34 inch redfish on our first season’s trip to Bear Island

By Gary Rankel

Art and I made our first trip through Bear Island yesterday and ran into some nice reds.  He was nearby when I hooked into a nice 34 incher and got a few photos and a short video of me playing the fish.  Hopefully, this is the start of a great spring fishing season.

Gary

34 inch redfish caught near Bear Island FL

fighting a big redfish

unhooking the fish

Photography:  Art Myjak

Read more about Gary’s kayak fishing trips »

9 thoughts on “34 inch redfish on our first season’s trip to Bear Island”

  1. Wow!
    Congratulations – this is a trophy fish, I guess.

    Thanks Gary, kayak angler extraordinaire, and thanks to Art, kayak angler and photographer 🙂
    It was a long and cold winter (here in MA it still is, by all means), and we really missed your stories and pictures,

    Yoav

  2. PackerYaker says:

    Thanks, Yoav. I was out of commission for awhile having torn my meniscus and needing to have it scoped (actually, you can see one of the scars on the left knee in the photo of me holding the fish). This will be a different year with my fishing buddy Dick Sherman having passed and Bob Smaldone dealing with elbow and shoulder problems keeping him from paddling. Thankfully, Art seems to be ready and willing.

    Hope you’ve got your driveway cleared.

  3. The driveway is cleared for driving but still not safe for walking, due to the ice.

    We will all remember Dick Sherman

    Yoav

  4. W fishing says:

    The rest of the story!!!
    Modest Gary did not mention the 27 incher he also caught (the largest allowable keeper)…making this the first time he caught two BIG ones the same day–the 34 incher was his biggest ever…by the way he also caught a 13 incher and a few trout.
    I seem to catch the trophy fish with my camera…Oh yes, we are going out tomorrow.
    Art

  5. Thanks Art,

    You guys make a terrific team! 🙂

    Yoav

  6. PackerYaker says:

    Thanks, Yoav, for posting the picture of Dick. I’ll forward it on to his wife, Pat.

  7. Very nice video. It’s worth watching a few times to see how you and your W500 stay perfectly upright even as the big red is towing you at a 90 degree angle!

    -Michael

  8. Great job guys, beautiful pictures and Beautiful Red Fish.

    So sorry for the passing of your friend Dick.

    R.I.P. Dick, the Wavewalk Family will miss you.

    Tight lines and MoPaddle Safe all.
    Rox

  9. PackerYaker says:

    Thanks, Rox. Dick will be missed. His wife, Pat, sold his Wavewalk to me so I now have a spare and one for friends and relatives to use when they visit. Now, if I can only figure out how to get his seat to work.

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