We are back on the water for hot kayak fishing from the hot desert southwest. When I say “hot”, I mean “hot”. The fishing has been pretty good under the circumstances, but the weather in the desert has been the big news. It is hot, very hot.
I am writing this today because it is a day off from fishing because it is too hot. We don’t often let a calm, sunny day of kayak fishing go by, but kayak fishing in 110° plus desert heat is not a good idea.
We have been fishing a couple times and the fishing has been pretty good. The water level in the lower Colorado River basin is low. Along with the low water, there has been record heat this past summer. Well over a month of 110° plus days have cooked just about everything. The temperature today is supposed to hit 115°, which would set even more heat records. In spite of all this, I was able to find a puddle of Colorado River water and catch the first largemouth bass of the winter kayak fishing season.
As mentioned, the water level everywhere in the Colorado River basin is low. In the photo below, when this small reservoir on the river is full, which doesn’t seem to happen all that often, the water is up to the trees and we could land the kayaks on a small beach. The wet rocks by the water show how much the water level has dropped in the past twenty four hours.
Despite the low water, I caught quite a few largemouth bass. Most of then were small to average size but there were a couple nice ones and one fish snapped my line, so there was plenty of kayak fishing action.
Virtually no wind and perfect kayak fishing conditions despite half the water being gone. Can’t tell from a distance.
Despite the challenging conditions, it’s always great to be out on the water catching fish.
Most of the fish were smaller, but there were a couple nicer ones.
The first couple kayak fishing trips were a success, but we need to go to other fishing spots because this part of the Colorado River is drying up quickly.
I’d like to get a few more shorter sessions in before heading out to other spots that require more paddling, especially if the water is low. Also hoping it cools off because we are out there tomorrow. Check back soon.