# Navarre - 09/20 mahi and more



## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Got the pleasure to FINALLY get Oxbeast out in the Gulf. He brought along Tom, sorry I forgot his SN.

I was late because I couldnt find my sunglasses but we met at the pier at dawn.

We unload and make bait pretty easily and head on out.

Tom hooks up first with a nice king and a remora. With the wind to our face we werent making much headway so they decide to stop dragging baits. I cant do that so Im pulling my mahi candy when I get a good hit. The fish is SMOKING my reel, I thought I saw a splash or two at the surface but couldnt tell if it was the fish or white capping waves. After gaining some line the fish stayed below me about forty feet down just thumping. Im thinking either a foul hooked king or bonita or maybe a BFT. I get it up just enough to see color. I think I see green and yellow but naw, it aint fighting like a mahi so its probably my duster. The fish makes another blistering run. After several minutes its down again about forty feet just thumping. 

FINALLY I see color and MAHI. A nice one. Then I see an even bigger one, a big block head bull. I tell Oxbeast to drop down his duster and jig it.

The bull left so I told him to grab a live one. He sets his rod in his rod holder with duster still in the water while he fetches a livie. 

I look over and see his rod bowed up. "He ate he ate." I yell. Because his drag was really tight he couldnt get his rod out of the rod holder. The fish skies about eight feet and spits the hook.

Meanwhile Im still trying to get my fish up. After seeing Adam get his sail I decided to add about a four foot piece of sixty five pound fluro to my main line to be able to grab and hoss the fish around instead of my punny seventeen pound test. I was finally able to grab the leader and sink the gaff on my personal best yak mahi. Whoo hoo.

We make way to our spot.

Tom is new to salt water fishing and a little apprehensive about bottom fishing. I give him a quick demo and pull up my first yak grouper. Unfortunately he was a little short and back he went.

I bait Tom up and hand him my rod. He hooks up instantly and gets a cobia about thirty inches. He didnt like the tippiness bottom fishing so he didnt drop again.

Oxbeast and I decide to drop a few times and we pull up a couple snapper. Nothing special in size. I also managed a small cobia.

We move on to another spot. Once over another cobia pops up to say hi and Oxbeast picks him up on a jig.

I drop down my trigger rig and pick up several but all too short.

I drop down some frozen cigs and get some snapper and a real treat, my firsy yak lane snapper and its a BEAST. The biggest lane Ive ever seen at about five pounds.

I tell Tom to troll around us and he hooks up several times landing a couple kings.

We then decide to head south and west and then north to hit the beach.

Tom, again the king man for the day picks up another king.

While he is fighting the fish I notice Oxbeast wiggling around a bit. I am thinking he is going to get something out of his front hatch. Next thing I know Ox is in the water and his yak is upside down. 

By now the wind is dead calm and so is the water. Apparently in his perhaps not brightest decision Ox decides to stand in his yak and rock it back and forth testing its stability and goes in the drink.

On his third attempt he finally manages to scramble in the yak. A couple rods and some gear were donated to the fish gods.

He licks his wounds and we head on in. I pick up a king on the way in.

It was a beautiful day out there and Im so happy I could help Tom and Ox get on a few nice fish. Tom got his first king and cobia and Ox got his first yak snapper and cobia and I got my first WHOLE grouper and lane snapper and personal best yak mahi. Success in my book.

I met my wife and daughter on the beach and finished out the day enjoying the weather with my family.


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

Good read and nice Mahi!


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## PBTH (Oct 1, 2007)

Nice Mahi. Even nicer lane.


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## chaps (Aug 31, 2009)

Wow sounds like a lot of fun. We live in such a great area. I won't be able to let ox live that one down. Sorry buddy about your fishing gear but we've all donated a bunch of gear to the fishing gods.


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## Blake R. (Mar 17, 2009)

Thats awesome man! How far out was the mahi?


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

The mahi ate close in, about fifty feet or so.


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

Haha I dont know what was wrong with me ... Ever since I can remember I have learned from others mistakes and always play it safe. So Wtf was I thinking to stand up in the yak to see how far it would go to each side?..... (knowing that my balance is horrible now because of the 3 knee surgeries..) 
J.D said HOly cow I've never ever seen someone fall in with the water this calm...! As i'm swimming around.. Never really been afraid of shark but inside my head I kept picturing that big ass grouper from an other thread coming up and eating me.... 

