Question for MB4850 (or anyone)

[mdmfxstsb]

Not new to fishing but definitely new to kayak fishing and I have a question about distance limitations. I see that you fish Beaver Lake (I lived in Springdale until 2009) so I am interested in how "limited" you feel when you fish there. In a boat, the entire lake is pretty much at my disposal but in a kayak I'm not sure how far I can/should range.

Do you have a single launch site and just fish that area or do you launch from different sites to get to certain honey-holes? I live in southeastern Virginia now and even the smaller lakes around here seem intimidating because I don't see how I can cover much water.

Any advice is appreciated.

[bfish]

I am not familiar with Beaver, but I have taken my kayak out on Anna which is nearby (stay away on weekends too much powerboat traffic). I can easily cover 2-3 miles of shoreline, if I am pounding the bank. And while trolling (1.5-3.0 mph), my gps will say that I have covered 15+ miles in a day. I have no issues with launching, then paddling for a mile or so to get to the fishing hole. Obviously if a convenient ramp is closer, it saves some time.

EDIT to add: Some kayaks are much slower than others. Generally speaking longer and skinner kayaks are faster than short and wider kayaks.

[G.Gordon]

I fish Truman, it is huge, get a good set of maps or be good at using your gps in your car/truck to find other pts to launch. Truman cut off dozens upon dozens of dirt roads that still dead end in or close to the lake. I've got a set of DeLorme topo maps for the area, use my gps, and maps of the lake bought online to find every access pt that will save me time. That said, I don't mind paddling a mile or two up or down to fish, the reason we like kayak fishing is it slows things down, makes you more thorough, and gets you exercise all in one package.

You don't need a ramp, anywhere someone can bank fish, you can launch. Get or build a cart or set of wheels if you find good launches that require more than a couple dozen yards of portage.

[mdmfxstsb]

Thanks for the replies. I like the idea of launching away from the ramps. Seems like it would take a lot of paddling to get away from all the boat traffic.