As the waters rise in the spring on Mississippi waters, backwaters in creek arms begin to swell and grant access to old sloughs and run-offs scattered along these waterways.
These sloughs are the bread and butter of kayaking crappie anglers like Bubba Weeks of Grenada, who uses the shallow draft and easy launch ability of a kayak to his advantage.
“Using a kayak, it’s a lot easier to cross a ditch or creek channel than wading,” Weeks said. “I can also get my kayak up the smallest stream and into a swampy area that big boats can’t reach.”
As far as range of the little boat, Weeks indicated that with just moderate paddling he can outrun a trolling motor without exerting a whole lot of effort. That puts his fishing range at a mile or better in any direction from where he puts in — longer if he piggy backs the boat.
“I can put this boat in anywhere on this lake,” Weeks said. “I strap it on the rear rack of my four-wheeler and use a number of old logging roads to get down to wherever the water has come up to — the same way the guys who wade-fish do.”
Tackle for kayaking is comparable to that used by wade fishermen. Weeks uses a 10-foot jig pole paired with a simple spool reel that’s used to store line. He favors 1/16- to 1/8-ounce jigs, and his go-to color for the dinghy water is anything with orange in it.
“Space is limited on the kayak, which means no room for a bait tank or depth finder,” he said. “My fishing is done all with artificials, and I rely on my rod tip or paddle when I want to know how deep the water is where I’m fishing.
“I keep a cooler strapped to the back of the kayak to put fish in — which on a good day doesn’t take long to fill.”
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