OluKai | I Cast In a Yak

Sneak attack on Lake St. Clair bass! – Photo by Aaron Rubel

When the sun sets slow and fire flies rise in margins between fields, forest and still water, the spirit of kayak anglers awaken on marsh laden edges of Lake St. Clair in search of smallmouth and largemouth bass.

Lake St. Clair sits between Lake Huron to the north (upstream) and Lake Erie to the south (downstream) in Southeastern Michigan. It is one of the premier smallmouth bass fisheries in the United States, where notably the healthy largemouth bass population is often overlooked. Fortunately, access for kayak anglers in this large and popular recreational boating lake is ample via canals, river channels, by slipping the yak in along convenient road side pull offs, as well as little used and out of the way island launches. The lake is divided between US and Canada shoreline options. Adventurous paddlers, through studying maps and strategic launch points, can navigate narrow openings through high grass to out of the way freshwater flats fishing.

Image Credit: Google Maps

There are a lot of great sub-surface flies to lure Lake St. Clair bass into a tussle, but I’m a sucker for top water triggers like hoppers, poppers, and large foam ant patterns. The surprise of a line gone tight on a meaty streamer in turquoise depth is thrilling, but there’s nothing like a heavy smallie or largemouth rolling on a fly you’ve presented upon glassy water on a warm and beautiful evening.

Author of IcastInaYak, Aaron Rubel, tying on a grasshopper fly.

On a normal day of fishing Lake St. Clair, when one bass is found, numerous others are there for the taking. On one recent excursion, the night drew late and I left both smallmouth and largemouth feeding upon decision to make my way back through the marsh to the takeout. It’s ironically a good feeling to have caught several nice fish and have to turn your back on others in hopes for that next trip out.

Releasing a largmouth on Lake St. Clair – Photo by Aaron Rubel

The prized bass on Lake St. Clair are the bronzebacks. The average sized smallmouth on Lake St. Clair is three pounds, which is hard to believe unless you’ve actually experienced it. On some days, the numbers of heavy fish will spoil the angler not residing close enough to call the lake their home water.

Lake St. Clair smallmouth at dusk – Photo by Aaron Rubel

If you are looking forward to a trip to Lake St. Clair, you should be prepared with fly patterns simulating forage of gobies, large crayfish (or crawfish if you’re from the deep south), and baitfish patterns with coloration of perch and bluegill. The average depth of the lake is only eleven feet, and so be aware of approaching storms that could quickly change surface conditions. Wear your PFD, and post a flag that makes the kayak visible in case very large and high speed boats that often traverse the lake approach. Quaint communities dot the shoreline of Lake St. Clair, where festivals and old fashioned eateries abound. Fish grow fast and thick in this fishery, so be prepared for an adventure that you will be wishing never had to end.

A fatty on the fly – Photo by Aaron Rubel

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Over the years I’ve learned that an easy to use and quiet anchor system is key to successfully closing the deal on an approach to feeding fish or settling into position for searching a potential spot. It’s difficult to beat an anchor trolley system as it provides options for a stake out pole or anchor on a line. The system made by Hobie provides all working parts including the screws and washers. The installation takes about an hour and a half.

The directions are easy to follow, right down to drill bit size for holes. Drill as few holes as possible through the hull of your kayak, but when doing so adds value like this assembly does make sure and squeeze silicone into the holes of the pulley bracket and onto the screw shaft for good measure.

There’s different philosophies of how far forward to assemble the front pulley bracket, but I put mine about 24″ from the tip of bow although the instructions advise twelve inches. However, I do follow directions on assembling the rear pulley twelve inches from stern. With assembling the front pulley farther aft, I can be assured the anchor rope will be underneath surface of water before plane of the nose so I don’t clip the line with my fly or line when retrieving from a cast.

The other day I fished with Jackson Kayak Pro-Staffer Justin Seiffert. He recommends installing the front pulley at the mid-kayak/cockpit region. The reasoning behind this, according to Justin, is to minimize the risk of a fish getting caught in the line when fighting anywhere out in front of the angler’s seating position. Another idea that Johnson Outdoors Pro-Staffer Blake Walters utilizes is an anchor and rope that is coiled onto a floating buoy. Blake disengages the buoy assembly from the trolley ring when he catches a fish. This is a great idea for the angler who wants to drift away from the risk of being wrapped up in an anchor line while fighting a fish, and then able to re-unite with the anchor by visibly locating the small buoy.

Once the pulleys are in place, thread the line back through the pulleys to required length for your kayak. It will be important to tighten the rope prior to securing onto pulley system, as it will stretch a little over time.

The anchor rope will feed through the trolley ring and you can store the excess rope underneath, beside seat, or in a netted pocket if available. I prefer to use an 8 lb polymer coated dumbbell as an anchor. A metal claw anchor works well, but they make a lot of noise inside the kayak and as they hit the floor of the water column, they become great conservation tools (scaring fish away)! It should be noted that I don’t recommend using an anchor if fishing big open water or flowing rivers for safety reasons. In the case of expansive open water, large swells can lift and then flip the kayak if an anchor is deployed, making for a bad day.

A cleat is a nice addition to secure the rope for easy operation of maintaining anchor depth or quick release when retracting line.

If there’s one accessory that will increase enjoyment of kayak fishing, it’s adding an anchor trolley. The Hobie anchor trolley system is easy to install and a feature of your kayak that will be used often. Check it out at your local kayak dealership!

I Cast In a Yak

by Aaron Rubel about Adventures in Kayak Fishing and Fly Fishing

Tag Archives: OluKai

Fly Fishing for Lake St. Clair Bass

Installing a Kayak Anchor Trolley System