Gus is hooked on kayak shark fishing!

Gus & I go kayak fishing in the 10,000 islands of south Florida, and Gus hooks a large shark. It breaks off before he can land it, but he gets a very exciting, albeit short - "SW Florida sleigh ride". One of my concerns, is that beginning kayak fishers will read the reports that I write, watch the You Tube videos, etc., and get the impression that this is an established sport, and that anyone with a kayak and a fishing rod can go out and do it. I do not mean to give that impression. Fishing for shark, tarpon, amberjack, cobia, etc. from kayaks is NOT for the uninitiated. There are real risks, and real dangers involved. Sure, it's exciting, but it is "extreme kayak fishing". When you go after these species and other large species, you are dealing with an apex predator that is capable of putting a real hurt on you when things go wrong. You need to know the risks, and be prepared... and even then, things can still go wrong. If you are thinking about doing extreme kayak fishing, then you need to understand that you are taking the risks upon yourself. I understand that, and accept that. I am not new to kayaking. I have been kayaking for about 15 years, and have experienced extreme conditions of wind, waves, weather, and currents. I am fairly new to kayak fishing - only the last few years - but I bring my years of kayaking experience to the sport of kayak fishing. Any kayak fisher, fishing in any water, can encounter dangers. There is a lot to take into account when you are fishing from a kayak. You place yourself in a foreign environment when you are floating on a tiny boat out in open waters. You have lines that can entangle you, and you have hooks that can impale you. Even in fresh water, there are fish that can stab you with their fins & cause serious infections. In salt water, you have that, and toothy critters, and stinging critters, plus the possibility of large fish jumping on you - big enough to break bones. These are all real dangers. Wear a pfd. Have a knife handy to free yourself from entanglement, or to cut away from something that is too much to deal with. Have a first aid kit close at hand, including ways to stop bleeding, and some pliers capable of cutting hooks. If you don't have a VHF radio, or at the very least, a waterproof pouch for your cell phone, get one. Fish with a buddy - that's what kayak fishing forums are all about. I take some risks - but I am responsible for my own risks. I am not responsible for yours. Before I inspire anyone to go out there and try to duplicate some of the things that I do, you need to have a clear understanding of what is involved - what you might be getting yourself into. Extreme kayak fishing is NOT for everybody. Here are links to some popular kayak fishing forums - they are all free to join: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SWFLPCKFG/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCkfc/ (Naples, Fl area) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OrlandoKayakFishing/ (Orlando, FL area) http://www.jaxkayakfishing.com/ (Jacksonville, FL area) http://z9.invisionfree.com/Williamsburg_Kayak/index.php?act=idx (Williamsburg, VA area) Don

YouTube | January 9, 2008