Report submitted by 'Oz'

PINS Kayak Mayhem Report Padre Island National Seashore, TX June 21st-24th, 2010 Tweet

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I rocked down Sunday afternoon at low-tide. Driving was excellent, however there was a load of weed washed up on the beach. It did not appear too bad in the water at the time. Plan was to to either Kayak fish, Shark fish, or both. Knowing the current weed situation, I didn't put too much faith in the sharking, but brought several baits anyway. Repo and Kip were to meet up with me in a couple days and together we would slam them... well that was the plan anyway.

I get down south and out of some of the weed with just enough time to rig up a couple whole Drum and run them out.

Meanwhile, I brought some shrimp to catch Whiting and other baits for possibly offshore in the kayak. With tide still low, I was casting in a very shallow wade gut. Managed to pick up and release this Bonnethead in about 1' of water...

Come pretty late that night/morning I get one shark to pick up one of the Drum and run with it only to drop it. The shark never came back. The next morning I brought baits in and while there weren't hardly any teeth marks, the entire fish had been scaled. Interesting.

The sun came up and the surf looked beautiful. Not super clear, but nice and calm showing a moderate amount of weed. I decided to get prepped and fish the yak for the day. I get out a ways and immediately are greeted by a school of Jacks. First cast on the topwater and BOOM!

There is a lot of surface action... I see Jacks and Kings everywhere, and the occasional Blacktip go airborne. I continue to only throw topwaters in a mixture of Jacks/Ling/Kings. Not long and I get an Epic King go aerial with my topwater in it's mouth. After a pretty good fight, I get the fish to the yak underestimating its size. I get my chance and stick'em with the gaff.

A huge head and teeth that could do some damage....

With the big King in the yak, I was curious to get it back to get it measured and weighed back at the truck. She is a brute for sure.

I decided to stick around for a bit and continue my luck, trying to get a Ling. By now I've already hooked two on topwaters while casting into a random school of about a dozen, but have yet to land one. Patience pays off and I finally get a Ling on topwater to the yak...

I released that Ling and decided to freeline some 'chum' I made up hoping for one of the bigger Ling. And perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the trip was this little guy... a small Amberjack

Anyhow, tried for a few more min then headed on in. When I get to the beach I finally get a measurement on the big King. My previous record was 55"/40lbs. This one is.... 60"!!

Big Girl!

I get a weight with the custom Oz Bathroom/Fish scale (which reads up to 300lbs for the great low cost of $7!!) This fish weighed in at just over 45lbs. Nice Smoker!

I slowly get everything prepped for night sharking. The weed is around but not much current. If that is the case I can usually fish it. I take my time and over the next 2-3 hours get my big baits rigged and everything ready. Right before dark with a very low tide I run baits out.

As the tide is about to change, here comes the weed... It's going to be one of those nights.

I left baits out all night, often having to maintain the lines. Come morning I bring in the lines and on the 50W notice something a bit heavy. Low and behold it was a Bull Shark..

Not a giant and not the best picture, but went 7'3" and was starting to 'fill out'.

I get all the lines in and head offshore in the kayak once again. It is now Tuesday and Repo should be here [b]ANY[/b] minute. I get out and find the fish again... not much birds but a lot of surface activity. I bang out and release a couple Kings right off the bat.

I once again find the Jack school that has been patrolling this area and get some more fresh bait for later.

You would know when the Jacks were around for the fishfinder would explode...

The Jacks come through and leave and I am left with only the Kings. Not long and I hook up on another grander that smokes my spinning reel... I have to kayak with the pedal drive system to prevent from being spooled. This fish hit and fought with a vengeance. After a good fight I get it to the kayak and get a gaff in the dinosaur...

This King was another solid King.. 40# class. It went 54" with a monster head. Notice the Tuna Popper buried in its mouth...

After a while I try something different and put out a small bait. Sure enough a Blacktip would come and pick it up.

I mess around for a little while and then head on in. Once again, it is about 3pm and I spend the time from now to about 7pm getting baits rigged and ready for dark. Presentation is key and this is common routine for me to take my time in prepping everything so the baits and setup can be as perfect as possible.

The tide is starting to suck out quite a bit once again. Weed, not as bad as the previous night.

I get baits out right on time...

How about this for an odd pic... the Rods out, Moon in the background, along with a stray Rainbow??

Anyhow, come dark baits are out and holding decent. I cook up for the 3rd night in a row... this time Chicken... could it be an repeating omen? Not exactly, the baits stayed out all night untouched. Very odd. Crabs were definitely feasting but a shark in the vicinity should have picked up one of the baits. Oh well. Back to the kayak.

I get the lines in and once again prep the kayak for the 3rd consecutive day of adventure in the plastic yacht. Repo is late, but Kip should be here [b]ANY[/b] minute... I know I can count on him!! I get out and once again bright and early around 10am... Still rigged with a regular mirrolure He-Dog that I was throwing for Trout the previous evening, first cast I see 3 Jacks chase it down and blow up on it. I hook the first one that hits it. It seems the Jacks are around early and then just disappear as it gets later in the morning.

Not rigged with wire or any leader, I change to the Tuna Popper in fear of losing the mirrolure. Sure enough it's candy for the Kings...

