We paddle to 40 feet and check the GPS to find that we have a weak drift to the south. Plan 2, south current, paddle to the north and work the Skycliffe. She is a 317 foot Freighter that lays in 200 feet, north of the inlet. The paddle north was not bad. Pescar stops in 80 feet and hooks a 1/15 pound blue runner and hooks in on his baitrunner. We make it to the Skycliffe and there was one boat working it. The current was slow .5 MPH to the south but the ship was holding a lot of fish.
Working the jig around the wreak and BAM it did not take long to hook up. After a good fight a AJ comes to the kayak. Nice size for the grill and they eat great on the grill or smoked.
We keep fishing working the sides of the wreak trying not to hook in on our drops. I did hook the wreak once and was able to get my jig back by paddling up current and pull the jig off the wreak. It works sometime but worth the try, the jigs are not cheep. Then I hook up again. This time it is a bigger fish. The power of a big AJ is unreal. It takes all I have to keep him out of the wreak. 20 minuet's into the fight the hook pulls. But I still have my jig. Drop back down and keep jigging then BAMMM, my rod doubles over as a BIG AJ tries to take me and my kayak to the bottom with him. O MY WHAT HAVE I DONE , I THINK I AM GOING TO XXXX , THIS IS SO COOL. What POWER. The AJ makes it to the wreak and POW, it sound like a gun going off as the line breaks. This happen a few times. To bring a big AJ off the bottom is a prize in a kayak. Pescar hooks a small dolphin and Bugdoc hook up with a ramora.
Pescar still had that 1.5 pound runner on his baitrunner and then it happened. A Big AJ came up and hit the runner. BAMMMM His reel was in gear, the baitrunner was not on and the rod holder gives out under the power of the fish. The only thing that saved his rod was a safety line he had on the rod. He was able to get his rod and the fight was on.
It is a long hard fight but the AJ takes him into the Skycliffe.
I hook up again.
One more nice eating size AJ makes it to the kayak.
I hooked a few more only to have the hook pull or get cut off. Then the last fish of the day took my jig. I worked him up 40 feet then he made a power run like I have never seen. My rod tip was in the water and I was holding my rod strait up. There was no way I could stop this thing. Then BAM. It sounded like a cannon as the line gave. WOW. That fish was worthy. I lost 6 jigs but had a good work out. We paddled back to Boynton at noon with two AJs. South current love kayaks so make plans for it and it may save you a long hard paddle.
