Spring offers a true cornucopia for the kayak angler. Most of our winter species are still around. Sea trout, yellow jacks, large jack crevalle, cero mackerel, monster barracuda, large snapper, large porgies and even a few bluefish and pompano are all within paddling distance. Year-round resident lemon sharks, bonnethead sharks, and blacktip sharks are plentiful and aggressive. And the “rockstar” fish of the flats start showing in good numbers as the water temps climb. Of course, I’m talking about tarpon, bonefish, and permit. So, whatever your preferred species might be, it’s likely to be around during these warm-up months of spring.

Another natural factor that aids the springtime bite is the rising water. If you’ve been around in the winter months, you may have noticed that water levels can be amazingly low, leaving some areas completely high and dry for extended periods. This is a normal occurrence in January and February. But water levels climb during the spring, and the tides get stronger as well, pushing more bait around, and sending our fishy friends up into the shallows in search of a meal or a resting spot.

Since there are so many different types of fish you might want to target on a given day here, I get a lot of questions from kayak anglers about what kind of tackle to use. A kayak has limited space for gear, so having versatile setups really helps. With spinning gear, I use two basic rigs.

Setup #1 is a rod rated 8-17lbs and a reel loaded with 200 yards of 10lb braided line. This is a great rig for your small to medium-sized food fish - snapper, porgy, yellow jacks, mackerel, etc. This is also an excellent rig for bonefish and permit. Normally I would tie on about 4 feet of 20lb fluorocarbon leader (maybe 15lb on calm days with super clear water), then my lure or hook. For versatility, a tan 1/4oz bucktail jig tipped with a fingernail-sized bit of shrimp is hard to beat. If you want to target toothy guys like barracuda or mackerel, add about 4 inches of #5 wire, then tie on a 1/4oz spoon. You can switch these two lures back and forth and catch a LOT of species this way, all on one rig.

Setup #2 is a rod rated 12-20lbs and a reel loaded with 200 yards of 20lb braided line. This is for the bigger guys like sharks and tarpon, and also when fishing structure like mangroves, bridges, and patch reefs where you need some extra muscle to get the fish away from structure quickly to avoid entanglements and break offs. Again, fluorocarbon leader is the ticket in our clear water. The thickness of your leader will vary depending on species you’re after, but 30lb or 40lb will work in most situations, and, of course, you’ll need to add some wire if you’re after sharks. For the tarpon and sharks I like larger hook sizes - around 4/0; the wide gap seems to get better hook-ups with these species. For the food fish, I stick to smaller hooks - #1, 1/0 or 2/0 - since the bigger hooks can sometimes make the fish suspicious. And, if they’re being picky, you can always take the leader thickness down to 20lb, 15lb, or even 12lb.

Spring has sprung, so if you need advice or would like me to take you out and show you what our waters can offer the kayak angler, visit my website, text me, email, or call, and I’ll help you

Fishing on the flats in January and February can vary widely depending on water temps. Sight-fishing sharks and the biggest barracuda of the year is doable most days. And, if the water temps climb into the mid to upper 70s, permit, tarpon and bonefish will reappear in the shallows. However, fishing for them can be a bit different than in the warmer months. If you’re having trouble finding our fork-tailed friends, consider planning your trip for mid-afternoon, especially if it coincides with a falling tide. The shallow, sun-heated water falling off the flats in the afternoon is usually a few degrees warmer than seasonal norms, and this can set up explosive scenarios for tailing permit and bones along the edges of flats and channels. And, speaking of water temps, I highly recommend having a thermometer with you this time of year. A company called Fishpond makes a sturdy, aluminum-cased version that has served me well. Tie on a 4-foot length of line, attach it to your yak, and toss it overboard any time you want a temperature reading as you hunt for sight-fishing targets. Water temps this time of year can vary widely from spot to spot on any given day, and, more broadly, will usually swing between the upper 60s after a cool front, to the mid-70s after a period of mild weather. The upper part of this spectrum is most agreeable to the flats fish.

As is usually the case in our cooler months of January and February, the food fish will come within reach of us who use paddle power. Bridges, tidal creeks, and, most especially, the patch reefs will hold legal-sized snapper, mackerel, porgy, and yellow jacks, enough for the makings of a fine, Keys’-style fish feast. Live shrimp, cut ballyhoo, pilchards or live pinfish fished with enough weight to get it on the bottom, will generally get hot action and put fish in the cooler.

To close out this month’s column, I have a few last comments about Hurricane Irma. Those of us who choose to live and work on these isolated, weather-beaten rocks known as the Florida Keys have recently been through a sobering, life-changing catastrophe. Many lost their homes. Many lost their businesses or livelihoods. Some lost both. Everyone here was affected in some way. On behalf of all of us, I’d like to thank all of our guests and visitors for choosing to spend your time and money in the Keys. We can certainly use your help! I encourage you to book a charter or two, eat at our restaurants and visit our attractions, helping us to recover and rejuvenate our island community. Thank you for your patronage!

I was in my kayak, fishing a remote, leeward shoreline NE of Big Pine Key on Memorial Day and had hooked 3 small tarpon on fly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement in the water, and a young, slender gator about 3 feet long was swimming in my general direction. I watched (and took some pics and video) as he swam back and forth in front of me, occasionally stopping to look in my direction. What was strange to me, is that most wild animals, especially young ones, will take the first opportunity to get away from humans. But, this guy didn’t have a care in the world, and, eventually, he settled into a spot about 15 feet away from my anchored kayak. The tarpon I was targeting were still actively rolling, so I made a cast with my fly. The gator got excited by this and headed in the general direction of the fly, at which point I yanked the fly out of the water and dropped it behind my yak, well out of reach of both the gator and the tarpon. The gator’s next move was to swim directly at the kayak (something he had not done yet) at a medium speed. I set down my fly rod, picked up my push pole, and intended to give him a sharp thump on the snout if he got too close. When he saw the tip of the push pole moving in his direction, he lunged forward and CHOMPED on the pole! He then resumed swimming back and forth at his original 15’ distance. I suspect this guy had been given food by another boater (a really, really bad idea--not to mention, illegal), and now associates boats and humans with food. Having plenty of other places to fish, I moved out of the area. But, it was a reminder that we are out in the WILD, and need to remain extremely cognizant of our surroundings in our piscatorial pursuits! 

The last week of July is lobster mini-season. I’ll spare you my rant about what I think of this overblown, resource-destroying event. But, I will say be EXTRA cautious if you’re on the water that week, ESPECIALLY if you are in a small profile vessel like a kayak. It is, unquestionably, amateur hour for boating and diving. In fact, it might be a good week to visit friends and relatives up north, since the Keys will be overrun with inexperienced, adrenaline-pumped, alcohol-fueled powerboaters. 

Summer is in full swing and with it comes some terrific flats fishing opportunities for the kayak angler. Hot, sticky days with light winds become the norm in July and August. The giant, migratory tarpon have moved on for the most part, but the small to medium size poons are around, and usually showing themselves by rolling to grab a mouthful of air in the warmer, oxygen-depleted water, particularly around sunrise. Bones will be feeding, especially on a cool, incoming tide in the morning, and late in the afternoon. Permit, being the most temperature tolerant of the three species, will be roaming the deeper flats and occasionally poking their tails up as they dig a crab or clam off the sea floor. The calmer conditions make it easier to see fish in the water, and also make it easier to see wakes and tails at quite a distance. But, realize it works both ways. The fish can see and hear you more easily in the lighter conditions. Maximum stealth is required to fish the flats in the summer, so spend some time working on your paddling and poling technique to make your approach as silent as possible. 

As always, if you need help in learning to fish the Keys from a kayak, contact me and we will plan our day on the water!

WHERE DO I FISH (MACRO)?

With so much water around us, the choice of where to fish can seem daunting! And, with the range limitations of paddle power, it’s critically important to launch your kayak in a favorable area. Generally, I prefer areas that are not subject to heavy boat traffic, a short distance (1/4 mile or so) from deeper water, and a depth of 1 to 3 feet with good tide flow. (An exception would be tarpon, which are usually deeper.) Understand that part of the challenge and fun of this type of fishing is finding the fish, and ocean fish move around a lot. A little time spent on Google Earth can help immensely in planning your trip. Look for flats that are very shallow or exposed at low tide, and 3 to 4 feet deep at high tide. If you can find an area on the map that has several of these types of flats in close proximity, then you can spend more of the favorable tide flow fishing instead of paddling to distant flats.

WHERE DO I FISH (MICRO)?

