A long but worthy paddle

[Prof. Salt]

Yesterday I paddled Mayan Princess with Christian Myrick, and conditions were good in the surf. The winds had finally laid down so we made the most of it. We both got through the surf a little wet but unscathed. Water at the first rig was clean enough for kingfish, and Christian got his first. I found Spanish going airborne and began to collect some. Three got loose as I was lifting them into the boat, but four other fish went into the hatch. We decided to check the next rig and clarity was a bit better, but we did not get any fish. The large rig had a few fish, and I lost a good king beside the kayak when the lure pulled out. After a few minutes I paddled over to Christian and asked if he wanted to go check out a shrimp boat on the horizon. I thought it was a couple of miles farther offshore, but it was actually four more miles. As it turns out, Christian likes to paddle as much as I do, and we enjoyed the long commute. As we got beyond the large rig the water cleaned up to a beautiful blue. At the shrimp boat I found a huge chum line and about fifty dolphins, but no game fish. After searching a while we headed back in towards the far rig northeast of the MP rigs. This one had kings - we could see them swimming 25 feet below us. I slowed to a crawl to allow the baits to get deep and got my first king. The crystal clear water was about 70 degrees, and when I got overheated it was nice to just roll off into the water to lower my core temp. Man it felt good! I made another circle around the rig and picked up another good king. On the way back, we stopped at each MP rig, and we both picked up our last kings around Wally. Near the second rig I tossed the chrome jig toward the rig and let it sink halfway to the bottom before a fast retrieve. A hard hit resulted in a Spanish nearly 30 inches long, so of course it was welcomed into the hatch. By the time we hit the sand twenty four miles had been paddled and I was pooped. It was a stellar day, but hot. Thank goodness for the cool water temps that kept me cool. If you go, pack plenty to drink and pace yourself!

[Yakety_Yak]

Man, that water looked outstanding! Things changed quick from the tail end of the week to now. Glad you guys were able to take advantage of it and thanks for the report.

[Kayak Kid]

As one who has a deep seated fear of sharks, and is all too familiar with how fast gulf conditions can change, I am not a proponent of ,or for, offshore kayak fishing. My fear is that your fantastic (and most enjoyed) fishing stories will cause those without your extensive experience in the activity to attempt to emulate your adventures.

[Prof. Salt]

So no more posting about offshore trips in the offshore kayaking fishing forum?

[TexasJim]

Glenn: A lot of us like seeing and reading your reports from the "Stealth Navy"! I don't think seeing your posts will make me paddle offshore. Ever. Keep it up. TexasJim

[Kayak Kid]

So no more posting about offshore trips in the offshore kayaking fishing forum?

You know that wasn't my intention, Prof.
Just a heads up to those who might attempt something that they are not ready for.

[Fishinganywhere]

It was great to meet you out there Saturday Glenn. Making me feel a little like a wimp getting exhausted from my 10 mile paddle. Guess I better get to training.

[Prof. Salt]

It was great to meet you out there Saturday Glenn. Making me feel a little like a wimp getting exhausted from my 10 mile paddle. Guess I better get to training.

It was nice to meet you too! Ten miles is a lot of paddling for most folks - did you find some fish?

[Fishinganywhere]

Pretty consistent action all day on the spanish/small snapper/small amberjacks/ladyfish nothing big but a good time

[motoyak]

Just curious fellers but, bad things can and do happen offshore. What kind of communication devices do you cary with you in case of emergency? Do you get cell phone coverage? VHF or marine wave radios?

[dnordin]

I carry a handheld floating VHF it is only a 3 watt version, but I think it will work OK for the bay, one may want a 6 watt for BTB depending.

[Prof. Salt]

Just curious fellers but, bad things can and do happen offshore. What kind of communication devices do you cary with you in case of emergency? Do you get cell phone coverage? VHF or marine wave radios?

I have a handheld VHF, cell phone in waterproof case (there is coverage in the Corpus area) and a loud whistle in a pfd pocket.

[Kitsune]

So no more posting about offshore trips in the offshore kayaking fishing forum?

You know that wasn't my intention, Prof.
Just a heads up to those who might attempt something that they are not ready for.

It helps people understand how and know that it can be done. It’s also important to remind everyone that it is nothing to mess around with. The Bob Hall meeting would probably be a better start for beginners if I was going to do it.

Prof. Salt
How does your lower back/legs not ache like heck after this?Do you find the sitting position in a Kayak comfortable? Some body types just sit and fit better in certain situations… looks to me you were built for this?

[Kitsune]

Be careful out there y’all, this Bull Shark is not playing games.

https://youtu.be/7EXoDHsxJY0