I realize that I’m not the first kayak angler to change electronics brands and encounter installation issues. But I figured that the more information and tips available online, the less complicated the task might be for others. Let me start at the beginning.

I like to change the electronics on my kayaks and boats every three to five years. Because I write about electronics for our publications, I usually swap electronics brands each time so that I can become more familiar with the user interfaces.

When I bought my Hobie Compass kayak several years ago, we installed a Lowrance display and transducer, using Hobie’s Lowrance-Ready transducer mounting system — which positions the long slender transom-mount sensor into a pocket beneath the hull. The transducer fastens to the hull using a plastic adapter plate and screws. Easy-peasy.

After three years, I decided to install a Garmin EchoMap UHD 74sv. However, the holes on the Garmin transducer did not match up with the holes on the adapter plate. My own internet search began. I found the BerleyPro Hobie Transducer Mount.

My initial excitement waned as I noticed the company was located in Australia. Shipping would be possible, but costly. Another search located the same product at fishingonline.com. At $73.14 with free shipping, I hit buy.

Once I found this product, the rest of the install went fairly easily, although I managed to fasten on the new adapter plate upside down at first. Attaching the Garmin’s power cord to a Nocqua cable to plug into my Li-ion battery was a simple matter of matching red wires and black wires.

Read Next: How to Choose a Fishing Kayak

I feel great satisfaction when I plug in something and it works instantly. I used Garmin’s Active Captain app to download and install g3 Vision charts to my MFD. My first fishing trip with the new Garmin showed me all kinds of new functionality as well as pointing out fish and bait schools.

Here’s the short video capture of the process:

Chris Woodward / Sport Fishing

The post Kayak How-To Video: Swapping in a Garmin Transducer appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Credit: Chris Woodward, Justin Lammers/kayakdiy.com

The region encompassing Lee County in southwest Florida—including Matlacha, Pine Island and Sanibel—ranks as one of my most favorite domestic fishing locations. Acres of mangrove-lined islets, quiet grass flats and quaint towns combine to slow the hurry of life and spark the soul-soothing effects of repetitive lure casting.

So when Hobie asked me last fall to join a small group of marine media to test some new inflatable kayaks—based out of Matlacha’s Tiny Village—I seized the chance. They explained that we’d be taking full precautions with regard to the COVID virus. Amen to all of that.

Once I arrived in colorful Matlacha, Hobie introduced our group to the new Mirage iTrek inflatables—the iTrek 9 Ultralight and the iTrek 11—which lay on the dock with an assortment of Hobie’s current line of hard-bodied kayaks. Representatives from AFTCO and Lowrance also debuted their new gear, including Lowrance’s Elite FS multifunction displays.

I’ve kayakfished for many years, but have never tried an inflatable boat. I was intrigued by the idea of a 20- to 28-pound hull that deflates to stow inside a duffel bag. What a concept for anglers who live in apartments and smaller homes, and for those who struggle with a 12- to 14-footer that weighs 75 to 100 pounds. But how would an inflatable fish?

The iTrek 9 Ultralight measures 9 feet, 5 inches long with a 3-foot-4-inch beam (350-pound capacity). The iTrek 11 measures 10 feet, 8 inches long with the same beam (400-pound capacity). The longer boat also sports single-chamber pontoons port and starboard. Both boats feature a 550 Denier PVC hull and come with MirageDrive GT pedals with Kick-Up Fins, a rudder system and a three-piece paddle.

The iTreks handled light chop well, though it was a little easier to feel the boats’ movements because of their flexibility. Both absolutely turn on a dime, more or less spinning within a boat’s length, and they accelerate very quickly.

Read Next: Kayak Fishing the Pacific from Hobie’s New Outback

The MirageDrive GT doesn’t come with Hobie’s 180-degree steering (in other words, no reverse), but because the light inflatables are so responsive, I found it easy to avoid close encounters with the mangroves.

I could stand up to cast or look for fish from both boats, as could everyone else—even fairly tall men—who tried. An EVA deck pad just ahead of the seat provides sure footing.

