Boatless Fishing Forum, Reports, Info

Any advice on where to go and when and what I should take,I have a 12' eagle talon kayak, i will be using a 6' ugly stick with a conv. Reel, penn 40 squall, and handcraft 6'rod with 6500 os fin nor reel. All the reels have 30 and 40 lbs mono should change to briad? I want to catch mahi, wahoo, king etc. Oo do I need a light or a flag and is a fish radar very important to take or could i just go out.

Number one, have you gone offshore on a kayak before?
Number two, where are you launching and planning to paddle to?

The gear doesn't matter as much it's basically what you can carry and what you aren't afraid to lose.
You don't need a light or flag unless you are fishing a channel or heavily boated area and shouldn't need a light during the day I wouldn't go at night that's loco.

I have gone to key biscayne and black point to get hang of things, I haven't flip I guess I am not out in the water often lol and I have no idea where to launch,but some where legal lol

buddyg125 wrote:Any advice on where to go and when and what I should take,I have a 12' eagle talon kayak, i will be using a 6' ugly stick with a conv. Reel, penn 40 squall, and handcraft 6'rod with 6500 os fin nor reel. All the reels have 30 and 40 lbs mono should change to briad? I want to catch mahi, wahoo, king etc. Oo do I need a light or a flag and is a fish radar very important to take or could i just go out.

Welcome! brother, from reading your post I would say be VERY careful about heading offshore without first spending quite a few hours reading through pertaining posts / guides etc. We have a couple members here that go offshore regularly, I am sure they will chime in. VERY important to set LOOSE drag, if they come across you and you dont have loose / smooth drag you are going for a swim...

Get very familiar with you kayak including getting in and out where you cannot touch bottom. Also, tie everything down that you are not willing to lose and ALWAYS wear a Personal Flotation device. Right now, if you get a calm day and venture out with a flashy jig your chances are rather good to hook to kingfish or even mahi...

You could just wing it, but believe me, it will be much smoother if you take the time to do a little research and go prepared. Dania beach should be a decent launch point from what I have seen. TRY to link up with others who will be doing the same, strength in numbers.

-Swordfish

swordfish wrote:

buddyg125 wrote:Any advice on where to go and when and what I should take,I have a 12' eagle talon kayak, i will be using a 6' ugly stick with a conv. Reel, penn 40 squall, and handcraft 6'rod with 6500 os fin nor reel. All the reels have 30 and 40 lbs mono should change to briad? I want to catch mahi, wahoo, king etc. Oo do I need a light or a flag and is a fish radar very important to take or could i just go out.

Welcome! brother, from reading your post I would say be VERY careful about heading offshore without first spending quite a few hours reading through pertaining posts / guides etc. We have a couple members here that go offshore regularly, I am sure they will chime in. VERY important to set LOOSE drag, if they come across you and you dont have loose / smooth drag you are going for a swim...

Get very familiar with you kayak including getting in and out where you cannot touch bottom. Also, tie everything down that you are not willing to lose and ALWAYS wear a Personal Flotation device. Right now, if you get a calm day and venture out with a flashy jig your chances are rather good to hook to kingfish or even mahi...

You could just wing it, but believe me, it will be much smoother if you take the time to do a little research and go prepared. Dania beach should be a decent launch point from what I have seen. TRY to link up with others who will be doing the same, strength in numbers.

-Swordfish

Okay thank you, I would practice getting off and on and do my research

If you usually go by yourself then spend more hours inshore until you get very comfortable kayaking in most conditions. Reading guides and post from other people can only help to a certain extend. I seen quite a few people panic when they got caught in a nasty current or storm.

Try to always go with someone specially if you don't have much experience offshore. Securing paddle,gear and wearing your floating device is very important. Also, having an signal air horn helps since sometimes you have to use it in order for boats not to run you over.