It’s common for anglers to get hung up on “spots”. But realize that any “spot” can be great today and crummy tomorrow, or vice versa. Furthermore, a spot can be great at 10 a.m. and lifeless by noon. It could have too little water right now, or too much water to look through. Again, I like to stay in 1 to 3 feet of depth, with decent current. And when you find an active spot, try to analyze why it’s good. Take note of the pathways the fish are traveling. A lot of general fishing knowledge is applicable here. For example, fish will many times congregate on the down current side of a flat, shoal, or point, facing the current, letting prey items sweep down towards them. Notice the bottom vegetation, or lack thereof. A healthy flat will have a nice array of sponge growth, along with large patches of mature turtle grass, denoting good tidal flow. A particularly good sign is the presence of larger sharks, stingrays, and baitfish. This usually means permit and bonefish are nearby. And if the flat seems lifeless, it’s probably better to move on.

WHEN DO I FISH?

Sunrise and sunset can be magical times. But the number one factor in flats fishing is the tide. The areas accessible to kayak fishers in the Keys are best fished during the incoming tide, in my opinion. Starting your fishing at low incoming water should give you a solid 5 hours of good flow and the right depth to see targets.

I’VE HOOKED A NICE-SIZED FISH, NOW WHAT DO I DO?

Anglers new to the salt are usually surprised at the strength and speed of our gamefish. Even a relatively routine 5-pound bonefish will easily pull your kayak around, and a 30-pound shark or 40-pound tarpon will give you quite a ride. When these fish are freshly hooked and dumping your spool, your first thought is that you’re outmatched by your quarry. Relax, and enjoy the tussle! When the fish surges away, let them run. But as soon as they stop to catch their breath, get busy regaining line. This back and forth can go on for several minutes, and it’s one of the true joys of pursuing these gamefish. Enjoy it! Understand that many times you aren’t really pulling the fish to you, but rather you’re pulling yourself toward the fish. Fun, huh?! If the fish gets at an uncomfortable angle (e.g., over your shoulder, or behind you), simply pull the rod tip low and towards the bow of your kayak, and the tension on the line will rotate the kayak around to where you are facing the fish again. This may be necessary several times before you land your prize specimen.

Summertime is an awesome time to go kayak fishing in our gorgeous waters, so get out there and get busy! And if you need the assistance of a professional, ring, text, or email to set up a trip with me and we’ll make some memories together!

It’s spring in the Keys, and that means tarpon season is kicking into gear. It may sound risky, or even foolish, to target such large fish from a vessel as small as a kayak, but, with a little planning, it can be done safely and sensibly.

The first thing to realize about tarpon is that there are two basic types - smaller, “resident” fish in the range of 10 to 40 pounds, and larger, migratory fish that weigh 50 to well over 100 pounds. Tarpon are a very slow growing fish, and the smaller, resident tarpon tend to be loyal to an area during the early years of their life. This is great for us kayak fisher folk because the same fish will be in the same areas for many years, and as long as they don’t get too much fishing pressure (hint, hint), we can revisit these hangouts and find them over and over. And by the way, these juvenile tarpon hot spots are some of the most coveted information in the local fishing community, so when you find one, ZIP YOUR LIP! In contrast, the larger, migratory tarpon arrive in the spring and hang around until mid-June, when they continue their migration up the coasts of Florida. Fishing these two types of tarpon from a kayak requires different methods, which we’ll cover now.

The small tarpon are usually pretty willing to eat well presented artificial lures and flies. My favorite lure at the moment is a 5” soft jerk shad on a 3/0 wide gap worm hook. It floats, and can be kept just above and in front of a fish for an extended period without sinking. But, I hear reports of many different artificials working well, as long as they stay high in the water column. I recommend staying away from treble hooks, though. It’s tough to plant a treble hook in the bony jaw of a tarpon, and tough to safely remove from their mouth at boatside. If the fish are in deeper water, I might switch to a paddletail or grub tail, but usually with a very light 1/8 oz. jig head—again, to keep it from bombing to the bottom. I’ll usually rig any of these with a rod length of 40# fluorocarbon leader, because I do plan to land and release these smaller tarpon, and the 40# gets the job done nicely. If you want to throw a live bait, a big fat shrimp is almost guaranteed to get a strike. Hook the shrimp through the horns on the front, drop it in front of a poon, and hang on! The problem with shrimp is that snappers will many times get to it before the tarpon, and then your cover is blown as you fight the snapper. Night fishing at local bridges is also very productive for the smaller fish, but plan your outing with safety as a top priority. Wear your PFD. Have a bright, waterproof headlamp with fresh batteries. Don’t anchor in stiff current, nor where boat traffic will run you over. 

Targeting large tarpon requires some forethought. Night fishing in a kayak for these brutes is asking for trouble. Please don’t take this task lightly! I strongly recommend fishing for these monsters during sunrise/daylight hours, with a buddy along in case things get dicey. Wear your PFD. These fish can commonly be 120 to 150 pounds and have strength and endurance that is shocking to the uninitiated. A big tarpon can easily tow you out to sea, or tow you miles from where you hook them, and this could last for HOURS in a light vessel like a kayak. Even though you’d love to get a picture with a monster poon to show your buddies, it’s not a good idea. Fighting a tarpon all the way to exhaustion means the fish probably won’t survive the ordeal. And another player will show up sooner or later as you wrestle your big tarpon - MR. SHARK (as in 300-pound bull sharks and hammerhead sharks up to fifteen feet in length). If any of you doubt the seriousness of what I’m saying, just YouTube tarpon / shark / Florida Keys and you’ll see what a shark will do to a tired tarpon next to a powerboat. Now imagine that type of thing in a kayak. Yikes! So I’ll rig my leader pretty light - 20# - and plan for the raspy jaws of the tarpon to wear through the leader after a few runs and jumps. Better for the angler and better for the fish. Another method is to use very thin hooks (“mosquito” hooks) and just tighten down your drag and point your rod tip at the fish and let them straighten the hook with their next surge. The same artificial baits will work for the big tarpon, and the trend lately is definitely smaller, both in lures and flies. But, for some almost guaranteed action, live bait is hard to beat. My favorite live baits for the big fish in the channels are live pinfish and blue crabs. Since the big fish are usually in deeper water, I’ll rig a small float about 3 feet up the line from a 4/0 hook and drift the crab or pinfish along with the current in an area where the fish are rolling. Also, I like a monofilament main line for this to cushion the shock of the fish’s head shakes. Keep your attention focused, because a big tarpon can easily yank the rod right out of your hand in this situation! 

Other than sharks, big tarpon are the strongest, largest fish that us kayakers can target close to shore. So, eat your Wheaties, grab your heavy rods, and go have some fun with these hard-fighting sport fish from your little plastic boat! 

Next up is Michael, who describes himself as an avid, though not necessarily highly skilled, angler. Ha! No problem. I’ve fished Michael numerous times over the past four years and he always takes instruction well and keeps improving. As a guide, that’s all you can ask. Michael loves to sight fish for sharks and barracudas in shallow water. This year, his improved casting ability really improved our catch rate, which included two monster barracudas, and 8 lemon sharks in two half-days of fishing. Nice work, Michael!

Brian hails from Ohio, and has an extensive history hunting and fishing, but had never tried the tropical salt flats, nor had he fished from a kayak. We were blessed with excellent conditions and he got to work quickly, landing his first bonefish, jumping his first tarpon, and landing several sharks, including two “big boy” lemon sharks that were close to 5 feet in length! Brian brought pinpoint casting and amazingly good eyesight to the party and had himself a day. Not bad for his first time on the flats!

Last, but certainly not least, Andrew, from the Tampa Bay area, called and asked if we could target some food fish. He had considerable kayak fishing experience and had brought his kayak with him to the Keys. We loaded up with bait and bottom rigs and hit some oceanside patch reefs. It didn’t take long before we found nonstop action, and Andrew’s fishing experience was obvious as he expertly battled snapper, grouper, sharks, and some crazy big porgies to the kayak. He sent me a great photo of the baked mutton snapper dinner he prepared for his family later that night. Mission accomplished! Andrew is heading back down this spring to try his hand at battling some big tarpon as they move in this spring.

All in all, we’ve had extremely good fishing this winter in the Lower Keys, and it only gets better as we head into warming temperatures through March, April, and May. So, if you’re here now, or if you’re up north and dreaming of being here, visit my website, ring, text, or email and let me show you what kayak fishing is all about!

