Spring is HERE...

  Get ready because spring is on its way and the fish are fired up! Even though we didn’t have much of a winter this year, most of the fish will still be following their normal patterns. The fish that did push back into warmer waters will be heading back out to the grass-flats looking for a good meal.

Redfish-   Although you will still see a lot of single and doubles hanging out, be sure to look for them to be grouping up into small schools… Most of the schools will be mid to upper slot fish with some over-slot fish mixed in. Early in the mornings I will throw top-water and sub surface baits like the Mirro -Lure Top Dog or the new Yo-Zuri 3D Inshore Series .  And even though it is towards the end of the shrimp run, I will still be targeting them with the Monster 3X 4 ¾ X-MOVE pretty much throughout the whole day. The water is still very clean and clear and it makes for an outstanding sight fishing bait.

Trout-    These fish will be fired up and eating in just about any part of the water column from super skinny to 5-7 ft. of water. Most of the slot fish will be schooled up on the grass-flats in the 4-7 ft. range and your bigger over-slot fish will be in the 1-3 ft. range. I like to use top-waters and hard baits like a Mirro-Dine early in the morning to cover lots of water until I find them. Once I’ve found one I will slow down to work them pretty hard because there are usually more close by.

Snook-    The snook that pushed into the backwaters will be pouring out of the creeks and rivers onto the grass-flats. I like to stage up near the mouth entrances and plug away at them. Again I like to use the Monster 3X X-MOVE but with a little bit heavier jig head. With the stronger currents and the little deeper water, you want to make sure that your bait is getting down into the strike zone.  

   This is the best time of the year for weather and fishing so get out there and enjoy it. Be sure to stay safe and be courteous of your fellow anglers while on the water. There is plenty enough water and fun for everyone! : )  Tight lines and Tight knots to everyone!  Eric Henson is the owner of Casting Kayaks LLC. a guided kayak fishing company out of Sarasota Florida.  He specializes in inshore light tackle or fly fishing from Tampa Bay to Charlotte Harbor. To book a guided fishing trip with Eric check out his website www.CastingKayaks.com or give him a call at 941-504-134

Eric Henson

Sharktober!

 Sharks can be one of the most fun fish to catch in SW Florida and just about anywhere in the world really… Pound for pound they can be some the strongest fish, with long line burning runs that never give up. They can be caught in waters less than a foot or in deep sea waters. They also come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

    The most common smaller sharks caught in our waters would have to be Black-tips, Bonnetheads, Spinners and Reef sharks, but, we do have larger ones as well like Bulls, Lemons, Tigers, and even Great-whites! Targeting the smaller species out of the kayaks can be lots of fun. And if you really want to target the big boys, the best way is to do it from shore and to use your kayak to paddle your bait out past the sand bar. Sometimes when we are fishing for smaller sharks we end up with bigger ones than we would prefer so we enjoy the fight, get as much line back as possible and then cut it.

   There are many techniques to target sharks. My favorite way to target them is to sight fish them with artificial lures. Top water lures like the Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil and the  Monster 3X X-MOVE are my go-to artificial lures for sharks. If you prefer other bait, anything fresh and bloody will work every time! Cut pinfish, mullet, jacks, bonita, and lady fish to name a few of my favorites. Also chumming never hurts or even tie a bonita carcass off the side of your yak. If you chum, they will come!

     For smaller sharks 4 ft and under a size 3-4000 size reel, 7 ft. med-heavy action rod, 15-20 lb braided line, and 30-50 lb. fluorocarbon leader will get the job done. And for the larger ones I like to use an 8000 size reel, 8 ft. heavy action rod, 40-50 lb. braided line, 80 lb. fluorocarbon leader with a steel leader tippet. Of coarse the larger the sharks you are targeting… the bigger and beefier your gear had better be!

      Please make sure you are very cautious while doing this out of a kayak. Sharks are a bundle of  muscle, cartilage, and teeth. They will beat you and your kayak up if you bring them into the yak without having complete control of them. Also be careful when releasing them because many sharks can reach the tip of their tail with their teeth!  As always, Be Safe and have fun! Tight Lines and tight Knots to all!

Springtime Fishing Report!

