Maybe you’ve been slaying the fish every time you slide your kayak into the water. After all, you’re on the water every weekend. You’re the classic obsessed kayak angler. Then again, maybe you just really like to kayak fish and only get out when your busy schedule allows.

Either way, the odds are good you’ve heard that there are a bunch of kayak tournaments nearby, and you want to join the fun. Maybe the tourney results you’ve seen online or in print have you thinking, “The fish those tournament guys catch are nice, but they’re no better than the fish I tangle with on a regular basis.”

And if the competitive aspect of tournament participation isn’t for, you may be part of the growing contingency of yak anglers who participate in these events for the social aspect. Kayak tournaments are a great place to meet new fishing partners, share tales of the ones that got away, and build friendships with other anglers of all skill levels.

What Kayak Fishing Tournament is Right for You?

Now, you need to find out where these tournaments are being held, how to register and what details you need to pay special attention to that will quickly help you maximize the experience. Whether you’re “in it to win it” or just looking for a great way to escape the daily grind, kayak tournaments have a place for everyone.

One of the great things about kayak tournaments is their inexpensive nature. Unlike pro powerboat tournaments, yak tourneys aren’t about who can afford the fastest boats. For example, in no-motor tournaments, all anglers start out on a level playing field as long as you don’t have a hole in your kayak. The key to being successful truly lies in your ability to locate, catch and photograph fish in a timely fashion.

Keep in mind, today’s fully rigged kayaks often have multi-function display electronics (and possibly live sonar), plus propulsion systems in the form of trolling and electric motors. So be careful when signing up for kayak tournaments to read the rules — some tournaments allow more than others. Don’t take a knife to a gun fight. Competing against a kayak angler that’s rigged with 360-degree, sidescan or live sonar, plus a Minn Kota trolling motor, means you better be similarly outfitted. Fish-finding and vessel range are important in tournaments.

The majority of kayak events are CPR (catch, photo and release) format. This is beneficial to our fisheries as the fish are released to be caught again, and you are not burdened by having to drag a stringer of fish behind you all day.

Use Social Media For Fishing

So, what are the best ways to get information to locate the tournaments in your area? Today, many of us find that social media serves as the hub for almost everything in our lives. My number-one source these days for angling information is Facebook. You can get information about where the fish are biting, cool rigging tips for your kayak, new products hitting the market, and what kayak tournaments and gatherings are going on around the country.

I turned to a real pro to see how he got his start. Past Inshore Fishing Association champion, Benton Parrott, fishes more tournaments a year than the average angler. Parrott attributes his start to social media, where he saw different tournaments being discussed and thought that they looked like a good time. He friended as many people as possible who also had interest in kayak fishing, and next thing he knew, he was traveling from his home in Alabama to almost every tournament he could reach, from Texas to Florida. Benton is the exception to the rule, but definitely shows how the competition and camaraderie can be addictive.

Personally, my start was a bit different. I’ve been at this kayak fishing thing since the beginning. Years ago, I got my first kayak and set off to learn how to fish out of it. Back then, the only way to obtain fishing information was through magazines and seminars at local tackle shops. The problem was that those writing articles or hosting talks in shops had almost nothing available when it came to catching fish from a kayak.

Through one particular online forum I found my first major kayak series, called the Extreme Edge. By fishing that series, I became friends with anglers from all over the Southeast and met some participants who went on to become best friends. While placing in the larger tournaments is always the goal, it’s the friendships and experiences that last in my memory.

Different Types of Kayak Tournaments

Once you fish a tournament, you will be part of a network giving you access to as many tournaments as you care to participate in and probably a bunch of new fishing partners. These days, kayak fishing has become part of the mainstream, so now your local shops, TV series and magazines keeping close track of the kayak tournaments.

There are several different types of kayak tournaments. There are a few national tournament trails, plus plenty of regional series as well. Some are kayaks-only, while others are built into much larger rodeo-type events. Probably the most common are the club tournaments. While some fishing clubs put on a series of events, others concentrate on a big annual blowout.

Tournaments are great for anglers of all skill levels; most have a bunch of categories that give anyone a chance to walk away a winner. There are pro-style circuits that have little in the way of frills, but the payouts are great. You can be guaranteed that a bunch of kayak anglers from a large, surrounding area will be in attendance.

