Kayak Fishing Amid Worldwide Pandemic – Part 3

The night fishing under the full moon remained on fire. There was one night when I caught seven or eight nice largemouth bass before sunrise. Once your eyes get used to the moonlight, you can see pretty well. If you use a headlamp, or take a flash photo, you’re temporarily blinded.

Full moon Colorado River largemouth bass caught by watermanatwork.com kayak fisherman Ron Barbish

Aside from blinding you, a light also attracts mosquitoes. There are mosquitoes everywhere near the water in the desert and they come out at night. At times, it can be like an Alfred Hitchcock movie so you have to be prepared. Mosquitoes biting, largemouth bass biting, pretty much the full effect.

Full moon Colorado River largemouth bass caught by watermanatwork.com kayak fisherman Ron Barbish

Day or night, you never know when a big bass is going to come out of the reeds and give you a run for the money.

Kayak fishing for largemouth bass on the Colorado River with watermanatwork.com

There are some big largemouth bass in the lower Colorado River watershed. There are rivers, lakes, canals, backwaters and ponds that all hold big largemouth. First cast or last, that big bass might be ready to bite.

Colorado River largemouth bass caught by watermanatwork.com kayak fisherman Ron Barbish

The kayak fishing under the full moon continued to be good. At the peak of the full moon, I caught nearly all the fish for the day at night. Maybe a couple, sometimes pretty nice fish hit after the sun came up, but the best action was at night and before sunrise.

Full moon Colorado River largemouth bass caught by watermanatwork.com kayak fisherman Ron Barbish

As the sun rises over the eastern desert hills, I paddled around this backwater, casting everywhere I thought a largemouth bass might be waiting. This is just about perfect kayak fishing conditions.

Full moon sunrise over a Colorado River backwater

Most of the time the water is very clear, which is the unnatural result of the river dams. The water level of the Colorado River and adjacent waterways can rise or fall quickly. When conditions are right and the bass are biting, it’s great kayak fishing action.

Kayak fishing for largemouth bass on the Colorado River with watermanatwork.com

The full moon was waning and wind was in the forecast as we headed out for the last day of kayak fishing for a few days. I used the time off to edit a lot of photos and video and dump the camera memory cards. This was the last nice largemouth bass I caught right before sunrise on the last day of a great run of fishing.

Colorado River largemouth bass caught by watermanatwork.com kayak fisherman Ron Barbish

We’re kind of stuck out here in the desert until further notice and not exposing ourselves or anyone else to the coronavirus, might as well keep fishing. It might be my last chance. This is a nasty virus and it is going to affect everything in a big way. Hopefully they will get it under control soon and our way of life won’t go down the drain. Number one thing is to stay safe and not contract the coronavirus. Everything else can wait. Keep checking back for proof that the fish are still here.

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