# Jigging Hatteras in the Kayak



## fisherman (Feb 20, 2002)

Got the late night call from Captain Scott Warren on Big Tahuna that his Saturday crew had cancelled but he wasn't going to let the blackfin tuna take the day off. The weather forecast was tolerable and he wanted to take the fishcrazy.info kayak ward jigging for tuna. I alerted Lee Williams and Matt Shepard and we met Rob Alderman at Teach’s Lair early Saturday morning. Skies were overcast and the winds were puffing, but the blackfin had been snapping so we loaded the ‘yaks in the back of ‘Tahuna and headed offshore. We got to the 240 Rocks and Scott immediately started marking fish. A test jig confirmed that we were on the blackfin. Deploy ‘yaks. The plastic force hit the water and it wasn’t long before we started hooking up. Scott would motor in circles until he marked blackfin (he knows the fish’s signature mark on his fishfinder) then tell us how deep to drop our jigs. Color-coded Daiwa braid indicated when my jig would hit the target depth. Then start jigging. Working a jigging rod in a kayak isn’t easy. Since we sit so low to the water, I hopped up on my knees to get the maximum action out of my set up. A short model like my Okuma medium heavy and matching reel made were an advantage. Lee was using a spinning rod, which gave him more options for action. Either way it didn’t matter; as long as the jig was going fast, it was getting bit. These little tuna hit with bone jarring power, then take off like a torpedo. Many skippers agree that blackfin are the hardest pulling of the tuna family. Despite 12 to 14 pounds of drag pressure, these fish were bending our jigging rods double and stripping line at will. Often several of us would be hooked up at once, and the fish would drag us around and bounce us together like pool balls. Just as I would start to make headway, the tuna would turn and dump another 20 yards of line from the reel. By the time I got one of these fish to the kayak, my arms were Jello. It was all I could do to grab the jig and swing the fish into my lap where it would spaz out and beat its tail against the plastic with death metal double bass cadence. We also caught a few amberjack and albacore and had run-ins with monster sharks that would eat our catch right on the line. At one point, I saw a big, black shape swirl right behind Alderman’s bright red kayak. The resulting boil was larger than Rob’s boat. Even though it was raining and the wind kicked up white caps and spray, we were fortunate to have little current so we were still able to chase Big Tahuna and the blackfin. Between the guys on the boat and the crew in the ‘yaks, we brought home 29 blackfin. Lee had the biggest ‘yak fish at 23 pounds – a North Carolina citation. With all the jigging and paddling and fighting these impossibly hard pulling fish, we were sapped by lunchtime. The box was full of tuna and our bodies were emptied of energy. Blackfin fishing off Hatteras should stay hot through the winter. Get on it.


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## YakAttack (Aug 8, 2006)

Well done! Looks like a blast.


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## RAYTOGS (May 8, 2010)

Man that looks like fun!!! I like the pic of the 3 in the tankwell. Keep them reports coming.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

That is just awesome. Congrats guys.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Congrats Ric, that is awesome!


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## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

ah yes, was waitin to see this one. good stuff.


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## robchoi (Aug 27, 2008)

Yes, good stuff indeed.


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## wannabeangler (Feb 7, 2009)

Excellent report! One day I may get lucky enough to do that kind of....:fishing:


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## ToddF (Jun 7, 2010)

Now that is some hardcore kayak fishing. I hope you got some video.
Todd F.


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## citation (Dec 8, 2010)

That is crazy, but i would do it, good job guys


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## smacks fanatic (Oct 16, 2010)

seeing the sportfisher in the background relives me from thinking you paddled all the way out there.


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## moose22dog (Feb 17, 2010)

wow.. that is a hell of a mourning congrats keep them comingopcorn:. one day maybe one day


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## SkunkApe (Dec 9, 2006)

Does everyone yak fishing off the mother ship need a tuna permit?


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