Flats from the ‘Yak: Alex Tejeda

According to Alex, “people have a stigma against kayak fishing.” While it is similar in many respects to skiff fishing in South Florida, there are few differences between skiff fishing and kayak fishing. The greatest differences are the amount of physical exertion required throughout the day, and the fact that anglers get to fish from their own personal watercraft.  While Alex does tow his clients to the fishing spots, there is still some paddling required on the client's end throughout the day.

In South Florida, flats fishing is extremely popular and a lot of the best fishing is in skinny, shallow waters that even technical poling skiffs can have trouble accessing. The kayak changes the game when it comes to accessing extreme shallows with extreme stealth. Having easy access to skinny waters, flats, and no motor zones is a massive perk for serious anglers looking for unpressured fish. Captain Tejeda partners with top-of-the-line kayak brand, Jackson Kayaks. These watercraft can safely handle up to 3 feet of chop on the water, and have a range of 15-16 miles with their electric motor attachments, guaranteeing a comfortable and safe fishing trip.   

Alex's spring and summer season has been busy so far, as this is when many of the shallow water gamefish species are most active. So far this year, Alex has been on the water well over 100 days, scouting for clients and running trips. Especially this time of year, Alex enjoys fishing Biscayne Bay. “When it's firing on all cylinders, it’s absolutely epic," says Alex. Biscayne Bay holds every species of fish an angler in South Florida could hope to catch. Though summer is his favorite, his expertise and constant scouting virtually guarantees him good fishing year-round, saying that “30 snook on a winter day is a slow day." 

Alex has been very actively targeting bonefish this season and recently had a client bring in a massive bonefish that was 31 inches in length. Though bonefish put up a good fight and are a favorite of his clients, there are other fan favorites like shark and barracuda. Alex and many of his clients enjoy shark fishing. On the kayaks they are able to go for spinner sharks and lemon sharks averaging 6-7 feet in length, which is incredibly exciting from a small watercraft like a kayak. 

There are many moving pieces when it comes to fishing in South Florida and Alex takes it upon himself to study and understand all of them as best he can. He takes a scientific approach to his fishing — measuring the tides, weather, and time of the day to optimize efficiency on the water. Along with this methodology, he keeps in mind the importance of conservation. 

Alex spends a lot of his time on the water without clients, tracking down the ideal location “where all the stars align.” He can analyze the pattern of fish in concentrated areas accessible by his kayak to put his clients in the optimal position to succeed. 

Captain Tejeda offers trips anywhere from Key Largo to Big Pine, and will conduct scouting in the clients desired area days in advance.

Though it may seem like kayak fishing is for more veteran anglers, Alex takes out plenty of novice clients with great success. About 90% of Bone Collector's clients are relatively inexperienced, yet Alex always puts them onto fish. “I want every one  of my clients to catch something… everyone should have a good time.”  Alex is a great casting instructor and provides insight on all the basics you need to know to hook and land a fish from the kayak.

Alex's trips run about 5-6 hours on the water, but if the fishing is good and folks are content, Alex is happy to stay out for a little longer. 

One of the perks of kayak fishing is that you don’t have to “shop around spots” as much. By committing to a spot, you can fully dissect it. 

Alex has also done a good job of making the kayaks suitable to stand, sit and move around. Anglers also have the choice to ride on Alex’s kayak, as it is suitable for two people at a time.