Night on the gulf

Just did my first night fishing trip on the gulf. Fishing was no better than daytime. Just a lot more stuff tangled up.

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First try no picture. second try 2 pictures. Beats me.:???:

In a kayak? Crazy!

Night time – that way he can’t see the sharks below him. I wouldn’t want to see them either.

Hope you caught something worth the trip. Would you do it again?

That is quite the setup. How far out do you go?

That’s awesome man! I’d love to take my yak out in the mangroves around the shore, the tides freak me out, though. I wouldn’t want to stray too far from the access points.

The part of the gulf I’m in there is very little boat traffic due to the shallow flats. I’ve taught scuba and been a dive master on a boat. I’d be way more scared to go downtown in any big city after dark. Jaws gave a lot of people the impression. If you go in salt water, somethings going to eat you. If you read the paper. Way worse things on land at night. My only fear is getting disorientated in the maze of Mangroves and having the tide drop out. Only thing to fear with tides here is getting caught someplace with no water to get out. Or if you are in a pinch point with a lot of flow, like from a river. The current can get pretty hot. What you may be thinking about is rip current. I have experienced it in the Atlantic and the Pacific. But this part of the Gulf is shallow 5 to 10 miles out. During the day I’ll go out 2 or 3 miles and drift back in. Winter tides can be very slight. Right now, the fishing has been tougher. Winter, full moon and east winds. The tide current hasn’t been strong enough to turn on the bite. Before I was catching Snook, Reds, Sea trout, Mangrove snapper, sheepshead {the good eating kind} and others. Got my fist Gulf slam last week. {Snook, Red and trout in one day}. I love the kayak. I have dolphins and manatees almost rub my boat they get so close. With the Hobie peddle fins they must think I’m one of them. And my Sno-Suit is dry and warm in the closet at home.

stevenoak wrote:

sheepshead {the good eating kind}

Those things have CRAZY teeth!

Nice one from last year. They catch some big ones out a few miles.

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I have caught and ate lots of Mangrove snapper in the Bahamas. They are crazy good fighters for their size and Yummy to eat. I’d love to get out in a kayak in some of the areas that we fish bonefish in the Bahamas. I’d love some day to retire and live in the Bahamas. If I ever do I’d have to get me a kayak for sure

Got this Tripletail off Marco last year – going again in about a week although not in my new yak. You’re more courageous than I at night ~

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That’s a huge tripletail, fry.

Congrats on the slam and nice setup, stevenoak 👍

This Mangrove finished off supper along with some scallops and shrimp a couple nights ago. Mangroves are like the gulf Bluegill. They are everyplace. Sometimes hard to fish through them to other fish. But finding keepers can be a
challenge. Love to catch triple tail. But they are farther offshore here. The gulf was really cool after dark. I was never more than more than a quarter mile or so out of the canal. Went out last night without fishing stuff. Just to watch the sun go down. It’s that peaceful feeling, like Rainy Lake off season.

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