A kayak angler’s memorable induction to the billfish club.
Ian ‘Dizzyfish’ Harris and his Hobie Fishing Bro Steve Williams of the United Kingdom, traveled to the legendary Rancho Leonero Resort on the Eastern Cape of the Baja Peninsula recently, for a spot of kayak fishing Mexican style.
The Ranch outfitted them with fully rigged Hobie kayaks, complete with livewells. “My great friend Morgan, at Hobie, told me about his trip there – and we decided to give it a try” Ian said.
The pair launched from the beach, catching some trigger fish on lures. “There were fish everywhere” Steve remarked.
Next, they took a scouting ride on a super panga – a local style of fishing boat, catching marlin, 50-pound plus roosterfish and red snapper. It left them eager to try again from the kayaks.
The following day their captain Treevo dropped Ian off in the kayak. Ian caught a feisty 20-pound jack crevalle, before Steve returned with Treevo in the boat and asked if Ian wanted to have a try at catching a marlin from the kayak. He didn’t need a second invitation, and soon he was trolling a live bait from the Hobie Mirage® Outback.
After about 30 minutes, Ian decided to switch rods, and placed the lighter rod in the holder, with the live bait dangling in the water behind the kayak. He cast out the other rod, and almost immediately hooked up.
Ian could see the marlin trying to shed the Trokar circle hook. He managed to set the hook, and just as the marlin took off on its first run, another marlin grabbed the live bait on the spare rod, hitting the kayak as it did so!
Ian was holding a rod in each hand, each connected to a crazy marlin. He managed to radio Steve in the boat, and after what seemed like an eternity, Steve took one of the rods and played the marlin from the boat. This left Ian able to concentrate on controlling the other marlin on the kayak.
“The sleigh ride was epic. This was easily the most powerful fish I have hooked on the kayak” Ian said. “It breached out of the water several times and made long runs, dragging me behind in the Hobie.”
Eventually, Ian got the upper hand, and caught up with the marlin. Steve appeared in the boat and captured some amazing pictures. Definitely a Hobie day! They were the talk of the town that evening. The Mexican captains were talking on the radio about El Dizzy the crazy English kayak fisherman playing two marlin at once.
