InTheBite

Kite Fishing from a Center Console

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By Capt. Adam Peeples

There is arguably no better way to present a live bait to a cruising game fish than by suspending it helplessly splashing on the surface of the water using a kite fishing setup. Kite fishing has typically been associated with the South Florida sailfish and king mackerel fisheries, but it’s not unusual to see a kite flying in many other areas of the world—the guys in California and Mexico are using them to great effect to catch tuna.

Kite fishing allows anglers to fish multiple live baits on the surface while keeping the mainline and leader out of the water. The obvious advantage here is that wary and leader shy gamefish only see a frightened and erratic live bait on the surface. Keeping everything out of site increases the likelihood of a bite when compared to a standard flat line drift bait set up—where the leader and terminal tackle are visible to the fish.

While both large sportfish vessels and center consoles can effectively fish a kite spread, center consoles have a definitive advantage when it comes to suspending live baits from a kite and drifting. For proof of this advantage, look no further than the sailfish tournament results in South Florida.

Captain Chris Lemieux of Le-mieux Charters in Boynton Beach, Florida offers kite fishing charters from his 27 Conch. An expert kite fisherman and captain, Lemieux’s kite fishing setup involves one or two Tigress specialty lite wind kites, which he says can be used in ninety percent of the conditions he typically encounters. Lemieux operates his kites on Diawa Tanacom electric reels rigged with 50-80lb braided line.

He typically fishes three baits per kite, with the first swivel set at 100’ and then 75’ between each clip. Captain Lemieux also deploys a sea anchor while kite fishing. The sea anchor slows the drift speed with the wind and current, allowing the kites to catch more air and fly efficiently. This setup allows Lemieux to freely drift while not having to man the helm.

He can effectively fish multiple flat lines and a single kite solo. Adding one crew member allows him to fish two kites and multiple flat lines. This is a real advantage over kite fishing from a sportfish, as the captain is not constantly at the helm keeping the bow into the elements. This allows the center console crew to do more with less, presenting many more baits with minimal crew requirements.

While not a common sight in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, there are a few captains who utilize the effectiveness of kite fishing to their advantage. Captain Tim Kline of Recess Fishing Charters out of Pensacola, Florida taps into his South Florida roots and is known to use a kite for multiple applications aboard his Contender 31T. You wouldn’t normally associate kite fishing with sword fishing, but Captain Kline loves to put a kite up while drifting for daytime swordfish offshore.

Kline says that his favorite thing about fishing a live bait from the kite is the ability to fish heavier leader to fool leader shy and picky yellowfin tuna. In addition to tuna, Kline has hooked blue marlin, white marlin, jumbo mahi, and even wahoo on the kite while sword fishing. He typically fishes one large blue runner on the kite while sword fishing and has a dedicated crew member operating the kite fishing setup.

He has his kite rigged on a Diawa Tanacom 1000 with 80lb braided line, with the clip about 100’ from the kite. He also uses the kite to target smoker king mackerel during the fall run in Pensacola bay. Kline fishes from the anchor and uses a similar kite setup but adds a second clip about 50’ from the first clip. This allows him to fish two baits on the kite and two flat line baits simultaneously, covering as much water as possible. Kline says the 360-degree fishability of a center console is a definite advantage of fishing a kite in both situations.

When it comes to live bait fishing, kite fishing is king. Just because kite fishing has typically been associated with the South Florida live bait sailfish fishery doesn’t mean there aren’t a host of other areas and fisheries that could benefit from utilizing kites to present live baits or even artificial offerings. West coast crews and even some Northern Gulf crews are having success bump trolling artificial flying fish from a kite for jumbo tunas.

With an incredible amount of options for various kites, rod holder setups, electric reels, and rigging, a beginner to kite fishing may feel a bit overwhelmed at first. As with any specialized fishing tactic, kite fishing requires a lot of practice to become proficient. Rather than just diving right in to running two kites and several baits, novice kite fishing anglers should start slow and build up their skillset.

