We are a group of anglers in the central Florida Area who fish from kayaks in fresh and salt water.
We have teamed up with our friends
from the West coast HCKA club
to create a bi-coastal Google Earth map of our favorite kayak fishing launch sites. We will continue to develop this as a community project and will also add hyperlinks, pictures and video as well in the months to come. If you are interested in participating let us know.
Click on the Google Earth Globe to Download the Map
We are a no-dues club, however to support special projects, club picnics, etc. please purchase a sticker either on-line or at our meetings.
High quality, water proof & UV resistant
Measuring 8" 1/2 by 2" 1/2
All Funds go towards developing club projects.
This is a corroborative effort to grow the wealth of knowledge for and from our club member's recommendations or simply to share local information.
We suggest that when you have written a good piece on the forum then please add it to the Wiki
Click here to learn more about using the Wiki, visit, & contribute articles.
The entire team at Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka have been strong supporters of our club.
Rory, Captain Tom Van Horn, Captain Chris Myers and the entire staff have always made us feel welcomed, offered free access to their facility for our meetings, great seminars and help us in some way with many of our club sponsored events.
We are a no dues club and this support is very appreciated. Kirk and Fred have personally experienced their highly refined skills, knowledge and professionalism as guides in the lagoon. It is for these reason that we put the OKFC seal of approval and recommend any club member to utilize their services
Learn about paddling and safety on the water with the ACA certified instructor Patrick Nichols
If you would like to rent a kayak in order to try the sport or simply have a friend in town and need an extra yak, we recommend Lauren Postal
If you haven't liked us on the OKFC FaceBook, please do. You will be able to receive forum posts as they happen on your smart phone.
Every month we hold a meeting and we feature a guest speaker to educate and entertain. In the past we have had many guest speakers such as Captain Tom Van Horn from Coastal Angler, Captain Chris Myers, Captain Jim Ross, Captain Rodgers from the Hawgwild Show, Rick from the Snook Foundation, Rod Price with the Friends of the Wekiva, Mary Carswell the kayak instructor amongst others.
To view the complete calendar of events and meetings you can download it here
Please welcome our guest, Captain Tom Van Horn who will be discussing shad and crappie fishing as we prepare for our February 25th OKFC/Shad & Crappy Derby tournament.
Besides guiding, Captain Tom is a staff writer with Coastal Angler Magazine, and he writes weekly fishing reports and monthly fishing forecast about fishing the east central Florida coast.
You can learn more about Captain Tom Van Horn and read his latest fishing reports by visiting his website
Join us for the OKFC Paddler's Challenge this February 25th at C. S. Lee Park!
As the water cools along the St Johns River and local lakes, we can look forward to another great season of shad and crappie fishing. Each winter as the American Shad make their long migration up the St Johns River and the crappie bite heats up, anglers take to the water and compete in the Coastal Angler Magazine’s annual Shad and Crappie derby. It seems the Derby has become more popular and gathered more support each year and this year's Derby is no different with tons of sponsors and prizes.
Our own Orlando Kayak Fishing Club has joined in the fun during past derbies and had a blast with these awesome fighting, light tackle fish. The family-oriented, free fun event and the camaraderie that comes from competing with fellow anglers make lasting memories. This year our club is getting more involved with the Derby and working with sponsors to host a one day paddle fishing leg of the tournament that is open to all paddle anglers who register for the official Central Florida Shad and Crappie Derby.
Photo tokens for this special leg of the paddle tournament will be available at the Shad Rally event being held at the Jolly Gator Fish Camp on February 25th starting at 6:00 am. The Rally will be hosting lots of other activities throughout the day in addition to offering opportunities to fish and talk with fellow anglers in the community. To qualify for the special Paddler's Challenge prizes, fish must be taken from non-motorized paddle craft in accordance with derby rules and photographed with the Paddler’s Challengespecial token then uploaded to www.cfshadderby.com by 12 noon on February 26th. Registration for the Central Florida Shad and Crappie Derby will also be available starting at 6:00 am on February 25th.
Please come join us as the OKFC journeys into its first tournament along with the additional festivities planned throughout the day. For more information on the Shad and Crappie Derby, the schedule of events, prizes, and tournament rules, visit the official derby website.
Let us know you will participate by joining us on the event on our Facebook page.
