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Not quite kayak fishing, and not quite Chesapeake Bay either, but I still wanted to share. I spent the last week in Belize and got in a few good days of fishing, among many other fun activities. I didn't do nearly as much research as I'd have liked to so I wasn't sure what gear to bring or even what species I might encounter. So I went with my standbys - a 6'6" medium powered spinning rod (4 piece travel rod), 2500 reel with braid, and a variety of jigs and paddle tails.
I didn't fish the first day, just scouted around. On the second day I was casting my paddle tails at some houndfish that would follow, take one bite, then lose interest. I thought my wire leader might be spooking them so I ditched it. Not long after that a barracuda bit my paddle tail and cut me off instantly. I was able to spot the lure on the bottom in the super clear water and recovered it. I tried to keep a leader on at all times after that.
Later that night I was fishing and spotted 2 or 3 tarpon hanging out near a light on one of the docks. I had a paddle tail rigged on an underspin hook and made a long cast and slowly brought it through the area where the tarpon were. Sure enough one struck and I got a solid hookset and the fight was on. I couldn't believe I actually managed to hook one. I didn't get the full tarpon experience though because the fish quickly wrapped itself around a dock piling. Still, I got 2 or 3 leaps out of the fish and 1 short run before it got wrapped up. I emptied my pockets and jumped in the water to unhook the fish before it could unhook itself.
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Later that night I continued to fish around lights with a paddle tail and hooked a permit. This fish gave a good fight on the light tackle with some drag peeling runs and it almost wrapped itself around a dock piling but I was able to steer it clear and land it on the dock. I didn't realize until later that permit are notoriously picky and difficult to catch - all the staff at the resort couldn't believe I managed to catch one. They said I was just 1 bonefish shy of a grand slam.
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I never did get the bonefish and I hooked and lost a few other hard-fighting fish, but over the next couple days I caught a variety of snappers, porgy, and small jacks. I finished the trip with 8 new species to add to my log book, none were as memorable as catching that tarpon and permit in the same night. I was so excited I couldn't sleep that night. Fishing in the warm weather for a couple days has me anxiously awaiting spring and summer here at home.
I didn't fish the first day, just scouted around. On the second day I was casting my paddle tails at some houndfish that would follow, take one bite, then lose interest. I thought my wire leader might be spooking them so I ditched it. Not long after that a barracuda bit my paddle tail and cut me off instantly. I was able to spot the lure on the bottom in the super clear water and recovered it. I tried to keep a leader on at all times after that.
Later that night I was fishing and spotted 2 or 3 tarpon hanging out near a light on one of the docks. I had a paddle tail rigged on an underspin hook and made a long cast and slowly brought it through the area where the tarpon were. Sure enough one struck and I got a solid hookset and the fight was on. I couldn't believe I actually managed to hook one. I didn't get the full tarpon experience though because the fish quickly wrapped itself around a dock piling. Still, I got 2 or 3 leaps out of the fish and 1 short run before it got wrapped up. I emptied my pockets and jumped in the water to unhook the fish before it could unhook itself.
DSCF2329.jpg
IMG-20220220-WA0001.jpg
Later that night I continued to fish around lights with a paddle tail and hooked a permit. This fish gave a good fight on the light tackle with some drag peeling runs and it almost wrapped itself around a dock piling but I was able to steer it clear and land it on the dock. I didn't realize until later that permit are notoriously picky and difficult to catch - all the staff at the resort couldn't believe I managed to catch one. They said I was just 1 bonefish shy of a grand slam.
20220220_202416.jpg
I never did get the bonefish and I hooked and lost a few other hard-fighting fish, but over the next couple days I caught a variety of snappers, porgy, and small jacks. I finished the trip with 8 new species to add to my log book, none were as memorable as catching that tarpon and permit in the same night. I was so excited I couldn't sleep that night. Fishing in the warm weather for a couple days has me anxiously awaiting spring and summer here at home.
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