Some fishing experiences change an angler forever. Legendary kayak guide Captain Eric McDonald hooked a sailfish the first time he fished offshore in his kayak. “I saw the fish jump and then it came off the hook,” he recalls. Losing his first sailfish only made McDonald more determined to catch one. “I did hours of research focused on putting a sailfish on my lap,” he says.
Next-Level Fishing: Married to Sailfish
How to Catch Sailfish
Catching a sailfish in a kayak requires the angler to make sacrifices. To focus on sails, McDonald gives up the opportunity to catch wahoo and king mackerel. “I have to switch from wire leader to fluorocarbon,” McDonald explains. Wahoo and king mackerel have razor-sharp teeth calling for wire leader and treble hooks. Sharp-sighted sailfish don’t have teeth and they shy away from wire leader. To reduce damage to the sailfish, anglers use inline circle hooks and fluorocarbon leader. “In order to catch a sailfish, I risk losing kings and wahoo,” McDonald says.
Tip for Success
Fishing the open ocean in a kayak requires careful strategy. “Consider the wind and current to set up a plan,” McDonald says. Rough water turns on the sailfish, McDonald likes wind speed up to 10 knots creating a short chop on the surface. After launching through the surf, McDonald works out to 90 feet of water searching for current and color changes, floating vegetation or jumping baitfish. Sailfish often swim on the surface, using their large dorsal to corral bait. McDonald slow trolls the live baits constantly on the lookout for inbound sailfish. When fighting a sailfish, the angler is not in control. “Let the fish run and use the kayak like a big bobber,” McDonald instructs anglers. Tiring out a sailfish may take over an hour and the battle can drag the angler over a mile. Once the sail is totally exhausted, McDonald grabs it by the bill and slides it onto his lap.
Tackle Upgrade
- Rod: 7-foot medium-heavy
- Reel: 30-pound high-speed, lever-drag
- Line: 20-pound monofilament
- Leader: 15-feet, 40-pound fluorocarbon
- Rig: 5/0 inline circle hook and live google eye
Fish Tale
For McDonald, the allure of sailfish is mixing it up with the most expensive boats in the world. “I’m in a piece of plastic fishing next to Michael Jordan,” he laughs. The sportfishing captains are in equal amazement. He’s heard conversations over the VHF radio between captains asking why they spent millions on their boats when they could have bought a kayak. McDonald’s response, “Do you want to trade?”
“Catching a sailfish from a kayak is 10-times the hype.” –Captain Eric McDonald. | Feature photo: Captain Eric McDonald