I found the elevated mesh seat comfortable and cool. An optional kayak crate easily bungees to the deck behind the seat and holds most of what you’d need.

Dining and Entertainment in Lee County

During two fishing days, we kept our social distance, covering many miles of winding creeks and open flats. We caught a smattering of seatrout, redfish and snook, despite a recent tropical storm that had just blown through. We sampled a little Matlacha culture at the Olde Fish House and the Blue Dog Bar & Grill. And, we gained new respect for lightweight, inflatable boats. The convenience, fishability and simplicity really can’t be beat.

The iTrek 9 costs $2,199, and the iTrek 11 costs $2,499.

The post Kayak Fishing in Florida from Hobie’s New Inflatables appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Hobie has introduced the new Mirage Passport 10.5 pedal-driven fishing kayak, built with simplicity and versatility in mind. The 10½-foot hull features a 34-inch beam and can carry 325 pounds. Unrigged, the kayak itself weighs 65 pounds, and comes with Hobie’s classic MirageDrive pedals and ST fins, two rod holders, a twist-and-seal hatch, accessory-mounting tracks and a mesh aluminum-frame seat. Available with a slate-blue or ­sea-grass-green deck paired with a white hull bottom, the Passport costs $1,299.

The post Hobie Mirage Passport 10.5 appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Line tumbled off the open spool. I shifted my body weight in the direction of my rod tip while sliding fully upright on the mesh seat of my Hobie kayak. I set my shoulders as I neared the end of my five-second countdown.

Closing the bail on my reel, I watched the line pull tight. As the rod tip bowed heavily toward the chop lapping against my hull, I reeled and lifted, driving the circle hook firmly into place. Immediately I felt the weight and wide body of my target species, a large and very angry offshore permit.

I was fairly certain I had hooked what I was after. During late April, only a handful of fish readily gobble a live, 3-inch blue crab suspended midwater over the offshore wrecks of southwest Florida.

I adjusted my kayak rudder to steer the bow opposite the permit’s direction. This additional surface drag allowed me to pull deep into the rod. I slowly and methodically played tug of war against this heavyweight.

I began pedaling the kayak away from the underwater structure: an old shrimp boat that had found its final resting place in nearly 60 feet of water, about 14 miles off Sanibel Island on Florida’s Gulf Coast. As I gained distance from the wreck, the fish quickly shifted directions. I spun the rod behind my head, switching hands as the permit sped from port to starboard.

Finally, the endgame: a vertical seesaw battle. After 10 minutes, I saw a flash about 20 feet below. “We’ve got color!” I shouted to my fishing partner, Hobie’s Morgan Promnitz. The bright-silver body of a 20-pound permit shimmered in the green water.

Hitch a Ride
The popularity of kayak-fishing has exploded over the past decade, bringing more-adventurous anglers into the sport. After years of successfully targeting easily accessible species, some of us have sought harder-to-reach targets that swim far beyond the daily travel range for most fishing-style kayaks. This desire has created a niche market for local captains and anglers piloting larger center-console boats who can reach distant destinations with kayaks aboard or in tow.

In fact, as a southwest Florida transplant of nearly 15 years, I’ve targeted a majority of our inshore and nearshore species from my ’yak. While tarpon, sawfish and inshore grouper challenged me, the one species I’ve wanted to knock off the bucket list is permit.

Permit aren’t especially difficult to catch in our local waters, but successfully landing one of these fish by kayak requires some advanced planning and the assist of a mothership. Locally, these full, eight-hour day trips can cost $750, which includes a livewell full of crabs. I’ve only occasionally needed a powerboat to reach the fishing grounds. The first time, I was in an isolated portion of jungle along the Panamanian coastline. The second time: this permit trip.

I could have spent an extremely long day trekking to some shallower wrecks 8 to 10 miles offshore. But employing the help of Capt. Matt Johnson and his 24-foot Blue Wave bay boat made the experience all the more enjoyable.

