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PROFILE OF A KITE FISHERMAN

Picture this scenario: You head out for a little boating adventure in South Florida -- say Ft. Lauderdale. It's a sunny and windy day out on the open water. You approach another boat and spot several grown men that appear to be flying kites from the rear of their vessel. No, this isn't the latest craze in ocean entertainment. This is a fairly new (as fishing goes) technique used all over the world by adventurous anglers looking to get something more out of their fishing experience.

So, we know that kite fishermen are out for a more creative kind of fishing. But that isn't the only reason why someone first thought to use a kite with a fishing rig. There are a couple of very specific things that using a kite can accomplish. When you're fishing from the beach, a kite can take an attached fishing line far offshore where the larger fish are. These depths can't be reached from shore, no matter how strong of a cast you muster. When you're fishing from a boat, a cleverly set kite rig can take multiple pieces of bait set along a line and keep each piece dangling close to the surface where some prize game fish feed.



It's a complicated way to fish, so you should go out with an experienced kite fisherman, if it's your first time trying it. But like any fishing technique, once you get the hang of it, you'll have luck. In fact, you can haul in a large amount of fish because of the multiple lines you have in the water at one time. Once you have the technique mastered, all you need is the right equipment, some patience and a 10 to 15 knot wind, which is usually not too hard to come by on the open water.