Then there are charity tournaments, events truly designed for the whole family. They have a ton of added value; you get a captain’s bag that usually has a tee or tech fishing shirt, a bunch of quality tackle and coupons for local merchants. Most have large, picnic-style meals. And even if you don’t place, raffles are loaded with amazing prizes, often including kayaks and great original artwork.

The post Getting Started in Kayak-Fishing Tournaments appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Sunup at Ferry Beach, near Scarborough, Maine, had us excited to catch striped bass. The Scarborough, Nonesuch and Libby rivers dump into the Gulf of Maine, and that’s where we wanted to be as the sun popped above the horizon. Summer warmth kept us comfortable as we launched our kayaks and headed toward the pass.

Nearby, we heard a huge splash from a mystery fish that no one was able to get eyes on. The whole group turned toward the sound. “Probably a sturgeon,” guessed nearby kayak angler Daniel McFetridge, Old Town kayaks’ e-commerce and digital marketing manager.

Fighting an incoming tide, most of us were using the ePDL+ drive that propels Old Town kayaks via a lithium battery. Of course, anglers can assist and pedal with their feet for extra power. Ryan Lilly, marketing director at Old Town, was the first one to the spot which was chock-full of underwater boulders and feeding stripers.

A strong incoming tide made the area really hard to fish. We had to hold position in the cut and make pinpoint casts. A kayak with a spot-lock trolling motor might have been able to handle it, if the motor was strong enough to stay in position in the heavy current. Maine regularly experiences 8-foot tides, with little slack tide between the rising and the falling.

With his ePDL+ nearly at full power, Lilly locked his rudder steering in place to slice into the current. He was then able to stand up and make long casts close to shore. Prospecting with a topwater, Lilly hooked up on his third toss. And then a couple casts later.

The rest of us couldn’t replicate what he was doing. Some of us didn’t quite have the battery power to fight the current, which then required us to pedal sitting down. And sitting down meant we didn’t have enough casting distance to reach the fish. I didn’t risk moving closer to the fish, fearing I might run into submerged boulders. Soon the tide began to slow, the bite shut down, and Atlantic sturgeon were jumping around us so frequently I thought I’d become a pancake.

It was one of the most unique ways I’ve seen someone stand and fish from a kayak. Lilly obviously had experience standing in a kayak, which is necessary to fish an inlet. But I never thought I’d see standing — not sitting — kayak anglers fishing inlets and jetty rocks during a roaring tide. The experience made me think of two other instances on that recent summer trip to Maine when standing in a kayak was better than just sitting.

The Path Forward

On the backside of an island in Casco Bay, Maine, we dissected a shoreline in a way that any veteran Bassmaster would appreciate. Joe Albanese, editor in chief at Wired2Fish, and I cast plugs, Z-Mans and Slug-Gos at fishy-looking grass edges and rocky shorelines in the lee of the island.

We stood in our Old Town Sportsman BigWater kayaks, recognizing the higher elevation was a huge asset in this type of fishing. In the background, gray storm clouds blew up like popcorn near the Sandy Point Bridge. We needed every bit of sunlight and height to find the spots we wanted to land our lures. Albanese struck pay dirt first when he landed a striper off some vegetation. The striped bass were definitely selective in the heart of the afternoon.

Here’s how I handled it:

1. Standing in the 3-foot-wide kayak wasn’t a problem. Most wide kayaks with a wide-flat hull are plenty stable to stand up in. Standing is more of a confidence issue than anything. When you trust your footing, you don’t overcompensate and cause problems. Utilize a wide stance and loose knees to ride the swells, just like in a bigger boat. I’ve fished a ton in kayaks; be wary of kayaks that are too long-and-skinny or seemingly too lightweight for their size. Those are the ones most likely to dump you in the water while standing.
2. Next, I set the ePDL+ drive on its lowest setting to slowly creep along the shoreline. Every once in a while, I had to make an adjustment to my course, but it was as simple as making a rudder correction with the hand knob.
3. Finally, the other key element was skip casting. This was not as technical as casting underneath mangroves or docks, but I still used that underhand motion to land lures close to structure without making a huge splash. Executing a skip cast while sitting in a kayak isn’t easy.

