# Nice red from my Jet Ski



## philthefish

Having just moved to the area, I'm a famously bad redfish fisherman. I'd probably have better luck with a mask and snorkel. Nevertheless, every dog has his day. Now, I live in the east bay, not far from the power lines by the east bay river... My boat is 24.5 and too big to get down the live oaks ramp and the trailer too long to turn around at the bridge, so no bay boat fishing for me. Anyways, a few months back I was watching a few you tube videos of these guys in new zealand doing some pretty darn good fishing from a jet ski. (



) So, one rainy afternoon, armed with two short plastic rod holders (about 15 bucks at Walmart) and some 5200 marine cement, I mounted them on my Yamaha XLT800. The result is attached below...



Now, any jerk wad can have fishing machines, but can he catch fish? Well up north I can...down here, well, I'm working on it. Anyways, on Sunday evening I decided to brave a gap in these damn storms and stop by some grass flats just inside the power lines. I was throwing a suspending mirrorlure twitchbait. This time, instead of blind casting, I decided to throw at some of the swirls I always see around here...the ones that seem to ignore every other bait I throw. Anyways, wham.. The result, a nice 23" red that took me for a good old fashioned Nantucket sleigh-ride.



Now this begs the question, am I the only one around here with rod holders on his jet ski?


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## Liquid Medication

i believe i saw a post a while back about someone doing the same thing. if i remember correctly, they even had a small cooler attached to the seat or it was an egg cratewith a small cooler and the rod holders on it.


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## Live2Kayak~Kayak4Life

It was a pvc rig that held a cooler, and had rod holders. sweet little rig, You can bet if I had a jet ski i would have it set up to fish. But my kayak does the job just fine!

thats a delicious looking red you got there!


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## philthefish

Thanks guys. Yeah. I really do need a cooler rack for it... That would be sweet. I will say, that I am suffering Kayak envy. I'm hoping to meet someone one day who will let me borrow their fishing kayak so I can try one on for size... Sneaking up on reds with a 2-cycle jetski is like trying to pick up girls without any pants on. ;-)


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## fishn4real

Good idea and good report.

You may want to considera small mushroom anchor that would slow the ride when big fish-on, but not so heavy as to sink the boat.

Now, if you can figure a way to install a bait well. :bowdown


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## Telum Pisces

Here's a thread with the cooler mount and someone else fishing from a jetski.

http://orangebeachfishingforum.com/fishingforum/Topic356987-21-1.aspx?Highlight=jetski


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## BloodyWaters

> *philthefish ( Sneaking up on reds with a 2-cycle jetski is like trying to pick up girls without any pants on. ;-)*


*:clap

go try one out at pensacola kayak and sail. they have 3 nice discounted yaks for under $600 a piece. but thanks for finding a use for the jet ski. always wanted to troll for kings with one.*


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## Russian

Good job on catching fish from the ski. The thread above with the pvc cooler rack is mine, made it beginning of the summer. Works really good for not having anything permanently mounted on the jet ski. Only trolled with it out in the gulf twice caught kings and bonita. Fished with it on the flats once and caught a few rat reds. I mounted a bottom machine on it and gps so I can do some bottom fishing in the gulf. Only been able to try it out once though. Hope to get back out sometime this fall, just got back from MI beginning of this week due to getting married and such. Should be down here for a while though. Only reason I fish off mine is I dont have a boat and thought it would by rather sporty to try it off a jet ski. Starting to get into it though, its fun, but beats the crap out of you in the gulf at least. For flats fishing I usually just drift across the flats with the jet ski not running, seems to work ok, but Im sure I spend a lot of time drifting across flats where there are few fish. 

Sounds like for you a kayak would be the ticket for flats fishing. 

Let me know if you are interested in getting into the jet ski fishing thing more, we can compare ideas and do some fishing.


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## philthefish

Hey guys,



Thanks for the tips. Yeah, I've got a 'shroom anchor, a little 8lb jobbie. I think I need to keep it footside so if I hook one near some structure I don't get struck between a redfish and a hard place. Now the baitwell would really be cool...but like I said, I am a horrible red-fish fisherman. I think at this point in the season I'm $100 into bait and all I've gotten was a catfish spine in my finger. ;-) hahah.



Good call on Pensacola Kayak. Man, $600 is only two fills of the boat tank, and it sure would be nice at the end of the day to just push off and go. (I don't have a jet ski lift...)



Hey Russian, sounds like you've got a pimped out ride there. I've also thought it would be perfect for those flat days out in the gulf, especially with all those 'yakers doing so well off of navarre beach. But I don't think there's any gulf-side launch point here, I believe it's either Destin or Fort Pickens are the closest. Where you fishing out of? I would love to meet up to give it a try...


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## WaterRat

I wonder if you could some how take a kayak paddle or just a paddle? or better yet mount a trolling motor on it!


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## Russian

I have a paddle I use on occasion when drifting, but always thought a windsock anchor would work best for drifting. 

Im out of Niceville, but fish out of Destin a lot. Fishing in the gulf is a blast with the ski, definately would like to get out again before winter, with hunting season approaching though might only make it outa couple of times. Bow hunting is the one thingthat will pull me off the water.Shoot me a pm if your feeling like heading out sometime, Ive been looking for someone else to fish with, with the ski. I will do the same.


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## tom1s

as much as jet skis have pissed me off in the past (present company excluded, cause i hope none of you would be such asses with the little machines) I was fishing the pensacola beach pier one day and saw two guys on one of the big ones...one driving the other turned around holding two rods and trolling and I had to cheer. not braking the law on a jet ski :bowdown


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## todd in the bay

philthefish,

Great use of the jetski! I am a big advocate of the stealth, quiet approach. Usually the Jetskis we see have nothing to do with that!

