Dan Carns
S.W. Florida is home to one of the most prolific fisheries in all of North America. Rarely do you get to go fishing and have the chance to catch a dozen or more different species in one trip, especially in a kayak, but here we are surrounded by just that habitat! One of the best ways to pick up local tips and tricks is by attending a fishing talk. Even the most accomplished angler, with years of experience, can benefit from a fishing seminar. Here at Gulf Coast Kayak we specialize in teaching and instructing customers in Kayaking, Kayak Fishing and Stand Up Paddle boarding, but we also host public fishing seminars.
If you are not familiar with our location and launch we have an amazing beachhead overlooking the Matlacha Aquatic Preserve and we are on a portion of the Lee County Calusa Blueway. This is a huge advantage when it comes to fishing talks, as we actually have fishing poles, lures and bait pre-rigged and ready for hands-on demonstrations. I’m a big fan of spending and hour or so listening to locals discuss fishing know-how any time I travel or when I’m not proficient regarding tackle or catching a specific species, even right here I’m my own backyard! That being said, when do you really get the chance to watch someone demonstrate to subtle nuances needs to bounce a lure off the bottom or the twitch/pause movement that may trigger an explosive strike from a toothy predator fish? There are basically two kinds of anglers, those that only use artificial lures and those willing to bring bait. I consider myself quite proficient in the art of fooling a fish to bite fake lures and plastics but have witnessed enough live bait catches to know that sometimes you should have both. Granted I compete with a local fellow that only uses artificial lures and wins tournaments consistently but he is next level good at fishing. Back to my point about bait, if you ask ten anglers how to hook a shrimp you’re going to get eleven answers. So, we can actually demonstrate various methods of hooking bait and presentation on the water.
Another cool feature of our kayak fishing talks is our ability to have several kayaks setup on the beach. You’ll see how we recommend various anchoring systems, how to carry and store multiple rods and where to keep your other gear. We’ll have the exciting new peddle drive fishing kayak from Vanhunks, the Mahi-Mahi, as well as discussions around any topic the group wants to discuss.
Join us on January 9th at 8:30 A.M. Please sign up at meetup.com/gulfcoastkayak as attendance may be limited. This talk will be held outside with some social distancing guideline in place! It’s A Wild World-Get Out There! Fishman Dan
