Bass Week: Off-Grid Kayak Bass Fishing

The challenge of a creative kayak launch is a big part of the fulfillment derived from plucking bass from hard-to-access waters. You just have to find a way.

April 08, 2024 By Thomas Allen

Shared from the pages of the 2023 edition of Kayak Fishing Fun.

The early June day was absolutely perfect. You just don’t get many like that—high skies, 80 degrees, nearly flat calm and the bass were a special-kind-of-hungry as the spawn was winding down—perfect for a kayaking largemouth slugfest. This was to be an exceptional day based on company alone: My son Tommy was in tow, who has become quite the hammer on bass waters, plus my two friends and legendary Yoopers Alex Sherbinow and photographer Scott Niska who was pulling double duty with the camera and rod and reel.

The goal was to conduct a road launch with a fleet of Old Town Sportsman kayaks on a beautiful lake that didn’t offer a modern public ramp. Both Alex and Scott are fully capable bass anglers in their own rights, but they were certainly impressed by the abundant bassy habitat in the small lake before we even pushed the kayaks back. In fact, while we were still launching Alex hooked up on a nice one, just mere yards from the drop point. Of course, that initiated the trash talk that would last the entire day.

road launch kayak fishing trip — Accessing pristine waters that are hard to reach is why fishing kayaks have become so popular over the years. Sometimes you have to get creative to slip a kayak into the water.

preparing kayaks to launch — The cool thing about kayak bass fishing is you can rig your 'yak to suit your preferred fishing style. Rig as elaborate as you like, or keep it simple. There's no wrong way to approach it.

Right off the bat, we found a few topwater biters, caught some on crankbaits, and a couple on a Texas-rig—but the grand slam proved to be flipping reeds with a 1/2-ounce Strike King Denny Brauer Structure Jig dressed in a Rage Craw—green pumpkin across the board. The fish were shallow feeding heavily on crawfish in pencil reeds wherever the finer pea-gravel met larger chunk rock. We were literally calling our shots.

One of my favorite moments of the day was watching my son pin down the pattern for himself. He backed out of the section of reeds we were fishing together and move down the shoreline to an area we hadn’t hit yet. He nosed his kayak to the edge of the vegetation, confidently stood up and on the first flip he lowered his rod tip and set the hook with gusto. It was almost elegant how he managed to keep his center of gravity while fighting the fish to the boat—a fine 3-pound Minnesota green bass.

fishing clear water from a kayak — Sliding through slick and clear waters from the seat of a fishing kayak is an intimate experience.

There’s nothing like untouched largemouths in a healthy fishery. Not only was the lake full of lush weeds and ideal habitat for spawning bass, but it also set up right for the kayaks. Small, untouched fisheries like this offer excellent proving grounds for a developing angler. Or anyone just looking for a great day of fishing.

Avoid the Crowds

I love where I live. There are countless farm ponds, small, medium lakes, and even renowned large lakes where the bass fishing is as good as anywhere on the continent. The Upper Midwest offers the dedicated bass-angling kayaker more options to find and catch large- and smallmouth bass than they could possibly fish in a lifetime.

kid fishing for bass from a kayak — Kayak bass fishing has exploded in recent years, especially when you can get places that regular boats simply cannot reach.

But the truly best options often require research by evaluating maps, navigating private-land access or road launches—and in my experience the fishing can be life-changing. As a kayaker, I love the added adventure that comes with accessing hard-to-reach waters. The extra effort adds an element of satisfaction—similar to that of a DIY project seen through to fruition.

Customizing a kayak to your unique specifications, hauling, and launching it is certainly culminated by successful fishing—most especially when getting there takes extra effort.

scott niska with a nice bass — Photographer Scott Niska had to put the camera down to enjoy a hot bite. An experienced kayak angler in his own right, Niska understands how much fun kayak angling can be.

Out Looking for Trouble

Kayak bass fishing in this part of the world certainly requires more work when targeting backwoods-type lakes. Nothing proves the value of a kayak more than when you’ve located the right body of water that seems impossible to get to—you just know it’s full of unpressured fish. I got into kayaks by accident, but once I realized that no matter how simple or extravagant the rigging, they provide a platform to fish bodies of water that most larger fishing boats simply wouldn’t have access to.

But it’s not always that easy.

