By Brent Bensmiller:
Things will be heating up as we transition from spring to summer. If you are looking to hook monster fish that will put your tackle to the ultimate test, you will want to concentrate on fishing the beaches and inlets. There will be full grown tarpon and sharks lurking in these areas and more than willing to eat anything you throw at them. When you hook into one of these sea monsters, you can expect to go for a sleigh ride for quite some time. These fish will tow you up and down the beach in your kayak for hours if you let them. Make sure to use heavy rods and tackle to ensure a quick catch and healthy release of these game fish. The water temperature will be in the high 70’s, so getting on the water around sunrise or sunset will get you on the hottest bite. Trolling live mullet, pinfish, or pilchards will drive big fish crazy and should get a strike very quickly when free-lined properly.
For you guys looking to catch some nice size snook, fishing the beach early morning or late at night will be your best bet. Cast out cut baits, such as ladyfish or mullet, right in the surf and you can expect snook upwards of 30″ to take your offering. Redfish will provide plenty of action, hanging in the back bay along the mangroves as well. Free line pilchards or live shrimp close to the mangroves for a quick bite. Many other species of fish will be there looking to ambush bait as well, which will provide plenty of good action.
The summer tides will be much stronger than usual, especially on days around the full or new moon. If you aren’t the strongest paddler you might want to consider buying a Hobie kayak. Hobie kayaks have a built-in pedal drive so you can use your legs to propel the kayak around, letting you save energy for your upper body when it’s time to fight a fish. These kayaks are a bit more expensive than most but well worth it. If you still would like to paddle with your upper body but need some help getting around, you can also look into buying a trolling motor for your kayak. The website kayaktrollingmotor.com has kits that you can install yourself for around $400 which is inexpensive and will make your day on the water much more enjoyable. Good luck out there guys and I hope you land some trophy fish to start out the summer!
You can reach Brent by email at brent@paddlenaples.com or by phone at 239-301-8888. Check out www.paddlenaples.com for more info!