The open exposure of marsh mudbanks makes them ideal for kayak trolling. Mudbanks are vertical walls of mud that are generally four to five feet deep on a high tide. They have a step down and/or trough where the wall meets the bottom. These are not great targets on low tide but can be outstanding on high or rising tides. They can be particularly productive when near a grass flat and when bait is around. As water fills the bank predator fish will ambush or chase bait along the wall using it as structure.
Trolling mudbanks and other long vertical structure (like riprap) can be very productive, but all mudbanks are not the same with the taller/steeper banks being the better choice. These banks are found in areas of high current flow and/or open exposure to water and wind.
Trolling a bank is much easier than trolling a grass flat. Any nearby grass flat will not extend up to the edge of the bank, so grass is no longer a concern. This allows you to open up the tackle box with your favorite open-hook soft and hard baits. On a high tide, troll very tight to the bank with a single handheld rod parallel to the water. You can add some action to the bait with random slight twitches. Holding the rod allows you to feel the bottom structure, the bite, or when a fish just bumps the bait rather than fully committing to the strike. Don’t stop the troll if bumped; note the location and finish to the end of the mudbank. Then circle back around and fan cast the area you felt the bump. This will often produce a number of fish that you never would have caught without holding the rod in your hand and feeling the bump.
On a low tide, troll off the bank in three to four feet of water. During periods of low tide fish will seek the safety of deeper water by moving off the bank. This may take you into nearby grass flats so choose your baits accordingly. Concentrate on the outside edge of the grass because this is where the transition to deeper water will start. This may take you well off the shoreline, but remember that at this point the grass line has become your structure.
Structure below the surface of the mudbank presents an additional opportunity. Erosion is also found below the surface and on the bottom, creating a trough at the bottom of the wall. This is more pronounced under mudbanks with exposure to open water and high winds. These banks are generally more severe than what you will find in more protected areas.
Shallow-running crankbaits like the Diawa SP Minnow are particularly effective baits when trolling off mud banks. Longer, thin-profile baits with mild action that run shallower than other crankbaits of similar size work well in this situation.
- By Robert Lombardi, Excerpted from “Kayak Fishing the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia” by Bob Lombardi. If you’re a kayak angler and you hope to target the backwater marshes of the Shore for fish like stripers, specks, and reds, the intel he shares is exactly what you’re looking for. The book is $19.95 and available at amazon.com.