SNAKES TO SMOKERS
High Tech Components Equal Solid Connections 
Captain Mike Genoun

​I admit it. I’m the type who likes to tinker. Regardless of species or technique, I’m always experimenting and always trying to perfect my approach. Sometimes I’m successful, sometimes not so much. My latest quest has been an attempt to perfect the ultimate king mackerel stinger rig.
The most popular game fish in Florida, king mackerel are regularly taken around the entire state by anglers of all ages and skill levels. While there are heavy runs in the spring and fall, these eating machines may crush a bait 365 days a year! Kings are regularly fooled on trolled strip baits, artificial plugs and naked ballyhoo. They can also be slow trolled with the use of downriggers and planers, yet for kayakers it’s really a game of live bait. Truth is, these migratory eating machines can be caught on a wide variety of natural and artificial offerings using an array of tactics and techniques. This versatility is what makes this prolific predator so popular, not to mention drag sizzling runs and for providing the key ingredient for world famous smoked fish dip.

From 5-pound snakes to 50-pound smokers, one thing all king mackerel have in common is a set of razor sharp dentures. This means wire leader is a must to prevent frustrating cut offs. Commercial king-fishermen are known to fish triple hook sardine rigs tied directly to 80 lb. monofilament, but this is the exception in clear water with spooky fish.  

When I began king mackerel fishing longer ago than I care to remember, I tied rigs using #6 (61 lb.) single strand wire exclusively. It worked, but after years of trial and error, landing countless kings and losing my fair share along the way, I’ve now reduced my terminal signature to 35 lb. titanium leader. American Fishing Wire, Malin, Knot 2 Kinky and Terminator all produce quality titanium products. This advanced material is much more supple and allows live bait much greater mobility than stiffer single strand. This means your pilchard, goggle eye or runner doesn’t have to work as hard and remains stronger for longer. Additionally, titanium is nearly indestructible. You can stretch it…twist it…turn it…and catch multiple fish on the same rig, just don’t kink it; a sharp bend is titanium leader’s only weakness.

Additionally, pound for pound titanium leader is substantially thinner than single strand wire, which equates to a stealthier approach. What else you need to know about titanium leader is that it retails for approximately $1.00/foot and that the series of knots commonly used with single strand wire will not work, so forget about a simple haywire twist. Titanium has completely different characteristics. Your only options are either an untidy clinch knot, or a tiny crimped connection. I prefer the latter for a much cleaner, streamlined presentation. While tiny #1 sleeves are perfect when working with 35 lb. titanium, you will need a scaled down crimping tool to achieve a reliable connection. Look for micro crimpers at local arts & crafts stores.
You should also know that your crimped connection would potentially fail if you simply thread the titanium wire through the sleeve, through the eye of the hook or swivel, and back up into the sleeve. Instead, create a tiny loop on the hook or swivel eye be weaving the titanium wire into its own circle two additional times. This takes time and will hurt your fingertips, but when done properly it is a reliable connection you can count on.  

When rigging for kings, I start with six feet of double line created with a Bimini twist, connected to six feet of 40 lb. test fluorocarbon via a small, streamlined Albright knot. The tag end of the 40 lb. fluorocarbon is where the completed stinger rig will ultimately be attached via a tiny power swivel. Length of titanium leader from the swivel to the J hook is debatable. I prefer 24-inches, but remember that determined smokers characteristically charge bait at lightning fast speed and no matter how long your wire, the occasional cut off is unavoidable.  
Selecting the proper hook is the next part of the equation with nearly as many options as there are anglers. While I continue to have success with a variety of hooks from various manufacturers, I’m currently experimenting with Eagle Claw’s latest innovation; the surgically sharpened Trokar Big Nasty. The 7/0 is perfect for big goggle eye and blue runners. Not only are Trokar Big Nasty hooks stupid sharp, the hook features a welded eye that prevents the ultra thin titanium from slipping. Equally important, these innovative forged works of fish-catching art are incredibly strong for their thin diameter. The hook is also slightly offset with a unique shape in the bend, which I am convinced facilitates a quicker hook set and a nearly escape-proof connection. Combined, these important features all add up to one incredibly impressive hook!  

