Kite fishing has its origins in China and has been practised in the Pacific Islands, New Guinea and New Zealand for a long time. It was further developed in South Florida and is now readily adopted today as a legitimate form of fishing.
Modern kite fishing allows for natural bait presentation while covering a much larger expanse of water than traditional cast fishing. Leisure Boating found out more about how to put a kite into the air to catch some big fish. Let’s go kite fishing!
KITE FISHING FROM BOATS
Recreational fishing for pelagic species such as sailfish, tuna and kingfish is possible with kite fishing. Surface feeders are typically caught with kite rigs.
WHICH KITE TO USE?
Most boats that employ kite fishing as a fun alternative to normal cast fishing and trolling, will have a variety of different sized kites available for the different wind conditions on any particular day. Smaller kites will be used in windier conditions and larger kites are used when reduced wind speeds occur.
KITE ADJUSTMENTS
Purpose-made kite fishing rigs can be set to fly left or right off the boat and this maneouvrability stops the lines getting tangled, allowing more kites to be flown at one time during a single fishing session.
WHAT ARE THE KITES MADE OF?
Modern fishing kites are made of synthetic materials so that if they fall into the water they can be retrieved, rinsed off with fresh water, dried out for a few minutes and sent back up to continue
fishing.
A cork inserted into one of the fibreglass or carbon fibre spars stops the kite from sinking into the water making its retrieval that much easier.
