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Do folks fish from jet skis much on the BI and, if so, where is it safe to do so? From a quick google search, it looks like people do, but I am not sure if that is correct and, if so, what areas are best for fishing from a jet ski. My husband is thnking of selling his boat and getting a jet ski so that he can more easily get in and out of the water by himself when no one can go with him. We live in FL, have property on BI for retirment, and wonder if this is possible there. Thanks in advance for any intel!
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If you want to fish from jet skis, please just stay in Florida.
Certainty will be the death of us.
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(07-26-2021, 08:12 PM)kalianna Wrote: If you want to fish from jet skis, please just stay in Florida.
Too risky, I assume?
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I don't know about jet skis, but I know people who fish from kayaks and windsurfers. A friend of mine caught a 55lb. Ulua from a windsurfer, which was a world record at the time (Ulua caught from a windsurfer). He has quite a story about it. But he is also a very accomplished surfer/windsurfer/swimmer with years of experience in these waters.
The dangers are not to be taken lightly. Losing power for any reason could be disastrous. Onshore winds can push you into the cliffs/rocks, offshore winds can send you off towards Japan.
You mention retirement so I'm assuming your husband is no spring chicken. Might be a little late in the game to get the experience and physical fitness necessary to do it safely. Even then, no man is a match for these waters when they want to have their way.
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(07-26-2021, 09:14 PM)My 2 cents Wrote: I don't know about jet skis, but I know people who fish from kayaks and windsurfers. A friend of mine caught a 55lb. Ulua from a windsurfer, which was a world record at the time (Ulua caught from a windsurfer). He has quite a story about it. But he is also a very accomplished surfer/windsurfer/swimmer with years of experience in these waters.
The dangers are not to be taken lightly. Losing power for any reason could be disastrous. Onshore winds can push you into the cliffs/rocks, offshore winds can send you off towards Japan.
You mention retirement so I'm assuming your husband is no spring chicken. Might be a little late in the game to get the experience and physical fitness necessary to do it safely. Even then, no man is a match for these waters when they want to have their way.
Thank you for the info and words of caution/advice! Al
though he is looking at one of the newer jet ski models designed for fishing--and not speed, that is a good point about it being a little late in the game. We'll see how he is able to handle fishing off the Gulf (although not too far out). We were hoping that some of the more protected waters would be calm enough in Hawaii. We rented a boat offf Kona in 2018 and caught seveal huge Ono in really calm water--and it was a blast. Great eating too.
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We were hoping that some of the more protected waters would be calm enough in Hawaii. We rented a boat offf Kona in 2018 and caught seveal huge Ono in really calm water--and it was a blast...
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Calm water - Puna? NO. Kona, Yes.
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(07-26-2021, 10:13 PM)leilanidude Wrote: We were hoping that some of the more protected waters would be calm enough in Hawaii. We rented a boat offf Kona in 2018 and caught seveal huge Ono in really calm water--and it was a blast...
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Calm water - Puna? NO. Kona, Yes.
Thank you!
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You really might want to look at the laws here. I am pretty sure there are only two legal jet ski recreational areas. Hilo break wall is one and kona has one. Not sure how the laws relates to fishing. I will add, don't think for a second it's safe for jet skies like Florida. There is a reason you don't see them in the water here, at least on the east side. To be overly blunt, it's asking for trouble. I had the same thoughts when I moved here, then rapidly came to my senses.
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There is a commercial going around that attempts to clarify the difference between "pretty sure" and certain. Fishing from a jetski is not only possible on the Big I, it actually does happen.
For an easily accessible reference I present to you a jetski posted for sale in Keaau that has rod holders installed and includes a depth/fish finder -
https://honolulu.craigslist.org/big/boa/...12875.html and here's another one listed in Kona that also includes a fish finder -
https://honolulu.craigslist.org/big/boa/...01027.html
Like all advice, take the advice from PW with a grain of salt. Wishing you tight lines and bent rods!
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Jetskis have one thing going for them that is a huge plus for offshore use, that they can get rolled over and not get swamped. Also you will already be wearing a wetsuit so if you wind up stranded or in the water you are already dressed right.
Decades ago I talked to a fisherman on a jet ski at the boat ramp in Kaneohe. He said he had been out by MM buoy which is 15 miles out. He said that the only trouble he had so far was one time when he was way offshore he thought he was a little low in the water. He lifted the seat and saw that there was a lot of water where there shouldn't be. He panicked and gunned it back for shore. After several minutes at high speed his drive train started sucking air and he lost thrust. Turns out that as the engine is inside and the prop is outside there is a shaft seal to keep the water out. His had failed. At low throttle of slow troll it let water in. At high throttle it sucked the other way and when the water level in the bilge got low enough the impeller sucked air.
I think that you could outfit a jetski to be an offshore machine but I think most people don't. This guy nearly had a very bad experience because of a single old/worn part. He became aware only by chance, not because of any alarms or lights that could tell him what was up without opening the engine compartment which in the case of his small machine was like taking the whole deck off which is not a good idea under any circumstances but foolhardy or impossible if rough. I simply don't know how dependable jetski engines are and at any rate he only had one. Traveling in pairs would help with that I suppose but imagine being the guy on the trailing jetski, having engine trouble, and watching the guy in front keep on truckiin to the horizon because he simply wasn't checking on you often enough.
Last time I took a close look at a dealership the models they sold had 150 hp for a craft about 9' long. I can't imagine that being economical on gas. I do like that they are designed from the get go to tolerate being rolled over and essentially going underwater and still keep running but there are a lot of other things essential for an offshore machine that the craft were not designed with. That being said they use them towing in and rescuing surfers in huge surf where dependability would also mean the difference between life and death so whatever models those guys use are probably good for it. Those models all have the 150 hp motors though.