Later that day, fishing a different part of the same island, we had success casting topwaters at a sandy beach and nearby shallow-water point. Out in open water, it was much less about precision casting — instead we were fan-casting a general area, looking for bait school marks on the side-scan sonar. Of course, we were standing and stretching our legs while casting.

In the Marsh

Sneaking back into the marsh was a blast. A certain type of angler from Texas to Maine really digs exploring a maze of shallow waters in search of surprisingly large gamefish. I’m that type of angler. Ideally, kayakers should allow a flood tide to push them into the labyrinth. But first, always make a stop at the entrance. That’s what we did and landed a couple striped bass off a flat. I let the current and wind drift me along a fishy stretch to maximize fishing time. 

Then it was onto the creeks. We had a short window — as we were fishing the outgoing tide — before the water left the creeks entirely. I had luck with an oversize Z-Man DieZel Minnow soft plastic. It looked like a hearty baitfish, or maybe an eel. And I didn’t have to sit down to re-rig or retie. Just grab what you need and pop right back up. Even releasing smaller striped bass was easy while standing.

The exploration was productive. Standing in a kayak in the marsh allowed me to see what was coming next, such as a creek mouth, island or shallow flat. In many cases, we were able to look over the marsh banks and reeds to prep for the next cast, which is something you just can’t do while sitting. With the water dropping, stripers were exiting quickly in the deepest water they could find. We had to lift up our pedal drives to float out, paddling over the shallowest points.  

Standing in a kayak takes getting used to, but most anglers become comfortable quickly. Start with a quality kayak in shallow water, and work your way up. Soon enough you’ll be fishing moving water in passes and inlets with the best of them.

The post A Balancing Act appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The Old Town ePDL+ Bigwater 132 fishing kayak won Best in Show at ICAST 2023 — and raised a few eyebrows with its $6,000 price tag. That’s a lot of money, but it’s not much more than other ground-breaking boats we’ve seen over the past decade. Hobie’s Pro Angler was scoffed at when it was introduced in 2009. “Too different,” they said. “Too expensive.” Now it’s one of the best selling fishing kayaks of all time. Old Town itself was no stranger to such skepticism. Their paradigm-breaking Autopilot, with its built-in Minn Kota trolling motor, received a similar mixture of applause and sticker shock but now is almost universally regarded as one of the most effective sight-fishing platforms you can buy. So when Old Town launched it’s new electric-assisted pedal kayak I wondered, how would this new boat compare?

Here’s the thing. I love the Autopilot (I fish one all the time), but I am most comfortable fishing from a kayak with manual controls. What makes the ePDL unique is that it lets you maintain the same level of manual control as a non-electric pedal kayak. You’re not filtering inputs through a remote control, you’re just pedaling forwards (or backwards) the same way you do in a manual boat. The electric motor just makes everything effortless. After fishing extensively from the ePDL for the last three months I’ve determined that there is something truly exceptional about the performance of this kayak. There’s nothing else like it on the market. Despite the high price, it’s a compelling option for avid anglers seeking to conquer the open waters or to run miles through creeks efficiently and in comfort.

How I Tested

I’ve used this kayak for more than 3 months, fishing it hard in over 30 trips to a wide variety of spots, from open water to tight creeks in the Northeast to the Mid-Atlantic to the Everglades. Heading two miles out to jig Florida Keys patch reefs was an absolute blast. Fighting ripping tides to fish tight bridge structures and micro rocks with precision was also plenty doable. Want to cover a big creek and hit all the tight bends you think are going to hold fish? Easy stuff as well. I have been jigging and bottom bouncing out of a kayak for over 15 years and I can’t think of a better platform that helps you spend more time fishing and less time traveling, while also retaining that manual kayak feel that made me fall in love with kayak jigging to begin with. The biggest challenge you’ll face is that it’s too easy to cover water, running over fish by accident. Let’s break the boat down by its components.

A Hull Designed for Fishing

The Old Town Predator ePDL+ Bigwater 132 fishing kayak is purpose built for fishing. With a length of 13 feet, 2 inches, and a width of 36 inches, this kayak strikes a good balance between stability and maneuverability, ensuring anglers can navigate diverse water conditions with confidence. The bow is designed to cut through slop. The tri-hull design makes it more efficient than flatter-bottomed kayaks, helping it maintain high speeds and track straighter while still retaining enough stability for me to stand up with ease.