 
     Springtime is here! All the fish and their surroundings are going through a huge transition. As water temps heat up, grasses begin to grow, and bait begins to pour back into our bays.  The grass flats will come to life!  Fishermen and women will shed our winter clothes and break out our warm weather gear in search for hungry fish.
SNOOK-    They will be pouring out the mouths of creeks and rivers. Look for them scouring the flats eating just about anything that crosses their path. This is one of my favorite times of year to throw top-water plugs like the Yo_Zuri 3DB. There will be full blown aerial assaults on top water plugs with fish so fired up they will literally come out of the water to nab the baits.
TROUT-     Our huge gator trout will start to thin out inshore but, there will be plenty of nice size trout on the grass flats. Anywhere you can find good moving water with grass flats littered with deep potholes, you should find as many trout as your heart desires. Suspension baits like the Mirro Dine are a great baits to cover lots of water until you locate these fish. Don’t be afraid to work these lures with fast twitches. If you don’t plan on keeping these fish, I like to put single hooks on them to help preserve their soft mouths.
REDFISH-    Look for these fish to be schooled up. Sometimes you will find two to twenty of them but, don’t be surprised to run into schools with over fifty of them. As much as you may want to start plugging away at them… Watch them for a little while to see what their pattern is, and then start working them. My first bait I like to throw at them is top-water lures and then soft plastics like the Monster 3X X-MOVE. What ever baits you decide to throw, make sure to get it out in front of them. Once they see you or your fishing line bounces off them, you will be playing cat and mouse all day!
    Good luck! Be safe and respectable to your fellow anglers! There are plenty of fish in the sea for everyone! Tight Lines and Tight Knots to all!:)

Inshore Slamming It!!!

     One of the greatest accomplishments in a day of inshore fishing is catching an INSHORE SLAM! The inshore slam consist of a snook, redfish, and trout all caught on a day of fishing. That is pretty much my goal on a daily basis while fishing the flats. There are some days where we catch one to multiple inshore slams which makes for an amazing day!  Some days for what ever reason only one or two of the species will eat which is still great but, falling short of catching the slam.

    Most of the tournaments on the central west coast of Florida are Slam Tournaments due to challenge of catching all three species. I recently just won the Kayak fishing Classics Johnson Outdoors Championships in Tampa Bay, FL where only 5 people out of all the anglers caught a inshore slam. Inshore Slam Tournaments are generally scored by whomever has the longest measured inches of all three fish. Even if an angler has two fish which measure longer than someone who has all three species, the angler with all three species usually wins.

    Most people know that any given day, most fish are going to feed heavily an hour before and after sunrise and sunset. For me, on a day where I am trying to target all three species, the first fish I will target will be a trout. I usually head straight to my trout spot and try to catch a good one right off the bat. Most of your bigger trout like to feed early. Then I try and bang out a snook. Snook are another fish were I seem to catch the bigger ones in the twilight stages of the day. Last but definitely not least is Mr. Redfish! I seem to catch redfish easier through out the day. This is just a guide line on how most of the to anglers in this area plan their trips on the quest of catching a inshore slam. A lot of the times I will catch one the three species while targeting another species which ends up being a bonus!

   Good luck on your quest of landing a INSHORE SLAM! Happy Holidays! Be Safe! Tight Lines and Tight Knots to everyone!

Black drum on the Run!!

       The black drum is a cousin of one of my favorite fish… the redfish. It is the largest species of the drum family. The average black drum is about 5-30 lbs. but, they have been known to reach 90 lbs. The juveniles look very similar to the sheepshead. They are a silver-grey color with 4-5 vertical black bars running across their body. The main difference are that sheepshead have crazy human-like teeth and Black Drum have chin barbells. When they grow longer than about 24 inches they start to lose their black bars and become a solid dark silver-grey color. Their mouths are on the bottom of their face with whiskers under the chin, making them the ultimate bottom feeder!

