Offshore Kayak Fishing Tournament in Maui Hawaii! Extreme Ocean Conditions, Monster Fish & Whales!

Описание: #fishing #kayakfishing #tournament

This is the Inaugural Choke Fishing Supplies Kayak Fishing Tournament on Maui, Hawaii. This was a big event for kayak fishermen on this amazing Hawaiian Island, and it did not disappoint. There was lots on the line; from custom rods and reels, cash and of course bragging rights, so these local hammahs didn’t hold back! The tournament took place over 2 days. Day 1 was supposed to be windy, so yours truly decided to join the support boat to get some epic shots of the competitors using my drone. As you will see, that plan worked out perfectly…well capturing arial footage of kayakers fighting fish from the air worked out, picking the right day to be on the boat verse the kayak was a bust. I was lucky enough to be there while people pulled up multiple mahi mahi and tuna from the deep sea, 4 miles from shore. From the air, you get such a different perspective.
On day 2, it was time for me to join the fight on my kayak and this is where I found out how wrong the weather report was. The wind showed up early and in force. Reluctant to head back out miles from the safety of land in less than ideal conditions, I eventually got to the fishing grounds. It didn’t take long to regret this decision! At times waves were 10 – 12 feet high. All we could do was keep a hand on the rudder and power through the towering peaks of water. When there were breaks in the wind, we were rewarded with a good bite, bringing up uku (snappers), mahi, shibi / ahi (yellowfin tuna), but fighting those fish once the wind picked back up was next to impossible. Wish I would have captured more of the nastiness on film, but my mind was elsewhere. During lulls in the action, we even had humpback whales show up to keep us company, while military planes flew overhead. About as Hawaii as it gets.
I am happy to report everyone made it back in one piece, keeping their kayaks shiny side up. The official weigh-in was a blast, knowing everyone had legitimately earned each and every fish. This is always where you get to see the amazing community that exists here in Maui. Everyone is there for one another. The amount of donations that were received was overwhelming. Everyone walked away with something. This was the tightest tourney for 1st place I have seen yet. Just 1oz separated 1st and 2nd place. And of course, we cannot forget to thank Choke Fishing Supplies for putting on this fantastic event. It takes a ton of effort, time and money to make something like this happen and we all appreciate it…Thank you CHOKE FISHING!
And remember: Go Big, Go Home or Go Home With Something Big!