My stinger hook on this rig, positioned six to eight inches behind the J-hook is a #2 Trokar Straight Point treble. Again, Trokar Straight Point trebles are ridiculously sharp. As a kingfish races in for the kill, the savage often slices its targeted meal in half. It is this small treble implanted in the back half of the bait that often makes the connection. Hence, it is important to note that anything less than a 4X treble and you risk hook failure when applying maximum heat on a big fish.

​While we all know there are no guarantees in fishing, the proper rig in any application will certainly increase your odds for a rewarding experience. Regardless, you must remember to focus your efforts in areas likely to hold forage and the game fish you seek. It is this basic fundamental that is the very first step toward achieving consistent success. Tight lines and looking forward to seeing you on the water! 

Step 1: Start by prepping all materials.
Step 2: Crimp a tiny 50 lb. power swivel to one end of 24 in. titanium leader.
Step 3: Crimp opposite end to 7/0 Trokar Big Nasty.
Step 4: Crimp one end of 8 in. titanium leader to eye of same 7/0 hook.
Step 5: Crimp #2 Trokar Straight Point treble to opposite end of wire trace.
Step 6: Kill a super smoker and win the kayak tournament!

BY Captain Mike Genoun   

Extreme Prepping: A Philosophy
By Sid Dobrin
 
There will be no inspirational words of wisdom here; no motivational memes, sound bites, or posters proclaiming the inextricable relationship between preparation and success. This ain’t no leadership seminar. Sure, the Scouts are right: “always be prepared.” We are anglers; we already get that. If you are one of the sub-breed of anglers that enlist in the plastic armada, you know that kayak anglers already get the need for preparation even more than other anglers. And for those of us mutants who are willing to paddle offshore to tangle with big game fish in some potentially hairy conditions, preparation has to be our liturgy.

I won’t presume to tell you how to prepare. We all have our methods, habits, and rituals. I don’t tell others how to parent, pray, vote, or fix their burgers because those sorts of things aren’t my business any more than mine are yours. But, I will share a few experiences that have helped me think more about how I prepare for offshore kayak fishing—especially in tournament scenarios, because whether we want to acknowledge it or not, tournaments add excitement, nerves, and a degree of stress, all of which can cloud judgement and actions. I won’t bore you with the countless stories of wilderness disaster that can easily be attributed to bad decisions by people under stress. Look, I get it. We all want to win; none of us want to lose that big fish. Nerves can kick in. I’ve certainly found my hands shaking trying to make a reasonable cast when that big cobia cruises by and gives me what may be the only chance of the day to make a reasonable cast to a potentially winning fish. I’ve blown that cast dozens of times, snagging other gear, grabbing the wrong rod, or not having a rigged rod ready to go—all results of lack of preparation and the chaotic thinking of the moment and all resulting in self-reprimand and extreme feelings of stupidity.

So, I offer here a few ways of thinking about the details of your preparation for offshore kayak fishing. I’m not going to bore you with the easy stuff like remembering sunglasses, sunscreen, and water. That’s Boy Scout stuff.  We aren’t Boy Scouts. Get over it. If you’re forgetting drinking water when you’re headed offshore, you shouldn’t be out there. Go find a pond. But, to help those new recruits to the Tupperware party, I’ve included a list of the basics at the end of this discussion.

I tend not to be a fan of rules, so I’m not going to offer any. Think of these as suggestions, philosophies of preparation. Like all philosophies, there’s a good chance you’ll disagree with mine; that’s fine, because philosophies require that you think about them. As long as you’re thinking about these aspects of prep, then you’re several steps ahead of the game.
 