     The smaller fish usually like to hang out in brackish water near cover or structure. The larger fish will venture out into the saltier areas where most of the time they like to hang out by structure as well like oyster bars, rock piles, piers, docks, etc… Look for black drum tailing like redfish near oyster bars on low incoming tides. Or on higher tides look for them in small tight schools cruising the flats. Most of the time the pods of fish are 3- 12 fish slowly swimming around looking for their next meal. This is a great opportunity to sight cast to them. Targeting them around bridge pilings are another great way to catch HUGE Black Drum. I’ve have friends who vertical jig for them along the pilings and catch monsters. My favorite way is to drop down good size fresh chunks of blue crab down and wait. It won’t be long until you have a monster on your line.

    Baits I like to use to target them…Starting out with artificial baits -Right now in the backwaters, I have been catching them on heavy jig heads with a root beer colored Monster 3X X- Swim 3 ¾ inch shrimp. Also small bait fish patterns as well. Working them slowly, bouncing them off the bottom. On the flats, I have been using the same method just lightening the jig head and sight casting tailing fish or pods of fish cruising. With a little Pro Cure scent and working it slowly, it will usually get the job done. If you like using live bait… A shrimp on a jig head or free lined on a 2/0 Owner circle  hook would be my next bait of choice. Most of the time they won’t be able to resist ole trusty shrimp! Fishing Docks, bridge pilings, or structure would be my next choice, using a chunk of crab on a circle hook with enough weight to keep it down near the bottom. They will smell that out from far away!

        Black Drum are great fighters and under 15 lbs. can be absolutely delicious! Next time you have a chance at a black drum, give them a shot. It might become one of your new favorite species!  Till next time, Be Safe! Tight Lines and Tight Knots!

Kayak Wars have Begun!

Adam Calderon

Patrick Nespeca

  Kayak Wars is a year long tournament that is held world wide. Team Get Bent Fishing is in the US Southeast Division. We blasted off the tournament with a great start! The fist week we managed to land 6 red drum over 20 up to 29 inches, 13 trout over 20 inches, and 24 snook over 20 and up to 37 inches. The first day we caught 5 trophy snook which is any snook over 32 inches. We are aloud to use live bait but, all the fish so far have been caught on artificial lures like soft plastics (Exude's Darts, Mirro Lure's Lil Johns, and intimation shrimp), suspension lures (Yo-zuri's Shashimi Jerk-bait, Mirro Lure's Mirrodine), and Top-waters  (Yo-zuri's Pecil , Heddon's Spooks). For inshore, I usually stick to 15-20 lb braided line with 20-30 Seaguar Fluorocarbon leader depending on the targeted species and clarity of the water. We only get to fish together once or twice a week so strategically picking spots is crucial! Also choosing our gear has has to be top notch, so we have the best chance possible. My kayaks of choice are the Old Town Predator 13 for inshore and Ocean Kayak's Prowler Big Game 2 for the offshore. Both Outstanding kayaks for the Southeast Region's waters. Paddles of choice are between Bending Branches Angler Pro, Angler Ace, and Aqua-Bounds Manta Ray Carbon. All these paddles are exceptionally light weight and cut through the water with ease. For my kayak accessories I depend on Yak-Gear. They have everything thing you can imagine to make kayaking more manageable. (Anchor Systems, Rod Holders, Lighting, Camera Booms, etc...) For eye wear I can't even imagine being without my Costa Sunglasses! The 580 Green Mirror or Amber are my lenses of choice, helping me see incredibly more on the water. Last but definitely not least is Buff USA. Their buffs and gloves are comfortable and provide great UV protection to keep me on the water longer.  Being equipped and organized is one of the biggest keys to success on the water! All though we are still looking for one more teammate, we are all very passionate about fishing and hope to continue on this epic adventure! Up above are teammates Adam Calderon, Patrick Nespeca and I with trophy snook.:)

New Beginnings!

John was freshly retired and looking for a new Adventure. He picked up a nice used kayak that he modified to fit his needs. I could not believe some of the ingenuity that he came up with... The one thing that stood out to me the most was the up raised seat he designed out of a luggage rack! Great Job!  He was new to kayak fishing and wanted to learn the basics. After teaching him a few tricks and techniques about rigging fishing gear/kayaks, we headed out on to the water. When showing new people to artificial fishing, I always start them out with soft plastics. Showing them different colors, size jig heads, hooks, and speed variations for certain situations. And Why?  I began showing him what to look for and where to look for that prized fish. Before  you know it, he put it all together and hooked into a Nice red fish. After a nice red fish sleigh ride from a beautiful lit up up fish. John had fell in love with kayak fishing! We ended up catching a only a couple of red fish and a few trout but, he was ready to rock n' roll in the future on his next kayak fishing adventure! Great Job John!

