Mothership


Bluewater Blues K


nown as Sportsman’s Paradise, Venice, Louisiana, is at the end


of the road, at the end of the Mis- sissippi River Delta. But that puts the small fishing village close to the world’s best inshore and offshore fishing. Load the kayaks on a twin- hulled speed boat and weave into marsh creeks and backwaters for reds and specks, or race offshore and fish oil rigs for tuna, billfish, wahoo, dolphin and more. www.mgfishing.com.


Pale Horse, a 37-foot Freeman power catamaran with twin 250- horsepower Yamaha 4-Stroke engines that push the boat to 40 knots. Carries up to four kayaks stacked on the deck.


Captain


Kevin Beach is a veteran inshore and offshore guide, and was featured on Jim Sam- mon’s Kayak Fishing Show.


Target Species Offshore: Yellowfin tuna, marlin, wahoo, dolphin, reef fish. Inshore: Red drum, speckled trout and flounder.


Plan of Attack


Run up to 70 miles offshore and fish oil rigs with live bait or vertical jigs. Or, fish inshore and search beaches, marshes, creeks and canals for redfish and speckled trout with light tackle and artificial lures.


Best kayak


Open-water capable 12- to 13-foot kayaks. Shorter, lighter boats are easier to load and unload. Keep rigging to a minimum.


Tackle Box


Offshore: Medium heavy to heavy action six- to seven-foot vertical jigging rod matched to high-speed, high-capacity conventional reel spooled with 50- to 80-pound braided line and an 80- to 100-pound topshot. Vertical jigs, top-water poppers. Inshore: Medium action spinning or casting rod spooled with 10-pound test braided line and a two- foot leader of 20-pound fluorocarbon. Jigs, topwater plugs and small spoons.


Recommended Gear


Handheld VHF radio mandatory. Rod leashes.


Leave at home Fishfinders. Boat finds the fish and electronics take up time and space.


Required Skills


Fighting and landing large pelagic fish. Large sharks are common competition for your catch.


www.kayakanglermag.com…53


PHOTOS: WILL RICHARDSON


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