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Rookie Question about Bay Fishing. . . #12787272 06/11/18 02:18 AM
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Jezreel Offline OP
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About a year ago I hired a guide to kayak fish in Corpus Christi Bay. Enjoyed the day, but we got skunked. We were fishing out of Hobie Pro Anglers.

My wife and I are going to Corpus for a little get away in a few weeks. We are bringing our kayaks for some paddling in the bay. They are 14 sit-inside yaks. Since I am going to be there, I figured I might as well bring my rod. Without the room of a sit-on-top, I plan to only being one rod and minimal tackle.

The question I have is. . . On the chance that I catch some keepers, what do I do with them? This is probly a dumb question. Do I put them on a stringer and keep them next to the boat? Or is that a bad idea? Will it attract unwanted sharks?😬😬😬. We love eating fish, and especially the saltwater variety. I am a crappie fisherman, and dont get many opportunities to fish in the bay.

Depending on the responses I get, this might be just a paddling vacation. Any help will be appreciated.

Thank. . .

Re: Rookie Question about Bay Fishing. . . [Re: Jezreel] #12787311 06/11/18 02:58 AM
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lconn4 Online Content
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Chances are you wouldn't be bothered that day, but do it enough times and the law of averages will catch up to you. roflmao I've had my kayak torpedoed three times by 200+ lb sharks and I won't be dragging any fish in the salt water. But if I did drag fish I would make sure I tied stringer to mid point of kayak and with wire stringer to get the full effects of a sharks strength and speed when its feeding. roflmao




Do you feel lucky? roflmao


Last edited by lconn4; 06/11/18 03:02 AM.

A good rule of angling philosophy is not to interfere with another fisherman's ways of being happy, unless you want to be hated.
Zane Grey, Tales of Fishes, 1919

https://vimeo.com/73372194
https://vimeo.com/72859045

Re: Rookie Question about Bay Fishing. . . [Re: Jezreel] #12787360 06/11/18 03:59 AM
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Jim Ford Online Content
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If you have the deck space strap a fish bag -- or a large soft cooler -- to the boat and load it with some ice. Slip your catch in there; it won't attract predators and it won't hinder your paddling.

Re: Rookie Question about Bay Fishing. . . [Re: Jezreel] #12787384 06/11/18 06:52 AM
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Originally Posted By: Jezreel
On the chance that I catch some keepers, what do I do with them?


Buy soft-sided cooler in bucees ($20). Put a bag of ice inside + some drinks. Get large bag of ice (20lb) if temps are above 80F. Take it with you.

Last edited by C.M.; 06/11/18 06:52 AM.
Re: Rookie Question about Bay Fishing. . . [Re: C.M.] #12787499 06/11/18 12:42 PM
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karstopo Offline
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Originally Posted By: C.M.
Originally Posted By: Jezreel
On the chance that I catch some keepers, what do I do with them?


Buy soft-sided cooler in bucees ($20). Put a bag of ice inside + some drinks. Get large bag of ice (20lb) if temps are above 80F. Take it with you.


X2 on the Bucees $20 soft sided cooler. I freeze a gallon jug of water and put it in when Im ready to leave the house. Maybe throw in 5-10 pounds or so of loose ice on top of the frozen gallon jug. The loose ice will keep drinks cold and form a nice slurry of cold water for the fish.

Those bucees bags are good for several fish plus the ice. 3 slot reds will fit in one or 5 trout or flounder.

Last edited by karstopo; 06/11/18 12:46 PM. Reason: More information
Re: Rookie Question about Bay Fishing. . . [Re: Jezreel] #12787637 06/11/18 02:13 PM
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lconn4 Online Content
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Depending on the size of the sit inside you are fishing from, a thick lawn/trash bag with ice and newspaper might work if you don't have room on top of deck. Thick enough that you won't have fish easily punching a hole through it and easy to stuff into the limited room you have inside cockpit. With some ice it should be ok for at least half a day out of the sun.


A good rule of angling philosophy is not to interfere with another fisherman's ways of being happy, unless you want to be hated.
Zane Grey, Tales of Fishes, 1919

https://vimeo.com/73372194
https://vimeo.com/72859045

Re: Rookie Question about Bay Fishing. . . [Re: Jezreel] #12787801 06/11/18 03:59 PM
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Lay those suckers over the side on a stringer.... Live life mate.

Re: Rookie Question about Bay Fishing. . . [Re: Jezreel] #12787937 06/11/18 05:09 PM
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cheers looks like the consensus is, they will go on the deck. If i catch enough, Ill go clean them and put them into the cooler at the car, then go back out. I appreciate the help. Looking forward to the trip.

