Crystal River Kayak Fishing around the Petes Pier area

anglerbros 7286

When I bought my kayak the original plan was to explore new areas and access waters I normally wouldn't be able to reach. Instead I keep going back to what I'm familiar with and it seems I may never leave. Decided to launch over by Petes Pier since it's so close to everything. I tried something new this time and brought a cast net along with me and caught some really nice 2-4" white baitfish, not really sure what they are I've never seen them before and wasn't aware we had bait like this in our area. Anyways I caught 2 dozen in like 5 casts so I was really happy and didn't want to fill my bait bucket to much and kill them. First pass through the boats I was casting the baits too much and they die after 2-3 casts so they aren't very hardy. I didn't get anything till I made it to a little creek and the bass loved them! I jerked a dead bait around and watched the bass come up and eat it! I lost a lot of fish, I think my circle hooks were way too small. I wanted the fish to be able to swim and the hook not be too visible. I caught a couple more bass and small redfish and as I was heading over to where I launched behind Pete's I had a huge bass destroy my topwater! It was a hair over 22" and pretty fat! After that I went through the boats a little slower this time and had 1 break off, 1 24" on a doa jig and 26" snook. Then I started fishing the little islands and caught another 24" red on a baitfish. I anchored up and started catching a 15-18" red every cast till the catfish took over and stole the rest of my bait. Caught 1 big sail cat that dragged me around a bit. Tried throwing a mirrodine to get away from them and I caught another one!!! I had a blast using live FREE bait for the first time, gives you a good variety from throwing artificial the entire time.

Go Pro Video

https://youtu.be/_8-ECnmZHHw

xmuskyguide

Fishermen often pass great fishing spots on their way to "better fishing." You had a great trip and probably never went further than a mile from where you launched. WTG! :thumbsup

leel33ml

Cool wouldn't have thought that the reds and snook would be that far up the river this time of year.

anglerbros 7286

leel33ml wrote: »

Cool wouldn't have thought that the reds and snook would be that far up the river this time of year.

From my experience a lot of the snook never leave. There's still plenty of bait and structure throughout the river so I'm sure a lot make it there home all year round. No expert but the river always seems to have fish they just move more and there's just less as it warms up I guess.

4WARD

Mojarra Majorra ???, tough to keep alive but everything loves them.
If you try not to touch them and drop them in the live well straight from the net you will get more survivors. May be tough from a yak though.
Nice variety, I have had those sailcats eat everything at one point or another.
Try dragging that mirrodine behind you out in front of Petes, we jumped several tarpon doing that over the past year. Always on a dine.

anglerbros 7286

4WARD wrote: »

Mojarra Majorra ???, tough to keep alive but everything loves them.
If you try not to touch them and drop them in the live well straight from the net you will get more survivors. May be tough from a yak though.
Nice variety, I have had those sailcats eat everything at one point or another.
Try dragging that mirrodine behind you out in front of Petes, we jumped several tarpon doing that over the past year. Always on a dine.

They weren't dying until I put them in the water. They seemed great until I reeled them in more than once. Not 1 died in the bucket and some were so fragile they felt paralyzed once the hook went in or if I held them to firmly, but that was only the small ones. Bigger ones seemed fine, pinfish/mudminnows just seem a lot hardier.

HammerheadTed

Always a fun video.......and pretty good fishing too! Nice.

tohotim

Awesome! Thanks for sharing...

Redbonz

Now that's some catching...