One line was snapped into the first clip and the hook was placed into a keeper. It had four 1/8 ounce pinch weights on its right side near the bottom and this made it fly off to the right a little. He pulled out the trolling valve which dropped the rpms at the propeller and the boat maintained position as he and Alex put out the first kite. The usual north and northeast winds that get the sailfish excited all winter just weren't blowing. Ray told us that this was not the wind direction he was hoping for. After running about 20 minutes from the light we came off plane and the captain positioned the boat directly into the wind. Tom had never caught a salt water fish of any kind, so we wanted him to be first up. If you make it to the bottom, lift high and bounce the tip as you drop the rig back down while maintaining a bend in the rod and the line on your finger so you feel them piling on.Īfter adding about 50 baits to the tank, we headed south in search of an edge that the captain new was there. We were told to open the bail and every few feet down stop the drop and see if the fish are there. Most people think that the way to use this multi-hook rig is to let it hit the bottom and then jig it up, but these experts on bait catching taught us the right way to do it for. Ray and Alex made sure that everyone was working their sabiki rigs properly. When we arrived at the light Alex passed out a couple of bait rods. There are many charter operations that do not like customers touching anything so beware and set the ground rules before making a commitment. It's important to point this out when booking a trip if that is what you like to do. When I booked the charter I told the captain that we liked to participate and get involved. Unfortunately none were spotted by the time we arrived at Fowley Rocks light where we stopped to add to our bait supply. The captain was looking for large rays because cobia would often shadow their movement as they swept along the bottom kicking up tidbits to eat.
![kite fishing kite fishing](https://southpawfishingkeywest.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/DSCN0225.jpg)
He also said we would be passing through an area where there might be some cobia and invited any of us to join him in the tuna tower to look for them. On the way out of the marina he mentioned that they left a school of threadfin herring biting so he wanted to stop on them and add some more to the bait tanks. This was just the first of many little details that make Ray one of the top captains in the area and this one of the best trips I have been on. The reason for this I found out was so that each bait can be singled out and netted alone, thus avoiding several baits in the scoop net banging against each other. The live well had a clear Plexiglas window through which we could see all the bait fish happily swimming around. My eye was caught by something I had never seen before.
![kite fishing kite fishing](https://www.fishingboating-world.com/photos/fishingboat/yysw207787.jpg)
Captain Ray invited us aboard and his mate Alex stowed our gear. It was rigged for fishing with lots of room, everything in its place, and spotless after hours of bait gathering. They had been out catching our bait.Īt once I was impressed with the boat. We arrived at the marina and a few minutes later the boat was backing into the slip. He wanted to stay out and hopefully catch a late afternoon bite.
![kite fishing kite fishing](https://photos.offerup.com/IagVeaobjllKGmmVW2b6waSlxhE=/600x1266/6f6a/6f6a892e19a54de2bde2bb43ebb49f1d.jpg)
The day started quite late for a charter because the captain told us to show up at 8:30 in the morning. Kite Fishing For Sailfish Kite Fishing For Sailfish