Randy Morrow, Kayak Fishing Guide
305.923.4643
email: randrums@me.com
web: LowerKeysKayakFishing.com
Facebook - “Lower Keys Kayak Fishing”
Member - Jackson Kayak Fishing Team
jacksonkayak.com

During cooler weather, an often overlooked quarry on the flats is the great barracuda. During the winter months, big cudas, sometimes over 4’ long and weighing 20 pounds or more, will come up in very shallow water to warm themselves, and can be sight-fished from a kayak. Hard strikes, drag screaming runs and lots of greyhounding jumps are typical with these toothy fish. The best lure for barracuda is a brightly colored tube lure, but they will hit other shiny baits like spoons and silvery, top-water plugs. Just remember to put on a few inches of wire leader or Mr. Teeth will depart with your hardware!

Jack crevalle, sometimes weighing as much as 10 lbs, are around the backcountry in the winter. They are very willing to eat and respond well to myriad artificials. Like most jacks, they are quite good at using their broad, flat sides to great advantage during the battle, and they will run circles around the yak, which will certainly test your kayak fish fighting skills.

Mackerel visit the Keys during the winter, and are a speedy saltwater fish that also make a nice dinner. King mackerel (kingfish) are usually out in deeper water, but spanish mackerel and more commonly, cero mackerel, will come well within the reach of most kayak fishers. A shiny spoon, light wire leader, and fast retrieve will get you into these fish near oceanside channels and patch reefs.

Some of the most exciting shallow water sharks show up during the cooler weather - the blacktip and spinner sharks. Very athletic and active, when hooked these two species will put on an aerial display that will leave you slack-jawed! Flying several feet in the air while simultaneously spinning in a barrel roll, they will certainly test your gear and rigging. Of course you’ll need wire to protect against their teeth (I like #7 single strand), but I add 4 to 6 feet of 100# braid before the wire to protect against their abrasive skin and the propensity of these piscatorial acrobats to wrap the line around themselves when they roll. Sharks are good winter fishing fun, but give serious thought to how you will handle these guys before you put a hook in one. Doing this in a kayak is much more dicey than in a boat. The small ones can be handled fairly routinely from the cockpit. But larger sharks, say 4’ - 6’, are a different matter. One way of landing them is to loosen the drag on your reel a bit and paddle to a very shallow area (a few inches) with firm bottom. You can then get out of the kayak, finish the fight, and pull the shark into the super shallow stuff where it will be much less mobile. Sharks are powerful animals and will definitely try to bite you so be careful and keep body parts away from their mouths. You definitely want to perform hook removal with LONG-HANDLED PLIERS. Always have a knife or line cutter at-the-ready, and if things are feeling a little too dangerous, simply cut the line. The hook will rust out and you’ll keep all of your digits!

For those wanting a tasty dinner, inshore snapper fishing is actually much better in the cooler months compared to the sweltering summertime. Patch reefs, bridges, and back-country ditches and channels will routinely hold keeper-sized snapper this time of year.

The bones, permit, and tarpon will be back before long, but until then, there’s plenty of cool weather fun to be had fishing from a kayak in the Keys!

Keys’ cudas come in all sizes--from diminutive specimens of 6 inches, to bruisers measuring close to 5 feet. A typical-sized cuda is 25 to 40 inches, and weighs from 5 to 20 pounds, but you will see them much larger than this at times. What’s different in the winter is that the large fish will come into very shallow water to warm themselves, making excellent sight-fishing targets.

A standard 15 lb. spinning rig loaded with 200 yards of braided line will suffice for these fish, although you could go a bit lighter or heavier if you like. Also, one thing that helps in catching cudas is a reel with a high retrieve ratio, enabling the angler to retrieve lures at a faster speed. My reels have a ratio of 6:1, but a 5:1 ratio will work. Anything less than that is tough to move fast enough to catch the big ones consistently.

I’ve had barracudas hit a lot of different lures over the years, but for the best fishing, I would recommend either a tube lure (cuda tube) or a 1/4 oz. silver spoon. The tube lure, sold in all the local tackle shops, is considered the gold standard for hunting big cudas. It’s a bit heavy to throw and retrieve, but it does bring out the predator instinct in a cuda, and is easy to see for both the angler and the fish. The only real downside to the tube is that not many other fish find it interesting, so this rig is one-dimensional. The silver spoon, however, is a great lure for several species, and might be more useful if you are only taking one or two rods with you. If using the tube, simply double the braided line and tie directly to the (provided) swivel with a 6 loop uni-knot. For the spoon, you’ll need to add about 4 inches of #5 wire for a bite tippet, then a swivel, then tie your main line to the swivel.

To find cudas on the flats, pick an area with a fairly light bottom, or some light patches, and at least a little bit of current. Working lee shores will make it easier to spot fish. You’ll generally see them sitting still, rather than swimming, because they are very much an ambush style predator. Most times, they appear as a greenish-gray log sitting over a sandy patch, or behind a bit of structure, like a sponge, rock, or mangrove root. Bright sunlight is a big help in spotting fish. But on cloudy days, blind casting on the up-current side of shoreline points and isolated mangrove clumps will get a fair share of hits. 

As for presentation, it’s common to hear something like this: “Throw it at them and reel as fast as you can.” And if you do this, you will catch a few cudas. But, if you take the time to refine your technique a bit, you’ll see your catch ratio go up considerably.

First, position yourself as much in front of the fish as possible, but at least 90 degrees, before making a cast. Throwing from any angle behind the fish is a tough sell. Also, try to have at least 50 feet between you and the fish. (You’ll see why in a moment). Once you’ve got the kayak into position, you’re ready to present your offering. Make a cast well in front of, and well beyond, the fish. I prefer to start further away; say 4 feet past and 4 feet in front. If the fish doesn’t see my lure, I can always throw the next cast a little closer. But, throwing too close will spook the fish, and they’re tough to fool after that. For the retrieve, you want three speeds: slow, medium, and FAST; in that order. Start your slow retrieve and WATCH the fish’s reaction. He should move towards your lure, which is when you switch to medium speed. You’ll then see the cuda fall in directly behind your lure, not unlike a heat-seeking missile. Now is when you hit overdrive and literally crank AS FAST AS YOU CAN! You should get a vicious, slashing strike at your lure and then the fun really starts! Greyhounding jumps, spool-dumping runs, and wildly unpredictable changes of direction are common with these wonderful game fish.

The two most common errors I see anglers make with barracuda fishing are: 1) setting up too close to the fish so as to not have enough space to employ the 3-speed technique, and 2) not cranking fast enough at the end of the presentation. I can assure you, you cannot possibly crank too fast for a barracuda in hot pursuit! But reel too slowly and the fish will simply follow it all the way to the boat and turn away. It does feel funny at first to crank the reel so quickly, so practice and develop that top-end speed. It will catch you more fish!

Randy Morrow
Kayak Fishing Guide
(305) 923-4643
randrums@me.com
www.LowerKeysKayakFishing.com
Facebook - “Lower Keys Kayak Fishing”
Member, Jackson Kayak Fishing Team

We’ll start at your pocketbook. The cost of a small skiff, a trailer to transport it,  and a small, dependable outboard engine (all used) will get into your wallet for around 3 or 4 grand. And then there’s engine upkeep. $$$. Trailer tires, bearings, lights. $$$. Fuel. $$. If you want to go with a super sweet skiff with lots of accoutrements, you’ll be well into 5 figures before you can say “bilge pump”. Motor boats are expensive to buy and expensive to maintain. Doubly so in salt water. And if you happen to be married, you’ll need to be quite crafty to get the spouse’s approval for all of these expenses. Fishing is supposed to be fun, and this doesn’t sound like fun at all! On the other hand, a solid, seaworthy, BRAND NEW fishing kayak will set you back about $1500. Go with a used one and you can trim your cost to half that. Upkeep? A few bucks to replace a broken buckle or bungee cord every few years is about it. You get the idea. Kayak fishing is easy on the wallet.

Many of you know my favorite type of fishing is sight fishing in shallow water. This requires stealth, and a kayak is super stealthy! I’ve many times been so close to permit and bonefish that I simply tossed my offering with an underhanded lob and watched the fish inhale it within 10 feet of the kayak. The fish never knew I was there. It’s almost unfair! And this stealth also transfers to other members of the animal kingdom. Dolphins, manatee, turtles, birds and more are much less concerned about me when I’m in a kayak, making wildlife encounters and photography much more common and productive.

In a kayak, you are the captain of your little vessel, you make all the decisions, and you own all the successes (and failures) of your fishing adventures. No waiting for your buddy at the dock, only to find out he has to cancel. No listening to him (or her) whine about their problems all day. No compromising or arguing about where to fish, how to fish, or what to target. And poling a flats skiff by yourself (without the counter weight of an angler on the bow), then trying to execute the moves necessary to quietly get your offering to the fish in the short window of time available is almost impossible. But in a kayak, with a bit of practice, you really can do it on your own.

