By Blake Abbey, Kayak King Charters
As we exit out of the winter, I think it’s safe to say that we are all excited to see our local snook still swimming around in healthy numbers. I was a little worried when I saw all the videos online of dead fish and snook barely moving in the backwaters. For me there is no greater time than March and April for fishing the Tomoka River! The thing I love about being in the kayak is that I can navigate from Sanchez Park all the way up to LPGA. The further up the river I go the less people and pleasure-boaters I see. This makes for an amazing kayak fishing adventure.
My top three lures I bring with me are spinnerbaits, lipless crank baits and paddle tails. The variety of fish you can catch on these three baits is incredible. Snook, Largemouth Bass, Tarpon, Bowfin, Redfish and Black Drum are just a few of the species you will have a shot at in this beautiful brackish water fishery. When fishing the Tomoka River I also like to use a Gary Yamamoto senko when exclusively targeting bass. With a full moon in late February, the spawn will be in full effect early March. “Dead sticking” a senko is deadly when targeting bed fish. The topwater bite will eventually turn on in late March so I’ll always have bone colored spook on the kayak because everyone knows there’s nothing better than topwater blow ups.
If you’re into using live bait, you can always swing by Tomoka Boat Club Marina and get some live shrimp. The boat club also has a kayak launch area that costs $5. There are tons of fish very close to the marina so if you don’t want to go on a long run on your kayak you can simply start fishing the river right when you launch. I’ve caught some very respectable snook under the US-1 bridge which is a stone’s throw from the marina. The watercolor is stained brown, so you won’t have any issues with line shy fish. I would recommend a 20-25lb leader at all times; due to the barnacles and lay downs you will be pulling your fish out of when fishing the banks.
There is literally no better water in our area to sightsee and have an epic day of fishing. If you’re interested in exploring and catching some fish feel free to give me a call. Let’s go have some fun!