Good post and You'll have a time in the gulf! with Kings, Cobes and by all means why not, night fish for sharks!


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## philthefish

Hi guys,



Yeah a small windsock anchor seems like the best bet. I've got a paddle onboard for safety anyways, but rod in one hand and paddle in the other leaves me wanting another hand. 



Guys, I understand the frustration with jet-skiers, because I'm a boat owner myself. It seems like these machines are just built to expose the inner-asshole in every person that gets near the water. I swear you could use them as an IQ test. :banghead I suppose the same goes for 4 wheelers in a protected wetland or a snowmobile on a golf course, but there are so many more people (and a lot more wildlife) on the water, but I digress. Back to fishing...



Thanks Todd for the kudos. In trolling this forum, I've seen enough of your pics to hope that I cross paths with you one day to find out what kind of magic one needs to have in these brackish waters. 



I don't know about you guys, but I've about had it with this weather. Is this freaking normal? My almanac says "Navarre, FL "323 days of sunshine avg per year." I guess those 30 days account for september?


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## HDM

Hi there,

I'm just getting into jet ski fishing, What improvements have you made to your set up?

Does anyone else have any tips or pictures of there jet ski fishing set up?


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## HDM

Hi there,

I'm just getting into jet ski fishing, What improvements have you made to your set up?

Does anyone else have any tips or pictures of there jet ski fishing set up?


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## lsucole

I use a jet ski - actually a Sea- Doo LRV and got a trolling motor mount from Birdsal Marine. You can contact them thru the internet. It has a plate that screws onto the back deck and then the removable mount attaches to that plate. I got a U1 size trolling motor battery and a hand control trolling motor. Works great ! The LRV model is no longer being made, but it has a back sun pad and gull wing storage hatches which easily holds fishing rods as well as the trolling motor when not in use.


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## PBTH

Check out Bloodydecks.com. Most California guys, but it's popular over there.

http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/inshore-islands-fishing-reports-southern-california/211285-waverunner-run-out-lb-3-29-a.html

Also JetSkiBrian on thehulltruth.com has a pretty tricked out ride and runs offshore.


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## Waverunnr99

Interesting read. I'm looking for a cooler rack for my 2009 VX110 and doing some fishing off my ski. I've found one that I am interested for about $175 shipped with a cooler but I am interested in anything that may be better. I also would not mind opinions on the rack that I am looking at. Tis cobia time and i really would like to get one off of a ski.


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## choppedliver

Can you edit your post and hit "enter" between pics.



It would make the whole thread a lot easier to read


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## Saltfisher

i live on east bay too inbetween the power lines and the river mouth.if you see akenner 23 foot center console, thats me, or in a white kayak


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## Waverunnr99

Thanks for the 411. I've been lurking for a long time but recently started posting


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## choppedliver

I bet you could pull my fishing mule behind a jetski, it can carry everything


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## philthefish

Hi guys,



I live about a mile from the power lines closer to East Bay River. I'm the big wooden house on stilts...



As far as a cooler set up, send a PM to Russian and ask him to send you a pic of his rig. He built his cooler rack and it is way better than what you are looking at for 175. I'm guessing my pal built it for < $50 bucks. 



We just met today and neither of us have made any improvements... In his case, his rig doesn't need any. I've just got 2 holders on mine, but could use a GPS/Finder on it and a cooler rack. I did notice that Academy has a cooler rack or two on sale that could do the trick, but no rod holders.



Good luck.


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## Waverunnr99

Thanks for the reply, I would be interested in seeing a picture of the cooler rack if possible.


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## JetSki Fisherman

Russian said:


> Good job on catching fish from the ski. The thread above with the pvc cooler rack is mine, made it beginning of the summer. Works really good for not having anything permanently mounted on the jet ski. Only trolled with it out in the gulf twice caught kings and bonita. Fished with it on the flats once and caught a few rat reds. I mounted a bottom machine on it and gps so I can do some bottom fishing in the gulf. Only been able to try it out once though. Hope to get back out sometime this fall, just got back from MI beginning of this week due to getting married and such. Should be down here for a while though. Only reason I fish off mine is I dont have a boat and thought it would by rather sporty to try it off a jet ski. Starting to get into it though, its fun, but beats the crap out of you in the gulf at least. For flats fishing I usually just drift across the flats with the jet ski not running, seems to work ok, but Im sure I spend a lot of time drifting across flats where there are few fish.
> 
> Sounds like for you a kayak would be the ticket for flats fishing.
> 
> Let me know if you are interested in getting into the jet ski fishing thing more, we can compare ideas and do some fishing.


Hey Russian, give me a shout next time you head out jetski fishing. I have a nice setup but no one to fish with. 251-583-0367


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## FCH

I just posted in the Suggestions section inquiring whether sufficient interest exists for a PWC fishing section to be considered.


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## Russian

I sold my jet ski years ago but enjoyed fishing from her a lot. Now it's mostly from a boat or shore. Lots of kayak fisherman here but not so much jet skis.


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## FCH

*PWCs - reds Big Lagoon, Santa Rosa Sound*

We did go Nov 5-6 but I didn't get a chance to post until now. Camped at Big Lagoon St Park. Fished some but also explored Big Lagoon, National Seashore, Pensacola Bay, Pensacola Beach and Santa Rosa Sound. It was beautiful weather (air and water temp) except for the wind and chop, yuck. 
Rat reds, 2 slot (dinner Monday), 1 bonita (tried, not great). Grass south side of Big Lagoon, North side of Santa Rosa Sound and just outside the pass for the last one. 
Did get to go again 12th and 13th but went to St Andrews and took the kids camping and snorkeling (no fishing).


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