Now that we are into the heat of the summer and our water temperatures are at their peak, most of the fish you usually need to travel offshore for in a power boat can now be found inshore. So, this time of time of year leads me just outside the inlet for some great trolling in my kayak. My target fish this time of year are king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish, and you will have a shot at cobia and even a shark or two.
When I go just outside, I mean just outside the jetty wall or just about a thousand or so feet off a fishing pier… that’s all I need to do. If you think about it, there are guys catching kings off the pier, so you don’t need to travel that far out to get into some good fishing. Some places also have some great nearshore structure that can be found between a half mile and a mile off the beach that is going to hold some nice fish.
The best kind of kayak for this is a sit-on-top because it is self-bailing…the last thing you want to do is be out there in a sit-inside kayak and start taking on water. My kayak of choice for trolling is a Mariner from Native Watercraft. The Mariner is a pedal-driven kayak so it leaves me hands free to fish. Before I bought my Mariner I was heading out in a Heritage Redfish or a Native Manta Ray, and both worked just fine. I just had to put my paddle up to fight the fish.
When you think about tackle to use, it is going to be the same as you would use on a powerboat for trolling. For kings, I like to use a conventional reel like a Diawa Saltist or a Shimano Speedmaster IV, on a 7-foot live bait rod. I have had some people ask me why not use a rod shorter than a seven footer for this and I feel that if the fish is swimming around the bow of the kayak, the longer rod gives you more room to maneuver the fish back to the side of the kayak and not get the line caught on the bow. If I am going for Spanish, I like to use a conventional casting set-up and troll with Clark Spoons. Again, a 7-foot rod is a good choice for this too.
Bait and rigging is the same as if you were out on your powerboat trolling. You can use a pre-made king rig like one from Bluewater Candy, or a Chin Weight from Barefoot Lures works great also. Bait again is going to be your choice…live works the best I think, but frozen bait will do the trick also. You could even try chumming while you are out there. I have taken frozen chum and broken it up into smaller chunks and then gotten a small mesh bag like women use for dry cleaning (my wife is now going to know where her bag disappeared to), put the frozen chum chunk in it and tie it off the kayak.
If you are planning on doing some trolling in your kayak you should head out with at least two, if not three, people. There is safety in numbers while you are out there. Plus, if you get into a good-sized fish a extra set of hands can be a huge help. If you plan accordingly and pick a day with good weather and calm seas you can really get out there and have a great time.
Chris Tryon
Hook Line and Paddle Canoe and Kayak Outfitters, Wilmington, NC
Phone 910-330-6999, email: hooklineandpaddle@yahoo.com.
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