Fishing Kites

Hanging Lures A Loooong Way Off

A bit of history to begin with. The technique of using fishing kites to drop a baited line into the water originated with the ancient Chinese. Later, Pacific islanders came up with similar ideas, for example the Solomon Islanders.

In more modern times, it seems that a certain Captain Bob Lewis was responsible for making fishing with kites more popular in the West. Bob Lewis did a lot of his fishing in the sailfish-rich waters off southern Florida, in the U.S.A.

Traditional kites for fishing also appear throughout the Malay Peninsula. Early forms of these kites were as simple as a large leaf threaded with strips of fine bamboo, with a hook hung from a long length of line. This form of kite fishing is still used in some parts of Asia today.

Modern Fishing Kites

Today, kites used for fishing are mainly simple sleds, diamonds and deltas that are adjusted to fly low. That makes sense since the idea is to take the fishing line out far away from the angler. For example, to get across surf and into deeper water where bigger fish can be caught. Kite fishing is also done out of boats, where the odds of catching a fish are increased by flying more than one kite at once. Commercial kite fishing systems have been around since the late 80s.

In really light conditions, keen anglers just attach a helium-filled balloon to their kites to keep them in the air!

The price range seems to be around US$50 to US$150. At the bottom end are small sleds such as the Pocket Sled Kite from Paul's Fishing Kites. The same company sells the Casting Kite in the middle of the price range and their Mega Kite for around US$150.

That's a lot more than for comparable simple recreational kites. But I suppose they have to be very waterproof, and also quite strong in case they get dragged through the water. Or perhaps anglers spend so much on other gear that the retailers hope they can get away with offering pricey kites!

Here's a run down on how kites are used for fishing these days:

• different sized kites can be used to drop anywhere from 2 to 25+ hooks into the water, from a single line
• some fishermen use kites to drop their hooks up to 2 kilometers (1 mile+) out to sea!
• the kites are sometimes used to lay bait on the surface of the water
• most commonly used to fish live baits for sailfish, dolphin fish and tuna
• also effective for baiting marlin, king mackerel, tarpon, sharks and freshwater bass

The advantages of using kites for fishing, particularly when using live baits include:

• both the windward and leeward sides of a boat can be fished
• baits fluttering near the surface send out vibrations that attract predators
• the vertical pull holds leaders out of the water where fish are less likely to see them and shy away

Some well-known kites used by anglers include:

• Paul's Fishing Kites
• AFTCO kites
• Bob Lewis kites
• SFE fishing kites

MBK Flying Skewers And Plastic is a fun publication for kite lovers. Particularly single-line fliers! This FREE monthly newsletter will help keep you in touch... There's always something new being built or flown at MBK!

Your FREE COPY of a great 87-page eBook on popular kites is waiting to be downloaded. It's my way of saying 'Thank You' for subscribing.

Last updated: 12 Oct 2009