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Need advice kayaking off shore

BrentspeedgsxrBrentspeedgsxr Posts: 262 Deckhand
in East Central General Fishing & The Outdoors #1
Ok... so Im debating just selling all of my gear as I kind of need money. The current state of the lagoon is shocking, I recently fished south of Sebastian and the visibility was so bad that I think fishing in the river is a waste of time. Im far from skilled enough to contend with these kinds of conditions... Im sure theres some guys who can catch fish anywhere... I am not one of them.

So Debating between dropping the hobby altogether.. maybe keep one rod for bass fishing with the kids and forget I ever saw a snook.

Or

Start fishing offshore. I've been offshore twice in the past... rolled my yak once coming back in and lost a bunch of gear. Im wondering what would be the best (easiest) time to launch, or come back in regards to the tide. I dont surf or anything so Im not real familiar with when the waves are the biggest, or smallest. I do know that Im not a very strong swimmer... so its life jacket all the way and try to find the calmest days I can to go out. Any advice on what to look for for these conditions... wind, tides, surf report etc. would be greatly appreciated.
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Replies

  • duckmanJRduckmanJR Posts: 21,172 AG
    #2
    Gimme a call Brent....
    There are many roads to travel
    Many things to do.
    Knots to be unraveled
    'fore the darkness falls on you
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  • BrentspeedgsxrBrentspeedgsxr Posts: 262 Deckhand
    #3
    duckmanJR wrote: »
    Gimme a call Brent....

    Ill call ya this afternoon or tomorrow. 724 area code when you see me call. Im about to head out to purgatory now (kids birthday party) call ya when I get a chance.
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  • beachside321beachside321 Posts: 371 Deckhand
    #4
    I pretty much only fish off the beach in a kayak in the summer when it's usually calm. I too flipped mine and got lucky and recovered all 4 rods. Still lost a ton of tackle though. Unless I see a ton of activity in the water, if I second guess the conditions I don't go. Early morning is usually the best time to go because the winds are calm. Be aware of the tide, low tide usually makes the shore pound worse. The day I flipped it was pretty mellow going out, but when the tide went out it was pretty nasty on the inside. Light (if any) west winds are the most favorable because near shore is wind protected.

    Study the waves before you go out. Watch where they consistently break and don't go out at that spot lol. When going out and coming back in, strap everything you can down! I usually only worry about my rods. On the way back in, I usually try to jump out and kind of drag behind the kayak as the wave takes us in. I've tried surfing them and that usually ends up badly. I highly suggest going out with no gear and practicing your launch and recovery.

    I scale wayyyy down when going off the beach. My yak isn't very buoyant so I only keep a 2 gallon bucket for bait. I usually bring 2 big spinners and 1 smaller one, depending on what I'm going for. Usually in the summer it's tarpon or snook so I gear up accordingly before leaving shore. I only bring a small Plano box with the essential lures and hooks, some fluro, pliers tied to the yak, sometimes a small 4' cast net and a paddle. Leave the big coolers and tackle boxes in the truck.

    Make sure you've got a good draining system. You're going to take in a lot of water on the way out. You don't want to lug that weight around all day. I have to open my access hatch and bail the inside out cause I have a cheap crappy kayak.

    It's a lot safer and more fun to go with someone. Send me a PM if you want to go sometime this summer or talk about it more. There's nothing better than catching big beach tarpon in a kayak.
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  • trousertroutmantrousertroutman Posts: 1,363 Officer
    #5
    Nice tips, one thing i have seen guys do is have a light rod with a double or triple dropper rig with a pyramid weight at the bottom. On each dropper they tie on a treble hook, if the pogies are thick enough you can cast the rig into the school and rip it through and usually snag some bait which you would of course transfer to your bigger rig.

    Also I don't think pogies eat sabiki rigs but they can be used in the same manner.

    Also even simpler would be to forget the bait and throw or troll large xrap, bomber, or swimbait...but the live bait def works better IMO
    Make the forum great again.....consolidate general fishing with for sale or business but keep reports separate!
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  • beachside321beachside321 Posts: 371 Deckhand
    #6
    ^^^ good tips, when the pogies are thick enough I don't even bring a bait bucket and just use the snagging rig when I need one or two.

    Good point on the plug too. I always troll one going between bait pods. That's a ton of fun when the bonito are thick right off the beach in the summer. "Have you ever been off the coast of Satellite Beach when the bonito are running?"
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