Kayaks are eco-friendly. There’s no fuel, no exhaust blowing into the water, no oil leaks, and maybe most importantly, kayaks don’t destroy our beautiful, lush grass flats here in the Keys. The propeller scars from motorized vessels, so prevalent around the deeper channels, take years to repair themselves, and in areas of strong current, they sometimes never grow back.

Kayaking in the Keys is wonderful exercise. Much like bicycling around the islands, you can make it as easy or as challenging as you’d like. You don’t need to be in Olympic condition to enjoy a few hours on the water. Plus the fresh air and sunshine will make you feel great!

To be fair to the motorized folk, yak fishing has limitations, with the main one being limited range. Which means you have to be very thoughtful when pick your location to fish. You can’t drop the motor and run 10 miles to catch a favorable tide on a distant flat or patch reef. And if weather threatens the day’s proceedings, you need to have a plan B, since you aren’t going to outrun anything at a cruising speed of 3 to 4 knots. 

But maybe the best part of all - kayak fishing is FUN! Even smaller fish seem bigger from a kayak. And bigger fish will blow your mind, turning your yak in circles, towing you around, and giving you an incredible sense of accomplishment, knowing you did it solo with no engine necessary. Now get that paddle moving and get out there!

Probably the most obvious thing is the heat. Temps in the low 90s, high humidity, light breezes (or calm conditions), and the blazing Florida sun, can combine to make things uncomfortable in a slow moving, human-powered vessel like a kayak. Stripping down to your swimsuit is tempting (I even know one kayaker who paddles naked!), but these options aren’t a very good idea since you could easily end up nursing a nasty sunburn for several days. The answer is proper tropical-weight clothing. This does not mean cut-off jean shorts and a cotton tee shirt! High-tech, quick-drying, moisture-wicking fishing clothes are easy to find and worth the money, turning a miserable, sweaty, sticky day into a pleasant one. Go for long pants and long sleeves, and remember your hat and  face mask. Gloves are also nice to protect the back of your hands. Some opt for less clothing, preferring to use sunscreen on any exposed skin. That works too, although in recent years I’ve chosen to keep sunscreen use to a minimum. I don’t want to slather chemicals on my skin day after day. But, either way, protect yourself from getting too much sun and you’ll be able to fish longer and more comfortably.

Another thing I’ve been incorporating into my personal fishing trips is to take a short swim. A snorkel mask tossed into a hatch takes up very little space and can provide a nice mental break from the intense focus of looking for fish, and cool you off as well.

Midsummer heat can negatively affect the fishing due to hot water temps. Permit and tarpon deal with this fairly well, but bonefish don’t care much for 90 degree water. One way to counter this is to fish early or late in the day, especially if you have an incoming (usually cooler) tide. There’s no doubt that if you find a patch of cooler water, you have a much better chance to find fish, all else being equal.

Many summer days will have light winds, even getting calm at times. These slick conditions can seem like a boon to the flats angler, since spotting fish and casting accurately is much easier than on a windy day. But, the fish can see more easily too, including above the water’s surface. In addition, they can more easily sense vibrations in the water. So work to improve your stealth, both visually and sonically. Visually speaking, keep a low profile--literally. Once you’ve located target species, stay low in the boat and keep your paddle and rod movements as low as possible. Use a sidearm cast. Consider using smaller and lighter lures, hooks, and flies, as well as longer leaders. Sonically speaking, most of the unwanted noise in kayak fishing comes from poor paddling technique. Learn to paddle, pole, and turn the kayak quietly and efficiently at all speeds.

Another difference in summer flats fishing has to do with the fish themselves. Most fish, and larger specimens in particular, tend to tire easily in the warmer water. If you let the fight go on for an extended period, the fish will push themselves to the point of exhaustion, and they’ll have trouble recuperating. I hate to admit it, but I’ve had fish that I just couldn’t revive, even after 15 minutes of trying, and they ended up being shark food, with crabs finishing off the scraps. The way to avoid this is to tighten up the drag a few clicks and really put the heat on the fish to shorten the fight. Then, after landing them, keep handling to a minimum and try to get them back on their way as quickly as possible.

Summer in the Keys--time to enjoy the calmer conditions and get some fish from your kayak!

First, here a few general thoughts about targeting these fish.

I believe in always rigging for a trophy fish - the “catch of a lifetime". It’s true that most bones in the Lower Keys are 4-7lbs, but I’ve encountered plenty of 10 pounders, and occasionally seen them close to 15lbs. The permit average 15-20lbs, but there are 40+ pounders swimming in these waters! Make sure you are rigged and ready for them!

Rigging for trophies like these requires forethought and preparation. One key element is having quality reels with good drag systems. (Quality doesn’t mean expensive. My reels are all less than $150.) A large bonefish or permit will rip line off your reel at a blistering rate. Sticky drags, or those of poor quality will fail when you need them most, so start with dependable reels and maintain them often to keep them in top condition. Ask yourself, “If I were to hook a seriously oversized fish on this rig, would it handle the strain?”

Another important part of getting a trophy flats fish is line capacity. I load up my reels with 200 yards of line. I actually don’t think I’ll ever need more than about 150yds, but 200 gives me room to trim it back several times due to abrasion and use. And always keep your hooks RAZOR sharp. I keep a file handy in the cockpit and touch up hooks constantly. (You’ll notice I didn’t include tarpon in talking about “trophy” fish, since fighting a 200lb trophy-sized tarpon from a kayak is an almost un-winnable battle. And if you were to somehow stay with a giant tarpon for the several hours it would require to land it, its chances of survival are poor and the chances of a very large shark crashing the party is high. I much prefer my kayak-caught tarpon in the 10-50lb range.)

So good drags, line capacity and sharp hooks are the keys to preparing for your encounter with these fast and powerful fish of the saltwater flats.

The three rigs I rely on the most are as follows:

Bonefish Rig: Rod rated 8-17lb 10lb braided main line 4 feet of 20lb fluorocarbon leader 1/8oz or 1/4 oz buck tail flats jig tipped with shrimp Some anglers go a bit lighter on the rod and/or line, but to be ready for that monster bone, I think this rig is better, while still providing good sport on the smaller fish.

Permit Rig: Same as above but with a 1/0 or 2/0 hook to attach a small live crab If I have a choice when picking crabs, I’ll go with smaller ones on calmer days (less splash), and a little bigger ones on windy days (casts further), and I’ll adjust the hook size accordingly.

Small Tarpon Rig: Rod rated 12-20lb 20lb braided main line 6 feet of 30lb or 40lb fluorocarbon leader 3/0 wide gap worm hook with a 5” soft plastic jerk shad or for deeper water, a size 4/0 1/4oz jig head with a 5” soft paddle tail There are a number of lures that work well with small tarpon. I like the jerk shads because they float and I can keep them in front of and above the tarpon for a long time, giving the fish more time to find and eat it with out getting my lure hung on the bottom.

The last comment I’ll make today about rigging is concerning knots. I use the uni-knot for all of the above, with slight variations. To join the braid to the fluoro, I use 4 wraps on the flouro side, and 8 wraps on the braid side. On the tarpon rig, I’ll double the main line (braid), since it’s casted a lot more and the braid will tend to cut into the leader over time. Doubling the braid helps with this, and gives a little more protection against the violent head shakes of a tarpon. On any knot, take the time to wet it and cinch it down carefully and completely - no exceptions! If it doesn’t look perfect, start over and get it right. Your next cast could be to that “trophy” fish you’ve always dreamed about!

We’re not talking about just ANY old permit, but big, trophysized specimens. These fish become frequent visitors to the flats, putting themselves within easy reach of the kayak angler. Having fished for these difficult fish for several years, I can tell you that early spring offers several advantages to the permit aficionado. During the winter months, with water temps typically in the 60s, permit (and bonefish and tarpon) move into deeper, warmer water, well out of reach of the shallow water sightfisherman. But, as the water temps rise into the low to mid 70s, the fish start to show on the flats, and the permit, being the most tolerant of temperature extremes, are first to return.

I’ve had March days where I didn’t see a single bonefish or tarpon, but saw many, many permit. In addition, permit have a major offshore spawning event that generally starts around the full moon in April, which puts them in a very aggressive mindset about eating in the weeks leading up to the spawn. They also seem to be more likely to venture into very shallow water, so tailing fish become fairly commonplace this time of year. March can sometimes be a bit windy, but as you spend more time trying to catch these spooky fish, you’ll start to see the breeze as an advantage. The chop on the water’s surface disrupts the sight lines of the fish, meaning you can remain undetected and get closer for shorter casts.   

