b'KAYAK FISHING The writer is all smiles after landing a king after losing a few big bruisers in the reef.Blair sets his drag to a maximumnormally savage and requires a heap of of 8kg for boat stability. thumb pressure to prevent it going right into the reef. As long as I can balance the kayak and stay over top of the fish, Ill be okay. About thirty seconds in and Im now being towed, hopefully by this point I havent been reefed and Ive got it off the bottom. Finally, I can back the drag off slightly to something more comfortable. Recently, I learnt to always keep the rod on left hand side of the kayak (where I am holding it under my arm). When I tried to fight a fish on the right side a decent king wedged my rod against the kayaks hull and snapped it clean in the mid-section. Fighting them over a reef is tough on If I have a live bait on hand, I will let itline will tear off. I push the drag up andthe body but when the rocks are right down halfway and then set my drag lightthe fish is hooked. Jigging is as simplethere, I dont have much choice. I always and put the ratchet on. Usually, it will beas dropping it down into the marks andthink about the unstoppable beasts I under a minute before the bait is eaten,working it up erratically or just burning ithave gotten broken off by this season, especially if I have marks on the screen.in as fast as possible.which number up to six kingies by now.When a mackerel is getting chased itOnce the fish is hooked up, the firstHunting kingfish on the kayak is begins to swim much faster. A big bumpminute is where it is won or lost. I putcertainly not the easiest way to catch on the rod follows as the kingfish hits thethe drag up as high as I dare and try tothem, but boy it sure is a rush when the bait and tries to swallow it. The line peelswork the fish up early before it knowsrod is bent in half, the drag is singing and out slowly and once it really has it, thewhat is happening. The first run isIm struggling to hold on!FIGZ58FISHING IN GODZONE MAR/APR 2022'