High Speeds at Low Effort

I’ve fished this boat for more than 100 full fishing days and am primarily running the pedal assist at its top speed all day. In flat water with no current, the assist lets you cruise comfortably at 5 miles an hour. You can reach that speed with a manual drive, but your legs will be burning in pretty short order. The controls are simple and installing and removing the drive is simple and intuitive. A truly plug-and-play product.

A Long-Lasting 36v Battery

I have yet to run out of juice in this kayak. A ten-mile (round trip) fishing day only knocks the battery down two bars. The way I fish it is to run from spot to spot at full speed, then turn off the electric assist after I get to a fishy looking spot. I primarily do a lot of vertical jigging or shallow water casting so having those 5 mph speeds on tight fishing spots is counter productive.

Surprisingly Easy to Transport

I rarely use boat ramps to launch my kayak, so I love how easy the Old Town ePDL is to carry around. This is a kayak I can throw up onto my pickup truck rack without risking injury to my shoulders and back. Wheeling it down to the beach for 150 feet through mud, soft sand, and occasionally rocks isn’t impossible, either, the way it is with many of the other big electrified kayaks on the market. The 36v battery is feather-light and does not impede on transporting the kayak from beach to launch.  

The Takeaway

The Old Town Predator ePDL Bigwater 132 is a standout choice for anglers seeking a high-performance vessel that excels in both functionality and versatility. This kayak offers an unparalleled combination of stability, maneuverability, and saltwater fishing-centric features. Whether you’re exploring remote fishing spots or covering miles of open water searching for big game species I can’t think of a better way to do it from a plastic vessel.

The post ePDL+ Review: After 30 Trips, Does Old Town’s New Electric Kayak Stand Up to the Hype? appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Four anglers, four fishing kayaks, two target species, eight inches of water. Skinny Water Adventures presented by BIG Adventures Kayaks brings anglers from all sides of the fishing world together for a kayak fishing trip in Keaton Beach, Florida. The mission: chase speckled trout and redfish in the skinniest of skinny water.

The post Skinny Water Adventures appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

I realize that I’m not the first kayak angler to change electronics brands and encounter installation issues. But I figured that the more information and tips available online, the less complicated the task might be for others. Let me start at the beginning.

I like to change the electronics on my kayaks and boats every three to five years. Because I write about electronics for our publications, I usually swap electronics brands each time so that I can become more familiar with the user interfaces.

When I bought my Hobie Compass kayak several years ago, we installed a Lowrance display and transducer, using Hobie’s Lowrance-Ready transducer mounting system — which positions the long slender transom-mount sensor into a pocket beneath the hull. The transducer fastens to the hull using a plastic adapter plate and screws. Easy-peasy.

After three years, I decided to install a Garmin EchoMap UHD 74sv. However, the holes on the Garmin transducer did not match up with the holes on the adapter plate. My own internet search began. I found the BerleyPro Hobie Transducer Mount.

My initial excitement waned as I noticed the company was located in Australia. Shipping would be possible, but costly. Another search located the same product at fishingonline.com. At $73.14 with free shipping, I hit buy.

Once I found this product, the rest of the install went fairly easily, although I managed to fasten on the new adapter plate upside down at first. Attaching the Garmin’s power cord to a Nocqua cable to plug into my Li-ion battery was a simple matter of matching red wires and black wires.

Read Next: How to Choose a Fishing Kayak

I feel great satisfaction when I plug in something and it works instantly. I used Garmin’s Active Captain app to download and install g3 Vision charts to my MFD. My first fishing trip with the new Garmin showed me all kinds of new functionality as well as pointing out fish and bait schools.

Here’s the short video capture of the process:

Chris Woodward / Sport Fishing

The post Kayak How-To Video: Swapping in a Garmin Transducer appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Why You Need a Motorized Kayak

Motors deliver propulsion and range—all while sparing your quads and deltoids. Dial in trolling speeds, or set a GPS anchor to hold position. These are the mini microskiffs of the inshore world. Old Town builds its Sportsman Autopilot kayaks with an integral Minn Kota trolling motor (both brands are owned by the same company). Bixpy and Torqeedo each build lightweight aftermarket motor kits. Bixpy’s comes with a floating battery, wireless remote and countless mount options, and it delivers run times up to 10 hours. Most states require a fee and a manufacturer’s certificate of origin to register a motorized kayak. Check your local laws.

