An Interview With Steve Moore
I had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Moore of Kayaks Hacks Fishing - YouTube channel. He is a very accomplished Angler. He has written for many Publications and magazines.
He currently writes for Southern Trout Magazine and has his own column that he does on a monthly basis.
Steve has been fishing for over 50 years and is a proud veteran. We should all thank him for his service. For now, you can find them strolling along the beaches and streams and rivers of North Carolina.
Previously he has fished in Virginia and Maryland and even had some time here in Massachusetts where I live.
The rest of this blog post will be the responses by Steve Moore to the questions I asked him over email. He's very open with all the information and went into great detail about several things. He was even gracious enough to add some pictures from his childhood and his life growing up. So please, sit back and relax and enjoy this blog style interview.
When Did You Start Fishing?
My dad was a hard-core bass fisherman, and he exposed me to the sport when I was five years old when he was stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. I still have the picture of myself and my older brother standing proudly on the front step holding a stringer of tiny bluegill!
Dad was a career soldier, and we frequently moved – allowing me to get addicted to fishing when we were stationed in Norway. Mountain trout in a fantastic setting….
I'm the guy on the right.
What Is Your Fondest Fishing Memory?
This is a hard question to answer since there are so many. I guess it would have to go back to all the fishing trips with my dad.
We never had a boat with a motor, and he would sit in the back of a canoe or borrowed john boat and scull slowly using a paddle he had carved when he was a teenager. It took us a long time to get where we needed to go, but the silent approach was deadly.
Dad ended up being a very famous soldier, and sadly, the number of times we were able to get out decreased in the late 60s as I was away at school, and the family lived in Korea for several years… no fishing there!
For more on Dad, google, "Hal Moore Vietnam."
What Is The Biggest Fish You Have Ever Caught?
I did not get into big fish until I moved to Wilmington, North Carolina in 2013. Before that, freshwater trout and bass were the targets.
I quickly became addicted to redfish here and brackish water because of their long, tough fight and consistent large size.
The biggest I caught was 39 inches. Flounder are not as fun, but I was able to catch a 32 incher once. The picture below is of a 34 incher… I can't find the 39.
What Kind Of Fishing Did You Do While In Massachusetts?
LOL! As a result of my job, I did not have much time to go fishing in Massachusetts. When I did, I would head up to New Hampshire or Maine.
We would load the canoe on top of the car and head up the fish some of the rivers that had a shuttle we could hire.
Do You Primarily Fly Fish?
I did not start fly fishing until 2007. I took my brother fishing to Town Creek in Maryland, and it was his first time fly fishing. He ended up catching a bunch of fish while I ended up catching mostly leaves.
It was the fall, after all. My spinners would snag leaves floating downstream quickly while his dry flies would attract the stocked trout as well as a few bass that were in the stream.
I realized that I needed to branch out and learn another technique to be able to use the right approach in the right conditions. Here's a picture of his first fish on the fly.
When fishing for largemouth bass on lakes, I use spin gear. On rivers and streams, I always go with fly.
Here in saltwater, I rely on spin because where I fish, it is rare to see tailing redfish, and without being able to sight fish, fly fishing would be a lot of exercise.
When Did You Get Into Kayak Fishing?
I was a canoe guy for most of my life. I never could afford a real boat, and the flexibility a canoe offered was always compelling. Slap a little trolling motor on it, and I could pretty much get anywhere I wanted to.
However, when I moved to North Carolina, I realized a canoe was not the right vehicle for fishing in tidal current with choppy waves. I bought a used kayak that lasted for several years as I learned what I liked and what I needed.
I encourage other people to do the same given the steep investment involved in a good pedal-driven kayak. Buy used and paddle first – then upgrade later.
When Did You Decide To Start Helping People Learn How To Go Fishing?
In 2006, I realized I needed to start getting ready for my eventual retirement in 2013. I had always liked writing (I spent 18 months as a speechwriter for a senior official when I was in the Army), and creating a blog seemed to be the right way to go.
I was living in northern Virginia at the time with easy access to hundreds of fishing spots.
Wade And Shoreline Fishing The Potomac River For Smallmouth Bass
It was logical that the blog would focus on the spots given they were all public – no secrets revealed. In each post, I would put a map, pictures, and my impression of that location.
I think that was very helpful to thousands of people whose time to go fishing is short and did not want to waste a long drive out to a sub-optimal location.