Start with launching and recovering the kite from the boat with no baits, and gain confidence with your setup and crew. As the crew becomes proficient with one element of kite fishing, adding an extra bait or even adding a second kite will become much easier than just diving straight into a two-kite spread. For any crew serious about live bait fishing, kite fishing is a skill that should not go overlooked.

Tournament Kite Fishing for Sailfish– What is the X-Factor?

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By Captain Nick Gonzalez

Equipment

Kite fishing has been met by a number of innovations over the last 10 years. Electric kite reels have gotten faster, more reliable, and easier to use. To compliment these kite reels and increase efficiency, light, high-speed conventional reels with smooth drags and high gear ratios came into the market. A number of different rod manufacturers began making excellent rods with soft tips and moderate backbones that are ideal for kite fishing. In addition, circle hooks became mainstream and a number of different manufacturers make chemically sharpened circle hooks that are tournament legal and very affordable.

The Boats

Kite fishing is such a specialized method of fishing that even the boats themselves have adapted to corner this niche market. Complex live well systems and rocket launchers are the standard for most boats in South Florida. In this day and age there are thousands of boats and crews that are more than capable of busting out a kite spread. You add all these different variables together and throw in kites designed for every wind speed and you have a system that is applicable to all conditions. Unfortunately, superior tackle won’t set you apart from the competition. It’s the status quo nowadays.

The equipment has become standard but kite fishing is an art that few have mastered. With a 15-knot wind and a 4-person crew, just about anybody can manage a 6-line spread. On the contrary, if you put yourself alone in the cockpit managing 6 kite baits, a mid rod, and a bottom rod while the wind fluctuates from 10-30 knots and squalls of rain push through, can you really keep up? For most mates, the answer is no. For most captains, the answer is no. Throw in a red-hot bite and you’ll see how quickly a perceivably “experienced” crew can be overwhelmed.

The Crew

There are a handful of boats that seem to always be at the top of the leaderboard. What is the prevailing factor that puts them in that position with such consistency? Do they have some extra special bait? Did someone find a way to cross breed goggle eye with spanish sardines? Do they use tinker mackerel on 10lb fluorocarbon? Do they practice Santeria? No! These crews just fish as hard as they possibly can and have logged thousands of days on the water. The x-factor that many teams look for boils down to that one thing: experience. The best teams have caught more fish and even more importantly, lost more fish than many of the other teams combined.

Experience isn’t something you can buy (with the exception of hiring a top notch crew). How do you consistently win sailfish tournaments? Go fish rain or shine 300 days a year. No matter how big, fast, or expensive your boat is, you will be the underdog if your team hasn’t logged THOUSANDS of days on the water. There are a number of different captains with a long list of tournament wins on their resumes. For even the best captains, the only thing longer than their list of wins is their list of losses. It sucks to lose but failure can be very insightful.

Experience

 Building experience is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m only 25 years old and in the last 5 years I have spent over 1,000 days on the water. Why does this matter? I learn something new every day. In this timeframe, my crew has experienced some of the worst and some of the best fishing Miami has to offer. I have been blessed with the opportunity to fish with some of the best captains and mates out there. I have witnessed first hand how a crew with thousands of days of experience operates vs. a less experienced crew. There is no comparison. To kite fish properly, everything is a delicate balance. With the right crew, baits are deployed and retrieved faster. Doubles usually turn into triples. Triples often turn into quads.

For a good crew, bait management is the standard, not an advantage. Seasoned goggle eye, threadfin herring, and Spanish sardines are a must. When it comes to tackle, everything needs to be meticulously maintained. You also need a good platform to fish on that has both vantage and speed. Most importantly, your crew needs experience and chemistry. A successful team adapts quickly to changing conditions. They fish regularly so they have a network of reports and know where the fish will be. An experienced crew also has a very high hook up ratio on bites. The best teams don’t just create opportunities; they capitalize on them. When it comes to communication, arguments should be kept to a minimum, instruction should be clear and concise, and criticism should always be constructive. When attention to detail and the bigger picture come together, the results can be tough to beat. There is no short cut to being the best. You just need to get out and fish.

Double Threat Fishing Charters

www.FishMiamiCharters.com