Spring is here in South Florida, which usually brings some great offshore fishing with it. For kayak anglers this winter has been one of the windiest they have had to deal with. For instance, the first leg of the Sailfish Smackdown tournament in February was sporty to say the least. With 3 to 6 foot seas it was definitely the most “extreme” event we’ve ever had.
Personally, I’ve done the best fishing in Pompano Beach in the month of April. This is one of the reasons I decided to include another leg to the Sailfish Smackdown in the spring, which takes place April 7th-8th. Usually we would catch Sailfish either heading out in the morning or heading back in after a long day of fishing. The main depths for hooking up are in 80 to 120 feet of water. We have had the most success slow trolling a live goggle eye, way back from the kayak in the shotgun position.
While offshore look for some thick weed lines or anything floating that could potentially hold schools of dolphin. Also, try to get offshore after a windy day because that east wind will blow debris and the mahi mahi closer to shore in depths of 100 to 300 feet which is easily accessible for offshore kayak anglers. If you’re in a school of dolphin, tie on a heavy jig with a pink or purple color and drop it down deep to jig up a potential Wahoo. I have even been lucky in the past and landed some nice 20lbers with the jig under the school of dolphin.
The Kingfish action is starting to pick up at around 100 to 150 feet of water off Pompano Beach. Slow trolling over some of the deep wrecks and the stink hole will fetch you some nice medium sized kings this month. The bottom fishing in April has produced some awesome gag groupers and the occasional mutton snapper. Using a glow in the dark or tiger striped colored jig over the deep wrecks can help in catching some great bottom fish. Also this month you can find the occasional cobia over the deep wrecks in 150 to 200 feet of water.
Stay tuned for the second leg of the Sailfish Smackdown which is scheduled for April 7th and 8th. Find us on Instagram @extremekayakfishing and check out some awesome videos on our YouTube channel @Extreme Kayak Fishing TV.
Joe Hector
954-895-4527
Extreme Kayak Fishing Inc.
www.extremekayakfishing.com
joe@extremekayakfishing.com