Johnson picked us up from our launch point at South Seas Island Resort. Our group of two anglers, one videographer and a photographer had gathered there with the ultimate goal of capturing permit from the local shipwreck offshore of the barrier islands.

It took a bit of muscle, but we loaded our three Hobie Pro Anglers aboard the center-console at the marina dock. We lashed the 14-foot kayaks alongside the gunwale, two on the port side and the third to starboard. With calm seas expected, we felt comfortable making the long haul offshore.

Crab Bounty
Beginning in March, from the Ten Thousand Islands to Boca Grande, massive aggregations of adult permit head offshore to feed and spawn. Schools can number into the thousands of individuals. Anglers often see these permit swimming with their dorsal fins breaking the water’s surface.

The fish begin venturing into local regions as the water temperatures hover around 75 degrees. They can be found in wrecks as shallow as 20 feet, just a few miles offshore, or as far out as 50 miles or more, in wrecks over 100 feet deep. Fortunately, this migration continues into early fall, with permit still available until the first cold fronts arrive in late October.

The spring movements coincide perfectly with the spring crab flushes that pour from the coastal waters of Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor. For several months, millions of crabs float along the surface during outgoing tides. They drift in masses to offshore waters on their own spawning journey, much to the delight of hungry permit.

Read Next: Tarpon on the Dark Side — Fishing Florida After Hours

Prevailing winds tend to dictate how shallow you can find the permit schools. The shallowest and most accessible wrecks hold fish, but often only during a period of light winds. Once the turbidity kicks up in those shallow locations, permit head farther offshore. They find more-comfortable conditions in 40 to 60 feet depths, where the water clarity generally remains more stable.

Fortunately, for anglers looking to target their first permit, the coordinates for artificial reefs can be easily found with a quick online search. Such publicized locations might receive more pressure, but they can still be quite productive when the boat traffic subsides. Private wrecks can offer more solitude, but their locations often remain a closely guarded secret.

Spin Up
Fortunately, targeting these offshore permit involves pretty standard gear. For smaller permit, commonly found in shallower waters, you can use any 3000- to 5000-size spinning reel spooled with 20-pound braided line. I like to pair that with a 7-foot medium-weight rod — probably similar to an outfit for catching flats redfish and snook.

If you’re lucky and follow through on proper planning, you might encounter the largest permit — 40 pounds or more — that haunt the deeper structures. To target those fish, upgrade to heavier gear to keep them out of structure.

My favorite setup is a 6000- to 8000-size spinning reel spooled with 30-pound braid. Bump up to a medium-heavy or heavy 7-foot spinning rod with some serious backbone. Half the effort in catching larger permit comes during the vertical battle. A stout rod quickly proves handy.

Line-shy permit require lightweight fluorocarbon leaders. I start with a 40-inch section of 25-pound-test fluoro, and go down to 20- or even 15-pound-test if fish are around but not feeding. If the bite is aggressive, you can sometimes get away with bumping up to 30- or 40-pound leader. Often, the lighter leader can create at least a few opportunities versus none.

I don’t use any fancy knots for light-tackle permit fishing. A standard uni-to-uni-knot connection works great between line and leader, and shouldn’t fail with the lighter drag pressure you need to use during a battle.

Match the Hatch
Few fish seem as picky as an old permit on our offshore wrecks. I’m an avid artificial-bait angler and rarely use natural or live offerings. However, I do make an exception when targeting these permit. They focus on crabs and rarely look at other offerings.

You occasionally can hook up on shrimp- or crab-imitating lures. More often, though, you’ll see hundreds of fish swimming around your lure without the slightest interest.

Permit anglers find two options for live crabs during the spring migration in southwest Florida: blue crabs and pass crabs. Blue crabs dominate the scene early in the season and make for excellent bait. The best-size crabs for offshore permit measure two to three fingers in width. Permit tend to ignore larger crabs.

Pass crabs, also called iridescent swimming crabs, can be used later in the season. They’re smaller and more delicate than blue crabs but can work pretty well if that’s all that’s available.

