Paddling Adventures

By Kate Pursell

Kayaking off Siesta Key is fun for the whole family.

Taking a kayak out on the bay or gulf makes for a peaceful day or an athletic adventure. Why not add fishing into the mix?

It seems like everyone is taking a kayak out thesedays, some with rod and reel in hand. That includes families who want to spend some quality time on the water in Sarasota angling for everything from redfish to sheepshead.

Whether you're 8 or 80, kayaking is easy to master. You can quietly sneak up on the fish, get into spots other boats can't and it's affordable to rent (or buy) a kayak. Family-friendly? You bet.

It's a Kodak-moment morning: on the shimmering waters in the nature preserve by Siesta Key's south end, a group of kayakers glide effortlessly along.

"It's teeming with fish here," says our guide from Siesta Sports Rentals, as he expertly paddles along. We crane our necks to see scores of fish scurry about.

Does it get much better than this? Not according to Ashley Clark, 19, who frowns at the thought of leaving "paradise" tomorrow to head back to college.

Ashley, her parents, and older brother are first-time kayakers. They're having a blast soaking up sun while wearing swimsuits and board shorts.

Add fishing to the equation and Doug Forde, the manager of CB's Saltwater Outfitters, suggests "looking for the oyster beds" near the mangroves on the small islands that dot the nature preserve. You're bound to see oodles of fish.

You'll also see folks reeling one in, such as a nearby fisherman in a lime green kayak. He proudly shows off what looks like a redfish dangling from his line.

He's wearing a floppy, khaki-colored hat dotted with colorful artificial lures, and Forde said kayakers who use artificial lures might want to follow suit. It all has to do with downsizing your tackle box, so the hat serves two purposes: creating space for lures and keeping you covered from the sun.

Ask an angler what type of bait to use, and opinions abound. Forde prefers live shrimp and offers advice on how to keep the little guys alive to attract the fish. Hook the shrimp in the hollow "horn" just behind and below the head. He recommends a dozen or so live shrimp per person per hour as you fish, keeping them alive in a small bait bucket that drags in the water behind the kayak.

Make sure you keep sunscreen at hand because sunny skies are usually a daily occurrence in Sarasota.

It's quiet and serene as the kayaks enter a small mangrove-lined lagoon bordered by spectacular Casey Key on the south. Someone asks, "Where is Stephen King's house?" The famous author owns a home on the key.

We pull up our kayaks on the lagoon's small, sandy beach and amble easily up a short, slight incline to encounter a breathtaking view. We stare in awe at the Gulf of Mexico as the sunlight playfully casts shadows on the azure water that gently laps at the shore.

Scads of pinkish and creamy-white-hued shells await, and if you look closely, you'll likely even net a fossilized shark's tooth.

If you go:
Siesta Sports Rentals, 6551 Midnight Pass Rd., Siesta Key, 941-346-1797, www.siestasportsrentals.com
Almost Heaven Kayak Adventures, 941-504-6296, www.kayakfl.com
CB's Saltwater Outfitters, 1249 Stickney Point Rd., Siesta Key, 941-349-4400, www.cbsoutfitters.com