OBX & The Joys of Fishing Posted by: greg0276 on Sep-06-12 9:12 PM (EST)
Long time sea kayaker, long time fisherman, never put the two together until recently. On a recent expedition out through Oregon inlet, up to Nags Head, I decided to pack a minimal set of gear and head out. About 3 miles off Whalebone/Nags Head in ~50ft I picked up a school of bait fish and started casting. Almost immediately something nailed the jig and after some time reeling in much to my surprise was an undersize but immensely colorful dolphin. I proceeded to land a decent few spanish mackerel and a 16" yellowtail before the midday heat and headed back. It's hard to describe how thrilling the adventure, fully immersed in the sea, it was, but needless to say I'm hooked!
My first ever kayak paddling was down there. It was a group trip using Kitty Hawk Kites as the outfitter. They did a good job. I felt right at home my first time in a kayak (had canoed for many years). We were on the sound side, and what amazed me was how I was able to sneak up on big fish. We would see mullet rooting the sand from a distance and be able to pull up within 1/2 a cast without spooking them. I knew right then that there was something special about how kayaks and fishing would combine. It was two more years before I could afford my own kayak, and it has been a lot of fun since. I'd love to do some more coastal paddling, but I don't live near the coast.