by Mike Hammond
With all the narrow and protected water along the Calusa Blueway, this is a great location for anglers to try their hand at SUP fishing. Our first experience was my young son fishing in the shallow waters just off Bunche Beach, with his inflatable Body Glove Performer, a paddle, PFD and fishing rod. He had just the bare essentials and it wasnât long before I heard him yell âCome get meâ as a nice pompano started towing him toward Fort Myers Beach. He was hooked. Since that first pompano, we have learned a lot from adapting kayaking fishing techniques, but mainly through trial and error.
Any wide board with a few tie-downs can get you started. My son now uses a Body Glove Mariner iSUP. It is similar to his previous board but has attachment points for Railblaza rod holders and more tie-downs. Besides the easy storage, we like using the inflatable for a few reasons. It is comfortable, actually tougher than many hard boards, stable and quiet. Also, being able to hike into isolated areas with the board on your back helps put you on fish that rarely see anglers. I also like using the YOLO Hammerhead Explorer. It is a very tough board that is wide, but has a hull design that allows it to be fast and quiet. SUPâs that have the classic rounded surf nose can be very noisy when small waves hit it. It is difficult to be stealthy when a constant slap sound announces your presence.
We have added a few other pieces of gear. There are low profile tackle boxes on the market. Combine one with the MTI Adventurewear PFD that has multiple pockets and we have more than enough places to store tackle. I started with the old milk crate and homemade rod holders. It was easy to throw a small anchor, tackle bins and other gear in and make it work. But then I saw how comfortable my friend looked sitting on his cooler with attached rod holders and decided it would make a good Fatherâs Day present. Another piece of equipment we purchased is a short rod made for Estero River Outfitters to accommodate their kayak anglers. It is perfect for fishing in or around the mangroves. On a SUP, you can get into some really tight places. A short rod is perfect for making cramped casts. There is a lot more gear out there you can buy or just keep it simple. Either way, standing on a board and getting dragged across the water by a nice fish is a feeling you wonât soon forget.
SUP anglers will have an opportunity to win a Body Glove Mariner iSUP at the 15 Annual Calusa Blueway Fishing Tournament. A second Mariner will be placed in the tournamentâs raffle.
For complete schedule and registration information, visit: https://paddleguru.com/races/BattleontheBlueway2018
Additional information about the site and other paddling locations in LeeCounty are at www.leeparks.org or www.calusablueway.com