Summertime Fun!!!

      The morning started out threatening to rain, as it always does about every summer day! We decided to paddle on while it began to sprinkle lightly. I always say the fish are already wet... if my clients don't mind it, I sure don't! Unless there is bad lightening or wind... By the time we reached the first spoil island the rain had blown by and I was already seeing tons of bait  moving. I really wanted to stop but, headed further north so we could ride the wind back. We reached the first spot where tons of mullet were coming through in between two spoil islands but, no bites.  Deciding to paddle over to the other island was a good idea because Austin had his soft-plastic get smashed! After a few seconds of drag ripping out, the huge snook came up and gave a big head shake. When the fish spit the lure out, our hearts sank. Not soon after though, Alexzandria hooks into a nice red fish. Ended up being a half inch of being on a dinner plate;)  As we paddled around the island, we could hear fish busting bait in the mangroves. Picking up another red fish that was an inch short, we continued on the hunt. As we came around the corner, Austin hooks into  nice snook. It was jumping all around his yak, so I paddled over as fast as I could with the net! Unfortunately it came unglued before I reached him:( We started making our way back towards the launch but, it seemed like every spot I wanted to hit had lots of boat traffic. The weekend warriors! Making a quick little pit stop to a spot that I didn't plan on going to because of the way the wind was blowing, ended up being a great idea! Austin ends up hooking into a Monster Red fish! After a long red fish sleigh ride I decided to attach my yak to his, to slow the fish down. Finally wearing him down he landed the beautiful red fish. Wow! Nice fish but, to big for the dinner plate!lol!  Right after that Alexzandria caught a trout that was and inch shy!Lol!  Unfortunately we weren't able to get them a fish for dinner plate because the fish were either to small or to big. None the less a great day on the water with great people. Thanks again Exude soft plastic and MirroLure for making this day a SUCCESS!

Matlacha Tournament Fishing

   Matlacha is one of the coolest places in the world to fish this time of year. Snook Red fish, and Tarpon are on fire! As we launched out the first day we immediately started seeing tarpon rolling everywhere. I new it was going to be a great day. We wanted to start fishing right away, but the spot we were heading to was pretty far away so we kept paddling. Finally we arrived to the place where we we were heading. Mullet and other fish pushes as far as you could see moving around the first spoil island. Slowly pushing towards them as quietly as possible, we made our first cast at one of the huge pushes. Jimmy's top-water spook gets crushes! Line peeling out , we thought huge red! Nope huge jack! After he got the fish to the boat it took a few minutes for things to calm down again. Next my line with the Exude soft plastic starts peeling out, then goes air borne! Snook! Right after that line start ripping out again which it happen to be the man in the red suit. Nice Red Fish! We push slowly along the edge working the mullet when all of a sudden, Jimmy's line with the Exude sot plastic starts screaming! The fish started to whoop him, getting behind him and pulling him into the mangroves. Once I realized how big the fish was, I paddled over with the Go Pro for some video. Finally Jimmy got turned around and was able to turn the fish around. Now it was a fare fight as he got the fish into some open water. As Jimmy gets the snook boat side, he starts to pull the fish out of the water. I cant believe how big the fishes head was! The pic we took, gives the fish size no justice. That hog was a beautiful fish! That a boy Jimbo!  Not minutes later minutes later I had another nice red fish peeling off drag. The rest of the was back and forth snook ,red,red, snook. What an amazing day! Almost forgot that I did catch a small jack ,and a huge red fish nailed him twice right next to the boat!  Any way to see video footage on this, check out my Eric Henson Youtube page. The next day (tournament day) we went to the same spot. Unfortunately not the same fish!lol! We did catch some decent fish landing us in 5th-6th Place but nothing like the pre fish! Till next time Fish On Fish On!!!