KAYAK FISHING

By Randy Morrow

Where to Fish

I like to paddle. It’s good, low impact exercise. But if it’s fish we’re after, we need to give a little thought and map time to the question of where. The more time you can spend in fishy areas looking for and/or casting to fish rather than paddling from one spot to another, the more fish you’re likely to catch. So when reviewing a chart or satellite picture, look for fishy areas within a couple of miles of the launch - the more areas, the better. This keeps the whole trip around 5 miles and is doable in a half day by most folks in average physical condition.

One big advantage of using a kayak is the ability to fish shallower waters than a power boat. Most flats skiffs can float in 7 inches, but a kayak only needs half that. Another advantage is the ability to traverse this skinny water to access deeper interior holes and creeks that boats rarely visit.

When to Fish

One author’s answer to this was simple: the best time to fish is whenever you can! But there’s no doubt I’ve had the most success around the full moon and new moon periods. Daily high tides are higher then, and this pushes water further up into the mangroves for 4 or 5 days in a row twice a month. Shallow water fish recognize they have temporary access to areas that normally aren’t covered in water, and will visit these for food and shelter. Also the tide flows in the channels and around bridges are stronger and will push more bait around which usually results in a better bite. This doesn’t mean the times in between moons won’t work - they will.

How to Fish

There’s plenty already written about inshore techniques and rigging as practiced on motorboats, and it generally transfers well to kayak fishing. But there are differences. Most times, you can go lighter on tackle and drag settings from the kayak since you rarely need to muscle a fish. Simply let the fish tow you around while putting line back on the reel. This is fun stuff! If fishing while anchored, unclip the anchor line and battle the fish as needed, return to the same spot and reattach. Just be sure to have a sturdy brass clip and a float on the anchor line. When fishing the flats for bonefish and permit, try poling the skinniest water looking out towards deeper water. The kayak is easier to control here, your profile tends to blend in with the mangroves, and I believe the fish are less likely to expect trouble from this direction (though this is only my theory). When working bridges or channel edges for snapper, mackerel, cuda, etc., silently paddle into the area and make exploratory casts to find where the fish are holding. When moving from one spot to another, trolling can be effective. A simple silver spoon, or a 1/4oz paddletail, trolled well behind the kayak (30 yards or so), has caught mangrove snapper, cuda, cero macks, yellowtails and more while I’m in transit. And when trolling, keep a light drag setting. If a big tarpon or shark hits it it could pull the rod out of the holder, or snap it in half!

Let me know if I can assist you in your kayak fishing adventures!

— Randy Morrow | 305-923-4643

Kayak Fishing Guide | LowerKeysKayakFishing.com