Kayaking in the Gulf

Ive been hit by a string of mechanical failures of my Hobie. Last five trips in a row have resulted in me paddling back instead of pedaling and let me tell you, paddling an Outback is NOT fun.

The fishing has been phenomenal down here in between the many storms we've been having. Over the weekend I have heard reports of people getting limits of triggers, a lot of smoker kings and some big mahi-mahi as well as a couple sailfish, all from yaks. Sitting at home with a broken kayak has been tough.

Friday I finally got to go out, but I broke something again, this time however, God must have felt bad for me and sent a beautiful school of little peanut dolphin my way. They were small but I put nine in the cooler, plenty enough for a delicious fish fry.

Today was the first time in over a month I didnt have any issues, a storm ran me off quickly but the bite was HOT for the short while I was out there, this a copy and paste from a report I left on a local forum...

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[TD="class: alt1, bgcolor: #F9FAFC"]Well, mechanical problems at least. Storm ran me off after just little over an hour at my spot. Also found out the hard way that the radar on my phone has about a fifteen minute delay and a storm can blow up real quick in fifteen minutes. I made the two mile sprint back in thirty minutes, and that includes catching a king. Had lighting nipping on my heels the whole time. I will NEVER do that again.

Anyhow for the report...

Arrived at my favorite launch at six AM on the dot. Seas were pretty big but long slow rollers, according to my bottom machine, I went over several four footers. Unloaded and made bait by seven, trolled what I call my mahi candy with a fresh dead cig to my spot two miles out, one short strike. Once to my spot I put a a twenty one inch mahi which ate the mahi candy in the cooler at ten till eight. My seventeenth of year. I had my gopro and got footage of the mahi jumping in my yak only to jump out immediately. Pretty cool.

I then slow trolled a live cig on fluro for a few minutes. Had a snapper, I assume, grab it at the top and proceed to wreck me breaking me off.

I retie but also I decided to drop down some livies in search of my first yak grouper. First drop yielded about at thirty inch cobia before it even gets to the bottom. By now Im hearing thunder.

Second drop a small king hits it half way down.

Third drop I assume another king ate it on the way down as I brought up just a head.

Flat line goes off, small shark.

Fourth drop I get slammed, drag locked down, thumbing spool and I get wrecked and broke off.

Thunder is getting louder and closer.

Fifth drop, same as fourth.

Sixth drop, I get absolutely hammered, I was only a few feet off bottom. I think it was a nurse shark, I could feel him move but I could barely move him and he really wasnt moving all that fast. After a few minutes of some serious tug o war and the thunder getting even louder and closer finally my seven ought hook straightens out.

Its time to go, set out my mahi candy and average over four miles per hour on the way in. I was getting pretty nervous. Caught another small king.

The worse part was that just before I decided to leave I saw a big grass line about a quarter mile south of me bobbing in the waves. If the storm hadnt of chased me off I think it would have been a great day with all of the live turbo cigs I had. Could have caught some more/bigger mahi and who knows what else. It was a big line.[/TD]
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My issues have been fully resolved and Im ready to get my sailfish. The fishing for pelagics like the big dolphin and sailfish and even blackfin tuna in close is as good as its ever been this year. Historically the fall is better for these pelagics but if this summer is a preview of whats to come, I cant imagine how great October and November are going to be. If yall are ever down, lets go fishing.