The wave action from a breezy day also masks the pressure waves from the hull of your craft. To the uninitiated, all of this might seem to be taking things a bit too far. But, if you’ve ever tried unsuccessfully to outwit a big permit on one of those slick calm July mornings, you’ll develop an appreciation for a little bit of breeze. Rigging a spinning rod for permit is fairly simple. Ten or 15 pound braided line is heavy enough, and I use about 5 feet of 20 lb. fluorocarbon leader. Tie on a 1/0 or 2/0 hook, pin a live silver dollar sized crab on your hook, and you’re ready to go. Casting a crab accurately in breezy conditions can be a little tricky, so throw some practice casts to dial in your accuracy. I try to put it about 18 to 24 inches in front of the fish. If you have trouble finding crabs, live shrimp are the second best bait. With the shrimp, you may want to add a BB sized split shot sinker for ease of casting, and to get the shrimp to fall (slowly) through the water column, hopefully catching the attention of your quarry.

For fly rod anglers, this pre-spawning window in March is possibly the best time of year to get a permit on fly, due to the generally aggressive attitude of these springtime fish. I usually like a 9wt rig, although some folks will use a 10wt, just to help with casting in the wind. But, whichever weight you choose, you really need to be able to cast quickly and accurately to all angles of the wind. Spend some focused time practicing your fly casting in real world conditions. That means having a full length leader and a heavy crab fly (with the hook point clipped off) during your practice sessions. Permit are usually on the move and, many times, you’ll only have one clean shot, so work to deliver the fly with as few false casts as possible.

Spring has sprung, so get out there and hook into a big silver slab today!

But, making the switch from spinning to fly tackle hasn’t been easy. There are issues, both physical and mental, that must be addressed with a fly rod in the limited confines of a kayak. In this article, I’ll touch on a few of the more common physical ones.

The first issue is what to do with all the line you have stripped off the reel in preparation to cast to a fish. It has to go SOMEwhere! And the cockpit of a kayak is a veritable house of horrors for 40 to 50 feet of loose fly line! In most kayaks, foot pegs, strap buckles, and bungee rigging conspire to make a mess of your line. I’ve seen and tried a few different methods to address this. The best I’ve found so far is to mount a small stripping basket just below waist level in front of you. (This assumes you are standing to pole and fish.) It takes some discipline to always keep your hands in the same spot and strip line into the bucket, but this is quickly learned and becomes habit. Another option is to simply strip line into the water next to you. This works pretty well IF you are sitting still and have little current or wind. If there is wind or current, or if the yak is moving, the line will end up drifting away from the yak, or under the yak, and shooting line becomes difficult. Another option is to remove EVERYTHING from the cockpit and bow of the yak so it’s naked and there’s nothing left to snag the line. This works, but I actually use all that rigging for storage and accessories, especially on long outings, so it’s not my preferred method. Lastly, you can get a big, open, canoe-style yak and turn the large cockpit into a stripping bucket as it is, but most “big, open” yaks are poor performers in wind and current, leaving you to only fly fish on calm days in light current. So for now, I’m sticking with the mounted stripping bucket.

The next issue involves casting. Fly fishers, when standing on the bow of a skiff, have plenty of idle space, not to mention 2 free hands, to stand there with 10 feet or more of fly line (plus the long leader) outside the rod tip, enabling the rod to load well on the first backcast. In most kayaks, having that much loose line and leader in play as you maneuver around looking for fish is inviting trouble, so I normally only have 3 feet of fly line (plus the 12’ leader) outside the rod tip. It’s still tricky to manage this 15’ of line/leader as you paddle/pole around, but it’s workable. This means that to begin a cast, you have to be proficient at making a few short, quick whipping motions to get more fly line outside the tip to load the rod, whereby you can resume a more normal casting stroke. This requires practice and experimentation. Specialty fly lines with a particularly skewed weight forward design really help here. Also, don’t be afraid to try one size higher line weight on your rod (e.g., 10wt line on a 9wt rod) to help load the rod more quickly.

Another issue on the physical side is casting distance. Most skiff captains want their clients comfortable casting around 60 feet. With the limited height and resulting limited distance of vision inherent in a kayak, our version of the game is usually played out at shorter distances. By the time you spot and identify the fish, set down your paddle or pole and pick up your fly rod, your target will many times be at 30 feet, 20 feet, or even closer. At first, this short distance feels pretty strange, especially with a heavy crab fly, so I recommend spending a good part of your casting practice (you ARE practicing, RIGHT?) developing pinpoint accuracy at 15 to 30 foot distances. This is exactly what you’ll need in many kayak situations. Beautifully flowing tight loops don’t matter at this distance. Quietly “curving” the fly into place with an unorthodox sidearm sweeping motion and an open loop is sometimes just what you need.

I can tell you that all the trial and error has paid off, and after a lot of initial frustration, I’ve scored several bonefish, tarpon, sharks, and one gorgeous permit in my first 10 months of taking the “old buggy whip” out on my kayak. If you want help finding your fly rod trophy here in the Lower Keys, give me a ring and let’s plan a day to do it!

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. Without a motor your range is quite limited, 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 areas 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. So get out there whenever you can.

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 to boatside. 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 to the anchor. Just be sure to have a sturdy brass clip and a float on the anchor line. There are times when you’ll need to power a fish away from cover (grouper and snook come to mind), and the kayak can be a disadvantage in these situations. Timing your hookset and a stiff drag setting can help. 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 ¼ oz. 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!

Fighting Over-sized Fish

There is no doubt that fighting large, strong saltwater fish from a kayak is exciting! The most common comment I get is about the “Old Man and the Sea” nature of fishing this way. Over-sized is a relative term. But for our discussion, let’s define it as a fish that will pull you and the kayak far away from the spot where you first hooked up. (I once had a tarpon pull me well over a mile!) Early in the fight, you’ll probably want to “park” your paddle securely so you have both hands free, though a case can be made for keeping the paddle in your lap for maneuvering around obstacles. As you’re seated in the kayak, the preferred place to do battle with a strong fish is in front of you. Using a clock face as reference and 12 o’clock being the bow, the idea is to keep the fish between 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock, and here’s how to do it. When the fish surges away sharply to the right or left, lower your rod tip towards the bow of the yak and let the fish pull the bow around so you’re facing the fish again. Sometimes your quarry will charge under the kayak. Simply plunge your rod into the water and work the rod tip towards the bow, which again will pull you around to facing the fish. Other times a fish will circle around to the rear. For this, you’ll want to get the rod up high to clear any idle rods in holders behind you. Then, lower the tip towards the bow again and swing the kayak around to resume the preferred position.

The most dangerous position to fight a large fish is straight down to one side because this is the least stable axis in a kayak. If you have the rod bent over like this and something pops loose, you’ll likely flip over the opposite way and have a U.S.E. - Unplanned Swimming Event! So aggressively work your boat position and keep that big fish in front of you! From there you can put tremendous pressure on the fish and stay in the yak.

As the fish tires, you have some questions to answer. Are you keeping the fish for dinner, or letting it go? Does it have nasty teeth (shark, cuda, mackerel)? Can you control it with a gloved hand, or a lip gripper? Is it possibly just too big or dangerous to bring alongside or into the cockpit? One technique I’ve found useful with big fish is to put the rod in a rod holder and paddle the kayak to shallower water where I can get out and handle the fish. This works particularly well with tarpon. But always keep an eye out for sharks and cudas when you have hold of a tired fish.

December brings myriad species into Keys’ waters, so take advantage of the pleasant weather and catch ‘em up! 

From catching grunts off a dock to targeting kings and sailfish in deeper water, the Keys offer myriad choices for the fishing enthusiast, no matter the season. Of course my favorite method of piscatorial pursuit is from a kayak in shallow water. This month I thought I’d lay out a general fishing calendar for the inshore kayak angler covering the winter time period, also known around here as the “dry” season - meaning almost no rain. Keep in mind that fish don’t read calendars! Water temps, tides, wind direction and available food are the primary factors affecting shallow water fishing no matter what month it is. But these guidelines will give you an idea of what you can expect.

