competition whenever prey is encountered, leading
to impulse strikeswith little time tobe wary. Those
thathesitatewillsimplymissout.Thisis a beautiful
scenario for us anglers because it generates easy
hook-ups. However, gamefish that travel solo or in
smallgroupstendtobehavedifferentlyastheyhave
theluxuryof timeto assesstheirpreybeforestriking.
These are what are frequently considered ‘smart
fish’,thewaryonesthattakeextratimeto considera
bait,oftenrefusingit if somethingdoesn’tlookquite
right.Thebiggestproblemis thatyouprobablywon’t
know this is going on, so you’ll simply miss your
chance. You’ve probably watched underwater video
of gamefishcominguptoinspect gear,thenpeeling
awaywithoutstriking.Thecrewprobablyneverknew
thosefishwerethere!
The good news is that kite fishing with a livebait
eliminates these problems by removing all terminal
tacklefromthewater.It’stheultimateoffering,asthe
predatorseesnothingmorethanyourbaitfishdangling
justbelowthesurface.Evenbetter, thestrikesoccur
right on the surface, adding a spectacularly visual
elementto strike.THEKITESYSTEM
Thekitegamefishingsystemusesa specialised
fishingkitethathoversin a stablebreeze.
It runs from a dedicated kite outfit,
comprising a short rod typically
around 1m in length and fitted
witha robustoverheadreelwith
strongcranking power (Penn
Senators are a favourite)or
anelectricreel.The kitelineis normallygel-spunbraid,which is finer and lighter than
Dacronormonofilament,helping to keep the kite aloft
andin control.
Lightweightoutrigger-typerelease clips are set on the
kite line. Theseclips attachone or more fishing lines.
A single kite can dangle up to three different lines.
The lines are spacedat intervals to eliminate tangles
andcreatea spread of baits. When a fish strikes, the
mainline pulls out of the release clip and falls down.
This automatically gives the gamefish a few seconds
of slacklinetoswallowthebait – like drop-back from
anoutrigger.Meanwhile,theangler quickly reels in the
slackbeforesettingthehook.
Because the livebait is suspended vertically and
positioned right at the surface of the water, it is
constantlystrugglingto divedownward. This generates
splashing and commotion on the surface, helping to
draw in predators from hundreds of metres away. A
suddenincreasein thestruggling action of your baitfish
usuallygivesyoua fewseconds warning that a big fish
is interested.
It’simportantto havea dedicated crewmember paying
constantattentionto thekiteand baits. This ensures the
kiteis flyingstronglyandthebaits are always kept right
at thesurface.Thepayoffis not only more fish, but the
chanceto seethoseincredible strikes. Big gamefish will
launchthemselves on thestruggling bait, and it’s not
uncommonfora tuna,mackerel or wahoo to skyrocket
outof thewaterandontothekite bait. Likewise, sailfish
often suddenly appear beneath a bait, hoisting their
sail beforeturning blackandcircling to intimidate the
baitfish before launching an attack. This is a unique
opportunityto seenatureat its finest and is like being
partof yourownprivateNational Geographic show.“Whenyoudon’tneedto trollfast
in yoursearchto findfish,kitefishingis
oftenthedeadliestgamefishingtacticyoucanuse.”
Main: Release clips at staggered intervals on the kite line hold multiple
fishing lines in the same way they do when used on an outrigger.
Right: There is nothing more exciting than watching a gamefish – in
this case a bluefin tuna – crash your kite bait right on the surface.42 facebook.com/BlueWatermagazine
Ultimate stealth
“Game fishing
with a kite
is almost
foolproof when
wary fish are
refusing visible
leaders and
hooks.”