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Kayak fishing (or “Yak” to aficionados) has been around for some time now, developing into a primarily coastal sport since the mid 1980’s. It offers solitude and proximity to the fishing – but primarily stealth and the ability to fish in extremely skinny water.
Some adventurous souls however continue to push the envelope – we have even experienced anglers in Guatemala launching their Yak from a mother ship 40 miles out to chase sailfish. One of the first and best known pioneers of “extreme kayaking” is Florida resident Kayak Willie who became a legend, catching sailfish in the Florida Keys at will from his fifty-pound kayak. Using live ballyhoo as bait, he hooked sailfish in as little as forty-five feet of water. One towed him twelve miles before breaking off. Sharks were an occasional hazard, as were skittering sailfish that nearly speared him while he floated inches above the waterline. Even catching bait could be dangerous. Leaning over to unhook a blue runner, Willie was about to grab his bait when a barracuda lunged and cut the fish in half. Asked what his highest priority tip was for this kind of fishing – he replied “Velcro”…………a wonderful invention that enables the kayak fisherman to physically attach gear to the hull. Of course some might argue that this should always take second place to paddle clips; you can always chase the bait bucket that may have fallen over, but try chasing your paddle in a 2 know current using the palms of your hand !
No kayak fishing to report in Guatemala this past week, but we did experience a brief burst of extreme fishing. Once the front had moved through (the effects of IDA), the blue water settled down and the fish were biting aggressively. For a couple of days building up to the new moon we were raising over 40 sailfish per day, but things have now cooled off somewhat, raising 15-20 fish per boat. There has been green water to the South, with our boats having to travel over 40 miles to find good blue water and consistent raises, although the numbers have reduced to the high single digits for raises.
The winter almanac is forecasting the coldest winter in North America in a decade – so this is a great year to book in for a fishing trip to the calm waters and sunshine of Guatemala while we still have dates available ! Get our FREE Angling Guide to Guatemala