I know how to kayak, and I know how to fish. But as my alarm blares on the morning of my first kayak fishing trip, I dream of being pulled out to sea by a giant grouper.

“Can’t I stay in bed?” I ask. But my husband cajoles me into the drive to Port St. Joe where I’ve chartered a trip with Happy Ours Kayak & Canoe Rentals.

On St. Joseph Bay, guide Dan VanVleet puts me in a sit-on-top kayak. The paddles are loosely tethered to our boats. Behind the seats rest five-pound anchors and minnow buckets. We’ll drop both into the water once we’re positioned. The rod ’n reels are well-secured in holders between our knees.

The technique is to cast ahead, allow the minnow to sink and then reel it in slowly with alternating jerks to create a splashing sound that attracts the fish.

Dan has rigged our lines for trout and redfish using his invented lure tipped with a wiggly, live minnow. The technique is to cast ahead, allow the minnow to sink and then reel it in slowly with alternating jerks to create a splashing sound that attracts the fish.

We paddle out and anchor about 30 feet apart. It’s a relief to be alone in a craft. The last time my husband and I fished in a boat together we got our lines so tangled, I wanted to toss him overboard.

Twenty minutes later, my float briefly disappears. I jerk my rod, trying to hook the fish, though I later learn I should have done the opposite. (Unlike bass, trout have softer mouths.)

The fish escapes. Nevertheless, I’m proud that I almost caught one. I cast repeatedly across a fluid mirror and watch orange starfish cling to the swaying green turtle grass beside my kayak. A light breeze feels cool against my skin. Soon, catching a fish no longer seems that important. It’s the easy exercise, the serenity that makes me fall in love with the sport.


TRAVEL FILE
Wed kayaking and fishing on other Florida waters:

Rent your gear at Coastal Outdoor Center in St. Augustine and sign up with a guide.

Grande Tours in Placida also provides instruction and gear.

In the Everglades, Captain Charles Wright of Everglades Kayak Fishing is at your service.