Video · Fishing & Trips
My 5 Year Old Catches a Shark From a Kayak Using AutoBoat
I take my 5 year old daughter out on the Hobie to test the AutoBoat Smart Head system with big baits, and she hooks and reels in a shark.
What’s in this video
Today my 5 year old daughter Sailor and I took the Hobie out to test the AutoBoat Smart Head system and throw big baits for big fish. She wasn’t sure she wanted a shark. It’s spooky, she said. We went anyway.
Before we launched I loaded our 65 can cooler with the stinky bait. It’s overkill for this trip, but I wanted a size that also works on our bigger boat, and it sits high enough to double as a seat. We tested it right there and it floats upright, so you could even tow it. The AutoBoat Smart Head goes on easy, way easier than a bow mount, and once we were out it held anchor for us.
The first bite grabbed the bait and missed the hook. Then a rod went off again. The line got tangled and I wasn’t sure we still had it, but something was still attached. I put Sailor in the seat, loosened the drag, and she started reeling. It was a shark. She held on, it made a run, she switched to two hands and kept cranking until we had it up next to the kayak. Five years old, on a kayak, with a shark on the line. Mom is never going to believe this one.
Key moments
- 0:00 Preparing for the adventure
- 1:03 Cooler and equipment setup
- 3:27 Deploying the AutoBoat system
- 5:58 Reeling in a big shark
Quick takeaways
- The AutoBoat Smart Head held anchor for us while we fought the fish, so I could focus on helping my kid.
- A smart head adapter is much easier to put on a kayak than a full bow mount trolling motor.
- Our 65 can cooler floats upright and sits high enough to use as a seat.
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