Why You Need a Pedal Kayak

Sneak a peek at the underbelly of a pedal kayak, and you might find fins or a propeller. While neither signifies gender, the two styles still operate quite differently. Hobie first popularized the fins, and Native Watercraft first promoted the propeller. Now—post the patent period—other kayak-makers can employ either drive. Fins excel when fishing shallow waters and weedy areas with submerged structure. Props facilitate positioning in a current, and excel when fishing tight quarters around docks, where they transition quickly between forward and reverse. Some fin drives can switch to reverse with the pull of a cord. Most anglers appreciate pedals because they can use both hands to cast.

Why You Need a Paddle Kayak

Paddle kayaks scream versatility. Scull them in the shallowest of waters, chasing redfish over saltwater flats, or push them through beach swells to coastal waters. Unlike pedalers, paddlers can skim over the thickest marshes to target tailers. Paddle kayaks typically weigh less, so anglers can more easily manhandle them to fish remote off-road locations. Before purchasing your paddle boat, though, remember to budget for a lightweight, quality paddle in the correct length (typically 94 to 102 inches, or 240 to 260 centimeters). Your arms and back will applaud you.

The post How to Choose a Fishing Kayak appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

West Marine Coastal Automatic Inflatable Life Jacket

Drab? Perhaps. Critical? Absolutely. Don’t fool yourself, anything can happen on the water. West Marine’s coastal jacket inflates automatically: Even if you’re knocked silly, you’ll float face up. This jacket’s low profile means you’ll barely know it’s there—until you need it. $149.99; westmarine.com.

YakAttack Omega

A fishing kayak without rod holders is an expensive plastic cork. Doll up your ride with a few YakAttack Omega track-mounted holders. They keep your reels out of the water and rotate to point any direction. They adapt to fly, spin, baitcast and even conventional tackle. $30; yakattack.us.

Bending Branches Angler Pro Plus

Your paddle might grow cobwebs on your pedal kayak, but when you must blade home after a freak grounding, you’ll beg for carbon fiber. Heavy kayaks with elevated frame seats require high-power paddles like the 30-ounce Angler Pro Plus. A telescoping ferrule allows multiple feathering angles and paddle lengths. $324.95; bendingbranches.com.

Yeti Hopper Flip 12

The perfect passenger for a SUP or kayak, this chill cube can be bungeed anywhere on deck. Fill it with a 4-pound Yeti ice pack, lunch, and drinks or slime it up with bait. The outer shell is made from the same stuff they use for whitewater rafts. $249.99; yeti.com.

Garmin GPSMap 86sci

Kayaks and SUPs take us way off the main channel, but with a handheld GPS and satellite communicator like the 86sci, you’re never off the grid. With two-way messaging, you can even start the brag chain before you get home. $649.99; garmin.com.

The post Must-Have Gear & Accessories for Your Fishing Kayak or SUP appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Credit: Chris Woodward, Justin Lammers/kayakdiy.com

The region encompassing Lee County in southwest Florida—including Matlacha, Pine Island and Sanibel—ranks as one of my most favorite domestic fishing locations. Acres of mangrove-lined islets, quiet grass flats and quaint towns combine to slow the hurry of life and spark the soul-soothing effects of repetitive lure casting.

So when Hobie asked me last fall to join a small group of marine media to test some new inflatable kayaks—based out of Matlacha’s Tiny Village—I seized the chance. They explained that we’d be taking full precautions with regard to the COVID virus. Amen to all of that.

Once I arrived in colorful Matlacha, Hobie introduced our group to the new Mirage iTrek inflatables—the iTrek 9 Ultralight and the iTrek 11—which lay on the dock with an assortment of Hobie’s current line of hard-bodied kayaks. Representatives from AFTCO and Lowrance also debuted their new gear, including Lowrance’s Elite FS multifunction displays.

I’ve kayakfished for many years, but have never tried an inflatable boat. I was intrigued by the idea of a 20- to 28-pound hull that deflates to stow inside a duffel bag. What a concept for anglers who live in apartments and smaller homes, and for those who struggle with a 12- to 14-footer that weighs 75 to 100 pounds. But how would an inflatable fish?

