Close Encounters

Stonyloam · Post by **Stonyloam** » Thu Mar 10, 2016 1:42 am

Don't know if this is a big problem up in Jacksonville, but down here in Sebastian we have lots of what I used to to think of as big old slow moving moving animals called manatees. I have since learned that they are anything but slow when you wake them up with a slap from a Hobie Marage Drive. The result is, to say the least impressive. I was trolling for trout in a cove at Round Island, near Vero Beach and ran into THREE in two days. The last one lifted the bow a foot out of the water and soaked everything. Was starting to get a little gunshy, but the fishing was pretty good. I found a video that shows pretty much exactly what happened to me, except my scream is a little lower in pitch LOL!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X3x64JfFd2Q

SuaSponte · Post by **SuaSponte** » Thu Mar 10, 2016 8:48 am

That happened to me in the PA at Lonnie Warn ramp just as I launched.

jbond352 · Post by **jbond352** » Thu Mar 10, 2016 11:58 am

I have kayaked and swam with manatees for years and never knew this happened....until it happened to me in the intercoastal outside of Dutton...scared the hell out of me.

Now when I see a manatee I drop to my knees to prepare for the splash!

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Thu Mar 10, 2016 4:29 pm

Happened to me at Oak Harbor....in my pelican kayak...needless to say, it was my first time in the water since the heart attack...my heart was RACING. My daughter got to watch the entire thing as she was behind me about 20yds. When she got close enough, and I finished laughing my A$$ off, I had to ask her to go around my kayak and pull my scupper plugs as most of my kayak was submerged due to the sheer amount of water i took in.

f86sabjf · Post by **f86sabjf** » Thu Mar 10, 2016 6:52 pm

Will probably scare me to death when it happens. I've been fortunate enough to have them pop up beside me and swim along with me .

67197mlk · Post by **67197mlk** » Thu Mar 10, 2016 10:24 pm

Was fishing near NAS jax in my boat a couple years back. A few of them came to where i was fishing and swam near where i cast. I was like, oh crap... And began to reel in. Lure felt snagged and was like, dang it, hooked a manatee. Pulled a bunch of drag and ended up being an upper slot red. I couldnt believe it. I ALMOST cut my line too...

Nicksmith1123 · Post by **Nicksmith1123** » Thu Mar 10, 2016 10:29 pm

Manatees usually don't mean harm at all. Just like when you are in a normal boat they will stay under you to get some shade. Problem is when they do that in a kayak they will flip you lol. My buddy got flipped by 2 one time and ended up losing a rod and reel. Saved the others but did lose one. Personally the scariest moment I have ever had on my kayak was I had 3 manatees following me but they brought a couple friends along. About 15 yards behind them were 2 gators, 1 was 5 feet the other around 8-9. I paddled to the closets dock and QUICKLY got out of my kayak lol.

SuaSponte · Post by **SuaSponte** » Thu Mar 10, 2016 10:51 pm

Nicksmith1123 wrote:Manatees usually don't mean harm at all. Just like when you are in a normal boat they will stay under you to get some shade. Problem is when they do that in a kayak they will flip you lol. My buddy got flipped by 2 one time and ended up losing a rod and reel. Saved the others but did lose one. Personally the scariest moment I have ever had on my kayak was I had 3 manatees following me but they brought a couple friends along. About 15 yards behind them were 2 gators, 1 was 5 feet the other around 8-9. I paddled to the closets dock and QUICKLY got out of my kayak lol.

That's another reason I stay in the salt, no gators.

Mudfish · Post by **Mudfish** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 1:41 am

I was fishing in about three feet of water when this manatee swam from underneath my kayak, hung around for about five minutes, then slowly cruised away. It was probably 8 or 9 feet long.

Saltwater, St Augustine.

Mudfish · Post by **Mudfish** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 1:57 am

SuaSponte wrote:...That's another reason I stay in the salt, no gators.

Actually, there are plenty of gators in our local inshore saltwater creeks. You might not see them, but they see you

The picture below shows a very large gator in a very salty creek in St Augustine.

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 10:15 am

I feel much safer in my PA14 than i did in my little red sit inside.

SuaSponte · Post by **SuaSponte** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 11:26 am

Looks like fishing St. Aug just went off limits.

Mudfish · Post by **Mudfish** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 1:48 pm

SuaSponte wrote:Looks like fishing St. Aug just went off limits.

Well, if you don't like gators, you might as well scratch these off your list:
Guana Lake
Pellicer Creek
Moses Creek
Drs Lake
Julington Creek
Just to name a few.

SuaSponte · Post by **SuaSponte** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 1:50 pm

Mudfish wrote:
SuaSponte wrote:Looks like fishing St. Aug just went off limits.
Well, if you don't like gators, you might as well scratch these off your list:
Guana Lake
Pellicer Creek
Moses Creek
Drs Lake
Julington Creek
Just to name a few.

No problemo. I still to the Timucuan area where I live

keastman · Post by **keastman** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 3:53 pm

I've seen gators moving through the ICW before and certainly big ones up the creeks.

Worse manatee spoke I've had is wade fishing at night near an inlet and having one brush by my leg, looking down and seeing a large great white sized animal next to me was a little exciting.

JaxKayakFishing.Com

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