The conditons were not as good as I had hoped for sunday when I got
to the beach.An east wind had chopped the gulf up. But we were not going
to let that stop us. We paddled out aprox 1/2 mile out and dropped anchor
in some good green water close to a color change. Bait was being killed all
around us and everything looked to make for a good day. Had a few pic ups,
but they kept droping the bait. Just not much action and the wind had picked
up some. The waves started to cap, I took a few over the kayak and I am sure
the others did also.
As I was watching the kayakers a few feet from me appear and
disappear in the wallls of water. I noticed my line was going past my kayak
up current. This was a worst case in offshore kayak fishing, very choppy
steep 3' waves, and a fish taking the bait straight behind me. As I grabbed
the rod I braced hard to the right side of the kayak, I knew what was about
to take place. I gave my self 50/50 chance of staying in the kayak once the
fish was on.
When I went tight on the fish it pulled me and my kayak through
a wave, and spun me 180. As luck would have it the fish was on the oppitsite
side as my anchor, so them pulling against each other kept me from going
over. I dropped the anchor once the fish was in front of the kayak. Shot
off like fired out of a gun.
The fish drug me into the wind and current for the first few
minutes. Making hard runs, and pulling some drag. After a little back and
forth got her to turn with the current. After that I could keep up better
and gained some line back. It held straight down for some time until I could
finally pull it off the bottom to the surface and get my first look. WooHoo,,
my first sandbar from a kayak, She was six feet+ and very pregent. Not my
largest from a kayak, but giving the conditions and that I have been tring
to catch a sandbar from a kayak for a few years. It was a great catch.
Jolly Roger with a Sandbar Shark
We headed back to the beach shortly after the casth. The conditions
were not improving. Once on the beach we ran out a few baits and caught a
few whiting. Oscar got a few good runs, and caught some black drum
Oscar with a big ugly
As it always goes, the wind layed around three and blue water
made its way to the second gut. Great color and me and Kent paddled out and
drifted the blue water a few times with no results. Not often we get water
that good around High Island. But I can never seem to catch much when I get
6-8' visibility in the High Island area. I perfer a light brown, or green,
blue just seems to scare the fish away.
Oscar and family enjoying the day
Once again it was a great day to be at the beach with good friends.
- TJ Pilgrim
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