LIP GRIPPER TACTICS


Rough neighborhoods


house tough trevally. PHOTO: PAUL LEBOWITZ


Speckled spots, happy angler. PHOTO: NEIL TAYLOR


Cool Customers


FLORIDA’S TROUT SPIKE WHEN THE MERCURY DROPS BY NEIL TAYLOR


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Impact Alley T


HUNT TOUGH FISH IN ROUGH PLACES


he cliff is flinty and forbidding, a jagged 1,000 vertical feet facing the vast Pacific Ocean. Angry waves chew at the stone, exploding


into geysers of white spray that land just short of a kayak lingering dangerously close. The steely-nerved angler atop it casts a bait directly into the mael-


strom at the foot of the cliff. Three cranks later he is frenziedly back- paddling to escape a charging breaker and pull the brute on the other end of the line into clear water. Will he make it to safety? This scene played out during the Isla Montuosa shoot for Te Kayak


Fishing Show with Jim Sammons, but it was no stunt. Like other skilled West Coast kayak anglers who are gamblers at heart, Sammons fre- quently dares pinnacles, cliff faces and boiler rocks to chase the tough fish that live in rough places. In Panama, hard-charging blue trevally were the target. With a


change of latitude, they could just as well have been king-sized calico bass or sharp-fanged lingcod. Think you’d like to try this game of chicken with the sea? Keep your


head on a swivel, bring extra eyes, cinch your PFD tightly and remem- ber this: If you play in rough neighborhoods, sooner or later you’ll have to pay the piper.


GEAR TIP PLUNKING


PINNACLES


Offshore pinnacles next to steep drop-offs often offer a Pacific rockfish and lingcod bonanza, but take care not to stray out of the safer deep water. These are snaggy places. Fish single-hook grubs and twin-tails such as Scampis, or iron jigs studded with a single Siwash hook, and keep the line vertical and off the bottom.


BAITS AND BREAKS The fish that live here look for easy pickings—a baitfish disoriented by a tumble or some tasty morsel knocked off a rock. Give them what they want. Pitch offerings right into the foam or within inches of exposed rocks. Hard baits and soft plastic artificials work best. Start with near-surface set ups and work up


to heavier weights, but be careful. Avoid snag-prone trebles and don’t let anything other than weedless jigs sit in the slosh. Mash down that drag! Any fish that takes line is as good as gone in the rocks. But beware choosing beefy line to match. For safety’s sake, it has to break. I favor braid in the 30-pound range.


ESCAPE PLAN Always keep one eye on the ocean and your paddle or pedal drive ready for a high speed escape. Avoid pointing directly toward the structure. It’ll take precious extra time to turn and burn. If a breaker catches you inside, power through it without hesitation or doubt. This isn’t the place to reel yourself to the fish. Getting too close for comfort? Try the one-


armed backpaddle using your body as a fulcrum. If a fish is getting the better of the battle, tuck and run. Wedge the rod under your legs and paddle out two-handed. That’s what Sammons did, emerging with a grin to finish off and then respectfully release his tenacious trevally. —Paul Lebowitz


26 …KAYAK ANGLER SPRING 2011


ate fall, winter and spring are the best times to target Florida’s most popular


fish, the speckled trout. These fish are more cooperative and aggressive during the cooler months, making this a splendid opportunity to catch a huge trout. The big ones fight a lot more like redfish than the smaller come-to- the-top-and-wiggle dinks. Kayak anglers enjoy distinct advantages.


During the negative low tides of winter and spring, trout stack up in pools accessible only by kayak. In the clear waters of the cooler months, the kayak is ideal. Even casters who are all thumbs can get close enough for a shot at a big yellow-mouthed gator. To improve casting distance and cover


more water, use medium to ultralight rods with light fluorocarbon leaders. Trout fall for three-inch paddle tails like the 12 Fathom Mullet or five-inch jerkbaits on light jigheads when they are presented at the right pace. Lures should be worked slowly and smoothly, with the bait traveling just above the bottom. Use the rod tip to move the lure with a gentle lifting motion. In shallower water, topwater lures are a great


option. It is a thrill to have monster trout slurp- ing and pounding away at a MirrOmullet.


LOCATION AND TRIP PLANNING Early mornings and late afternoons are usu- ally best, especially if matched with maximum water movement. Action can also be solid during the middle of the day with good tidal flow. Trout frequent areas of mixed sea grass and sandy bottom. The four- to 10-foot depths within this sand grass matrix produce the best numbers. For the biggest fish, concentrate on the shallows—depths of two feet or less.


ADVANCED TECHNIQUES Speckled trout have soft mouths. They feed by squeezing down on their prey with fang teeth. If you lift the rod tip when they strike, they will hook themselves. Take care, over-aggres- sion will pull hooks, losing fish. Anglers who smooth out their fighting technique and keep a gentle bend in the rod (don’t be a slacker!) will lose fewer trout. Check your local regulations for closed


seasons, bag and size limits. Fish to be re- leased should be handled as little as possible.


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