With the blog, they could see my results and throw their fisherman's eye on the pictures to decide if it was worth the drive. (www.switchfisher.com)
When I moved to North Carolina, we ended up on the coast with very little in the way of a diverse fishery as we had in Virginia.
Therefore, I closed up the blog and switched to YouTube with a different focus. Rather than talk about locations, I discussed everything related to kayak fishing.
I am amazed the blog still gets hundreds of thousands of visits each year and will leave it active as long as it is popular.
What Kind Of Tips Can You Give For Fly Fishing, Mid-Atlantic Fishing, and Kayak Fishing?
LOL! Read my books! Just search for 'Steve Moore fishing' on Amazon, and they will all come up. There are five books on fishing locations, as well as my generic book full of fly fishing tips.
However, if there is one thing that is consistent in terms of a fishing tip, it is to get out there and do it. Without doing it, your skill will never grow, and you will miss out on so many good times in the outdoors.
What Are Your Favorite Fishing Gear Manufacturers?
A good friend of mine once said that if you know how many fishing rods you have, you do not have enough. At this point, I don't know – so I do have enough. I think the most important thing about buying gear is to find a manufacturer whose products you like and trust and then standardize on that brand. That way, as you move from set up to set up, it will all have a consistent feel – something that is important for accurate casting.
Right now, all my spin gear, both rods, and reels are made by Cadence Fishing. Not only do they have high-quality gear, but they also donate a portion of their profits to support kids' fishing activities.
All my fly fishing gear was made by a company called Fly Fishing Benefactors who also had a charitable mission. Sadly, they are going out of business as the owner wants to move on to other entrepreneurial activities.
What Are Your Favorite Lures?
For spin fishing for trout, there is nothing better than the simple Panther Martin. For bass, there is no one selection I could point to. With fly fishing, you know you always have to match the hatch.
Was There A Point In Time When You Were Working A Day Job And Found You Didn't Have Time To Go Fishing? If So, How Did You Handle That?
I think the answer to this question is a little bit different given my age. The Internet has exploded the amount of information on fishing and fishing locations.
We did not have that for most of my life, and that was the biggest barrier to going fishing. I did not know where to go.
You see, this was complicated by the fact that for the first 20 years of my professional life, I was a soldier, and we moved every year or two.
Then, I worked for IBM, which does not stand for "International Business Machines" but for "I’ve been moved.” When one moves frequently, he or she does not have the opportunity to set down roots in the community, join the appropriate clubs, develop the trust required with other anglers to share information, and so forth.
It was not until I moved to northern Virginia and finally had a stable home base to operate out of that I was able to find plenty of fishing opportunities within a short drive of my home.
Again, sadly, my son was already away college at that point, so I missed a lot of good opportunities to go fishing with him that I had with my father.
So, I would tell people today not to be frustrated. Rather, get on the Internet, and you can find many, many places you can go fishing that does not involve a long drive or a huge time commitment.
How Do You Handle Fishing In The Winter?
I discovered that I rarely catch a fish after December 1, and it’s cold! I hang up my rods on December 1 and get back out of the water when things start to warm up in mid-March.
Since I fish inshore now, storms and tides change everything over the winter. My buddy and I spend a couple of weeks just doing recon to see what the new situation is as we wait for the bait to return and the fish to break up and repopulate the marshy areas we fish.
How Many Books Have You Written And Where Are They Available?
What Other Products Have You Created, And Where Are They Available?
None. All the hacks I create on my YouTube channel are easy enough for people to make by themselves.
Where Is Fishing Going To Take You Next Business-Wise?
I am happily retired and do not want to devote the time to create a new business. During my professional life, I created three businesses and understand the amount of time it takes to grow them. So, I will happily continue to make YouTube videos and enjoy the couple bucks it makes for me to buy new fishing stuff.
Where Should People Go To Get More Help From You?
I respond to every comment made on any of my videos on YouTube and answer all emails.
Do You Have Anything Else You Would Like To Say?
Note, this has been a very thorough questionnaire.
Wrap-up
I hope you gained as much insight and tips from Steve Moore as I did. The amount of fishing has done and thoroughness that he goes through in his videos is to be admired. If you would like to learn more about them you can go to his YouTube channel that is called Kayak Hacks Fishing. You can also get his books on Amazon.