Stick to the plan—until the plan changes.
Most of us enter the water on tournament day with a plan in mind: where we’re headed, what rigs we’re running out, how long we’ll fish a certain area before moving to our next site. But, usually when we develop such strategies we do so in the imagined perfect-day scenario. We may even develop contingency plans in case things don’t pan out as we planned. I’m guessing all anglers have been in that situation when the fish just aren’t where we hoped they’d be, so we doubt our plan and question our options. Weigh-in times limit our opportunities and excite a sense of urgency. We scramble; we abandon the plan, hoping that the on-the-fly plan will get us to the fish.

Trust your plan; stick to it. Working within the plan can help reduce stress, and if you’ve planned well, increase productivity. The reason you made the plan in the first place is to stave off bad decisions. If you feel you absolutely must change the plan, then do so. But, take a moment to think through the revision. Rather than rush into a new approach, give yourself a minute to think about the what, where, when, how, and why of the new plan before you enact it. And, if your plan is to follow the anglers who look like they know what they’re doing, you need a better plan. You’re just as likely to be following someone who is less prepared than you.  The buddy system isn’t a good idea if your buddy is a moron.
 
Count on bad weather.
“You think that squall is heading toward us or away from us?” I’ve heard the question a thousand times on the water, so I’ve developed a simple response: the squall is always heading toward us. That’s a basic philosophy I adhere to. The squall is always coming our way and we should always be prepared for it. Anyone who has spent any time on the water knows that you’re going to get hit with bad weather. Count on it. Therefore, you should always prepare for bad weather. For a yakker, more so than any other boat operator, bad weather doesn’t have to be that bad before it’s bad. An afternoon breeze or shower can make things more than difficult.

Anticipate rain. Anticipate wind. Anticipate swells. Anticipate lightning. Make sure rain gear is accessible and things that you don’t want to get wet are stowable.  If you’re in a yak, chances are things are going to get wet—particularly for those of us riding sit-a-tops—but when the rain starts, it doesn’t matter what you’re paddling, your stuff is going to get wet. Ultimately, wet stuff is nothing more than an inconvenience—unless your phone or other non-waterproof gear is getting ruined—but large amounts of rain can fill a cockpit or hull, creating a dangerous situation. Make sure your gaskets and seals are tight and secured before heading out—particularly hatch gaskets that open into the hull. Check these several days before heading out, and them confirm their efficiency on the day of the tournament.

Lightening scares the hell out of most of us, and fortunately, it’s statistically unlikely that any one of us will ever get struck by lightning. In fact, in all of my years on the water, I’ve only known one person to get struck, and to be honest, that guy seriously deserved it, so I’m chalking it up to reasons other than his lack of preparation. But, to err on the side of caution, consider developing a lightning plan. This might include something as drastic as evacuation, knowing that when the lightning starts popping you’re heading in, or more cautionary actions. Consider, for instance, pulling rods from rod holders and having a place to stow them vertically in your boat. Reduce your profile; there’s not a hell of a lot of difference between a lightning rod and a fishing rod. For those of you who paddle with a graphite paddle, keep in mind that graphite will conduct electricity, so you might want to consider keeping the paddle low.

Nearly every water safety manual advises that you get off the water when lightning is in the area. In the summer (particularly in Florida) expect lightning in the area. If forecasts call for more than the occasional afternoon thunderstorm, consider not going out. The truth is, it’s just not worth it. If you are out, recognize that in a kayak offshore, getting off the water isn’t necessarily a pragmatic option. So have a lightning plan: stow and get low.

Keep in mind, too, that a sudden change in weather can also change wind and current speeds and directions. In the summer 2014 Summer Slam, I got caught in a heavy wind on my way in for weigh-in. I ended up north of the Deerfield Beach Pier along with a handful of other tournament participants. With the wind in my face as I paddled south, I was not mentally prepared for the effort getting back took. I arrived at the weigh in sight just as the thunderstorms were shutting down the celebrations. Mental preparation in the face of bad weather requires calm thinking.
 
