From what our ship captain said, smoked marlin and marlin jerky is popular with the Japanese folks in Hawaii...that's probably why they keep them.

Ahh, yeah. I forget about the heavy Japanese population in Hawaii.

Our Captain said they take them to the fish market at the end of every trip. I do vaguely recall something about being able to keep anything "small" (I don't recall any weight being given) but can't say for certain.
It only took about 20 minutes to get it in, though it seemed an eternity at the time, so I didn't get tired. To say the adrenalin was pumping is an understatement. It actually took the guy a lot longer to get the sailfish in. They told him that they had very soft mouths and not to horse it. They told me to just get to pumping and keep it coming toward the boat.

Another guy had one about tiwce that size (the captain estimated about 400) hit, but didn't stay hooked (which we were told is quite common). They said if you actually get one of every five that hits the bait to hook up you should consider yourself lucky.

As well you should. Best fish and chips I've ever had was made with mahi mahi. Had it in Maui last December. Would kill to find a good place in KS that prepares their fish and chips with those suckers.

I haven't gone through this whole thread so I apologize if this has been discussed.

Does anyone here have a fishing kayak or know anyone that has one or has anyone ever gotten to use one? It seems like a method of fishing that is becoming increasingly popular and for a few years now I have wanted one and now think I have the extra spending cash and I am considering getting one. I am wondering how well they handle and how stable they are. Also, my preference for now seems to be the sit-in kind instead of sit-on top kind so I wondering what differences are in those as well. Thanks in advance for any help and tips.

We did an overnight fishing trip out of Cancun, so we could go further off shore. We camped on an island out in the middle of nowhere that was some kind of scinetific research facility. There were monitor lizards everywhere. Grilled a half mahi-mahi on the beach and made ceviche with the other half, which was one of the best fish meals I'd ever had. Woke up in the morning and snorkled with manta rays in the bay before going out for another day of fishing. One of the coolest memories of my childhood.

I really like fishing from a kayak. Are you interested in one for a lake, ocean, or streams? Where you intend to use it (or if you intend to use it in a variety of sitautions) will be a huge determining factor in the kind of boat you want. I'm not crazy into kayak fishing like some people, but I know a little bit and could probably point you in the right direction.

See below

Well I am in Overland Park, KS so ocean is out of the question haha. I would like to take it into streams and creeks above and below reservoirs as well as along the shorelines of larger lakes, ponds, and reservoirs during certain times of the season or for certain species.

Yeah even if a did live near the ocean and had a kayak I do not think I would be fishing for Marlin :eek: I would probably stick to the coves and shores for those redfish that seem to be really popular.

Another thing to consider: do you want to go with foot pedals? They're very nice because they leave both hands free to fish while you can still maneuver. They are more expensive, though. I know Hobie has a model, not sure if any other makers have joined that market, though.

This seems like a good starting point:

http://www.kayakreview.org/fishing-kayaks

Yeah I have seen those pedals online but I have not seen them in the models available at the Bass Pro or Cabelas. Bass pro carries a big selection of Ascend models. I was thinking that those could be added onto many models separately along with many other attachments which is something that I think would fun to do. Whether it be a fish find or an anchor it would be neat for sure. That said, the pedals would be something I would not consider too important for my purposes since I should be able to anchor myself as needed or be in calm enough waters or even tie up to a tree when in the creeks.

That link did have some good tips. I hadn't thought of the fact that I would get used to a thinner kayak and over time it would seem as stable as a wider one. Either way, I don't foresee the need to do too much long distance paddling so a wider and shorter one would suit me fine I think.

http://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/file...17_digital.pdf

nice article on gar fishing and making a lure out of rope. you'll have to page down for awhile.
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