WHEN THE GULF STREAM RUNS THROUGH YOUR
BACKYARD, EVERY TRIP IS AN ADVENTURE. PHOTOS: JOE HECTOR
EASY ACCESS Joe Hector
Launch at the public beach access next to the Pompano Beach fishing pier. I can fish for as little as four hours. The beach is close to the parking lot so I can be on the water quickly.
TARGET SPECIES
From May to August, catch blackfin tuna, king mack- erel, wahoo, mahi-mahi, grouper and amberjack. From December to March, fishing is best for sailfish and mahi-mahi.
TACKLE BOX
Seven-foot, heavy-action, spinning and conventional jig- ging rods and matching reels spooled with 60- to 80-pound braided line and a 12-foot length of 50-pound fluorocar- bon leader. A 7/0 hook for live goggle eyes. Purchase bait from the local tackle shop and keep it alive in a livewell.
GEAR BAG
Hobie 13-foot Revolution will handle the rough ocean conditions. I carry a gaff, PFD, signal flag, five-gallon bucket and an AirStone run off a battery-operated aerator keeps bait kicking. A GPS and fishfinder make it easy to fish from wreck to wreck.
Owner of Extreme Kayak Fishing Inc. Home Base: Pompano Beach, Florida Local Hole: Pompano Beach
In a rush to fish a few hours before a noon meeting, I left the house without live bait or my gaff. All I had was a box of frozen sardines. I spotted a weedline and trolled passed with my stinky sardine. Five minutes later, a huge mahi-mahi grabbed my bait, jumped out of the water, and spit the hook. I re-baited the hook and returned to the same place. The same fish hit again, jumped and threw the hook. This happened three times before I finally hooked the dolphin. The fish was close to 50 pounds. Without a gaff, I wrestled the dolphin into the boat where it freaked out kicking and swinging at me until I grabbed it in a bear hug. I didn’t let go until the five-foot-long fish stopped moving. That’s when I realized that I just landed an epic dolphin in the kayak. And I made the meeting.
Join Joe Hector and the EKFT crew at
www.extremekayakfishingtournament.org.
54…KAYAK ANGLER
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