Dolphin

First King
Posted on July 26, 2013 by

Offshore Kayak Fishing Trip Takes a Dangerous Turn

I just had one of the most epic adventures of my entire life. The day before Independence Day I set out for a four-day kayak fishing excursion to the Texas coast. I would end up pushing my limits to the max, having a brush with death, and catching some amazing fish in the process. This was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. Here is my story…

I loaded up the kayak and all of my fishing and camping gear and began the long journey from Dallas to Corpus Christi, TX. I arrived after dark and drove along the beach to my campsite. Straight off shore on the horizon I could see the blinking lights of my destination: the Mayan Princess oil rigs. I pitched my tent near the water and climbed in, thinking of nothing but the adventure that lied ahead.

When I awoke the conditions were ideal: the surf was flat, the wind was calm, and the water looked like glass beyond the breakers. I was amazed at the beauty of this place; it was not at all what I think of when I hear “Texas coast”. The sand was white, the water green and clear, and hardly any seaweed in sight. At around 7:00 AM the guys I was meeting began to arrive so we loaded up our kayaks and set off into the surf.

The three mile journey to the oil rigs could only be described as pleasant and serene. I saw a piece of trash floating in the water so I pedaled over to grab it and throw it in my kayak. My hand stopped inches above the bag when I realized it was not a bag but a huge Man o’ War. I looked up and realized they were everywhere. Needless to say, I elected not to go for a swim that day.

Man-o-War

I was trolling on the journey out, and as I approached the first rig, BOOM one of my reels starts screaming as the line peels off the reel. I grabbed the rod, tightened the drag, and held on for the ride. The water clarity this far out was simply incredible. A half hour into the fight, I looked down and could see a beautiful shade of yellow and gray over 20 feet below me.

Jack Crevalle Underwater

I had hooked into a gorgeous Jack Crevalle. This thing put up an incredible fight. I pulled it up into the boat and was grinning from ear to ear. I had landed my first deep-sea fish from the kayak, and it felt amazing.

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Posted on January 17, 2013 by

Throwback Thursday

It’s that day of the week where we go back through our archives and dust off some old gems. This is more than just housekeeping. We’re adding new content and images you’ve never seen before! This week we have two fantastic fishing reports from 2005 when Clive and I were both living and fishing in La Paz, Mexico. Stay tuned for more throwback updates in the coming weeks!

Beginner’s Luck, Gracefully Out-Fished by a Novice

Beginners Luck, Gracefully Out-Fished by a NoviceIt’s been difficult finding fishing partners in La Paz since Clive left for the British Virgin Islands. I’ve some found people willing to go, but not after they find out we leave Fishermen’s Fleet at 5am. There’s not many people interested in waking up hours before the sun in the land of cheap cerveza, but I managed to convince Mike Brum and Philip Barbosa. Promising them an unforgettable experience before they went to bed, I set the alarm for 4AM.

I made sure to find out how much time they needed to get ready since I’m generally awake and out the door in 5 minutes for any situation. To my surprise everyone was sticking to the plan. I thought for sure I would lose at least one of them since there are only two chairs in the panga boat, but they were both awake and ready in no time. We arrived at Fishermen’s Fleet and headed upstairs for some coffee and breakfast. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw how many people were waiting. It would take four huge vans to shuttle us to La Ventana.

My First Marlin by Rachel Larratt

My First Marlin by Rachel LarrattAs all deep-sea fishing trips begin, we were up bright and early. It was almost 10 am as we reached the dock carrying loads of beer, margarita supplies and ample amounts of sandwich ingredients. The plan for the day was to head out from Marina Palmira in La Paz out to the area around Espirito Santo. We’d spend some of the day fishing and then a few hours snorkeling with the Sea Lions at the north end of the island.

Our boat for the day was the 38 foot Mediterranean “El Ganador” that we rented from Desea Adventures. It came crewed with our Capitan and our deck hand David. We settled in on the bow with our breakfast for the 45 minutes ride out to the open water.

Posted on September 1, 2011 by

How You Can Help Prevent The Japanese Dolphin Slaughter

I know many of you have seen The Cove. If you haven’t seen it today would be a good day to watch it. Better yet, today would be a good day to do something about it. Today, September 1st, marks the beginning of the dolphin hunt that will take the lives of over 1,500 dolphin from now until February when the slaughter ends. Here are five things you can do right now to help stop the slaughter of dolphin in Japan right from wherever you are now.

Let’s make 2011 the last year of the dolphin slaughter, better yet let’s make 2010 the last year and stop it before it even starts this year.

via TakePart.com

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