a steady wind, concentrate on fishing the wind-blown shoreline.  The wind can push phyto- and zooplankton up against the wind-blown shoreline and concentrate it, which in turn can attract baitfish and eventually predatory fish such as trout.  Another option would be to drift bait a few feet underneath a bobber, particularly if there's some chop on the water.  The wind waves will push your bobber up and down, which imparts a "jigging" action on your bait.  This can work extremely well, and it requires minimal effort on the part of the angler.  A minicrawler with a Power Egg can work wonders when underneath a bobber.

Hope this helps.  Catch a biggun!

Check out Mooch's "Paddling for Trout" article on the main homepage.   

Again - thanks all - these are really starting to help me get a better idea.  I went out on 3/8 and trolled a J-7 Rap for a few hours, nothing, I think I got a hit at one point, but nothing all day.  I tried drifting bait off bottom, I tried kastmasters, spoons, and a J-9 - nothing.  All in all, I spent 5 hours, got sun burnt, loved the yak ride, circles the lake 3-4 times and got not a single fish.  The Rap I figure it does it's jointed movement about 6-8 feet down, the box doesn't have the depth for some reason.  I am determine to conquer this lake, I want to get those fish, but seem to be doing it wrong still. 

Once my year membership pass comes and the burn on my legs recovers, I will go out again, and try to get a bite.  Should I use a deeper Rap, like a count down or deep dive?  I love the tips on fishing structure and following the wind, this really makes sense, and I like it because it takes away some of the mystery and defines it somewhat more scientifically.  I am not a big fan of fishing myth and superstition, I believe fish are biological and follow rules.  I aim to learn those rules, and know where the fish are, then to apply the art of working otu what they want or can be enticed to take.  I don't like random chance, and I feel today, that I am too much in random chance. 

Many thanks again for these tips.

P.S. the Hobie is incredible and so much fun.   

the box doesn't have the depth for some reason.

It's there, believe me.  Take your box, stand it vertically on end, as though it were hanging from a hook in the store, and then look on the very small top part.  It probably says that it fishes 3-5' deep.  Hopefully my directions work. 

Should I use a deeper Rap, like a count down or deep dive?

No, for reasons Clayman already mentioned.  Most trout this time of year will be in the top 10' and thus toplining floating rapalas will suffice.

I just read your report on the other board--bummer that you didn't hook up.  That's just how fishing goes, you won't get them every time even if you've studied the biology (and that's coming from a fish biologist!).  I highly doubt a broken-back Rapala was getting below 5 or 6 feet.  When I fish with them, they seem to ride only a few feet down.  And that should be just fine for this time of year.  Did you see any fish jumping or rolling on the surface?  How clear was the water?

If you saw fish jumping nearby, then it's probably a matter of trying different lures/baits until you find what they're in the mood for that day.  Maybe try running a Needlefish or Humdinger about 18 inches behind a few splitshot sinkers.  Or do the bobber thing I mentioned before.

If it seemed like there wasn't one trout in the whole lake, then you'll need to call them to you.  Check out some small flashers or dodgers, and follow the instructions on the package as to the rigging.  The flash and vibration produced by the flashers/dodger will draw trout in from long distances, making it easier to locate scattered fish.  Trolling a minicrawler 16 inches behind a dodger has become one of my favorite "searching" techniques for trout from my kayak, and it has produced even on the really slow days.

Heal up soon, March and April are often fantastic months for trout fishing!

What color J-7 are you using? I know that Ray-Mac fishes that lake like a pro and he swears by the firetiger color. I've never fished Quarry, but anytime I am fishing new water with a J-7 I always start with firetiger or brook trout since those seem to work best in most waters.

I have not had much luck fishing for trout using wind drift and bait but since I kayak first and fish second I like to keep moving. I plan to experiment with some jigs this summer in higher lakes.  I can tell you that I have had much luck using Panther Martins or Kastmaster types of lures.  Speed is often critical and this only works when the trout are near the surface.  The lure does not go deep enough later in the season when the trout are often deeper. I use larger heavier lures and let out more line as I paddle to get deeper.  I have used smaller flasher set ups with some success but they are cumbersome in a kayak.  I think a set up with a flasher would be very important in a lake such as Tahoe.

I have had decent luck with Rapala type lures but not more than the simple lures.  They are very sensitive to speed and most kayakers would tend to go much too fast. But I guess that applies to almost all lures.  I like to cast fish with Rapalas “bass” style.

When fishing steep shore reservoirs, I found that the fish caught kayak trolling are on the “face” of the steep banks. This does not mean that fish are not elsewhere but the reservoirs get so deep so fast that without a downrigger it is tough to get to them. I have had good success extremely near shore, the rockier and steeper the better.  These areas also see much less “shore” pressure than flatter areas.  I am often only 8’ from the bank but in 20’ of water with my lure 4-10’ deep but only 5-6’ from the bank. Set the drag very loose since you will bump and snag now and then.