kite fishing from the surf?

[lostatsea]

I think they do it in places like Australia and South America. How come no one does it here? Has anyone ever tried it?

[dogfish]

You would have a problem controlling the bait. How would you keep it down in the water from shore? Maybe using release clips. That is probably why it works better off a boat. If you wanted to try it from the surf, try one of those balloons from the dollar store. Wait for a wind at your back, one that directly shoots off the beach. Try for an outgoing tide, and set the bait at the depth you want it to be at at its maximum distance from you.

[dogfish]

I thought no one did it from shore.:embarassed:
I did find a video. He uses 2 rods and a lot of line.
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[nitestrikes]

There are some folks who are pretty serious about this. check it out.



It works best with two people, one to get the kite out while the other pays out the fishing line(s). I routinely fished several rods/baits from one kite. Just add releases at different points on the kite line.

Kite fishing was pioneered in the Keys in the early 70's. A very effective way of presenting a live bait on the surface. It is the most effective way to catch sailfish that I know. Also great for anything else that feeds near the surface.

I've used it in the surf for bass and blues with good success. The biggest problem is with wind direction. On a boat it doesn't matter but from shore you need a wind blowing out. I've fished live bunker on the surface this way and also used a kite just to get a bottom bait out past the surf with a heavy sinker. Just reel out until it gets where you want it and pop the release. I found that a cloths pin works better than a downrigger release for this.

You can buy kites and kite rods, although I always used an old Penn Senator to fly the kite. The large spool kite reels make winding the kite in and out easier but like anything else, they're overpriced (IMO).

Use a short, heavy "boat" rod to fly the kite. Cheap as you can get - just make sure the guides are in good shape. In a stiff wind there will be a pretty good load on the rod. Use a conventional reel instead of a spinning reel. It will give you better kite control. Again, you don't need an expensive reel for this. I used Penn's Senator's only because I got them used and cheap. I used braided nylon line because it was lighter and stronger than mono. You want to minimize sag and stretch in the kite line. The newer braided monos are probably good for this.

You will probably have to experiment a little with releases. I used both downrigger and outrigger releases with sucess. I also have used clothspins wrapped with a rubber band. Outrigger releases allow you to "adjust" a live bait to keep it on the surface. A line run through a swivel clamped in a clothspin does the same thing for 1/10th the cost. If you're bottom fishing, clip the line in the pin or in a downrigger release. when you get the bait out where you want a good yank will release the fishing line.

I suggest buying your first kite and then using it as a model to make your own. The harness is probably the only unusual aspect. I made a half dozen or so (actually my wife did most of the making, I would probably hurt myself with a sewing machine) from a used backpacker tent I got at a yard sale. Think light, strong and reasonably waterproof materials. I bought a half dozen cheap kids fishing rods to cut up for for the frames. I ended up experimenting with different sizes for different wind conditions.

Good luck - I've fished for left coast stripers in the SF Bay area and done some salmon/steelhead fishing in the Northwest, but never any surf fishing out there. I've driven Hwy 101 and from what I remember, the surf looked pretty intimidating.

http://forum.doityourself.com/fishing/288313-surf-fishing-ideas.html

[plugcrazy]

Some cool kite fishing vids. crazy New Zealanders


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA-4wcaRM9w&feature=fvwrel

[plugcrazy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNTb1-hf8ps