Table of Contents hide
Expert Anglers
Find the Fish
Weather and Water
Clown Knifefish Tactics
Rod and Reel
Line and Leader
Lures and Bait
Tips and Tricks

Invasive species are no laughing matter. But the giant spots, blade-like tail and small head of a clown knifefish might make you chuckle. Native to Southeast Asia, the colorful and strange clown knifefish came to America through the aquarium trade. Owners didn’t realize that the small fish they bought at the pet store would grow over three-feet long. When the knifefish are too big for their aquarium, some people released them into Southeast Florida lakes and canals. Kayak anglers Alberto Knie and Eric McDonald share their secrets to scoring a big clown knifefish that puts up an epic fight.

winner of the EKFT Exotic Roundup is presented with her prize EKFT Exotic Bass Roundup Targets Invasive And Nonnative Fish

How to Catch Clown Knifefish

Expert Anglers

Alberto Knie (AK)

Tactical Anglers, St. Croix, Penn Fishing, Abu Garcia
Lake Ida, Lake Osborne, Florida

Eric McDonald (EM)

Pro guide Deepbluekayakfishing.com, Hobie Top Gun
Palm Beach County, Florida

Find the Fish

AK: Clown knifefish are nocturnal feeders, but the areas where they live are infested with poisonous snakes and alligators. Look for the fish in shade under a bridge or dock.

EM: Deep lakes and canals, especially ledges and drops. Clowns love overgrown canals where they can hide in the vegetation. The territorial fish will stick to the same spot. Look for the fish gulping air on the surface.

Weather and Water

AK: Best to fish on overcast days at dawn and dusk. The fish can stand water with low-oxygen levels.

EM: The tropical fish prefer warm water, but are most active on cool days or dawn and dusk.

clown knifefish swim underwater
“In school, I was always the class clown.” | Feature photo: Shutterstock

Clown Knifefish Tactics

AK: Suspending minnows, crankbaits and jerkbaits will get bites when the fish are feeding aggressively.

EM: Casting Live Target lures into the shadows under docks and over hangs. Slow trolling a live shiner on a small hook. Paddle from one dock to another casting soft plastics and crankbaits.

Rod and Reel

AK: To pull big, spastic fish from the structure, use a seven-foot St. Croix Avid rod, Abu Garcia Revo Inshore 2INS35.

EM: Six-foot, medium-action rod short enough to pass under bridges and 3000-series reel.

Line and Leader

AK: For live bait, #1 hook, 30-inches of 30-pound fluorocarbon leader, 12 pound mainline. Hook the baitfish in the corner of the mouth to keep it lively. Add a split shot to get bait to the bottom.

EM: 20-pound braided line followed by three feet of 20-pound fluorocarbon.

Lures and Bait

AK: For lures, two-inch and four-inch suspending or deep-diving minnows. For live bait, shiners.

EM: Live Target lures. Small shiner on a small 2/0 hook.

Tips and Tricks

AK: Patience and more patience. Clown knifefish are finicky and cautious. Expect a slow pick. Work the lure or bait slowly, close to the bottom.

EM: Use a net to land knifefish. They are slippery with sharp teeth. Watch out, they can swim backwards.

cover of Kayak Angler Magazine, Fall 2017 issueThis article was first published in the Fall 2017 issue of Kayak Angler Magazine. Subscribe to Kayak Angler Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.

“In school, I was always the class clown.” | Feature photo: Shutterstock

 

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Ric Burnley
Kayak Angler editor Ric Burnley has been kayak fishing since the dawn of the sport. In 2007, Burnley wrote The Complete Kayak Fisherman, with chapters on how-to make a PVC rod holder and glue a fish finder transducer to the hull. In 2013, he landed his dream job as editor of Kayak Angler magazine. Burnley is a regular contributor to Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Outdoor Life, In the Bite and other print and online publications. Burnley lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, adult daughter, daughter’s boyfriend and daughter’s two cats. Experience In 2004, Ric Burnley stole his first milk crate from behind a 7-Eleven and fashioned it into a gear crate for his Ocean Kayak Prowler 15. Many years and many milk crates later, Burnley has witnessed the rise of kayak fishing from a bastardized fringe element to a legitimate industry with millions of devotees. The journey to becoming an angler started early in Burnley’s life. His father, Eric Burnley, is a renowned outdoor writer and former fishing guide, so the boy grew up in the cockpit of a charter boat and in the pages of national magazines. After college, Burnley lost easy access to his father’s boat, but not his passion for fishing. Once he had exhausted the limits of land-based angling, Burnley decided to try out a new thing called kayak fishing. About the same time, Burnley was looking for extra work to pay for his expensive addiction. His father, editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman Magazine, offered him freelance assignments for the weekly publication. That led to a position as regional editor at Salt Water Sportsman, publication of The Complete Kayak Fisherman and editorship of Kayak Angler. Meanwhile, Burnley and his partner-in-crime, “Kayak Kevin” Whitley were exploring the boundaries of kayak fishing. With the bountiful Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean as their playground, the two anglers were the first to target big red drum, cobia, trophy striped bass, monster black drum, sheepshead and many other species. Once inshore species were exhausted, Burnley loaded his kayak onto motorboats and fished for bluefin tuna, blackfin tuna, king mackerel and amberjack. All the while, Burnley shared his experiences and knowledge with anglers through print, photos, video, radio, seminars and online. Almost 20 years later, Burnley continues to fish obsessively and share the stories. His recent projects for Kayak Angler cover the latest trends in forward-facing sonar and remote-controlled electric motors. Over the past two decades, kayak fishing and Ric Burnley have come a long way from PVC rod holders and stolen milkcrates. Education ● Radford University: BA English; Virginia Teacher’s License. Highlights ● Other Interests: Mountain biking, traveling, hiking, surfing and skateboarding ● Day Job: High School English teacher at an alternative school for at-risk students Fun Fact Ric’s name is a contraction of Eric. Ric is named after his father, Eric Sr. To differentiate between the two Erics, Mrs. Burnley removed her son’s E. To this day, she writes the boy’s name ‘Ric, with an apostrophe replacing the E.

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