There are 2 forum communities for kayak fishing in Michigan, both reaching out to the adjacent states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and the province of Ontario. The first event hosted by www.michigankayakfishing.com is the, “Harson’s Island Big Pike Hunt, April 12th – 15th”. Kayak Anglers have been getting together for a few years to capitalize on the abundance of Pike that frequent the waters in the Middle Channel near Harsen’s Island shortly after ice out. If there is any time to catch that personal best Pike this is the time. Original floating rapalas and shad raps flatlined behind the kayak are your best bet. The MKF will finish the year off with their, “7th Annual Salmon Fishing Trip, Sleeping Bear Dunes, September 13th – 16th”. If you only picked one trip to do this is the one. Kayak Anglers will camp at D H Day Campground in Glen Arbor, Michigan where they will walk their kayaks out to the beach along the board walk from the campground. Fishing for Salmon on the Sleeping Bear Bay on Lake Michigan is something every kayak angler should do at least once. Hooking onto a 20 pound plus King Chinook is the experience every angler would like to experience, but in a kayak is something hard to describe in words alone. Personally, I haven’t caught one that big, but I have seen other kayak anglers being dragged around and struggle to net a 20 pound Salmon. In 2011 Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore won the title of, “Good Morning America’s”, Most Beautiful Place in America.
The other Michigan Kayak Fishing community is www.kayakfishthegreatlakes.com and they will start the year off with the, “No-Mo Charity Kayak Fishing Tournament”, on Sunday, May 6th, 2012. It is the 3rd year for this event with proceeds raised going to “Make- A- Wish Foundation”, their goal is to have 50 participants for this year’s event. For 2012 they will offer “2012 KFGL Season Long Online Challenge”, check out their website for details. Below are the events hosted by the 2 communities for 2012;
The Canadian Kayak Anglers has active members from across Canada. In 2011 the CKA hosted ”Cross Canada Tour” which was 5 Kayak Fishing events across Canada with the lone Ontario event the “Border City Classic” held in Windsor, Ontario. For 2012 the CKA has joined up with the Michigan Kayak Fishing community as co-hosts and this year’s event will run on both sides of the border on Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River. Registration will start some time in February. The event will be limited to 70 participants and already has secured a “Jackson Cuda” as a prize to be given away, the entry fee will include an opportunity to win the Kayak. The CKA has also run an online AOTY for the past 3 years in both freshwater and saltwater, in several regions of Canada.
Yakfisher is an Ontario based Kayak Fishing Forum and promotes the Ontario Kayak Fishing Series, put on by Nomad Adventures, which will be going into it’s 4th year of events. This year’s series will be downsized from last years number of events with the main dates being the popular South River, and Haliburton 2 day events. Plans for a Quinte Walleye event in May are also in the works with a date to be set soon. Yakfisher will host an Ottawa based Kayak Fishing event with a firm date to be announced soon. An online AOTY Derby run by Yakfisher is my personal favourite of the online Kayak Fishing Derbies. Plans for 2012 have yet to be announced.
The following are the Ontario based Kayak Fishing events for 2012;
For the avid Freshwater Kayak Angler, you have many choices of events, some competitive and some are for strictly getting together with other kayak anglers. These are a great place to meet and learn from others that share a common interest. In 2009 I fished my first event in Haliburton, Ontario. It was my first full season as a kayak angler and it was here that I met many other people interested in this new way to fish. All of the forums mentioned above have a lot of good kayak anglers that are willing to share knowledge about fishing, kayaks and rigging that will help you to enjoy the sport of Kayak Angling.
Jigging For Walleye In a Hobie Kayak If you are familiar with Jigging for Walleye on the Detroit River you would find it hard to understand how someone can do it out of a kayak, unless you knew how a Hobie Mirage Drive Kayak works. With the combination of the Mirage Drive and rudder you can accomplish the same thing as a powerboat that uses an electric motor or a kicker motor to maneuver
CKA Cross Canada Tournament Series Windsor, will be the Ontario stop of the CKA Cross Canada Tournament Series. The Border City Classic will be held on June 30th, 2012 and co-hosted by the Michigan Kayak Fishing Community. The event will be a 3 best LM/SM Bass, Catch, Photo, and Release format. There will also be a challenge between American and Canadian Kayak Anglers for
Freshwater Kayak Fishing Events 2012 We are into the beginning of February and most of the Kayak Fishing event dates for 2012 have been set. Now is the time to check your calendars and select the events you wish to participate in. Most events are designed to attract all ranges of experience to help promote kayak fishing. It has been written that freshwater kayak angling
Loaded up the kayak this morning to try and get out for Musky on The Thames, after work. Sunshine and about 10 to 12 mph winds from the SSW were predicted on Intellicast, the Internet site that I rely on for weather forecasts. I decided to slip out at about 10am from work and not compete with the after work crowd on the water. Just as I thought, there were
There is nothing I like better than a couple of fresh Steelhead fillets barbequed on cedar plank in my Big Steel Keg. After purchasing my Big Steel Keg this past spring, I swore to never BBQ on gas again. It doesn’t matter what I put on the grill, it is always moist and delicious. It really doesn’t matter how you marinate or dress the fillets, it is the
In 2007 I purchased my first Hobie Adventure Island Kayak and decided to buy the second one a Hobie Revolution, late in November of that same year. In 2008 I discovered people were fishing from kayaks and decided to give it a try. Though I grew up on the water I never fished seriously. That changed this past season where I fished from April to the end of November for all species and caught my first Musky late in October on the Thames River. I try to get out at least once a week and will participate in the Ontario Kayak Fishing Series ths summer and fall. Update - February 2012 The past couple of years have gone by fast and my Kayak Fishing has expanded throughout Ontario and Michigan waters. With a recent purchase of a travel trailer, my girlfriend Julie and I have gone as far as Northern Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore, fishing Lake Michigan for Salmon and also Northern Ontario in various inland lakes. Starting in April of 2011 and finishing on New Years Eve, my time on the water reached almost 500 miles and 300 hours. I am hoping to expand on that for 2012. http://pka.canadiankayakanglers.com
