Sailfish School of Kayak Fishing

The South Fork of the St. Lucie is narrow, shaded and slow, and the fish live under the mangroves where no motorboat can follow. Marisol Pike started the Sailfish School to teach people to reach them from a kayak, and the name is a joke she has stopped explaining: there are no sailfish on the river, only snook, redfish, small tarpon and a great many bass where the water turns fresh.

A session is four hours from the Halpatiokee Park launch, with the kayak, the paddle, the rod and the bait included. The first hour is on the bank learning to cast sitting down and to handle a fish without tipping; the next three are on the water with the guide paddling alongside. Groups are four at most and children from ten can come with an adult.

Mornings are best from October to May; in summer the sessions move to first light and finish before the heat and the storm. Everything is released except what is legal and wanted for dinner. A session that catches nothing still ends with the river’s herons, otters and the occasional manatee, which is most of why people come back.

Good to know

• Wear shoes that can get wet and clothes that can get muddy.
• Four people at most per session; private sessions cost the same as two places.
• The park launch is free and has restrooms.
• Mosquito repellent is included and necessary after rain.
• Bring your own water; there is nowhere to buy any on the river.