Most Orlando Kayak Fishing Club members enjoy fishing for reds and trout in Mosquito Lagoon, as well as, the Indian and Banana Rivers. I have found, however, that there are days when I’m short of time, or the wind is not cooperating on the coast. Sometimes I just want to be on the amazing St. John’s River. It turns out that there are some great alternative fishing opportunities.
One of them is an often overlooked shad fishery right here in Central Florida. In the past, shad fishing attracted hundreds of fishermen to the “Shad Derby.” It was very much a social event. People would gather along the bank or in boats, and talk while fishing. You would hear some great stories, some of which might even be true. Efforts are now underway to bring back the derby. Some things have changed, however, and one of them is the growing use of kayaks for fishing. Kayaks are a perfect way to access the St. John’s River. Most shad trips are short to medium paddle distances. Shad fishing from a kayak is just plain fun!
There are many articles online filled with scientific information about shad. For that reason, I am going to focus mostly on catching them. Once you find out how much fun they are, you will probably want to research more on your own. At a minimum, here is what you need to know.
Shad represent a couple of species, all of which are usually no more than four pounds in weight. They make up for their small size with great runs and jumps when caught on light tackle. They remind many of catching small tarpon. Adult shad are a migratory fish which spawn and then die in the St. John’s River, much like salmon do in other areas. After hatching, the fry live in the river for an extended period, and then migrate all the way back to Newfoundland. Because of their lengthy stay as hatchlings, they are a prime source of food for other game fish. What follows is from my own experience, as well as from articles and talks with guides and locals.
The traditional shad run is late December until early May. No one can predict when they will arrive in numbers, so watch the fishing reports starting in December.
Some years there are great runs, and some years the runs are poor. In 2009, the shad run was excellent. When the run is good, these fish are fun to catch on light tackle. 2010 is looking good so far.
Shad spawn at water temperatures between 50 and 74 degrees. If the water is too warm, they may hold in cooler water areas. Reports mention catching shad in the St. John’s River near the Wekiva River, the Econ, and beyond all the way to highway 50.
Shad like water 6 to 8 feet deep, if available, and with current. Look for high banks and river bends as these are usually the deeper areas. Mix up your fishing efforts to see what best produces shad. Try fishing while sitting in the kayak, standing, walking or wading. You can paddle to high bank areas, and then walk along the bank fishing. I enjoy wading shoals while casting into deeper water. Slow trolling works sometimes works well in a kayak. Once you locate fish, thoroughly work that area. Keep in mind that bass, specs and many other fish share the shad habitat. Working an area with spinning gear is a good way to locate shad. Then switch to fly fishing gear for even more fun.
SAFETY NOTES: The water depth will vary from inches to perhaps eight feet and there will be current. We also share the St. John’s River with other boaters, so be sure you can be seen at all times. The St. Johns River is a good place to wear a PFD! Because of the varied water depths, I have found that an anchor works better than a stake out pole.
Deep and slow, across the current. Let lure sink to the bottom as it drifts but at end of drift, twitch lure a few times on a fly rod, slowly strip 6 inches at a time
Light Spinning Rod and Reel or Ultra Light
Light rod with spinning reel
6’-7’ light rod and reel
6-10 pound test braided line and fluorocarbon leader
Small darts and spoons (Nungesser Shad rigs are available at Bitters.)
Red and/or pink Rooster Tails (These were HOT last year)
3, 4 or 5 weight rods will work well for shad.
1 inch white muddler
Pink Little Richards
St. John’s Shad Fly (choose bright colors like chartreuse, red and white, orange or pink)
Crazy Charlie (bright colored and weighted)
Fluorocarbon, 9-foot, tapered leader, 2X to 0X size, sinking line.
While a sinking line is ideal for shad fishing, I only had a floating line last year and it still worked. In a pinch, regular 6 pound fluorocarbon leader material can serve as a tippet. Try a small pinch weight to get the lure to the bottom. Note: If you use a sinking line, try repeatedly roll casting to get the line to the surface before making a full back cast.
Limit: 10 per day
While there are recipes online for cooking shad, many people report that they are not fans of eating shad. If you try it, please let us know how it went! However, everything that swims eats them, so I’m thinking about freezing cut shad instead of mullet to try on redfish and black drum.
One last thought on the future of shad fishing and fishing in general. Local governments are looking hard at using the St. Johns River as a source of water. Once started, there will be inevitable negative consequences for one of the country’s greatest historical rivers. Get involved and help protect this unique resource for your children.
By Mainsail John
