9 questions with Keith Combs

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Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs spends most of his fishing time in a bass boat, but he also loves to launch his Old Town Predator kayak as often as his schedule allows. And he’s learned a few things about how to consistently put bass in the small boat. Here are his thoughts on how you can join the kayak wave.
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs spends most of his fishing time in a bass boat, but he also loves to launch his Old Town Predator kayak as often as his schedule allows. And he’s learned a few things about how to consistently put bass in the small boat. Here are his thoughts on how you can join the kayak wave.
<b> Old Town is one of your main sponsors: Do you really spend much time fishing from a kayak?</b></p> <p>Not as much as much as I’d like to. I think most people look at the Elites and say, ‘Well, you have 11 tournaments. I see you jackpot a few tournaments around the house. But 15 tournaments a year doesn’t seem like that much.’ But every time you go to one, that’s 10 days fishing and four days traveling. It just doesn’t leave a lot of time around the house. But when we do get a chance, we go out in the kayaks. We’re lucky to live in an area that has a lot of lakes you can’t access with a (large) boat, and it’s some of the best fishing in the world.
Old Town is one of your main sponsors: Do you really spend much time fishing from a kayak?

Not as much as much as I’d like to. I think most people look at the Elites and say, ‘Well, you have 11 tournaments. I see you jackpot a few tournaments around the house. But 15 tournaments a year doesn’t seem like that much.’ But every time you go to one, that’s 10 days fishing and four days traveling. It just doesn’t leave a lot of time around the house. But when we do get a chance, we go out in the kayaks. We’re lucky to live in an area that has a lot of lakes you can’t access with a (large) boat, and it’s some of the best fishing in the world.

<b> What do you like about fishing from a kayak, and how can kayak fishing make you a better angler?</b></p> <p>It’s a way for me to relax, but I’m still improving my game. The kayak has reminded me a lot about being stealthy, of making the most of what you’ve got to fish. Those are things I knew, but it’s easy to forget. So the kayak has been an important piece of the equation, too. </p> <p>Being able to access waters that don’t get fished often, you’re just going to get more bites. And that’s the key to becoming good at a technique — going somewhere where you can generate a lot of bites. It helps you. For instance, when the vibrating jig first came out, I thought it was a spinnerbait. It’s not, so you’ve got to change your line, find the right hook, find the right rod and reel. Those are the kinds of things I have the opportunity to be 100 percent on before I ever go to a tournament.
What do you like about fishing from a kayak, and how can kayak fishing make you a better angler?

It’s a way for me to relax, but I’m still improving my game. The kayak has reminded me a lot about being stealthy, of making the most of what you’ve got to fish. Those are things I knew, but it’s easy to forget. So the kayak has been an important piece of the equation, too.

Being able to access waters that don’t get fished often, you’re just going to get more bites. And that’s the key to becoming good at a technique — going somewhere where you can generate a lot of bites. It helps you. For instance, when the vibrating jig first came out, I thought it was a spinnerbait. It’s not, so you’ve got to change your line, find the right hook, find the right rod and reel. Those are the kinds of things I have the opportunity to be 100 percent on before I ever go to a tournament.

<b> Do you stand or sit when fishing from your kayak?</b></p> <p>If you’re going to be pitching, it really helps to stand up. That’s really the only time I do something like that. At first, when I first started with the kayak, I felt like I was at a huge disadvantage because I couldn’t see the fish or I couldn’t see as well as I can from the bass boat. But then I began to realize that’s not a disadvantage but an advantage because the fish can’t see me, either. They can see you when you’re standing up high; when you’re low to the water they don’t see you. So now I may not see a fish laying on the bed, but it doesn’t matter: I’m going to catch him anyway.
Do you stand or sit when fishing from your kayak?

If you’re going to be pitching, it really helps to stand up. That’s really the only time I do something like that. At first, when I first started with the kayak, I felt like I was at a huge disadvantage because I couldn’t see the fish or I couldn’t see as well as I can from the bass boat. But then I began to realize that’s not a disadvantage but an advantage because the fish can’t see me, either. They can see you when you’re standing up high; when you’re low to the water they don’t see you. So now I may not see a fish laying on the bed, but it doesn’t matter: I’m going to catch him anyway.

<b> What is the biggest challenge associated with fishing from a kayak?</b></p> <p>Probably the biggest challenge is just packing lightly. The evening before you go fishing, just trying to envision what the next day is going to bring for you. In a bass boat, I can say, “They’re not shallow. I’m going to go deep.” And I carry so much tackle that regrouping is easy, but in your kayak it’s kind of like you pack what you need for the day, and it better be the right stuff because coming back to the bank and regrouping is usually something I don’t like to do. So I would say the biggest challenge is that it requires more preparation for you to go out with the right lure selection.
What is the biggest challenge associated with fishing from a kayak?

Probably the biggest challenge is just packing lightly. The evening before you go fishing, just trying to envision what the next day is going to bring for you. In a bass boat, I can say, “They’re not shallow. I’m going to go deep.” And I carry so much tackle that regrouping is easy, but in your kayak it’s kind of like you pack what you need for the day, and it better be the right stuff because coming back to the bank and regrouping is usually something I don’t like to do. So I would say the biggest challenge is that it requires more preparation for you to go out with the right lure selection.

