By Brent Bensmiller:
After a long hot summer, fall has finally arrived. I’m eager to get back out on some solid fish that are willing to eat throughout most of the day. October is a great month to catch migratory fish that are cruising the beaches heading south. Within the first hundred yards from the beach, you have the opportunity to catch huge fish that will take you for a sleigh ride. In my opinion, targeting these monsters from a kayak is the most extreme and exhilarating way to fight them.
I like to drift the kayak around with 2 rods out, using free-lined live bait. If you can catch a ladyfish and troll it alive, it’s game on. Mullet around 5-8 inches and pinfish will produce great results as well. There will be loads of fully grown white bait on the beaches during the fall, which will work great for these lunkers, too. You can expect to catch tarpon, as well as sharks, averaging 80 pounds or greater. Use at least 5ft of 60# fluorocarbon leader for the tarpon. If the water clarity isn’t so good you can bump the leader up to 80#. If it’s the sharks you are after, use 6ft of 80# leader, with 3ft of 100# wire on the tip, to avoid being cut off by their razor-sharp teeth.
When landing these fish be very careful, as plenty of things can go wrong very quickly. It’s not too hard to flip the yak if the line breaks or a hook pulls and all of your gear may end up on the ocean floor. It’s a good idea to tie some rope or string to your rods, just in case you do go for a swim. Before handling any big tarpon, put on a good pair of gloves. Wrangling tarpon without them may leave your hands very torn up from their sandpaper mouths. As for the sharks, if you can’t free the hook, try and cut the leader as close to the mouth as possible and the hook will fall out after a few days. These predators will be destroying bait pods along the beaches in the early morning and late in the evening. Those will be prime times to get out and have a chance at landing one, although the mid-day bite should still be worthwhile.
Choosing the right kayak for beach fishing will make your time on the water much more enjoyable and easier to land these fish. I would recommend a 12ft kayak, so you can cover plenty of water with ease and have plenty of stability. A lot of guys have been going with the Ascend 12ft kayak from Bass Pro lately, for its performance and affordability.
Fall fishing in SWFL should remain solid until the end of October. Now is the time to get on some big fish, so get out there and catch a monster! As always, remember to keep that life jacket on and try to fish with a buddy while out on the kayaks. Tight lines!