Kayak fishing in Israel – 95lb amberjack

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This report is a dream that came true. I stated my kayak fishing trips 7 years ago and lot's of fisherman's thought I am crazy and I can said that I was the pioneer in Israel kayak fishing.

The report

Last Saturday I went fishing with 2 good friends from the Israeli kayak fishing forum. We launch at 6:00 am and we decided to paddle for two wreck's.

After 40 min' we arrived to the first one and there were some fish on the screen. Since last year I use the vertical jigging fishing with very good results (not like this ) from the yak. After 2 hours of drifting from one side to the other side of the wreck without any attack on the jigs we decided to paddle to another wreck.

I paddled fast to next wreck and I hooked up while I trolled a blue lour an 8lb tuna.

After 3 min I gaff her and start piddling again to the wreck.

I got there few min before my friends and I was amazed from the fact that the fish wasn’t there. Every time we got to this place its fool with small fish and today it was empty. I thought something is wrong with my fish finder.

Meanwhile my friends arrived and their fish finder shown the some picture. The wreck is empty for the first time in the last year.

i cant say that I didn't thought that something big is swimming around and that’s the reason for the situation and we start jigging .

one of the friends went out to the shore (mistake of his life) and me and the other peddler "work" for 10 min till he hook up a fish. Sine I have an experience with this kind of fishing and he was a beginner and I start to paddle next to him and tried to tell when to release or make the drag harder. The fish dreg him for 5 min . in this situation I thought the fish is in his way up just from the reason that he drag him for 180 feet from the wreck. Suddenly the fish turned around and drag him directly to the wreck and cut she line. It took a 10 min to fix his line and I stated to jig for last time this day. In the last time when I drooped the jig to the floor and start jumping him in very fast action I hooked up by myself. Until the fish understand what's is going there I already took 4/5 handle turns with my shimano torium . the fish start to drag me and every few seconds fool down to the floor. The reel drag was 90% closed and he took line from the reel.

In this situation I hold the rod very strong and while I was looking on the gps screen I started to understand that I have a very big fish on my rod. He drags me at 2.5 mph and we are 400 ft from the wreck. I fight the fish for 45 min and I gave more then 100% of my power. There was min that I was shouting to my friend just to get myself some more adrenalin. As I said after 45 min the fish got up and boot of as was exhausted. The fish was already dead and I gaff him while both of us shooting from happiness. At this time I thought the fish is 60lb and here I mad the mistake of my life, I lift the fish to the yak and from his weight I turn over the yak while I m holding the gaff with the fish. I lost lot of equipment but I turned up the kayak and hold it.

A friend of me came with is sail boat to see the tuna (the peddler that went out sent him) and I used him to carry the fish back to the marine.

All my body was hart but I paddled back and I didn’t believe what I passed in the last hour.

The fish was 95 lb and it’s the biggest fish ever caught from kayak in Israel .

The tackle

Rod – g-loomis fro-blue 6'6" 20-40lb

Reel – shimano torium 20

Kayak – prowler15

Line – 100lb bride

Shock leader – 80lb

Jig – Williamson bentos 5 oz

Menash , Israel