Re: Rookie Question about Bay Fishing. . . [Re: Dan90210 ☮] #12788642 06/12/18 01:50 AM
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wh2004 Offline
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Originally Posted By: Dan90210 ☮
Lay those suckers over the side on a stringer.... Live life mate.



X2

Re: Rookie Question about Bay Fishing. . . [Re: Jezreel] #12789838 06/12/18 10:18 PM
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I prefer fishing the shallow lakes and cuts rather than the open bay but I worry about the dolphins more than sharks taking my catch. I usually hang them over the side on a stringer. A red fish will swim along side you like walking a dog all day. Trout not so much. If paddling a short distance I'll pick them up out of the water and place them on the deck and put them back when I get there. I do take a small marine cooler that I can toss them in if I'm paddling a long way and into the wind.

Re: Rookie Question about Bay Fishing. . . [Re: lconn4] #12790024 06/13/18 01:19 AM
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Originally Posted By: lconn4
Chances are you wouldn't be bothered that day, but do it enough times and the law of averages will catch up to you. roflmao I've had my kayak torpedoed three times by 200+ lb sharks and I won't be dragging any fish in the salt water. But if I did drag fish I would make sure I tied stringer to mid point of kayak and with wire stringer to get the full effects of a sharks strength and speed when its feeding. roflmao




Do you feel lucky? roflmao



awesome
& really?

Re: Rookie Question about Bay Fishing. . . [Re: Jezreel] #12790214 06/13/18 05:23 AM
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The first time in Key Largo, 15 years ago. End of a long day and I'm drifting across a flat with incoming tide and easterly breeze pushing me slowly westward and back to shore, sun about to set in the west and my kayak was casting a small shadow just big enough that a leopard ray wanted to follow me, right next to kayak. Just guessing but ray must have liked being out of the sun and just stayed right in my shadow not more than a foot or two away. I notice a huge sharks dorsal fin from over a 100 yards away that is on the same current line I'm drifting on, slowly coming towards me. Knew it was huge but no idea how big until it got much closer. It looked like it was sniffing the water as its head was almost above the surface and it was slowly moving its head back and forth as it kept coming. Don't know what I was thinking but I threw topwater bait at it and immediately hoped I didn't get bit. Got line back in and now its less than twenty yards away and it is huge. I swear its dorsal fin was a foot and a half above my gunnel as it touched my kayak and almost immediately went berserk. Its tail thrashed my hull as it attacked that ray right next to me.

Second time was in Flamingo and I've just hooked a trout and can tell by the fight that a shark is after it. Trout immediately comes to surface as I see huge wake right behind it. I reel as fast as I can to take slack out and just as shark comes to surface jaws opened wide I jerked trout completely out of the water and sling shot it up in the air and right towards me. Trout hits bow of my kayak at water line as shark must have seen it in the air because it seemed it exploded on trout the same instance it hit kayak. Shark hit so forcefully that only my stern was in contact with water and the rest of my kayak went airborne as I landed almost 90 degrees from direction I was sitting before. It was a miracle I didn't get thrown off kayak as kayak hit the water in such a way that it drove me down into seat and not out either side.

Third time and scariest by far was at night in Flamingo when there was so many explosions going on and mullet showering all around me that I tried to hide up against shore until things quieted down. Huge school of mullet flying right at me, jumping over kayak on to the sand bank and the rest scooting in mud under me as I can feel them digging and panicked as monster shark torpedoes me right at water line a foot ahead of where I'm sitting. Enough light that night to see every tooth in its head. Two hours drive to get there, 10 minutes on the water, two hours drive back home. No mas.

Went back to the same spot during daylight hours the next week and landed a 200 lb bullshark. A guide watching the whole thing asked if he could get my hook out as I was about to cut leader with hook still in it. He let me in his boat and I got this picture of him wrestling with it.


Hard to tell how big it was from the picture as that is its pectoral fin. Guide is who told me it was that size. I promise it looked even bigger from my kayak.

Can't tell you how lucky I have been with not loosing a hand when sharks have snatched snook as I was reaching down to pull them out of the water. To see a 15 lb snook get chopped in half in a split second is unnerving. Seeing how fast a shark can move when feeding will make you very careful about handling your catch. I came real close to getting bit while holding a small shark early on, I don't like messing with sharks unless its just to get their picture.



Last edited by lconn4; 06/13/18 05:28 AM.

A good rule of angling philosophy is not to interfere with another fisherman's ways of being happy, unless you want to be hated.
Zane Grey, Tales of Fishes, 1919

https://vimeo.com/73372194
https://vimeo.com/72859045

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