Banana River fishing this Morning

Peddling the Shoreline

Fished the Banana River this morning and the conditions where picture perfect. Water like glass, cool temperatures and loads of fish. I only had a couple hours so I decided to fish here because it was close to home. It's really a great area and I'll probably fish it more often now that I have the kayak and it's so convenient.

I had planned to fish the East side but when I got to the Pineda causeway the wind, what little there was, was right out of the West and that side of the river was slick like glass. This was actually the place that I first tested the kayak when I bought it new. You can see a satellite image of the area at GEOPESCO under the Fishing Report I posted there. Look for the one labeled Banana River.

First Self Portrait

There is a nice little put-in area right on the off ramp of the Pineda Causeway. It's perfect for kayaks but some people do put small boats with trailers in there too.

I was surprised to find that I had it all to myself at 7:00AM this morning.

The water was fairly clear and the conditions were perfect. It wasn't long before I saw the tail. I could see if from quite a distance so paddled slowly to get within casting range. This water was so shallow that I actually had to paddle rather than peddle, probably less than a foot deep.

I made one cast with the white exude and spooked a bunch of bait fish but the redfish remained oblivious to the commotion, with his tail wagging away. The second cast was a little more aggressive on my part and I put it right on top of him. That got his attention however, as he grabbed the lure and took off. He made a good effort of tugging the kayak around before letting me get him in. He was a nice 29" redfish, photographed and released.

As you can see from the photo it's not easy taking pictures of the angler and the fish when alone.

Kayak Fully Rigged

The kayak is really proving to be a great fishing platform. I've got everything situated where I can get to it now. I have all the important stuff leashed so in the event of a mishap it doesn't sink to the bottom, and it is all within easy reach. I really like sight-fishing the shallow water. It's very quiet and peaceful out there.