November/December

The big variable for a kayak angler during these months will be the frequency and severity of the cool fronts that start to push in from the northwest. Early in November, these fronts may not make it here at all, meaning the bonefishing, tarpon fishing and permit fishing will stay very good. As we get closer to Thanksgiving, however, a weak front or two will probably hold together and sweep through the Keys, bringing north winds for a few days that gradually clock around to the east and back off. In December, the frequency and severity of these fronts will increase. But usually these fronts are infrequent enough to leave several great weather days in between. As to flats fishing, the main thing to keep an eye on is the water temperature. You can look at weather buoy data for a general idea, but locally, temps can vary considerably from one spot to the next and from one day to the next as well. Carrying a pool thermometer is a cheap way to get a local reading. If you can find water in the mid 70s and up, the “big three” (bonefish, tarpon, and permit) should still be cooperative, especially a few days after a front passes and the weather stabilizes. But as the days get shorter and water temps continue to trend downward, these three sport fish will thin out, and it’s time to change targets. Snapper fishing picks up nicely. Grouper on the patches and around structure make great targets. And some new players emerge. Speckled sea trout, pompano, BIG barracuda, cero mackerel, redfish, ladyfish, blacktip sharks, spinner sharks, and marauding schools of large jack crevalles (sometimes well over 10 pounds) are all pushed south into the Keys’ warmer water.

January/February

These are the potentially the toughest months of the year for kayakers as stiffer winds become a factor, and the wise kayak angler will take time to plan their route with this in mind. But all is not lost! One tried and true method is to start your day paddling into the wind, so you can use the breeze to help push you back to the launch after you’re tired. Another option is to get a friend with a boat to taxi you and your yak out back (Gulf side) and drop you off. Then you can fish your way back with the wind helping. Another idea is to fish out front (ocean side). Due to the general east/west orientation of the Lower Keys and the prevailing north to northeast winds, the south side of the islands will have a lot of days quite fishable in a kayak, even when the backcountry is blown out. Drifting the channels and throwing a gold spoon can yield some cero macks for the smoker and jack crevalles for fun. Most days are bright and sunny, making it easier to spot fish. Seriously large barracuda are terrific sight casting targets as they sit over sandy potholes to warm themselves. And the bright Florida sun will heat the water enough to make permit fishing quite doable during the warmup days between cool fronts. You can often find permit if you can find some afternoon water temps in the mid 70s. And these permit are almost always feeding aggressively. Fishing for snapper, porgy, and yellow jacks (delicious fish!) around the bridge pilings and patch reefs is still good and provides the makings of a nice fish cookout for your friends, while you brag about how you did it all in your little plastic human-powered boat!

When you think about it, lemon sharks give the flats fisherman tremendous sport, just like the glamour fish. You still have to hunt your target species, make a quality presentation to a moving fish, and endure some refusals. And with a few decent presentations, you get to see the whole scenario play out right in front of your eyes. The shark turns to pursue your bait. You employ the correct retrieve (slow). You get to watch as it opens its mouth and chomps down on your offering, at which point you set the hook and ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz, the drag on your reel starts singing. Sharks run fast, fight hard, and will tow you around a bit as you do battle, many times circling the kayak and testing your skill level. Finally, you bring the shark alongside the kayak and release it, letting it swim away healthy, and probably a little smarter for the experience! A word of caution is in order, however. Bring along a LONG handled set of pliers and keep a sharp knife handy. Lemons have sharp teeth and will snap at your hands when you bring them alongside the yak. NEVER bring them into the kayak! Remove the hook with the pliers if possible. If not, cut the line as close as you safely can and keep all your digits intact.

A typical rig for these small (2 foot to 3 foot) lemons would be a rod rated for 12-20 lbs. and a medium sized reel spooled with 15 to 20 lb braid. Attach a swivel, a 6 inch piece of #5 wire, and a 3/0 circle hook and you’ve got a solid set up to handle small sharks in shallow water. For bait you can use any of a variety of chunk baits - ballyhoo, mullet, squid, or even leftover trimmings from the cleaning table. But trim your baits down to something about the size of your pinky finger and resist the temptation to use giant fish heads and such. The loud splash of large baits hitting the water will many times scare off your target, and frankly, it’s just not necessary to catch fish.

Part of the fun of shark fishing is the fact you will have MANY chances to cast and learn how the game is played. Your casting and fish fighting skills will improve quickly with all these opportunities. Contrast this with a slow day of bonefishing or permit fishing. Few targets, spooky fish, and no hookups. I feel it’s critical for the newbie to have some early success and to get the feel of the techniques necessary for this type of fishing. And it’s always fun to send some pictures to your land lubber friends up north of you taming a SHARK (cue Jaws theme) with a rod and reel.

And remember, if you need help getting the hang of catching Mr. Teeth from a kayak, I would love to take you out there and get you hooked up!

Probably the most obvious thing is the heat. Temps in the low ‘90s, high humidity, light breezes (or calm conditions), and the blazing Florida sun can combine to make things uncomfortable in a slow moving, human-powered vessel like a kayak. Stripping down to your swimsuit is tempting. (I even know one kayaker who paddles naked!) But these options aren’t a very good idea since you could easily end up nursing a nasty sunburn for several days. The answer is proper tropical weight clothing. This does not mean cut-off jean shorts and a cotton tee shirt! High tech, quick drying, moisture wicking fishing clothes are easy to find and worth the money, turning a miserable, sweaty, sticky day into a pleasant one. Go for long pants and long sleeves, and remember your hat and  face mask. Gloves are also nice to protect the back of your hands. Some opt for less clothing, preferring to use sunscreen on any exposed skin. That works too, although in recent years I’ve chosen to keep sunscreen use to a minimum. I don’t want to slather chemicals on my skin day after day. But either way, protect yourself from getting too much sun and you’ll be able to fish longer and more comfortably.

Another thing I’ve been incorporating into my personal fishing trips is a short swim. A snorkel mask tossed into a hatch takes up very little space and can provide a nice mental break from the intense focus of looking for fish, and cool you off as well.

Midsummer heat can negatively affect the fishing due to hot water temps. Permit and tarpon deal with this fairly well, but bonefish don’t care much for 90 degree water. One way to counter this is to fish early or late in the day, especially if you have an incoming (usually cooler) tide. There’s no doubt that if you find a patch of cooler water, you have a much better chance to find fish, all else being equal.

Many summer days will have light winds, even getting calm at times. These slick conditions can seem like a boon to the flats angler, since spotting fish and casting accurately is much easier than on a windy day. But the fish can see more easily too, including above the water’s surface. In addition, they can more easily sense vibrations in the water. So work to improve your stealth, both visually and sonically. Visually speaking, keep a low profile - literally. Once you’ve located target species, stay low in the boat and keep your paddle and rod movements as low as possible. Use a sidearm cast. Consider using smaller and lighter lures, hooks, and flies as well as longer leaders. Sonically speaking, most of the unwanted noise in kayak fishing comes from poor paddling technique. Learn to paddle, pole and turn the kayak quietly and efficiently at all speeds.

Another difference in summer flats fishing has to do with the fish themselves. Most fish, and larger specimens in particular, tend to tire easily in the warmer water. If you let the fight go on for an extended period, the fish will push themselves to the point of exhaustion, and they’ll have trouble recuperating. I hate to admit it, but I’ve had fish that I just couldn’t revive, even after 15 minutes of trying, and they ended up being shark food, with crabs finishing off the scraps. The way to avoid this is to tighten up the drag a few clicks and really put the heat on the fish to shorten the fight. Then after landing them, keep handling to a minimum and try to get them back on their way as quickly as possible.

Summertime fishing in the Keys also will put you in the vicinity of thunderstorms. Sometimes it’s simply an awesome light show in the distance. But other times it’s a direct threat to your well being. Daily weather forecasts are notoriously unreliable. I strongly recommend getting good radar and lightning apps on your smartphone and using them. They’ll give you real time data for your specific location. The problem for kayakers is we can’t fire up a motor and outrun a squall like a powerboat. Which means you WILL eventually get stuck in a storm. The best course of action is to find a nook or cranny in a level-topped mangrove shoreline and wait it out. Pull down all of your rods and put away your paddle.

Whatever else happens, DO NOT get caught out in open water during a lightning storm. There is a bright side to all this stormy business. It is usually a short-lived event, and after the squall passes, conditions often get flat calm for an hour or so. The rain cools the water ever so slightly, and the fish like it! Juvenile tarpon will start rolling, permit tails will start popping up, and the fishing can get as electric as the just-passed lightning storm, making the rain delay worthwhile.

Summer in the Keys - time to enjoy the calmer conditions and get some fish from your kayak!

To a flats novice, the speed of a bonefish’s first run is hard to believe. Line leaves the reel at an alarming rate, and many anglers wonder if the fish might take it all and keep right on going. That first amazing run is, for most flats stalkers like myself, the true payoff of a lot of study and effort pursuing the wily bonefish. And that first run is even more exciting from the cockpit of a kayak. 

