By Paul LebowitzCan you imagine starting your kayak fishing career with a striped marlin? Scott DeMoss did it – in fact, he was on the fish only 15 minutes after hitting the water. There are only a few places in the world where this fantastic scene could have played out. DeMoss happened to choose the best one. Baja’s fabled East Cape is the surest bet, bar none, for US kayak anglers who want to mix it up with big game. “Hands down it is the best kayak fishing destination in the world and always will be,” said pioneering kayak fishing guide and outfitter Dennis Spike, citing the quality of the fishery and its affordability. “This is the only palace you can come and catch virtually every tropical species.” That kayak greenhorn DeMoss managed to convert his hasty hook-up is a credit to kayak fishing guide Jim Sammons. DeMoss was fishing with the big game expert during a La Jolla Kayak Fishing trip out of Hotel Punta Colorada. DeMoss could scarcely have had a better coach for his sudden big game initiation. By his own account, kayak fishing guide Jim Sammons has personally landed or assisted in 15 billfish catches. That number is miniscule compared to the number of billfish taken on powerboats, where it’s yank ‘em and crank ‘em, but represents the near to bleeding edge in big game kayak fishing where every marlin is an hours long battle of endurance. Sammons is justly proud of the tally. Yet Sammons’ groups rarely target billfish – they just happen to hook them every once in a while. “It’s a small part of what we do,” Sammons said, citing more typical big game kayak catches of roosterfish, dorado, and yellowfin tuna. Those can come in size XL too – seasoned kayaker Rod Bennett once weighed in a rooster that approached 70 lbs (Bennett, an ardent catch and release guy, said it died on the line). Sammons himself notched a huge 60-lb dorado just a few hundred yards off the hotel. “There’s lots of really good stuff to target,” Sammons said. The same is true at Rancho Leonero Resort, where KayakFishing.com owner Spike is guide in residence. He also offers regularly scheduled group trips. Like at Punta, excellent fishing awaits only a short distance from shore. “We catch decent fish on every session,” said Spike, who has been patrolling the beach in front of the Rancho for over ten years. “I remember where and when I caught pretty much every fish here. We get all species within a 1.5 mile radius of the hotel except marlin.” And those are sometimes not far away, just two to four miles offshore. John Ireland, the well-spoken owner of Rancho Leonero, was the first to recognize the potential of East Cape kayak fishing. Kayaks are similar to pirus – a type of small fishing craft formerly used by Baja’s native people. It was natural to bring them to the hotel to chase after nearshore species such as jacks, cabrilla, snappers, and pargo. At the time Ireland couldn’t imagine they’d be used to stalk blue water big game. “Now guys are doing stuff on kayaks people never dreamed of 5 or 6 years ago. The sky’s the limit,” Ireland said. How can a kayaker possibly land a fish that seems as big as his boat? The boat itself, the angler and all of his gear act as an extension of the reel’s drag system. A truly large fish can pull a kayak for miles, the sleigh ride most kayakers dream of. Because the potential is high for hooking a fish of a lifetime, Sammons strongly encourages East Cape bound kayakers to bring quality gear. “It doesn’t have to be big. You don’t need heavy line, just good fresh line,” added Sammons, who said 30-lb test is plenty when paired with 80 to 100-lb flourocarbon leader. |
BAJA BIG GAME, KAYAK STYLE – Baja’s world-class fishery attracts big game hunters of all types, including kayak anglers who believe it offers the best odds anywhere. PHOTO COURTESY VAN WORMER RESORT
NOT JUST FOR NUTS - The East Cape isn’t solely for adrenaline crazed kayak anglers. As the sport continues to grow, kids and extended families are hitting the East Cape reefs on kayaks. PHOTO COURTESY KAYAKFISHING.COM
BIG GAME COMES IN DIFFERENT GUISES – Billfish are far from the only big game caught by East Cape kayakers. In addition to marlin and sailfish, dorado, tuna, roosterfish and jacks power up sleigh rides. Pictured: Dan Leimel with a 45-lb yellowtail. PHOTO COURTESY KAYAKFISHING.COM
GO WITH GOOD GEAR - Kayakers can hook a fish of a lifetime virtually anywhere at the East Cape. To avoid a costly gear meltdown, kayakers should fish only with the good stuff. PHOTO COURTESY LA JOLLA KAYAK FISHING |
Fish don’t take much line – as Sammons said, the kayak follows the fish. However, kayak battles take significantly more time – anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours in the case of most marlin. It’s the length of the fight that pushes lower quality gear past the breaking point. “It puts a lot of torque on a reel. The drags get hot. A good strong one-piece aluminum frame won’t flex,” Sammons said. By way of example, Sammons mentioned his friend Matt Moyer. Moyer used a Shimano Trinidad 12, a small but high quality reel, to catch a striped marlin in 2005. Even using the ‘wrong’ bait doesn’t seem to deter the East Cape’s billfish. Sammons’ groups have hooked striped marlin while yo-yoing Megabait irons and soaking sardinas. “There are an awful lot of incidental billfish catches,” Sammons said. Sammons said safety dictates the length of the fight. “You don’t want to bring a green fish to the boat,” said Sammons, who added that it’s a fine line. Waiting too long puts additional stress on the fish – undesirable because Sammons wants to release every billfish in healthy condition. Spike and his clients get big game too. Most recently he guided 65 year old Dan Leimel to a 45-lb yellowtail – a fish Spike said the well-traveled Leimel counted as his lifetime best yellowtail. “It’s been a late spring,” said Spike, who added that the tuna and dorado of last year haven’t yet shown. Instead they have roosterfish on the beach. “The rooster fishing has been phenomenal. It’s one of the best years I’ve seen,” Spike said. Spike encourages conservation. “We don’t kill marlin or big cabrilla,” said Spike, who tells his clients it is a great karma builder. Kayak fishing at the East Cape isn’t solely an adrenaline sport. In a sign of increasing popularity, Spike is getting entire families out on the little boats. “Three generations at one time. I get to introduce so many people to the sport,” Spike said. And what of DeMoss, whose first kayak fish was a marlin? Sammons said he followed it up with a sailfish. That’s kayak fishing in the East Cape, the best odds for big game anywhere. Kayak Fishing at the East Cape |