I get the first King to the yak and released... I keep casting and hook up on another solid King. I fight it for a couple minutes then get it to the yak... well part of it anyway.

This King, around 48" was bit in half during the fight.... COOL!

Anyhow, the topwater bite is phenomenal right now. Despite no birds around, the surface is blowing up with action and every cast with the popper results in some sort of destruction.

Resistance if futile!! But another released King...

I've been wearing the Kings out but still continue... the fun-factor is through the roof. I work the topwater again and finally hook something. I think its the same damn Blacktip that's been trying to eat my topwater the previous couple of days. Well she finally got her meal and I'm pretty sure I'm not getting this lure back...

Fortunately for me and the fish, I was able to work the lure out after a bit and have the shark swim off hopefully to terrorize someone else's topwater.

I continue to throw the same lure with a couple of blowups here and there... things overall slowed down. I decide to throw some more chum... a combination of Whiting and Ribbonfish. I am finally rewarded with this sexy 43" Ling... This baby is going home with me!!

I've had my fill of action for the day and begin to head back to the truck. I notice the insane amount of scattered weed everywhere. There is NO WAY I will be able to run baits in this. I get back to the truck and begin the slow yet speedy process of packing up the truck. My plan is to either go home or head south to the jetties and maybe get some baits out there if possible and fish it in the yak the next morning. With the truck loaded, I drive to about the 47 and walk up on the dunes to make a couple calls to find out the status of my fishing buddies. Well let's just say they aren't going to make it. ARrrrrrggghhh. Oh well, their loss. Screw it, I'm going to stay another day. I roll down to the jetties and get down there by 6pm. There is a super slim window of about 1/2 mile north of the jetties that I am able to get baits out... so I get unpacked and get rigging...

As the moon comes up big and bright, I get my baits out.

Finally, not bothered by weed I hit it just perfect. Baits are out and holding.

Before it is even dark two of the Jacks get picked up by medium sized sharks but can't get hooked up. I kayak out real quick and reset the drops in one of the baits, meanwhile appears and smaller shark 4-5' is messing with the the other jack and is temporarily hooked but can't free the big weight. I leave him on there for about an hour and fortunately appears to have gotten off. Things are looking decent and I am relieved.

Now, I am going to try something different. For my fourth night on the beach, I am going to cook up... WINGS!!! muhahaha. Instead of frying fish, I am going to try some good ole' chicken wings in cajun seasoning. The result.... E P I C!

The night stayed pretty quite surprisingly until around 4am when the moon was fixing to set on the opposite horizon. The very first whole Jack that got hit earlier that I re-rigged got picked up by something big and started to run offshore. After a minute it dropped the bait... then a few seconds immediately picked it back up and ran again. Another minute or so pass and the fish drops the bait again. That would be the end of the encounter. Very probable Tiger but we'll never know. Regardless, big fish.

The rest of the early morning was quiet and around 7am I bring the baits in. Not much is left from either of the Jacks, and the cownose surprisingly is untouched.

I get the shark get packed away and get the kayak ready for what may lay ahead. I get out there, with near glass-calm conditions and notice loads of anchovies all around. Only thing busting through them though are Bonita (little tunny) and Spanish. I try my luck in the schools of Bonita with topwaters and even Ribbonfish in hopes of a Ling, King, or Shark. No dice. I say the heck with it and head back into the channel to try for some Reds. Meanwhile I leave a Ribbonfish to drift in with the incoming tide on another rod. Unexpectedly after a few minutes the Ribbon gets hammered. The water was fair quality at best and since in the channel a ways I didn't think it would be a King, but sure enough, it was... and a nice one at that.

Another 50" smoker... I get the hook out and then the release (as onlookers wondering why I let it swim off)

Well, after a bit I finally get my Red... with my ice supply about depleted, I release the lil guy...

I continue to mess around and soon would start throwing gulp. I begin hammering keeper Trout left and right. Like the Red, I continue to release them all and even pick up another Red. Then I get another surprise... a Flounder! What a variety of kayak fish this trip!!!

I release the Flounder as well and by that time I've been on the water for a while and have a deadline to get off the beach. My last fish, well hookup, interestingly enough was a small Turtle that wanted a 'gulp'. Was able to get the hook out no prob and release the lil guy.

As I get the truck all packed up for the journey off the beach, the weed is really starting to come in. Where I ran baits the previous night, there would be no way to keep baits out even if I stayed. In fact, from the Mansfield jetties, all the way to the blacktop, it was virtually unfishable with long-rods. Oh well, I got my share of fun. What lacked in shark action was certainly made up with offshore mayhem. I was well prepped for sharks though, in 4 nights of sharking going through 6 Jacks, 3 Drum, and a Cownose Ray. I had one bait left (another cownose) which I brought back to re-freeze.

The weed is and may be an issue for a few more weeks, unless this storm (Alex) comes on through cleaning up the beach. Regardless, July should be on fire offshore. The anchovies should be moving and hanging right past the 3rd bar, and under them expect to find Jacks, Spanish, Sharks, and perhaps a Tarpon or two. While it may be another week or two before I get out there... I'm already planning my next epic offshore yak adventure. I'm pretty sure at least Kevin is game for this one!

See you on the beach... errr in the yaks

-Oz

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