Finally got to the lake (Alan Henry) today to set out some catfish lines. I was going to do jugs, but I'm operating out of a kayak and I figured a trotline was less equipment...

I don't recommend undertaking either in a kayak if you are impatient or in a hurry.... But, I got two trotlines set out from the yak - both with about a dozen hooks each. I wish I could have used live perch, but I couldn't quite master the logistics of catching bait and hauling it in a yak. I picked up some frozen shad at Academy instead. I usually don't like frozen bait but when it thawed out it smelled like the real deal and stayed on the hook pretty good.

Going back out to check the lines in the morning. Can't wait. haven't set out lines in way too long.

schanz:
Please advise how you did on the trip i fish of a yak also.
as for the perch. Get yourself a sabiki rig small gold hooks with white skin type thing, and place a small piece of salad shrimp on the hook (or use bread crumb squeesed together) and that is your set up. As for a live well you can use a small 2 gallon bucket up to a 5 gal bucket depending on the weight limit for your yak with a small aerotor

You want to get to a place that has light ealier before your set up your lines and you will be chumming up the area with saltine crackers all crumbled up every once in a while a good handfull or bread crumbs. and jig it up and down. fill up your bucket and your done.
The link below will take you to what im taking about for the jig i use half of the jig by cutting it and these little hooks get everywhere. Not cool on a yak.......

http://www.tackletogo.com/hayhagkaw.html

Good Luck Dude!

Not that I have much experience with kayaks, but I would think that a frabill type of minnow bucket would serve to hold live perch, as you can just tow it behind you, rather than take up boat space.

Regarding jugs, I put together 5 jugs like this to run from my pirogue (canoe). Used weedeater line crimped with snap swivels at both ends and barrel swivels spaced by crimps in the middle. Leaders easily snap on the main line and the main line snaps to the jug and with a weaker swivel to the weight. Everything for the jug is contained in or around the jug itself (pool chemical bottle). Only used these once so far, but I am impressed how easy the weedeater line is to work with.

Looks like a good set up. I am use that myself. Thanks

jugs probably would have been easier, but like most things I was in a rush and just went w/ what I had. Will definitely make up some jugs soon.

I'm more concerned about the full moon last night. We'll see if I did any good in a couple hours...

I'm excited to hear it. When I first moved to Texas two years ago, I bought a canoe to fish Joe Pool Lake. I caught crappie and bass, but never ran lines for catfish. My canoe was a plastic 14' thing that was almost four feet across. I took full five gallon buckets with minnows in it, and fished 3 people. Never tried a kayak fishing though. Should be exciting.

Have you thought about the possibility of there being a 20-30lb Blue on one of your lines? If that happened, you better have a solid stringer so you can tow him to shore... or better yet (worse?) a giant gar?

Good luck and be careful! A big fish can drive a hook into your hand when checking the line, so watch out. In a kayak it would be even more dangerous.

So how did ya do?

Still no report.... probably got taken for a ride by a big blue!

Just got back. Nothing to brag about but did have 2 decent size channel cats. I'm not complaining considering it was a bright full moon last night. A little windy today... supposed to be 40+ mph tomorrow. I left the lines out, thinking it may calm down over the weekend.

Interesting note. One line was over rocky bottom and the other over mud. The rocky one had nothing with most of the bait still on. The one over mud had both fish.

At least enough for a nice dinner tonight.

Oh, tried out a new pair of insulated waders today. They were awesome, stayed warm and dry. It was a wet ride w/ the wind and waves...

I have not run lines out of a yak but I did do some crappie fishing out one. I carried a frabill minnow bucket with minows in it . I just tied it off to the yak with a rope long enough to let it sit behind the yak while I was paddling. The bucket floats so you don't have to worry about that. Then I put my catch on a stringer.