The iTrek 9 Ultralight measures 9 feet, 5 inches long with a 3-foot-4-inch beam (350-pound capacity). The iTrek 11 measures 10 feet, 8 inches long with the same beam (400-pound capacity). The longer boat also sports single-chamber pontoons port and starboard. Both boats feature a 550 Denier PVC hull and come with MirageDrive GT pedals with Kick-Up Fins, a rudder system and a three-piece paddle.

The iTreks handled light chop well, though it was a little easier to feel the boats’ movements because of their flexibility. Both absolutely turn on a dime, more or less spinning within a boat’s length, and they accelerate very quickly.

Read Next: Kayak Fishing the Pacific from Hobie’s New Outback

The MirageDrive GT doesn’t come with Hobie’s 180-degree steering (in other words, no reverse), but because the light inflatables are so responsive, I found it easy to avoid close encounters with the mangroves.

I could stand up to cast or look for fish from both boats, as could everyone else—even fairly tall men—who tried. An EVA deck pad just ahead of the seat provides sure footing.

I found the elevated mesh seat comfortable and cool. An optional kayak crate easily bungees to the deck behind the seat and holds most of what you’d need.

Dining and Entertainment in Lee County

During two fishing days, we kept our social distance, covering many miles of winding creeks and open flats. We caught a smattering of seatrout, redfish and snook, despite a recent tropical storm that had just blown through. We sampled a little Matlacha culture at the Olde Fish House and the Blue Dog Bar & Grill. And, we gained new respect for lightweight, inflatable boats. The convenience, fishability and simplicity really can’t be beat.

The iTrek 9 costs $2,199, and the iTrek 11 costs $2,499.

The post Kayak Fishing in Florida from Hobie’s New Inflatables appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Hobie has introduced the new Mirage Passport 10.5 pedal-driven fishing kayak, built with simplicity and versatility in mind. The 10½-foot hull features a 34-inch beam and can carry 325 pounds. Unrigged, the kayak itself weighs 65 pounds, and comes with Hobie’s classic MirageDrive pedals and ST fins, two rod holders, a twist-and-seal hatch, accessory-mounting tracks and a mesh aluminum-frame seat. Available with a slate-blue or ­sea-grass-green deck paired with a white hull bottom, the Passport costs $1,299.

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Line tumbled off the open spool. I shifted my body weight in the direction of my rod tip while sliding fully upright on the mesh seat of my Hobie kayak. I set my shoulders as I neared the end of my five-second countdown.

Closing the bail on my reel, I watched the line pull tight. As the rod tip bowed heavily toward the chop lapping against my hull, I reeled and lifted, driving the circle hook firmly into place. Immediately I felt the weight and wide body of my target species, a large and very angry offshore permit.

I was fairly certain I had hooked what I was after. During late April, only a handful of fish readily gobble a live, 3-inch blue crab suspended midwater over the offshore wrecks of southwest Florida.

I adjusted my kayak rudder to steer the bow opposite the permit’s direction. This additional surface drag allowed me to pull deep into the rod. I slowly and methodically played tug of war against this heavyweight.

I began pedaling the kayak away from the underwater structure: an old shrimp boat that had found its final resting place in nearly 60 feet of water, about 14 miles off Sanibel Island on Florida’s Gulf Coast. As I gained distance from the wreck, the fish quickly shifted directions. I spun the rod behind my head, switching hands as the permit sped from port to starboard.

Finally, the endgame: a vertical seesaw battle. After 10 minutes, I saw a flash about 20 feet below. “We’ve got color!” I shouted to my fishing partner, Hobie’s Morgan Promnitz. The bright-silver body of a 20-pound permit shimmered in the green water.

Hitch a Ride
The popularity of kayak-fishing has exploded over the past decade, bringing more-adventurous anglers into the sport. After years of successfully targeting easily accessible species, some of us have sought harder-to-reach targets that swim far beyond the daily travel range for most fishing-style kayaks. This desire has created a niche market for local captains and anglers piloting larger center-console boats who can reach distant destinations with kayaks aboard or in tow.

In fact, as a southwest Florida transplant of nearly 15 years, I’ve targeted a majority of our inshore and nearshore species from my ’yak. While tarpon, sawfish and inshore grouper challenged me, the one species I’ve wanted to knock off the bucket list is permit.

