Offshore Kayak Fishing Archives

Offshore Kayak Fishing | Navarre Kayak Fishing

Anglers enjoy Offshore Kayak Fishing all over the world and for good reason, it’s exciting and you never know what you might hook.

(Let’s take a second and make one thing clear, wear your lifejacket!)

However, Offshore Kayak Fishing has its dangers and every year a new group of inexperienced anglers attempt to launch kayaks into the surf.

They lack experience and the lack of experience leads to costly mistakes.

(We will get to the good stuff but lets take a few minutes and make sure you know it’s not all fun and games.)

Mistakes…

They fail to check the radar.

They fail to check the wind.

They fail to check the tides.

They fail to check the surf report.

They aren’t familiar with their kayaks.

They have never attempted a deep water re-entry.

They forget paddles and life jackets.

We spend the majority of our summer launching kayaks into the Gulf of Mexico and we see these mistakes every morning. (That list is short, we could continue) We delay Offshore Kayak Fishing Charters to help strangers launch and our clients look in amazement as people fail over and over again.

Launching

Every coastline has its own set of challenges. The surf forecast changes daily and can be monitored at https://magicseaweed.com/Navarre-Beach-Surf-Report/651/.

It’s important to realize that the wind and tides will manipulate what the surf is doing. In Navarre, a strong North wind will lay down the surf but it will blow you way off of the beach. A strong South wind will quickly turn the 1′ waves into 4′ of crashing white water.

Fishing

Offshore Kayak Fishing opens the door to endless possibilities. While trolling you can run into everything from King Mackerel to Sailfish. When you’re bottom fishing you can catch a ton of different reef species, such as Red Snapper, Triggerfish, and even Gag Grouper.

If you’re looking to target Red Snapper check out Kayak Fishing For Red Snapper.

If you’re unexperienced and looking to experience Offshore Kayak Fishing for the first time, visit Offshore Kayak Charters and Book Your Adventure!

Landing

Launching is easy but landing can go sideways very quickly. More often than not, the winds will increase throughout the day. As the SE wind increases the surf will become rather sloppy along the beaches from Destin – Pensacola. Ideally, you’re on the beach before conditions get out of hand. If you’re not, slow and steady if the best approach.

If conditions are really bad, we recommend getting out of the kayak and holding onto the rear. The waves will push you into the beach and prevent you from rolling in the surf.

Kayak Fishing for Red Snapper Kayak Fishing Charters

Kayak Fishing for Red Snapper | Navarre Kayak Fishing

Kayak Fishing for Red Snapper is an incredible experience that anglers along the Emerald Coast take advantage of year after year.

In 2018, Red Snapper season was only 40 days long and the fish were beyond plentiful!

We decided we would take the time to break down exactly what you need to catch a Red Snapper from the kayak in 2019.

Call (850)264-3957 if you’re interested in booking an Offshore Kayak Fishing Charter.

Did you know?

Red Snapper can live for over 20 years and are found in large numbers along the Gulf Coast.

The majority of fish are found offshore on various forms of structure but they can also be found in Pensacola Bay, FL.

The Florida state record is 46 lbs 8 oz and was caught near Destin, FL in 1985.

For additional information on Red Snapper visit FWC – Red Snapper.

How to catch them?

It’s simple, find them. (We will help in a second…)

Once you find structure, Red Snapper can be caught a variety of ways and the technique depends on the conditions.

Rough Conditions

If conditions are rough and the current is flowing quickly you will need to use lead to get your bait in the strike-zone.

But you don’t need to use several ounces of lead to catch a fish that’s in 60′ of water.

When the currents are heavy and the wind is ripping we use Circle Hook Jigs up to 1-ounce.

We attach the jig to 30 lb. Fluorocarbon using a non-slip mono loop knot.

For this method we prefer to use live bait.

Pinfish and small Cigar Minnows do a wonderful job.

Simply hook them in the tail and drop the jig over the school of fish and hang on tight.

The live bait does a great job of keeping the Triggerfish and smaller Red Snapper away.

Calm Conditions

Unfortunately, conditions can’t always be perfect but when they are we prefer to sight cast Red Snapper.

Wait, how do you sight cast a fish in 70′ of water?

It’s simple, you chum them up and pick the one you want to catch.

Typically, you can present a hook and a single piece of chum directly in front of the fish you prefer to catch.

This is a great method when attempting to avoid undersized Red Snapper or Triggerfish.

It’s in important to remember that the water is crystal clear and the fish can see you just as good as you can see them.

Don’t get carried away with the chum. It takes very little to get the fish interested and Kayak Fishing for Red Snapper is a blast!

Finding Structure

Catching Red Snapper is extremely easy and that’s one of the reasons the limits are so tightly regulated.

A good fish finder goes a long ways and if you buy a good one you won’t need to replace it!

In 2015, I strapped a Garmin EchoMap 74SV onto my kayak and off I went.

The machine is pricey and the model has been updated several times since.

Fortunately, I have had no need to upgrade and I am still using the original unit!

Side scan played a huge part in finding places that were loaded with Red Snapper.

Did it take a ton of time to locate them? Yes, but if you can find a “private” spot keep it to yourself.

It will continually produce Red Snapper for years. Be mindful of how many you keep from each location.

It’s going to take time but it’s worth the work and reward.

Public Structure

There’s a ton of public structure in the Gulf of Mexico.

These spots will get hit hard by recreational anglers and charter boats in the first few weeks of the season.

The following links will make it easy for you to input public numbers into your fish finder:

Destin Public Fishing Reefs

Pensacola Public Fishing Reefs

Offshore Kayak Fishing Checklist

Kayak Fishing for Red Snapper | Navarre Kayak Fishing

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Category: Offshore Kayak Fishing