|  |  Kite Fishing info
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While the technique of using a kite to deploy a fisherman’s baited line can trace its origins back to the ancient Chinese and the innovative Pacific islanders, it was Capt. Bob Lewis that really defined the use of the fishing kite in the sailfish-rich waters off southern Florida. By using a kite to suspend a frisky live bait, Capt. Bob soon realized the inherent benefits of such a technique (in fact there are many). First, the kite kept the bait swimming in frantic circles very close to the ocean’s surface and within easy reach of the sailfish and other gamefish that he was targeting. It also kept the heavier leader material suspended vertically above the bait and out of the water, leaving less to spook a wary adversary. And by fishing the kite on the upwind side of the vessel, it allowed a larger spread of additional lines to be deployed, covering a much larger swath of ocean.
Today, the technique of kite fishing has been adapted to many far-flung locations such as North Carolina for yellowfin tuna, the canyons of the Northeast for bluefin tuna and even the partyboats of California on their long-range trips lasting many days off the Pacific coast of Mexico. But its roots in modern fishing lie firmly attached to the south Florida region and Capt. Bob Lewis. Today’s anglers have modified the original kites to fly in a variety of winds, even attaching helium balloons in order to put their baits aloft in the calmest of conditions. Flying multiple kites, done by weighting the edges of the kites so they fly apart from each other, has also become standard fare as has fishing multiple lines from each kite in order to cover even more ground in search of sailfish. As an early innovator of kite fishing, Capt. Bob would smile at these modern twists upon his original theme.
photo bt Pat Ford
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