Permit aren’t especially difficult to catch in our local waters, but successfully landing one of these fish by kayak requires some advanced planning and the assist of a mothership. Locally, these full, eight-hour day trips can cost $750, which includes a livewell full of crabs. I’ve only occasionally needed a powerboat to reach the fishing grounds. The first time, I was in an isolated portion of jungle along the Panamanian coastline. The second time: this permit trip.

I could have spent an extremely long day trekking to some shallower wrecks 8 to 10 miles offshore. But employing the help of Capt. Matt Johnson and his 24-foot Blue Wave bay boat made the experience all the more enjoyable.

Johnson picked us up from our launch point at South Seas Island Resort. Our group of two anglers, one videographer and a photographer had gathered there with the ultimate goal of capturing permit from the local shipwreck offshore of the barrier islands.

It took a bit of muscle, but we loaded our three Hobie Pro Anglers aboard the center-console at the marina dock. We lashed the 14-foot kayaks alongside the gunwale, two on the port side and the third to starboard. With calm seas expected, we felt comfortable making the long haul offshore.

Crab Bounty
Beginning in March, from the Ten Thousand Islands to Boca Grande, massive aggregations of adult permit head offshore to feed and spawn. Schools can number into the thousands of individuals. Anglers often see these permit swimming with their dorsal fins breaking the water’s surface.

The fish begin venturing into local regions as the water temperatures hover around 75 degrees. They can be found in wrecks as shallow as 20 feet, just a few miles offshore, or as far out as 50 miles or more, in wrecks over 100 feet deep. Fortunately, this migration continues into early fall, with permit still available until the first cold fronts arrive in late October.

The spring movements coincide perfectly with the spring crab flushes that pour from the coastal waters of Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor. For several months, millions of crabs float along the surface during outgoing tides. They drift in masses to offshore waters on their own spawning journey, much to the delight of hungry permit.

Read Next: Tarpon on the Dark Side — Fishing Florida After Hours

Prevailing winds tend to dictate how shallow you can find the permit schools. The shallowest and most accessible wrecks hold fish, but often only during a period of light winds. Once the turbidity kicks up in those shallow locations, permit head farther offshore. They find more-comfortable conditions in 40 to 60 feet depths, where the water clarity generally remains more stable.

Fortunately, for anglers looking to target their first permit, the coordinates for artificial reefs can be easily found with a quick online search. Such publicized locations might receive more pressure, but they can still be quite productive when the boat traffic subsides. Private wrecks can offer more solitude, but their locations often remain a closely guarded secret.

Spin Up
Fortunately, targeting these offshore permit involves pretty standard gear. For smaller permit, commonly found in shallower waters, you can use any 3000- to 5000-size spinning reel spooled with 20-pound braided line. I like to pair that with a 7-foot medium-weight rod — probably similar to an outfit for catching flats redfish and snook.

If you’re lucky and follow through on proper planning, you might encounter the largest permit — 40 pounds or more — that haunt the deeper structures. To target those fish, upgrade to heavier gear to keep them out of structure.

My favorite setup is a 6000- to 8000-size spinning reel spooled with 30-pound braid. Bump up to a medium-heavy or heavy 7-foot spinning rod with some serious backbone. Half the effort in catching larger permit comes during the vertical battle. A stout rod quickly proves handy.

Line-shy permit require lightweight fluorocarbon leaders. I start with a 40-inch section of 25-pound-test fluoro, and go down to 20- or even 15-pound-test if fish are around but not feeding. If the bite is aggressive, you can sometimes get away with bumping up to 30- or 40-pound leader. Often, the lighter leader can create at least a few opportunities versus none.

I don’t use any fancy knots for light-tackle permit fishing. A standard uni-to-uni-knot connection works great between line and leader, and shouldn’t fail with the lighter drag pressure you need to use during a battle.

Match the Hatch
Few fish seem as picky as an old permit on our offshore wrecks. I’m an avid artificial-bait angler and rarely use natural or live offerings. However, I do make an exception when targeting these permit. They focus on crabs and rarely look at other offerings.

You occasionally can hook up on shrimp- or crab-imitating lures. More often, though, you’ll see hundreds of fish swimming around your lure without the slightest interest.

