5 Reasons Why You Are Not Catching a Big Fish

5 Proper Gear

It all starts with having the right gear to be able to stand up to a big fish while kayak fishing. Choose gear that is reputable. The reel should have a quality drag system to be able to withstand a large fish whether it be inshore or offshore fishing. Choose a rod that will allow you to bring the fish in with ease. The longer the fish is on the line and not in your kayak the easier for something to go wrong and lose your trophy fish. Choose a kayak that is stable and built for fishing. Dropping $200 on a kayak at your local big box store is probably not the best route to success of catching a big fish.

4 Location

Some research should go into your plan to catching a big fish from your kayak. Locating structure, weeds, drop offs and anything different then the surrounding area are your starting points. Next find the bait. Baitfish eat small fish, shrimp and other small creatures. Locating an area where these small creatures hangout is a sure bet to find larger fish. Once you have a list of areas that meet these prerequisites ask people that are out there fishing. Go to the boat ramps and ask online. There are plenty of people that are willing to help other kayakers out.

3 Time of Year

The time of year plays a big role in kayak fishing for a big fish. Spawning times are the best times of year for catching a big fish for any species. Gator Seatrout are always caught during their spawn in the spring, monster snook in early summer and smoker kingfish throughout the summer months. Learning where and when your desired species spawn will put you on the path to your trophy fish.

2 Big Bait

The old saying of “if you want to catch a big fish you have to use a big bait”. For most species this statement holds true. Using large baits will get the attention of a big fish looking to fill its big belly. Offshore large mullet, blue runners and speedos have proven to be tournament winning baits. Inshore big mullet, pigfish and ladyfish will give you the chances for big tarpon, snook, redfish and seatout.

1 Hire a Guide

If you want to go kayak fishing to catch a big fish you should hire a guide that knows the best times and locations to find the trophy fish you are after. Guides like myself take the time to teach you why we are fishing a certain area and provide tips on how to help you become a better angler and find big fish!

July 17, 2017 Brian 0

Kayak Fishing: The Start for Pushin’ Water

I can still remember the first day I went deep blue fishing in the Atlantic Ocean with my Hobie Quest. Rolling over the gentle waves of a northeast swell was a strange feeling for an inshore fisherman. As I paddled out to the depths and the sun rose over the horizon, I officially began a new chapter in my kayak fish career.

Kayak Fishing in 2011

After a year of learning artificial lure tactics, I wanted something more. I needed a sailfish. At the time, sailfish were not really being caught from a kayak and it was a big deal to catch one in the state of Florida. Also at the time, using live bait in the kayak was not a technique I felt comfortable with. So, I set out multiple times with dead sardines and had no luck. Months went by and still had yet to get my hands on a sailfish.

March 16, 2011, I decided to try again. I went to kayak fish at dawn straight out of the Palm Beach Inlet with a fresh box of frozen sardines. The wind was blowing well with a stiff 10-15mph northeast breeze. I made my way out 130 feet, set out two flat line sardines on triple J hooks and started drifting. Thirty minutes went by with nothing to show, but then it happened. In the distance, I see a sailfish jumping.

I quickly looked back at my lines and saw nothing was happening. Confused and disappointed I sat and waited. One minute later, I hear that fateful noise of my drag peeling. I grabbed the rod, slightly tightened up the drag and there she was in all her glory, breaking the surface. I steadied myself and prepared for the fight as she greyhounded into the distance.

To my rear, I hear people cheering me on from a boat. I had the biggest grin on my face, but all I could think about was to keep tight. Nearing the midpoint of the fight and taking 3 foot waves over the bow, I felt I had a good chance to land this fish. The last half of the fight was within 5-10 feet of my kayak. She kept swimming like she had energy for days. I finally made the decision to put on the pressure or I would never get her within reach. After thirty minutes, I got her to start circling and I finally attempted to grab her bill. Once I grabbed her, she gave a good little fight in my grasp and finally settled down in order for me to snap a few pictures. After examining this beautiful creature for a few minutes, I gave her a good revival and off to the deep blue fishing depths she swam.

July 3, 2017 Brian 0

Palm Beach Florida | The Best offshore kayak fishing trips tips

Offshore kayak fishing

The sport has become very popular in the last few years. You don’t need to rent to buy a boat yet you still get to go out to sea. Guys and gals are beefing up their inshore gear to battle the big pelagic fish that roam the blue waters of our coasts. Transferring from kayak fishing trips inshore to offshore may be challenging for some kayak anglers. Grass Flats, mangrove tree lines and channels drop off give an inshore fisherman a good place to start looking for fish. Offshore waters don’t always give up that information quite as easy.

The ocean is a big place, as a good friend once said five percent of the ocean will hold ninety-five percent of the fish. Off the coast of Palm Beach Florida the ocean current has to come into play in your plans. There could be no current to as fast as 5mph to the North or South. When setting up kayak fishing trips most of the time I will set up a drift plan to maximize time on the water. This takes a little bit of planning from choosing a launch and landing point, to deciding to drop a buddy’s car, call a cab or have someone pick you up. Once on the beach check out the current wind and water conditions. Is it clam, is it rough, are there a lot of weeds on the beach, is there bait close to shore, which way is the wind blowing? This information will help you decide what baits to use and at what depths to use them.

In general on a calm day, try to run your baits deeper in the water column. If you have some surface chop and see a lot of action on top, like bait jumping or pelagic fish breaking the water, look to run baits closer to the surface. Other things to look for are “rips”, color changes and weed lines. A rip is an area of current that will make the water look more turbulent than the surrounding areas. A defined color change will have strong current running along the edge of the change. Most of the time these color breaks will have debri and weeds mixed in, so they are fairly easy to spot. If you are lucky enough you may run into a weed line during your offshore kayak fishing adventure. Any type of weed line or scattered weeds is a good place to stop and put bait out.

In addition to being able to locate target areas visually, every offshore kayak fisherman should have a quality GPS and fish finder. Using a quality GPS system will give you detailed depth and contours of the ocean floor as well as give you the ability to locate natural reefs, artificial reefs and other fish holding structures.

If you are new to taking kayak fishing trips offshore or are thinking about trying it, this information should give you a good start on what to look for while out on the water. Good luck out there, be safe and have fun!

For more information or to book your trip call Brian at 772-201-5899 or fill the short form below:

May 31, 2017 Brian 0