Yea they all said it, without much experience your better off looking for a good spot inshore or or on shallow reefs and loading up on dinner which you should find lots around key biscayne... Lots of guys that go offshore on kayaks get towed out and towed back in or go in groups like sword mentioned. You do have a good chance of finding a king or maybe few mahi around Dania but your not gonna get any wahoo trolling that slow you'd need a hobie at least and to be out deeper.

baseball4life702 wrote:Yea they all said it, without much experience your better off looking for a good spot inshore or or on shallow reefs and loading up on dinner which you should find lots around key biscayne... Lots of guys that go offshore on kayaks get towed out and towed back in or go in groups like sword mentioned. You do have a good chance of finding a king or maybe few mahi around Dania but your not gonna get any wahoo trolling that slow you'd need a hobie at least and to be out deeper.

Yesterday my buddy who was out there reported seeing Mahi in 30 feet... Which is pretty cool! Although it is not the norm, I have seen sails spraying ballyhoo in about that much water in the winter. However, it is also the time of stiff ENE breeze.

-Swordfish

swordfish wrote:

baseball4life702 wrote:Yea they all said it, without much experience your better off looking for a good spot inshore or or on shallow reefs and loading up on dinner which you should find lots around key biscayne... Lots of guys that go offshore on kayaks get towed out and towed back in or go in groups like sword mentioned. You do have a good chance of finding a king or maybe few mahi around Dania but your not gonna get any wahoo trolling that slow you'd need a hobie at least and to be out deeper.

Yesterday my buddy who was out there reported seeing Mahi in 30 feet... Which is pretty cool! Although it is not the norm, I have seen sails spraying ballyhoo in about that much water in the winter. However, it is also the time of stiff ENE breeze.

-Swordfish

Several weeks ago I heard there was mahi in the bay...it's all possible, hell don't tell nobody about "inshore grouper" season lol the winter is great it just sucked the last couple years but looking to be a decent one so far.

the all mighty boatless experts have spoken

If you go you should launch around pompano. A lot of the wrecks are close to each other.

Okay thank you for the advice, where would I find the shallow reefs in key biscayne on Google maps and what kind of fish would I find in the reefs snapper, groupers and what else

buddyg125 wrote:Okay thank you for the advice, where would I find the shallow reefs in key biscayne on Google maps and what kind of fish would I find in the reefs snapper, groupers and what else

I'd you have iPhone or android download the navionics boating app it will guide you to the spots...you should find snapper grouper mackerel jacks and a few other species depending on where you go... Just use that app or a marine chart you will see where to go.

buddyg125 wrote:Okay thank you for the advice, where would I find the shallow reefs in key biscayne on Google maps and what kind of fish would I find in the reefs snapper, groupers and what else

That's a pretty tough paddle, not to mention all the boat traffic going through biscayne channel. If you want to fish blue water, the coastal beaches are a much better option. Remember you'll be fighting some knarly currents that feel a lot stronger at the end of the day. I did a couple offshore trips on the kayak, and that was enough for me to realize it's not for me at all. Get on the kayak section of the Florida sportsman forum, those guys actually get offshore on kayaks and catch fish.

Why biscayne channel? That's not what I was saying, that's a super long paddle and south of key biscayne. You can go out on a yak through bear creek or off crandon there's plenty offshore there before it gets too deep/strong current, even could launch from Bill baggs but there the current is strong like biscayne channel.

It just drops off quicker off Miami beach. Less paddling is a good thing. Either way, dude shouldn't head ocean side alone until he gets some buddies who want to do the same thing. It's just safer that way.

Safety above all. Know your limits and have a buddy around. Let people know when/where you launch and plan to come back. Life vest/whistle/360 light or headlight/vhf radio/hydration/first aid kit.

Anyone catch Pacific Warriors on Discovery?

Yea, pretty knarly show...it's a whole different animal out there tho...those currents and chop out there ain't no joke!

If you are going to go in the Talon, pick your days carefully.. summer is over, the winds are predominatly E and NE and the seas can get ugly quick sometimes.
IDK where in Miami people launch for offshore fishing in the kayak, but here in Broward Dania beach, just N. of the pier is the common place. I'd suggest maybe you should pick a day, show up at day-break and speak to the others, watch them launch, strap on your pfd, leash your paddle to the kayak, then push off and paddle out if you dare without fishing gear. Adjust to the beach launch and figure out the return to shore basics.. be prepared you will likely tumble a couple times before you get it figured out.., paddle out to the area where people are fishing but don't get to close to anyone with a line in the water, just to get confy with the ocean. Hang out and wait for the ones who launchedearly to return then talk in more detail to them.. most don't like to be interrupted on the launch but on the return they are more willing to spend some time bs'n with ya. You'll learn a lot about how its done, what it's about, and what you need and don't need. A flag is not required, but as a boater I'd suggest its a good option even if the seas are cal and there are 2' rollers its very easy to loose sight of a kayaker drifting around out there, I've been almost run over way to many times even in a 23' CC with a T-top while diving those near shore areas.

