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reDfIsh TEXAS
prIvate reDfIsh ponDs
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Tom Stubblefield is in his happy place and you can
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hear the excitement in his voice. The owner of the fa-
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mous TKF website (texaskayakfisherman.com)—the
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sport’s biggest internet message board by far—is
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holding forth on hunting big, frenzied reds in the
shallows while powerboaters just 100 yards away are
roosterfIsh
blissfully unaware.
BAJA “A lot of them never see those fish. We’re up there
racIng for roosters
chasing 10- to 20-pound redfish, backs sticking out of
the water, chasing them through the mud,” Stubblefield
“I went right from the beach into kayak fishing,” says Morgan Promnitz, the latest addition of the fishing staff at Hobie says in a rush.
headquarters. In his early days 10 years back, it was enough to catch Southern California’s little stuff, calico bass and The action plays out in ephemeral tidal ponds, wa-
bonito. Then he got his first taste of trophy action and never looked back. ters that go from mudflat to fishing hole with the rise of
“The reel screams like a freight train. It turns your kayak around and tows you along. After 10 minutes you know it’s the tide. “The bigger redfish lay claim to being first in
a good one. You get butterflies in your stomach and your heart is beating fast. When that nice big fish is finally in your these ponds, the first to go in and feed on crustaceans,
lap the sense of accomplishment is huge,” Promnitz says. crabs, shrimp and snails. It’s very soft mud in there.
Promnitz has logged his fair share of boat time, and there’s no question which platform he prefers. Especially for You can’t wade it, you’ll sink to your waist. A big boat
chasing southern Baja’s powerful yet skittish roosterfish, a jack instantly identifiable from its proud, cock-like comb. can’t get up in there,” says Stubblefield with the confi-
One story says it all. dence of a man who can.
“I’d just cracked a Corona, sitting on the porch looking over the beach, when I spotted massive shadows in the water,” Not only do kayakers get a prime shot at bull reds,
Promnitz recalls. Stubblefield says they get more hook-ups too. “For
He grabbed a rod, quickly tied on a Krocodile spoon, and raced after them in a kayak. “The fish had no idea I was redfish, here’s a great advantage. We don’t have to
there, the kayak is so quiet. They chased the lure until I could just about reach out and touch them,” he says with an use 20- or 30-pound-test line to catch the big ones.
infectious smile and his trademark South African accent. We can do 10 and still wear the fish down by using
Promnitz attributes the big one he tagged that day to the boat-beating quickness and ease of launching a kayak right the kayak as part of the drag system. In the shallows,
on the spot. “That’s the strong point,” he says. “It’s quicker and easier to land a decent fish from a kayak.” it’s a definite advantage. They tow us around and wear
themselves out quickly.”
yellowtaIl
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
you’ve got to see ‘em
to catch ‘em
Sleek and powerful homeguard yellowtail get Josh Pruitt’s motor running.
These are the year-round residents of La Jolla’s kelp and canyon fastness:
savvy, skittish battlers that sometimes reach more than 50 pounds.
“That’s what I live for. That’s what drives me,” says the full-time Inshore
Kayak Adventures (inshorekayak.com) fishing guide as he sings the kayak’s
praises. He’s talking trophies, fish he’d never see unless running silent.
“I’ve owned boats. I’ve fished the same spots. I was successful but it
in no way compared to what I catch from a kayak,” Pruitt says, noting that
nowadays, if a single powerboat comes through the area he’s stalking, the
spot is done. “The local yellowtail, they know what’s going on,” he adds.
They fade out.
Because Pruitt is skilled at seeing yet not being seen, he often gets more
than one shot at a school of big fish. Other kayak anglers can do it too,
that is if they avoid throwing an iron right onto the spot or trolling directly
through the fish.
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“When you’re looking at foaming fish you’re going to get tight. Everyone
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struggles with that. If you don’t, you’re not human,” Pruitt says soothingly.
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In other words, take your time. That slow, steady, stealthy mindset is a
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decided kayak fishing strength.
34
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KayaK angler sPring/suMMer 200
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