# Navarre (6/25/15-6/28/15) - First Time Kayaking



## saii (Mar 7, 2011)

Hi All,

New to the community, and new to the kayak fishing thing. Bought a pro angler 12, and traveled with my buddies down to Navarre to give it a try.

We are all big offshore fishermen, and normally take a boat out a few times a year. We just wanted to try something different and low key... anything to avoid towing a boat for 6 hours. Plus we figured kayaks are more casual for vacations, and easier to manage when we rent places.

Traveled down with my 3 friends in one truck, with two kayaks. The other two rented kayaks.

Our first time out there was a exhilarating, and despite the bad weather (and somewhat poor judgement), we were able to land lots of kings, false albacores, and spanish.

We didn't know any reef spots in navarre, so we just trolled dead cigar minnows. Also because the waves weren't that flat, we needed to trolled slower so our bait didn't float above the water or spin too often.

Here's a few pics of our combined catches. They are mostly smaller kings, but my buddy caught a 30lb+ king off his tarpon 14. He killed it with a spear gaff, and went to my hobie to put it in the cooler. He threw it in the cooler from his yak, and the wind shut the cooler lid!!! Anyways the fish bounced off the cooler, and ended up on the bottom of the ocean floor. 

I almost jumped out to get it, but on a previous day I had a large shark wider than my kayak follow me out from the surf. That shark was literally next to me when I jumped in my kayak, and followed me to the end of the pier. Talk about adrenaline rush....

We will be coming back often and soon! My buddies are grabbing hobies now, and we hope to make a few friends to go out with us. Going out 2 miles by yourself can be scary, especially with bad weather (which we got caught in). We learned our lesson, and never again! Took us forever to paddle back, with winds up to 15-20, and surfs bigger than 3ft waves. I got knocked out of my kayak twice, and flipped it once. A miracle I was able to flip it over so quickly in bad weather. Like I said, we learned our lesson.

We always wear life jackets regardless of our swimming ability, but next time we are all going to have radios on us.

I hope to fish with some of you guys soon!


----------



## Parajax (Jun 17, 2015)

Helluva trip for a 1s time! Glad yall are ok! Nice fish!


----------



## Jgatorman (Jun 8, 2013)

Awesome catch, If you are going to walk a shark I think the EPA requires a leash!!!


----------



## Night Wing (May 16, 2011)

Nice report and photos. 

The very first time I demoed a kayak, I was hooked. After my first yak fishing trip, I fell in love with yak fishing.


----------



## saii (Mar 7, 2011)

Thanks guys! We're more experienced now, and we'll be safer for next time. Kayak fishing is addictive! I think the boat might be collecting dust now heh.


----------



## saii (Mar 7, 2011)

Jgatorman said:


> Awesome catch, If you are going to walk a shark I think the EPA requires a leash!!!


D'oh! That was what I was doing wrong. 

I can't believe it was stalking me so close to the beach. I've seen a bunch of large sharks fishing offshore, and a few sharks on the beaches, but didn't expect such a big shark so close to me in a kayak.

Pretty cool experience for a newbie. Glad I got all my limbs! :thumbup:


----------



## Jgatorman (Jun 8, 2013)

saii said:


> D'oh! That was what I was doing wrong.
> 
> I can't believe it was stalking me so close to the beach. I've seen a bunch of large sharks fishing offshore, and a few sharks on the beaches, but didn't expect such a big shark so close to me in a kayak.
> 
> Pretty cool experience for a newbie. Glad I got all my limbs! :thumbup:


If the average "Joe" had any idea what was lurking near them every time they venture into the GOM from the panhandle they would never go back! Fly over the beach sometime and you will see for yourself! 

I have always looked at sharks as intelligent creatures that realize no hospitals, abulances doctors or nurses are available so they look for easy prey that will not harm themselves while feeding. For this reason I have always done my best never to look like an easy meal!!! I also do my best to avoid murky water and creating turbulence in the water during sunrise and sunset. However they are extremely curious and being as they have no opposable thumb they bite to finalize their impression of whatever object they are curious about in many cases. Unfortunately to humans this type of curiosity is very harmful!!


----------



## Fisherdad1 (Oct 4, 2007)

Welcome to the club guys. Yaking is a ton a of fun, but it looks like you have learned that already.
- Fisherdad1


----------



## saii (Mar 7, 2011)

Here's a youtube footage of our trip that one of the guy's gf put together. Mostly montages on the calm day. Sorry to bump an old thread up again, but she worked hard to make a video for us haha.

Now I have to get a GoPro. Playing russian roulette with my cellphone out in open water doesn't seem like a wise thing to do..






PS - we are probably one of the biggest asian ******** you'll know.

Quote of the trip: "This is a different version of Jackass, for fishermen."


----------



## jimmyschimmies (Jul 12, 2010)

Glad you guys kicked some more butt after that first morning we met. Just remember to do your homework and check the surf reports out before you head out. Nothing worse than showing up to 4ft swells.

Cheers, 
James

Ps.
thanks for the help putting wheels in afterwards


----------



## saii (Mar 7, 2011)

jimmyschimmies said:


> Glad you guys kicked some more butt after that first morning we met. Just remember to do your homework and check the surf reports out before you head out. Nothing worse than showing up to 4ft swells.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks James for talking to us newbies and giving us a few pointers. It was a pleasure to meet you on the surf. 

Yes, we will be wiser to obey the weather predictions. It was not fun. Made a hell of a story, but definitely not repeating that!

We still think we're young, but I think Mother Nature has us beat. 

Hope to see you out there next time!

- Kevin


----------



## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

Get yourself one of these. It's a fish clip for diving but work well on yaks. Attach a 4-6ft leash on it and slide a crab trap float (the 6-8" ones) on the line then tie off the end with a large D ring. You can slip it in a fishes gills, clip it shut and pull them on board or let them bleed out beside you. Also makes passing fish a breeze.


----------



## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

iPhone will only allow one pic at a time.


----------



## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

.... Some kayak shops carry them and most dive shops will have them.


----------