 Tie your knots the night before
One of my fishing mentors insists that we tie all knots the day before a tournament. His reasoning is simple: during the tournament we tend to rush. If you’re counting on a knot to hold when fighting a potentially winning fish, you can’t take chances with that knot. So, we tie knots the day before, making sure that leaders are secure to rigs and that knots are tied correctly. This also allows us to determine if lines need to be replaced before we hit the water.
Of course, you’ll inevitably need to tie some knots while on the water, but having as many prettied as possible is your best option. Keep in mind, too, that the sometimes rough conditions on a yak offshore can making tying a bit more difficult.
 
Put rigs where they are accessible
One of the great things about many of the newer model kayaks designed for offshore angling is the ease of accessibility to gear. Offshore, it’s important to be able to easily get to your rigs and to know where everything is.
I find it useful to label my tackle cases and to place them in an order that’s logical to my strategy. For example, no matter the tournament I fish (inshore or offshore) I have a tackle case labeled “Openers.” These are the rigs I plan to use first. This way when I am setting up the boat at the launch site, I know exactly where the rigs are I want to use first. I coordinate this box with my overall plan for the day. I have cases for terminal tackle and one for casting lures. As a side note, I find Plano’s Waterproof StowAway Utility Boxes particularly useful for offshore tournament fishing.
 
Lock it down
You’d think I’d learn. Paddling in to the beach after fishing off of St. Augustine one summer, I rolled the kayak in an afternoon shorebreak swell. I lost two rods, a tackle box, and most heartbreakingly, one of my favorite knives. I told myself then to always make sure everything is tied down, lanyards on rods. The next summer a nice king smacked the pogy I had out on a tag line from the rod holder behind me. When I reached behind me to pull the rod from the holder, the fish ran hard and the rod went with it. No lanyard. No fish and no more rod and reel. You’d think I’d learn.
It’s a simple concept: offshore, lock it down. When prepping for an offshore tournament, count the number of items that you’ll use, then make sure you have at least that many lanyards, clips, or other methods for securing the gear. From the moment you place rods in their holders, clip the reels to lanyards; check to be sure the lanyards are attached to the boat. Check, too, to make sure the lanyards do not restrict your use of the gear or cause tangle hazards.
Consider adding floats to your rods, as well. Using foam like pipe insulation or swimming “noodles,” or LunaSea’s Ultra Float devices can keep you gear at the surface should it end up overboard.
 
Stop. Think. Act.
Ultimately, the most important part of preparing for an offshore kayak tournament is mental preparation. But sometimes, no matter how prepared you are, the situation is going to demand on-the-spot problem solving. Knee-jerk reactions can be dangerous and can lead to even further problems. No matter the problem you face on the water, whether as simple as switching a lure or an on-the-fly decision about how to handle a big fish that’s too green to bring to boat, pause. Give yourself a moment to think through the situation before acting. A simple philosophy of stop, think, then act, can spawn better responses to the situation.
 
A final thought
Many years ago I completed my training as a scuba instructor. During the training sequence, one rescue diver course taught professional divers to become alert to problems before they emerged. That is, the course taught us to look for signs of potential problems before they became problems. The course instructors taught us that once we learned to be alert to problems, we’d be able to prevent them before they happened. They also taught us that we’d no longer dive as amateurs unaware of problems, that we’d always be alert to solving problems before they unfolded.  I think this is one of the most important things I leaned not only as a scuba instructor but as a person who spends time on the water: anticipate the problems. Look for them before they unfold. A lot of this depends on experience, learning what to look for, what to anticipate, and how to prepare for the expected and unexpected.  Ultimately, this degree of preparation should serve as an undercurrent to all we do on the water. The excitement, thrill, and fun of offshore kayak angling deserves our diligence, as well, even if we want to pretend that we’re tougher than all of the potential problems that offshore kayak angling might present. An ounce of preparation, as we tend to misquote Benjamin Franklin, is, indeed, worth a pound of cure. See more guide here. 
 
As promised, the basics:
If you’re forgetting these, they either don’t matter because you’re tougher than that or you might want to stay on the beach. Safety first, ladies and gentlemen.