Get Permission: Many of the lakes without hard ramps are often landlocked by private landowners—farm ponds especially. It’s absolutely critical to garner permission to cross someone’s property to access a lake or pond. I use the OnX app on my smartphone for locating a landowner to request hunting permission, but I’ve found it handy for kayak access, too. I’ve also found most property owners are usually pretty willing to allow kayak access. Just do the right thing, knock on a few doors, be respectful and ask. The worst they can say is “no.” But you might also find an opportunity to make new friends.

Fishing in kayaks standing up — With the impressive stability that modern fishing kayaks offer, anglers can choose to fish standing up or sitting down. Stay safe and always wear a PFD.

big bass jumping next to a fishing kayak — Bass fishing from a kayak is an incredible experience. You can rig your kayak with modern electronics and have a ball.

bass angler catching bass from a kayak — Tommy is still in high school, but he's a very accomplished bass angler and kayak operator. He prefers to fish standing up, and gets it done every time.

Cart It In: Unless you’re planning to launch from the road, a kayak cart of some sort will not only protect the hull during the haul, but also make it easier on your back. With today’s larger fishing kayaks, you need a sturdy cart—and it needs to be simple. The new Railblaza C-Tug R with Kiwi Wheels fits the bill for many scenarios a kayaker might encounter. It’s highly adjustable, lightweight, breaks down and stows in seconds and will support up to a 220-pound payload. It’s an ideal cart for navigating a gravel road, someone’s yard or a groomed trail.

10-railblaza-c-tug-r-cart — The Railblaza C-Tug R with Kiwi Wheels is a fine option for getting your fishing kayak to inaccessible waters.

For the trail-blazing kayaker, the Wilderness Systems Heavy Duty Kayak Cart with the no-flat or balloon-style wheels will help you get over rough and extra-soft terrain. This cart will support a loaded kayak up to 330 pounds. I’ve also seen anglers rig up a lightweight trailer that connects to a bicycle that they’ll run it a couple miles deep on a local bike trail to access a small creek that feeds into a near impenetrable lake—word was the bass fishing was second to none. No matter your objective, you’ve got to be able to cover some ground without dragging it.

Plan Your Arrival and Departure: If you’re road launching, suitable parking may not be available. That may mean someone else might have to drop you off and pick you up. During the story above, we had to quickly drop the kayaks off at the launch site and drive the truck and trailer back to the family cabin, then get a ride back to the launch. It takes some coordination, but if you plan ahead, it’s not hard.

Pack Conservatively Yet Adequately: Bass anglers totally go overkill when it comes to being prepared—I carry well over 30 rods and just as many tackle trays in my bass boat. It takes asserted discipline to not overpack for a kayak trip—I’m still learning. I have a set-aside kayak tackle box that has a one or two of everything I’m likely to encounter, and maybe five or six Lew’s rods and reels at the most. The time of year and bite will determine the specific combos and gear I’ll pack. I’ve found that I fish smarter with fewer options—make an educated decision before you leave. If it’s a primitive launch back in the woods, I’ll downsize even more focusing on two or three likely presentations.

releasing a bass fro a kayak — It's very important that if you fish tough-to-access bass waters to put fish back.

For a lighter load, my go-to’s include a jig and trailer, vibrating jig like a Strike King Thunder Cricket and Strike King Rage Swimmer, a mid-depth diving crankbait and a topwater option or two. That’s the bare minimum.

Keep Yo Mouth Shut: The final piece of advice I have here is to not divulge your secret kayak honey holes. If you’ve truly found a magical place, keep the details under wraps and don’t overshare images or video that may reveal obvious landmarks on the social networks. Some things are best left to memory and imagination. I can personally attest to how frustrating it is to show up to your Top-Secret bass lake and find some other jackleg there who didn’t put in the blood, sweat and tears you did.

Finding off-grid bass fisheries takes time, expertise and especially effort. To experience a special place from a kayak is truly as good as it gets. When you do find a few amazing spots, don’t forget about conservation. In my neck of the woods, it doesn’t take much to damage a fishery, and it may take years to recover. I’ve worked for years to keep up to a dozen hard-to-reach lakes in rotation to launch the kayak—I’d rather not hit the same place more than two or three times a year if that. And they stay good because of that.

Be consciences and practice catch-and-release. Paddling or pedaling on pristine waters to catch piles of big bass from a ‘yak is top shelf—especially on a place you have all to yourself.