Fish radar, I assume you mean FF/depthfinder, guys use them mainly to find structure on the bottom, small drop offs, and depth's.. the app mentioned navionics is a phone based gps mapp overlay used for location and some basic bottom structure or wreck/reef location.

If you are looking for Mahi, Wahoo, Sails... you are more looking for situations than specific spot or bottom, perhaps a decent FF will mark bait and some fish, but the above mentioned are fast movers and not usually located by FF/Depthfinder or gps.

someone made a suggestion of another local forum/site where you will see most of the chatter from the offshore kayak'rs, also there are a couple meetup groups

Biscayne Bay is nothing like being out in the ocean.. in B-Bay you have wind and tidal current that is minimal to the ocean. The ocean has tide, wind, seas, and currents.. there are basically 2 predominant current flows the Southern onshore current near the beach and the Northern Gulf Stream further out, the Gulf Strean can push you North at 3 to 4 mph depending on the winds. There is also a current at the PE inlet that can pull you in or push you out depending on the tidal flow.

krash wrote:If you are going to go in the Talon, pick your days carefully.. summer is over, the winds are predominatly E and NE and the seas can get ugly quick sometimes.
IDK where in Miami people launch for offshore fishing in the kayak, but here in Broward Dania beach, just N. of the pier is the common place. I'd suggest maybe you should pick a day, show up at day-break and speak to the others, watch them launch, strap on your pfd, leash your paddle to the kayak, then push off and paddle out if you dare without fishing gear. Adjust to the beach launch and figure out the return to shore basics.. be prepared you will likely tumble a couple times before you get it figured out.., paddle out to the area where people are fishing but don't get to close to anyone with a line in the water, just to get confy with the ocean. Hang out and wait for the ones who launchedearly to return then talk in more detail to them.. most don't like to be interrupted on the launch but on the return they are more willing to spend some time bs'n with ya. You'll learn a lot about how its done, what it's about, and what you need and don't need. A flag is not required, but as a boater I'd suggest its a good option even if the seas are cal and there are 2' rollers its very easy to loose sight of a kayaker drifting around out there, I've been almost run over way to many times even in a 23' CC with a T-top while diving those near shore areas.

Fish radar, I assume you mean FF/depthfinder, guys use them mainly to find structure on the bottom, small drop offs, and depth's.. the app mentioned navionics is a phone based gps mapp overlay used for location and some basic bottom structure or wreck/reef location.

If you are looking for Mahi, Wahoo, Sails... you are more looking for situations than specific spot or bottom, perhaps a decent FF will mark bait and some fish, but the above mentioned are fast movers and not usually located by FF/Depthfinder or gps.

someone made a suggestion of another local forum/site where you will see most of the chatter from the offshore kayak'rs, also there are a couple meetup groups

Biscayne Bay is nothing like being out in the ocean.. in B-Bay you have wind and tidal current that is minimal to the ocean. The ocean has tide, wind, seas, and currents.. there are basically 2 predominant current flows the Southern onshore current near the beach and the Northern Gulf Stream further out, the Gulf Strean can push you North at 3 to 4 mph depending on the winds. There is also a current at the PE inlet that can pull you in or push you out depending on the tidal flow.

Thank you for the information, I didn't think of going out and not fishing but that's better than going and losing all my gear


Thank you all for the information

Any updates for this year?

What kind of updates... it's still the same advice, there have not been an new inventions since a few years ago, although there are more fishing (labeled) kayaks being made, more kayaks with more comfortable lawn chair type seating, and more pedal kayak options.

People are still launching regularly off Dania and Pompano beach... I still fish the South end of the Bay in either a canoe, kayak, or SUP.