Most reputable tackle shops in southwest Florida sell crabs, but be prepared to fork over $2 to $4 apiece. If you’ve got plenty of time, you can dip-net crabs yourself near the local passes — such as Redfish and Captiva — during spring outgoing tides.

Crabs can be kept alive for several days by removing all but an inch or so of water from a five-gallon bucket. Add a cloth towel to the bucket to allow the crabs dry space. Make sure to clean the water every day or so to remove waste.

I prefer to rig crabs one of two ways: With a snelled 1/0 to 2/0 Mustad 2x circle hook, pierce them sideways through the corner of the horn that protrudes from the side of the body, allowing for a nice sideways swimming motion along and just below the surface. Or place the hook between the fold of their abdominal flap and the smallest rear leg. Run the hook point about 1/8 inch from the edge of the shell, going through the crease on the belly and exiting through the top of the shell. Don’t go too far into the body or you’ll injure their organs and cause them to perish quickly.

A properly hooked crab should swim freely on an open spool and last for repeated casts before it expires. If you notice that your crab isn’t swimming much but is still alive, remove it from the hook and put it back in the livewell. Lively baits work best, but as you run lower on bait, those sluggish-but-still-alive crabs can draw bites from frisky permit.

Stealth Approach
Permit swim throughout the water column. At times, they sun themselves on the surface, making a relatively easy target. Approach these fish quietly. A revving outboard or deck hatch slamming can push them down quickly.

When fish visibly fin on the surface, an unweighted circle hook keeps the crab positioned in the strike zone. Use a light sweeping motion of the rod to move a few feet of line and keep the bait near the surface. Gently feather your line and allow the crab to swim naturally with the wind or current.

To maximize your fishing time, position your kayak upwind and slightly off the school. Cast at the school while working toward them. I often deploy a ¼-ounce jig head when fish hold deep, or on windy days when the surface chop makes it difficult to keep track of the crab’s movement.

Pay close attention to your fish finder while navigating around the wreck. A permit school often hangs on one side of the structure, usually at midwater. If you see a cluster of suspended fish on the screen, odds are you’ve located permit.

Cast your jig-and-crab combo up-current and ahead of where you mark the school. Keep in mind that the light jig head will sink slowly toward the strike zone, taking 30 to 40 seconds, depending on depth.

One Fine Day
Our time on the water flew. By late afternoon, the sea breeze kicked up, and my shoulders began to feel the dozen permit I had landed on light tackle. As I was sliding into the afterglow, I saw Promnitz hook up again. He was a glutton for punishment and was taking advantage of every moment we had left on the water.

After he landed his final fish and we snapped some ­celebratory photos, we high-fived and called it a very successful outing. Covered in salt, sweat, and a bit of permit slime and crab juice, we pulled alongside Johnson’s boat and began loading the kayaks back on deck. I’ll always think back to that first subtle, quick tick of the line — my first kayak permit — a memory that will last a lifetime.

Sanibel Sources
Endless Summer Charters
Fort Myers, Florida
239-691-1966
sanibelislandfishingcharters.com

Tween Waters Inn Resort & Spa
Captiva Island, Florida
800-223-5865
tween-waters.com

South Seas Island Resort
Captiva Island, Florida
239-472-5111
southseas.com

Anderson’s Tackle Shop
Fort Myers, Florida
239-334-3474
andersontackle.com

Whitney’s Bait and Tackle
Sanibel Island, Florida
239-579-0399
whitneysbaitandtackle.com

Tip: While you’re there, try the great shore-fishing opportunities. Check out Blind Pass for snook and redfish, and Sanibel Causeway for snook and tarpon.

About the Author
Capt. Ross Gallagher has fished the waters of southwest Florida for nearly 15 years. An avid kayak angler, he frequently pursues big-game species on his custom-outfitted Hobie Pro Angler 14. You can follow his fishing adventures, product reviews and exciting fishing videos on his blog at theintrepidangler.com.

The post Kayak-Fish Southwest Florida’s Offshore Wrecks from a Mini Mothership appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.