Permit anglers find two options for live crabs during the spring migration in southwest Florida: blue crabs and pass crabs. Blue crabs dominate the scene early in the season and make for excellent bait. The best-size crabs for offshore permit measure two to three fingers in width. Permit tend to ignore larger crabs.

Pass crabs, also called iridescent swimming crabs, can be used later in the season. They’re smaller and more delicate than blue crabs but can work pretty well if that’s all that’s available.

Most reputable tackle shops in southwest Florida sell crabs, but be prepared to fork over $2 to $4 apiece. If you’ve got plenty of time, you can dip-net crabs yourself near the local passes — such as Redfish and Captiva — during spring outgoing tides.

Crabs can be kept alive for several days by removing all but an inch or so of water from a five-gallon bucket. Add a cloth towel to the bucket to allow the crabs dry space. Make sure to clean the water every day or so to remove waste.

I prefer to rig crabs one of two ways: With a snelled 1/0 to 2/0 Mustad 2x circle hook, pierce them sideways through the corner of the horn that protrudes from the side of the body, allowing for a nice sideways swimming motion along and just below the surface. Or place the hook between the fold of their abdominal flap and the smallest rear leg. Run the hook point about 1/8 inch from the edge of the shell, going through the crease on the belly and exiting through the top of the shell. Don’t go too far into the body or you’ll injure their organs and cause them to perish quickly.

A properly hooked crab should swim freely on an open spool and last for repeated casts before it expires. If you notice that your crab isn’t swimming much but is still alive, remove it from the hook and put it back in the livewell. Lively baits work best, but as you run lower on bait, those sluggish-but-still-alive crabs can draw bites from frisky permit.

Stealth Approach
Permit swim throughout the water column. At times, they sun themselves on the surface, making a relatively easy target. Approach these fish quietly. A revving outboard or deck hatch slamming can push them down quickly.

When fish visibly fin on the surface, an unweighted circle hook keeps the crab positioned in the strike zone. Use a light sweeping motion of the rod to move a few feet of line and keep the bait near the surface. Gently feather your line and allow the crab to swim naturally with the wind or current.

To maximize your fishing time, position your kayak upwind and slightly off the school. Cast at the school while working toward them. I often deploy a ¼-ounce jig head when fish hold deep, or on windy days when the surface chop makes it difficult to keep track of the crab’s movement.

Pay close attention to your fish finder while navigating around the wreck. A permit school often hangs on one side of the structure, usually at midwater. If you see a cluster of suspended fish on the screen, odds are you’ve located permit.

Cast your jig-and-crab combo up-current and ahead of where you mark the school. Keep in mind that the light jig head will sink slowly toward the strike zone, taking 30 to 40 seconds, depending on depth.

One Fine Day
Our time on the water flew. By late afternoon, the sea breeze kicked up, and my shoulders began to feel the dozen permit I had landed on light tackle. As I was sliding into the afterglow, I saw Promnitz hook up again. He was a glutton for punishment and was taking advantage of every moment we had left on the water.

After he landed his final fish and we snapped some ­celebratory photos, we high-fived and called it a very successful outing. Covered in salt, sweat, and a bit of permit slime and crab juice, we pulled alongside Johnson’s boat and began loading the kayaks back on deck. I’ll always think back to that first subtle, quick tick of the line — my first kayak permit — a memory that will last a lifetime.

Sanibel Sources
Endless Summer Charters
Fort Myers, Florida
239-691-1966
sanibelislandfishingcharters.com

Tween Waters Inn Resort & Spa
Captiva Island, Florida
800-223-5865
tween-waters.com

South Seas Island Resort
Captiva Island, Florida
239-472-5111
southseas.com

Anderson’s Tackle Shop
Fort Myers, Florida
239-334-3474
andersontackle.com

Whitney’s Bait and Tackle
Sanibel Island, Florida
239-579-0399
whitneysbaitandtackle.com

Tip: While you’re there, try the great shore-fishing opportunities. Check out Blind Pass for snook and redfish, and Sanibel Causeway for snook and tarpon.

About the Author
Capt. Ross Gallagher has fished the waters of southwest Florida for nearly 15 years. An avid kayak angler, he frequently pursues big-game species on his custom-outfitted Hobie Pro Angler 14. You can follow his fishing adventures, product reviews and exciting fishing videos on his blog at theintrepidangler.com.

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