If you intend to have consistent success with bonefish from a kayak, I believe you have to be able to paddle and pole the yak from a standing position - much like a stand up paddle board. This necessitates a stable kayak, and time spent practicing. Standing and silently moving the yak through shallow water needs to become second nature so you can focus on looking for fish. I’ve recently incorporated a 12’ push pole into my gear and find it very useful. Hunting bones from a seated position is difficult because you just can’t see them soon enough to make a presentation. You will occasionally find tailing fish, or fish making wakes in very shallow water, and these can be fished while seated. But 90 percent of the bones I catch are spotted while standing and poling the kayak in 1 to 3 feet of water.

Many good books and articles have been written about bonefishing. I’ve learned from all of them, and I suggest you do some in-depth reading on this fascinating fish before heading out. Tides, type of tackle, lures and baits, presentation, etc., are covered in the bonefish literature so I won’t repeat it here. But compared to the typical scenario of hunting bones from a flats skiff (or alternately, wading), stalking these wary, hard-to-see fish from a kayak presents some unique challenges, which I’ll touch on below.

Perched high on the bow of a skiff’s casting platform, you can see fish at quite a distance - often 100 feet or more. Add the trained eyes of a veteran guide on the poling platform, and generally you’ll have 6, 8, maybe even 10 seconds to track the incoming fish and make your presentation. If it’s off target, you may have time to make a second cast. But from the lower vantage point of a kayak, you typically won’t see bones until they’re within 60 feet of you - many times far less than that depending on light conditions. This cuts your lead time down drastically - to about 3 - 5 seconds on average - leaving very little room for error or second casts. And that brings us to the trickiest part of sight fishing from a kayak: the quick transition from poling to angling. My main method is as follows (this is for a spinning rod set up):

1. Have the rod laying flat right in front of you (not in a rod holder) and ready to cast. Have the bail in the right position, the preferred length of line past the tip top, and the drag set correctly. If using live bait, keep it in the water so it’s alive and frisky.
2. Once you’ve sighted the fish, bend your knees and lower yourself into a stable squatting position, center the paddle or pole across your lap, and pick up your rod. (Note - it is possible to fashion a belt that will hold your paddle / pole in a clip, if you like.) While you’re doing this, NEVER take your eyes off the fish. This paddle-to-rod transition has to be QUICK, SILENT, and done by feel - without looking. Practice it.
3. Make your cast from this squatting position.
4. Once you have a hook up, you can sit down in the kayak, leave the paddle balanced in your lap, and do battle to land the fish.

A secondary method I’ve found effective, given the right conditions, is drifting. If the current and wind aren’t too strong, and you’re in an area that looks “fishy”, park the paddle, stay standing and let the kayak slowly drift. Have the rod in hand, bail open and be ready to cast. You do give up maneuverability of the kayak this way, but you cut the time necessary for casting to almost zero - a big advantage when operating in such close proximity to bonefish. This drifting method is very useful on a flat calm day when the fish are harder to approach, and longer casts become necessary. With the rod in hand, you can cast as soon as you see the fish and get a great shot before they’ve figured out you’re there. The biggest problem with drifting is going too fast and running over fish.

A bait bucket can double as a sea anchor to slow your rate of drift. And as your skill increases, you can actually have the paddle in one hand for limited steering and braking, while you hold the rod with the other hand.

Bonefishing has been on an upswing the past few years, so do a little pre-game study, get your kayak out there, and get busy with these silver speed demons!

When I’m out paddling, the three primary ways I encounter these “silver slabs” are when they tail, float, or I simply see them through the water column. Contrary to the impression of many visiting anglers, “tailers” and “floaters” aren’t the most common ways we find permit. Seeing the fish in 3 to 4 feet of water is a much more everyday occurrence. And it’s easier to see fish in those depths from a skiff than the much lower height of a kayak. However, with tailing and floating fish, I think the kayak has some distinct advantages.

Tailing permit (and bonefish too), will get in amazingly shallow water, especially on an incoming tide. And permit, with their tall bodies, push more water than many of other fish you’ll see on a flat, making them easier to spot. Most flats are not of uniform depth. At low tide, they are a series of shallow gullies and troughs with exposed bottom in between, and these areas can be tricky or even impossible for a powerboat to navigate. But a kayak only draws 3 to 4 inches of water, so maneuvering around the flats at low tide is a breeze. Also, this enables me to approach the fish from the inside, or shallow side of a flat, rather than from the deeper, outside water. I like this set up because I don’t think the fish are expecting predators or problems from the direction of shallow water.

Floating permit are one of the coolest things you’ll see in flats fishing. Sometimes I find them floating in the wide open, but usually it’s on a channel edge, or in a patch of sargasso weed in 3 to 6 feet of water. The spike-shaped tips of their dorsal fin and tail are the only thing sticking above the surface, and the low angle of sight from the kayak is actually an advantage in this situation. Looking through a small monocular, I can survey a patch of sargasso weed or a channel edge at some distance, without alerting any fish that are there, and determine the best way to approach them.

When tailing or floating, permit can be tricky fish to approach, especially in calm conditions. Many skiff captains have found from experience that it’s hard to get into casting range before the permit will either see them or feel the pressure waves from the boat and spook off the flat like their tail is on fire. This is where the stealth of a kayak is a HUGE advantage. I can silently pole or paddle and slide into casting range completely unnoticed by the fish. The low profile of the kayak makes it harder for the permit to see me, and the smaller size of the kayak pushes less of a wake, enabling me to get closer to the fish, shorten the casting distance, and give me a few extra seconds to get a good shot before something goes wrong. And since old man Murphy (see Murphy’s Law!) generally has a field day with permit fishermen, anything we can do to gain even the slightest advantage matters a lot.

One day I was out fishing with a friend from Naples, another hardcore kayak fisherman like myself named Alan. He was fishing a mile or so from me and found a school of about 2 dozen floating permit in a patch of sargasso weed. Alan took several shots with his fly rod but couldn’t get them to eat a fly. So he called me and told me to come over and try a live crab. I took 4 shots at floating fish, leading them by about 3 feet for fear they might spook from the splash of the crab hitting the water. But they just weren’t reacting to the bait. So I put the next shot six inches from a permit’s nose and he gobbled the crab, resulting in a great battle and nice fish measuring 25” to the fork of his tail. The small size and stealthy nature of the kayaks kept Alan and I in the game long enough to score a nice fish without them knowing we were there.

The Keys’ location gives us access to what may be the best place on the planet for trophy-sized permit, and you can certainly reach these fish without a motor. So get your yak on and use your stealthy little craft to hook a big permit this summer!

Placement of rod holders is something I’ve found to be very important. Generally I like them behind me so my paddling motion is unobstructed, but having one rod holder in front of me is nice, especially when bottom fishing or drifting so I can see movement of the rod tip. Just check that you can still swing your paddle around without banging the rod or holder. One simple method for experimenting with rod holder placement is to use wire ties to affix them to a milk crate which is then fastened firmly behind you in the kayak. This is cheap and gives you the option of trying different setups without drilling permanent holes in your boat. Some kayak seats have rod holders built in and these give you easy access to the rods. Also, any rod holder to the rear gives you the ability to troll for fish while you’re paddling along, which can give an occasional nice surprise!

You’ll want a place to securely “park” your paddle and free your hands for fishing. Usually just slipping the blade under a bungee cord will suffice, but most newer model boats have very secure ways of keeping the paddle from getting away from you. Alternatively, a piece of line or bungee tied to both the kayak and the paddle (a “paddle leash”) is a cheap way to do it yourself, and you can let the paddle float next to you while you handle your fish.

Now I’ll list gear that you’ll want to have “at the ready”, i.e., easy to reach from your seated position while fighting / landing a serious fish. You don’t want to be looking for your misplaced pliers while a large barracuda is thrashing around boatside, so give careful thought to the specific placement of these often used items:

• iPhone in a floating, waterproof case (weather, radar, tides, maps, taking and texting fish pics, an amazingly useful piece of gear for fishing)
• Fishing pliers
• Measuring stick (can I keep this snapper?)
• Lip grippers (great for reviving tired fish and for getting good pictures)
• Dive knife in a holster (for cutting the line if you feel threatened by something too big to handle)
• Gloves (for handling certain fish)
• A small towel

In a small mesh bag I carry extra spools of leader material and a hook sharpening stone. These don’t need to be “at the ready”, just accessible in a hatch or seat pocket.

In the excitement of wrangling fish from a kayak, it’s very easy to drop an expensive tool overboard, never to be seen again. Heck, I lost three pairs of pliers in the first two weeks I started kayak fishing! So SECURE your gear to survive the worst case (capsize), and you can fish worry-free. For example, I tie separate 4’ lengths of para cord to my pliers and lip grippers. My knife fits into a holster that’s attached to the kayak. You get the idea.

