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Beyond the Breakers

Cory Byrnes
Beyond the Breakers
Cory Byrnes hooked up with a big fish. (John Adams Photo)

Intro

I sang a little made-up sea ditty as I paddled my way out the Surfside Ship Channel with a friend. We were going beyond the breakers to chase big Jack Crevalle and King Mackerel on our kayaks. Since the surf was a little extra that day, we opted to go out of the channel to get to the green water about 1.5 miles out from the beach. At the end of the jetty, two competing currents created a choppy section of water we crossed before being greeted by big 4-foot rollers. Out there we bobbed around, bow into the swells, drifting mullet on kingfish rigs. Here is what you need to know to be safe and successful if you decide to make the paddle out beyond the breakers.         

Getting out there

There are only two ways to get out beyond the breakers on the Texas coast. There are the ship channels, which offer a bit of protection from the surf, but put you in the same water as large vessels. And there’s also the beach, which puts you paddling against the surf, but away from potentially dangerous boat and ship traffic.

To go out through the ship channel you will want to put in at one of the public boat launches. From there, paddle along the jetty walls, keeping tight to the rock walls. Doing this keeps you out of the much faster boat traffic. To launch from the beach you will walk your kayak out to about waist-deep water. Hold your bow into the surf and wait to be between waves before hopping on. When you hop on you will need to quickly paddle hard to keep your bow into the waves. Once you’re out beyond the breakers you can ease up.

Coming back in through the ship channel is much the same as going out. Although depending on the tide you may have to work a little harder for it. The beach route is always a little trickier. You will want to come in head-on to the beach while having the waves hit you in the stern. You will need to paddle hard. Think of when a surfer attempts to get up on a wave. You are more likely to flip coming in from beyond the breakers in my opinion than going out. Having all your gear leashed to the kayak is good insurance.

There is one other way… it kind of feels like cheating if you ask me, but you can mothership. Mother shipping for those who do not know is when a large boat takes out a smaller one. In this case your kayak. There are some obvious pros to doing it this way. You can get further out, and you can get dropped right at a reef where the best fishing is. You miss out on waves crashing over your bow and fighting to keep the kayak upright, which can both be quite beneficial.

Gear and Tackle

Big fish big gear. This is what I use when fishing beyond the breakers. It is a suggestion and there is no hard set of rules. So, if you have a favorite gear for chasing Kings and Jacks that can be used in the kayak, then go for it. This is what I use:

  1. The Penn Slammer Rod with Penn 320 GTI reel
  2. 80-pound braided line topped with 10 yards of 50-pound monofilament leader
  3. 3-feet of #7 wire leader to kingfish rig with 5/0 circle hook and #2 Treble
  4. A balloon to keep the bait near the top and swimming.

For bait, you cannot go wrong with 8-inch or larger mullet. Set your drag light at first so the fish can take the bait and run a bit, giving you time to take control of the rod before increasing drag and putting pressure on the fish, more on that later. If the conditions permit while drifting a bait, I will cast a 2-ounce spoon, Rat-L-Trap, or other deep-diving lure to cover more water. My casting tackle consists of:

  1. Penn Spinfisher VII mod-fast 8-foot spinning rod with a Penn Spinfisher 5500 reel
  2. 30-pound braid with 100 yard topshot of 20-pound fluorocarbon
  3. 18-inches #7 steel leader

I find two rods to be more than enough. It can become hectic in a hurry if you hook up on your bait rod so, most of the time, I work on just keeping my bow into the waves. The last thing I will say about gear; no matter what you decide to take out there you should invest in gear leashes. There are sets on Amazon for $20 that will save you hundreds if you end up flipping.

Catching and Fighting Big Fish

May through October, the Gulf of Mexico warms to 75° or more and Jack Crevalle begin to appear along the Texas coast. They herald the arrival of more palatable pelagic species like Kingfish, Spanish Mackerel, and on a rare occasion Cobia. Catching one of these on your kayak is a rush. It is why I make the long paddle. Fighting a fish out there though isn’t the same as fighting one inshore or on the lake; you have the waves to consider. On my most recent trip I hooked a 25-pound Jack about a mile and a half out. When fighting a fish of that size beyond the breakers you want to do a couple of things to keep from flipping:

  1. Keep your rod pointed to the bow of the kayak. If you put the rod tip off to port or starboard it works as a huge lever, and you could end up rolling your kayak.
  2. Put pressure on the fish slightly to port or starboard of your bow to keep the kayak steered into the swells.
  3. Pulling the rod up and then cranking down quickly is the best way to gain line on a strong fish.
  4. Lastly, hold on. You’re likely to go for a sleigh ride. My kayak is 90-pounds dry weight and I weigh 200-pounds, not including gear. The Jack Crevalle I mentioned earlier dragged my kayak about a quarter mile in a big circle before I was able to land it.

Landing a fish presents another set of challenges. Most of the fish I am chasing out there are too big for the net. I carry a Fish Bat to quickly dispatch the fish before tail grabbing and hauling them into the boat. You may also consider a small gaff.

Safety

You're not in Kansas anymore Toto. This is big water, and small problems can become big very quickly. It is important you take the proper safety measures so that you get back safely to land. You need to plan your trip. Websites like surf-forecast.com, and saltwater-recon.com provide up to 12 day forecasts and live video feeds of surf conditions. Do not go out when in doubt and never go alone on these types of trips – always go with a buddy.

Other Gear

Your standard safety gear like a kayak flag and PFD are a given. Check out the April 2024 issue of TSFMag for the full rundown of basic safety gear. In addition to that, I would add a marine radio like the Cobra Marine HH350, a signaling mirror, a first aid kit, Dramamine (everyone has their wave, and a small boat can get you seasick faster than a larger one), and more drinking water than you think you will need for the trip.

The Cobra Marine HH350 will be your second most important safety gear, next to your PFD. It is waterproof and it floats. It will allow you to listen to the NOAA weather frequency WX CH 1-10 while out there. In the event something does happen, CH16 is the international distress channel. All ships plus the Coast Guard monitor that channel. The operator’s manual that comes with the Marine HH350 gives some guidance on how to issue a distress call. You can also find more information online. Be sure to know how to operate your radio before you head out.

Float Plan

A float plan contains several pieces of key information that is left with someone on land. In the event that you either miss a contact time or you contact your landman via phone or radio in an emergency, the float plan can be used to help locate you. Searchers can take the information you have in your float plan and use weather information like water conditions and current information from buoys to narrow their search to the most likely area you floated off to. At a minimum, your plan should include the following:

  1. Description of vessel:
    1. Color
    2. Size
    3. Type of vessel
  2. Trip details:
    1. Departure and estimated return time
    2. Launch location and approximate area you plan on fishing. Use Google Earth to provide estimated coordinates or use a nearby buoy. You can check out buoy maps online.
  3. Additional safety gear you might have aboard; i.e. marine radio. You should constantly monitor CH 16 or WX CH 1-10 for NOAA Weather.           

Conclusion

If you have the nerve and are looking for a little adventure, paddling beyond the breakers can yield great rewards and scratch that adrenaline itch. I encourage you to check out other resources like texaskayakfisherman.com and YouTube channels like 30miles Out, Field Trips with Robert Field, and Extreme Kayak Fishing TV. Check the weather and watch the surf forecast for a calm day. Put your float plan together. Get your gear together and paddle out. Be safe and tight lines!