Catch the big one by kayak

Puget Sound, Washington
With an estimated 2,000 miles of wonderfully convoluted shoreline, major tide events, and an abundance of trout and salmon, Puget Sound is a kayak angler’s delight. King, silver, pink, and chum salmon and steelhead are the obvious draw. However, a variety of other species such as lingcod and flounder also dwell in these waters. Drop crab or shrimp pots on your way out to fish and pick them up on the way in to add variety to your table.

Stellar fishing can be found 12 months a year in the Sound. From January through April, there are steelhead in the area’s rivers. Around April and through July, resident silver salmon cruise the beaches, chasing baitfish. Once the days start to get shorter, king, silver, pink, and chum salmon congregate in the estuaries for their spawning run. It is at these times—generally September through December—that the fish are most concentrated and anglers in canoes or kayaks can come into their own.

Note that Puget Sound’s fishing regulations are some of the most tortuous in the nation. Be sure to know where you are going and what you might encounter. Log on to www.wdfw.wa.gov for registration and license info. The area’s fisheries are under stress from a number of different factors, and catch-and-release fishing is the best way to mitigate your impact.

When to Go: 12 blessed months per year

Fish to Fish: Salmon, sea-run cutthroat trout (catch and release only), steelhead, lingcod, flounder

Where They Hide: Epic tide changes, varying baitfish habits, and fish migratory routes make this piece of water especially challenging to fish effectively for an out-of-towner. Cruise www.washingtonflyfishing.com for beta.

Terminal Tackle: It varies greatly, but baitfish lures and patterns in brown, olive, chartreuse, and hot pink are consistent producers.

Recommended Outfitters: Morning Hatch Fly Shoppe (253-472-1070); Captain Tom Wolf (253-863-0711) specializes in trout and salmon fishing on fly and light tackle

Bites and Beers: The Hy-Iu-Hee-Hee (253-851-7885), on Burnham Drive in Gig Harbor, offers great food and beverages for cheap. It is the quintessential locals’ watering hole. Also try Chinooks Restaurant in Seattle’s Fishermen’s Terminal (www.anthonys.com; 206-283-4665), the base of North Pacific commercial fishing. — M.G.

Georgian Bay, Ontario
The land of classic kayak touring and islands scraped clean to the bedrock by glacial retreat is one of my top choices for a fishing paddle tour. Georgian Bay is home to an area called the 30,000 Islands because it is literally a labyrinth of waterways separated by 30,000 islands. Portage inland and there are too many lakes to count. No matter where you fish, you are likely to encounter smallmouth or largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, and the occasional muskie. Given its many islands, fish-attracting underwater structure, and protected bays and inlets, Georgian Bay can provide a canvas for a lifetime of exploring.

Parry Sound is the logical jumping-off place for most, with quick access to the Outer Islands of Georgian Bay—a largely bug-free paradise composed of rocky islands—or inland waters such as Spider and Clear Lakes, which are a quick portage away.

Most of Georgian Bay is crown land, which means that most any island that doesn’t have a cottage on it can be your home for the night. Check local regulations on camping. Portions of the bay and its inland lakes are designated parks with reserved campsites. Log on to http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/fishing/gen.html for registration and licenses.

When to Go: Go right after ice-out and you will have the place to yourself—along with a couple gazillion smelts (finger-sized fish caught at night around creek mouths via nets or small hooks with bait). Fishing for northern pike picks up in May, and bass come into play around June.

Fish to Fish: Smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, muskie, and the occasional rainbow or lake trout—mostly in inland lakes

Where They Hide: Pike and largemouth can most often be found around weed beds and protected bays. Smallmouth bass frequent rocky underwater structures and points. For a midsummer’s day treat, try still fishing in the Outer Islands with a sunfish, big hook, steel leader, and bobber. Northern pike in excess of 20 pounds cruise the islands’ cooler waters in summertime, providing trophy fishing and a big enough fish fry for a party of six.

Terminal Tackle: Jointed Rapalas, both floating and diving, poppers, Clousers

Bites and Beers: Don’t expect much. The local tourist food is notoriously bad, and the year-round population is not large enough to support cool local eateries.

Recommended Outfitter: Grindstone Angling (www.grindstoneangling.com; 905-689-0880) has a shop and provides guiding out of Waterdown, Ontario. — M.G.

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