I often fish with bait. Live shrimp, crabs and pinfish travel well in a small floating bait bucket. Attach a 7’ length of thin line to the bucket at one end and the kayak at the other. You’ll need to bring the bucket aboard to paddle at normal speed, and remember to stop and refresh the water every five minutes or so. While fishing, you can let the bucket float alongside if you like. It also doubles as a sea anchor if you want to slow down your rate of drift across an area. Frozen bait like mullet and ballyhoo travel well in a small soft cooler with a frozen bottle of water. Don’t forget to pack a bait knife and maybe a super small cutting board.

I have two grapnel anchor rigs for fishing different types of water. One is 1.5 lbs. with 20’ of line for shallow water. The other is 3.5 lbs. with a short piece of chain and 70’ of line for anchoring in deeper channels or near patch reefs.  Both anchor rigs have quick release brass clips and ski rope type buoys so I can release myself to fight large fish and come back and find the line later. When anchoring, please be careful not to anchor in strong current! I made this mistake once and found myself tethered to a kayak that was bucking like a bronco in a rodeo. After nearly capsizing, I had to cut myself free and come back at slack tide to retrieve the anchor and line.

If you plan to bring fish home for dinner, the best way I’ve found is using a medium-sized freezer bag you can buy at the grocery store. Put a few bottles of frozen water inside and your catch will stay chilled until you get home. This beats bagged ice cubes because it takes less space, melts more slowly, costs less and is less weight to carry.

Lastly, the salty ocean environment wreaks havoc on gear. Since we’re sitting closer to the water than in a power boat, the cockpit of a kayak tends to be wetter and our gear gets much more spray and splashing. So develop a routine to thoroughly rinse all your gear with fresh water after every trip and keep expensive tools well-oiled for longevity.

I

 hope this helps you get your kayak geared up and ready to catch the big one!

The first and most important piece of equipment is the kayak itself. There are two primary types. The first is the sit inside kayak (SINK), in which the sides and deck of the yak come up around your legs and hips. While very popular, I feel this is not the best choice, especially if you are inexperienced and/or plan to paddle alone. Instead, my preference is the sit-on-top kayak (SOT) that has scupper holes running through the hull for water to drain out. I have a strong bias towards SOT yaks for one reason: safety. Waves and boat wakes occasionally slosh over the side to deposit water in the cockpit. In a SOT, this water drains right back out. Furthermore, while capsizing is not commonplace, it does happen. In a SOT, you can easily fix this problem, even alone in deep water, by simply flipping the kayak right side up and climbing back aboard. The self-bailing scupper holes in the SOT hull will automatically drain the water from the cockpit and you’re good to go. In a SINK, similar to a canoe, there is no self-bailing feature. A capsize leaves you swimming next to a yak full of water and no easy way to clear it and right your vessel. In water over your head and strong current, you have a potentially dangerous problem. Because of this, I strongly recommend SOT kayaks.

It is very important to get a boat that fits you. Your height, weight and experience level will dictate which kayaks feel comfortable. Where and how you want to fish will further refine your choice of vessel. The most basic parameters of picking a kayak are length, width and weight. Longer, skinnier yaks tend to be faster and are good for covering distance with less effort. Shorter, wider boats turn quickly and are better for navigating tight spaces. Also, wider boats allow you to stand up and pole shallow water and sight fish. For fishing in the Florida Keys, I’ve found that kayaks in the middle of the spectrum work well - a length of 12-15 feet, a width of 26-32 inches, and a weight of 55-75 lbs. Much has been written about picking a kayak and some internet research will be time well spent. Try out friends’ kayaks. Rent or take a tour in a few different boats. Note the models and their dimensions. You’ll start to develop a sense of what you want. Talking to experienced yak fisher folk will give you ideas as well.

Next is the paddle. Choices abound. Again, checking the internet forums / reviews, asking other paddlers, and trying a few paddles from friends and outfitters will be helpful. The one specific thing I recommend for fishing shallow water is a durable blade that can handle pushing off rocky beaches and shorelines, or push-poling across shallow flats. After that it’s primarily a matter of weight. Less weight equals less fatigue equals more time paddling before getting tired. And when out alone, I always store a spare paddle (cheapo is fine) inside the boat, just in case.

Many SOT yaks come without a built-in seat. This is good! A wide variety of seats are available to cushion your butt and support your back. Don’t scrimp here. Get cushy for your tushy and you’ll be comfortable on longer outings. Some seat models have rod holders built into the backrest which I find very useful. The placement puts rods within easy reach, yet out of the way of a normal paddling motion.

Always have a life jacket or PFD on your vessel. Wear it or have it within easy reach. I wear it when alone in deep water. On the flats I generally don’t wear it, but can grab it easily from my seated position. Some models have great storage spots on the front for lures, pliers, flies, knives, etc. And in cooler weather, the PFD is another layer of warmth.

To finish up part 1 of our gear discussion, here is a list of common sense items I take with me on every kayak trip.They aren’t specific to fishing, but are very important to safety and comfort while on the water:

• Lightweight packable rain gear
• a thin fleece layer, duct tape (to patch a leaky kayak!)
• Waterproof marine VHF radio (check batteries often)
• Extra water, jerky and snack bars
• waterproof headlamp
• dive knife
• basic first aid kit
• extra lines (one short, one long) with brass clips
• sunscreen and bug dope
• hand bilge pump

These items are stowed in the kayak in waterproof bags or cases (if necessary) or in a mesh dive bag.

Next month I’ll have part 2 of our gear discussion covering items specific to fishing. Until then, get out there and enjoy our majestic Keys waters! And give me a shout if you need help, advice, or want to book a kayak fishing charter. Until then, good luck and catch ‘em up!

November/December The big variable for a kayak angler during these months will be the frequency and severity of the cool fronts that start to push in from the north. Usually these fronts are infrequent enough to leave several great weather days in between. As to fishing, the main thing to keep an eye on is the water temperature. You can look at weather buoy data for a general idea, but locally, temps can vary considerably from one spot to the next and from one day to the next as well. Carrying a pool thermometer is a cheap way to get a local reading. If you can find water in the mid 70s and up, the “big three” (bonefish, tarpon, and permit) should still be cooperative, especially a few days after a front passes and the weather stabilizes. But as the days get shorter and water temps continue to trend downward, these three sport fish will thin out, and it’s time to change targets. Snapper fishing picks up nicely.

Grouper on the patches and around structure make great targets. And some new players emerge; speckled seatrout, big barracuda, cero mackerel, redfish, ladyfish, blacktip sharks, and marauding schools of large jack crevalles are all pushed south into the Keys’ relatively warmer water.

January/February These are potentially the toughest months for a kayak angler, as wind becomes a factor, and the wise kayak angler will take time to plan their route with this in mind. But all is not lost! One tried and true method is to start your day paddling into the wind, so you can use the breeze to help push you back to the launch after you’re tired. Another option is to get a friend with a boat to taxi you and your yak out back (Gulf side) and drop you off. Then you can fish your way back with the wind helping. Another idea is to fish out front (ocean side). Due to the orientation of the Lower Keys and the prevailing north to northeast winds, the south side of the islands will have a lot of days quite fishable in a kayak, even when the backcountry is blown out. Drifting the channels and throwing a gold spoon can yield some cero macks for dinner, plus big barracuda and jacks for fun. Fishing for snapper around the bridge pilings is usually good, keeps you out of the wind, and provides the makings of a nice fish cookout for your friends, while you brag about how you did it all in your little plastic human-powered boat!

March/April These months are a transition period and can result in terrific fishing because the winter species haven’t quite left and the spring/summer species begin to arrive. Water temps will dictate how and when this progresses. Once again, the biggest potential challenge facing kayak anglers in March is wind, but usually the wind is more easterly and you can find lee shorelines to fish. Redfish, small sharks and barracuda will oblige by getting far up into the mangroves where power boats can’t go and the water is reasonably calm and fishable. You can still find shelter from the breeze around the bridges to fish for snapper, jacks, and bigger sharks. April typically has the winds backing off and water temps getting high enough for bonefish and tarpon to show in good numbers. And March through early April is historically  the best time to target permit on the flats. They are in a “pre-spawn” feeding mode and much more likely to make a mistake (also known as eating a fly!). Patch reef fishing is still good, though sometimes you’ll be sharing a spot with someone since it is the height of tourist season.

If you have more questions about how to pursue fish in a kayak in the Lower Keys, bribe me with lunch and I’ll help you get rigged and ready on your self-directed fishing adventures. Or if you want to hire an experienced guide to show you around our fishery, shoot me a text, ring my phone, or drop me an email and we’ll pick a day to bend a rod!