Kayak Bass and the Wounded Heroes
“Recently, I took a little road trip up to the Waddington/Massena NY area, and yes it was the weekend of the B.A.S.S. Elite series on the mighty St Lawrence.”
It was almost an 8 hr drive in rain. But the pro elite series was not what I was going for.
A side trip there might be in order, but was not my priority. Upon arrival as I pulled into the long driveway of my destination, I let out a sigh. The beautiful two-story home with a wrap-around porch on the banks of the St Lawrence was stunning. This would be my home for the next 3 days.
But, I would not be sleeping in any of the rooms in this house. These rooms were reserved for real life Heroes, a tent would be my sleeping quarters, and that was fine. This house was donated to Wounded Warrior Outdoor Adventures. An organization that opens its doors to servicemen and women who where unfortunate enough to have been injured during the time they were serving their country.
My part in this weekend was to band together with my fellow volunteers from Heroes on the Water-NJ Chapter to take these Heroes on a guided kayak fishing trip on a local lake chock full of bass.
The event on Saturday (Military Appreciation Day) was great. It was covered by the local Channel 7 news. Lots of fish caught and a great Hero won a fishing kayak in the raffle. He was swooped up and brought to the Elite site weigh in and was presented with his new yak on the grand stage in front of thousands.
Successful Event
The weekend was a success. Being part of something like this warms your heart and soul. There are so many opportunities for people like us in the fishing community where they can use us, our passion, our fire for the sport.
Being a volunteer is paying it forward. Being grateful and compassionate. After all, I had to rely on someone to teach and mentor me in the sport of bass fishing. So I challenge you all, go out find an organization and see what you can bring to them.
And not to mention all the great service men and woman who gave so much for their country, our Heroes.
Fishing Sandy Hook, NJ
The upcoming weeks will bring me to Sandy Hook, NJ; Wildwood, NJ{for saltwater species}; and Splitrock reservoir for its mighty smallmouth bass, and the Picatinnay Army Arsenal for its largemouth bass in the private lake on the property.
A cold front with 30mph winds and 25 degree drop in temp has slowed the bass fishing here in NJ a bit. Times like this, bass can be caught. It’s up to the angler to adapt. The last couple days I have been using a small 3.5″ swimbait on a 3/16 oz jighead and light line jigged vertically in 15-20 feet of water on suspended bass just below pods of baitfish.
When I find the pods, I find the bass. I’ve also found on my lake that the rock piles next to deep water (24 ft) held fish lower down the drop off so I adjusted my presentation.
As the days start to warm up again, we are forecast to be in high 80’s, these tactics will change a bit. Warmer and stable weather the full moon and a decent depth finder should make for some good bassin.
Editors Note:
Thanks to Bill for this informative article. It’s a reminder how important it is to give back to the community and share our passion. We’re indebted to those who serve our country and give our thanks.
About the author
Bill Peraino co-hosts “The Reel Deal” with Richie Moschella. The show can be found in northeast New Jersey where it has been running for four years. He is an avid Kayak fisherman where he can be found fishing with his Ocean Kayak. Bill has been bass fishing for 20 years. He brings his knowledge, tips and tricks to Bass Fishing Gurus.
Bill shares more experience with us in these articles