HAd a Blast JD was fun fishing with both of you and Tom screen name is tennesseeyakker

SO first time I hook a Mahi , first cobia , first snapper , Not the first and wont be the last time I do something dumb...

By the way the jackson cuda is very stable but does have its limits lol 

My Go pro hero2 just came in today glad it didn't catch me falling lol
guess it a good thing as it would have been donated to the fish gods too!
fish gods are getting rich from yakkers...


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## Blake R. (Mar 17, 2009)

JD7.62 said:


> The mahi ate close in, about fifty feet or so.


Read that as 50 feet from shore to start with lol


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## COALTRAIN (Jun 28, 2012)

Man the water looks slick as glass in the pic. Nice mahi. I hope its like that tomorrow so I can get out in my POS 10ft pelican. Not the best yak but fun as hell. Thanks for getting me pumped for tomorrow.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Forum Runner


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## Tennesseeyakker (Aug 26, 2012)

I will have to be short with this one, I am done for, lol. Jd7.62 and oxbeast 1210 pretty much summed it all up. What I do have to say is only a few days ago, I had pretty much gave up on doing any good on this trip down from Tennessee. As previously mentioned, kayak fishing saltwater and bays has been a dream of mine for several years now. Oxbeast1210 and JD7.62 made it happen, and I am grateful. These guys know their fishing and went out of their way to help me. I will never forget their generosity and kindness. In two days I caught Redfish, speck, largemouth bass from a bay, King, remora and cobia for the first time. This would NEVER had happened on my own. I also experienced the fellowship of true kayak fishermen and have made two new friends. I will post pics L8ter if I am able, lol or when I get back to TN. Its off to shower and REST! Lol


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

I like that when you got a king I would hear drag screaming and then "golly!!"


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

Awesome man! I need to get back in the gulf but I'm still trying to be the king of the bay lol. Sorry about the turtle oxbeast. It has not happened to me YET but I know my day will come I just hope its not in 76' of water. 

Great report as always. If you or your wife ever see anything you like at my mom's shop let me know I can hook you up with a deal.
My name is Dustin by the way.


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## romadfishrman (Jan 23, 2009)

oxbeast1210 said:


> fish gods are getting rich from yakkers...


Ain't that the truth


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## BlackJeep (Jun 13, 2010)

Nice fish, nice report!


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

Pics


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

More


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

Looking back I wouldn't do what I did in my pro angler so still figuring out what my plan was..?


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## Cracker (May 15, 2012)

Great picture


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## chaps (Aug 31, 2009)

oxbeast1210 said:


> Looking back I wouldn't do what I did in my pro angler so still figuring out what my plan was..?


Ha ha. I think you really wanted to take a swim. Great pictures.


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## B.Fine (Aug 13, 2010)

Ox,

Here's your story.... Knee was getting sore so you jumped in to work it out swimming....

B


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## fishn4fun (May 11, 2008)

Man that's a great day on the water. You kill it over that way. That's a great yak mahi a stud lane


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## dthomas142 (Jul 18, 2011)

Great report fellas! Nice to see u gettin some time in on the gulf before u head out. Nice job puttin em on the fish JD! And cool to see both of u showin the outta town yakkers some luv, Y'all did some good work out there too, thanks for the report! Oh, sorry to hear about the lost gear oscar, lol but that's funny as hell bout u takin a swim in 75ft of water!


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Man that sounds like a hoot, except Oscar taking a swim!!!! Ahhhhh memories to last!!! Good going guys!


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

Man you had a good day! Nice bag of filets you had at the house and not a dime spent on gas.....awesome!


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## eyc0r (Sep 20, 2012)

Excellent write up! I really enjoyed reading this story... I hope you folks never take for granted the awesome range of species you have available to you near-shore... Mahi is my current bucket list fish to catch... I'll be there next month... Hope to see that blue-yellow-green block head next to my kayak!


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## Fishermon (Oct 19, 2007)

great report and pictures. So how easy it was to reentry...been looking at this stirrup u can make/built..btw... bet it was good way to 'cool off' lol...careful out there. Thanks for the report guys always appreciate the effort.


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

The first two times didn't go well I kept reaching for the other side and pulling my kayak over again. The third time I just pushed straight up and then over and i was good to go . Wish i would have practiced in my pool or shallow water though lol.


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