Life jacket
Paddle
Water
Snacks
Radio/spare bateries
Flag
Signal device
Rods
Reels
Tackle
Bait
Tie downs
Rain gear
First aid kit
Knife
Dry bag
Check the plugs!

Sid Dobrin is Chair of the Department of English at the University of Florida. He is co-owner of Inventive Fishing, an online resource for recreational saltwater sportfishing (www.inventivefishing.com). He has been kayak fishing for more than 12 years.

​A Beginner’s Guide to Offshore Kayak Fishing Tournament Preparation By Fred York
It is that time of year again when the weather is cooperating and the seas are settling down. Tournament directors have had their dates chosen months, sometimes years, in advance and you have finally decided to take the next step and challenge yourself by jumping into the world of competitive kayak fishing. Today I am going to go over some of the Do’s and Don’ts of competing in offshore kayak fishing tournaments. Let’s dive into some of the most important lessons I have learned from doing all the wrong things over the years. Here’s to hoping you will not make the same mistakes as I did.
DON’T: First thing’s first. If you haven’t ever been fishing offshore on a kayak, tournament day is probably not your best choice to debut your skills. And by “skills” I mean getting tossed around in the surf and losing your sweet Ugly Stick rig and that pack of night crawlers. The ocean is a different animal and demands respect.
DO: Make sure you have a few trips under your belt, preferably with a qualified offshore fishing guide if at all possible. I have some great recommendations if you want to message me. Either way, practice launching, practice landing and have a solid understanding of how your rig works before you get there.
DON’T: Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. If you are already accustomed to fishing offshore and you already catch fish, there is no reason to buy any special lures or baits or to try and do anything spectacular. Same goes with your routine for sleep, food, water and caffeine. For example, when I’m fishing offshore I never take more than a large bottle of water and some beef jerky. There is no reason to pack a cooler full of food just for a tournament.
DO: If you ask me, the most important thing about preparing for a tournament is to plan on doing whatever you normally do that catches fish. Tournament days are no different from ordinary days and your skills and equipment are just as effective here. Stick to your usual sleep habits, eat like normal, and keep caffeine to a typical level. When you’re on the water, do what you regularly do. Tournament day is no day to break in your new downrigger or to start learning how to fly a kite. Keep it simple.
DO: Know the rules before you launch that little plastic boat. Earlier this year I made the mistake of skipping the captain’s meeting at the EKFT Sailfish Smackdown and I tossed back a fish that would have won me the Trashcan Slam Division and a pretty sweet prize from Jimmy Jigs. I just didn’t pay attention to the rules. Classic Captain Googin. The last thing you want to do is show up with gear that isn’t allowed, or not have gear that is required. For example, if you show up without a flag or PFD, you’ll likely have to hustle one up before you’re allowed to launch.  Ain’t nobody got time for that.
DO: Make sure you secure bait from the bait boat prior to tournament day. You have the option to reserve bait and if you don’t, you may be left to fend for yourself on the water. Even if you plan on catching bait before the tournament starts I would highly recommend reserving bait from the bait boat as a backup plan, just in case the targeted baits are not cooperating that morning. If you don’t have fresh bait you’re probably better off staying on the beach and posting super sweet beach selfies with your bros.  Seriously though… reserve bait.
DO: Last but not least, remember to leave your overly competitive, Tuesday morning basketball session ego at home. It’s fishing. It can be extremely frustrating. Going in with the right mindset and attitude is going to save you a lot of heartache. Take it from the guy who impulsively sold his $3,000 kayak and all his gear after having not caught a fish in three tournaments straight. It’s not worth getting all crazy. Have fun. Hell, I still haven’t weighed in a fish and I have fished ten EKFT events. It’ll happen for you if you just keep a good attitude and stay positive. Good sportsmanship is essential. Be the person others want to be around and you’ll find that the tournament scene is about much more than trying to weigh in the heaviest bag. Tight lines! Browse more useful stuff here. 

​By Fred York