<b> With the limited space available on a kayak, how many lures do you take on the water and how do you choose them?</b></p> <p>Typically I have one Bass Mafia tackle box, and it’s just full of baits. And that’s enough. Just in case, I have something back at the Tundra I can go get if I have to, but typically I have just one box. I have more storage than that, but most places that (one box) gets me by. It’s a combination of hard baits and plastics. Even if I’m going out there and I know they’re going to chew the paint off a vibrating jig, I’m always going to carry some soft plastics and stuff like that, just to have some options. It’s just more fun to have options. I’m not going out to win a Bassmaster Classic; when I kayak I’m go out purely for fun. It just makes sense to carry a little bit of variety in case things aren’t going just like you hoped.
With the limited space available on a kayak, how many lures do you take on the water and how do you choose them?

Typically I have one Bass Mafia tackle box, and it’s just full of baits. And that’s enough. Just in case, I have something back at the Tundra I can go get if I have to, but typically I have just one box. I have more storage than that, but most places that (one box) gets me by. It’s a combination of hard baits and plastics. Even if I’m going out there and I know they’re going to chew the paint off a vibrating jig, I’m always going to carry some soft plastics and stuff like that, just to have some options. It’s just more fun to have options. I’m not going out to win a Bassmaster Classic; when I kayak I’m go out purely for fun. It just makes sense to carry a little bit of variety in case things aren’t going just like you hoped.

<b> How do you choose your baits?</b></p> <p>It’s definitely seasonal. Right now, being around the spawn, I’m always going to have lures like swim jigs, soft plastic stick baits, spinnerbaits, hollowbody frogs. If it’s a summertime deal, I’m going to use the same stuff I do in my bass boat: deep crankbaits, big worms, topwaters, things like that.
How do you choose your baits?

It’s definitely seasonal. Right now, being around the spawn, I’m always going to have lures like swim jigs, soft plastic stick baits, spinnerbaits, hollowbody frogs. If it’s a summertime deal, I’m going to use the same stuff I do in my bass boat: deep crankbaits, big worms, topwaters, things like that.

<b> What’s the most-important piece of equipment on your kayak?</b></p> <p>The pedal drive [PDL drive]. That is a big deal for me because with that pedal drive if there’s a cove across the lake I want to fish, I go over there. That helps me keep the boat positioned: There’s forward, there’s reverse. And it keep my hands free. Just having my hands free, that makes the day so much better. It makes me so much more efficient.
What’s the most-important piece of equipment on your kayak?

The pedal drive [PDL drive]. That is a big deal for me because with that pedal drive if there’s a cove across the lake I want to fish, I go over there. That helps me keep the boat positioned: There’s forward, there’s reverse. And it keep my hands free. Just having my hands free, that makes the day so much better. It makes me so much more efficient.

<b> Electronics are so important in the larger bass-fishing community today: Do electronics play a role in kayak fishing?</b></p> <p>I think they’re going to make you better at kayak fishing. Even beyond graphing fish, it’s so important to go out there and be able to know the water temperature. That’s a huge part of piecing the puzzle together. And just mapping, you know? Even if I’m on a small body of water that doesn’t have a map, I can draw my own in a short period of time. Having that map is invaluable. I think for the guy who wants to take it to the next level, adding a small (Humminbird) Helix 7 is something he’s definitely going to appreciate.
Electronics are so important in the larger bass-fishing community today: Do electronics play a role in kayak fishing?

I think they’re going to make you better at kayak fishing. Even beyond graphing fish, it’s so important to go out there and be able to know the water temperature. That’s a huge part of piecing the puzzle together. And just mapping, you know? Even if I’m on a small body of water that doesn’t have a map, I can draw my own in a short period of time. Having that map is invaluable. I think for the guy who wants to take it to the next level, adding a small (Humminbird) Helix 7 is something he’s definitely going to appreciate.

<b> What advice do you have for a bass angler looking to purchase his first kayak?</b></p> <p>I would say the number one consideration is how you’re going get it from Point A to Point B. If you primarily fish by yourself and you have a car or you want to put it in the back of the truck, that might be the first consideration. If you’re going to be transporting from lake to lake, what’s your means to get it there? Pick something you can load. I fish out of a 13-foot (Old Town) Predator, but I have a truck, I have a trailer for it. But when I got one, I had no idea. When I got two kayaks, at first I was like, “Now what do I do?” So that might be a consideration in what size you pick. </p> <p>I think if I guy goes looking at a kayak, he’s going to start looking at the bells and whistles, and maybe when he chooses one, he’s like, “Dang, now that I’ve got a kayak I’ve got to get a new tow vehicle.” You don’t want to do that.
What advice do you have for a bass angler looking to purchase his first kayak?

I would say the number one consideration is how you’re going get it from Point A to Point B. If you primarily fish by yourself and you have a car or you want to put it in the back of the truck, that might be the first consideration. If you’re going to be transporting from lake to lake, what’s your means to get it there? Pick something you can load. I fish out of a 13-foot (Old Town) Predator, but I have a truck, I have a trailer for it. But when I got one, I had no idea. When I got two kayaks, at first I was like, “Now what do I do?” So that might be a consideration in what size you pick.

I think if I guy goes looking at a kayak, he’s going to start looking at the bells and whistles, and maybe when he chooses one, he’s like, “Dang, now that I’ve got a kayak I’ve got to get a new tow vehicle.” You don’t want to do that.