Finally got my Kingfish from a Kayak!

Last year I purchased a Florida fishing license and only went one time. Since it expires soon, I decided to make the drive and fish Pensacola. So I packed up the family and set off on the four hour drive. We arrived there at 0700, exhausted! I launched the kayak and paddled out. At first it seemed that the fish were not around. Eventually I spotted them jumping off in the distance and decided to troll though them.  It payed off. Unfortunately, I was too tired to keep at it. I had fun.

Speckled Trout at Bayou Lacombe

25 Feb 2007::Another LJ Yellow Tail

I launched after 0600 with Deano and headed for the point with only one thing on my mind - getting a yellow tail on the iron. I was using a blue/white Tady 9 jig on a Diawa SealineX 20 with the 6:1 gearing ratio.

The wind was pretty kickin' first thing as the sun began to show itself. We knew it was going to be windy. Early on I watched a kayaker hook up and go for a sliegh-ride right past me. After a long fight I could hear him screaming some very colorful language... he lost it after he landed it.

The offshore winds put us well past the point and I took it back in for one last drift around 0800. In about 90', I paddled over two very tight baitballs suspended at 60'. I have never seen bait in such a tight ball on the finder like that. I paddled about 25 yards past those marks and used my compass to turn the yak around 180 degrees.

I hurled the iron as far as I could and blazed it back in after letting it sink to the bottom. The rod loaded up and the end result was a 20+ minute ride from a 28 pound yellow tail. This was the first fish for my new rod. I can think of no better way to break in a new rod and reel. This fish fought so well that it loosened the reel out of the seat. I had to borrow a knife to tighten it back into place.

19 Feb 2007::One Over the Skunk!

The weather was $hit!!! I drove all the way to Dana Point before sunrise and thought about fishing in a protected harbor with Deano. We talked awhile and used good judgement not to launch. I drove back to the Oceanside and waited until 11 am.

The window of opportunity was beginning to open. I went to the Del Mar boat basin and still, too windy. So I decided to find a bank with the wind at my back and used my Oceanside Harbor favorite. A 3.5" Tiki Drop by Waveworms in dropshot configuration produced one short halibut after having two fish spit it out after a few short runs. Couldn't figure out why they didn't stick.

From there I moved on to some freshwater action at Lake O'Neil. I tried from a dock for an hour for nothing. Hopefully the weather will be better this weekend.

16 Feb 2007::La Jolla Shores Yellow Tail

It has been over a year since my last trip to La Jolla Shores. It was a pleasant suprise to hook up with a Yellow Tail so early in the year, at least for me. So here is how it went down. I showed up to the launch at 0445 and rigged up. Met Adi on the beach for the first time so I went to the pier to make bait and shared some small talk. I was able to put 6 candy bar sized greenbacks in the bait tank, then we went to the shelf.

I pinned a green back on an Ande Cortez rod with a Shimano Catala 400 reel (spooled with 12# Calcutta line) and slow trolled around for a short while. I tried my luck with a blue/white iron but got no love from the fishes. The bait had been out for awhile so I decided to check to see if the mac was still alive. After ten or so cranks in, the rod loads up and the freight train began to run. I knew it was a YT right then.

Knowing I was spooled with 12# test line had me concerned. I was getting nowhere with this fish for a good twenty minutes. I could only gain 12 inches at a time, then loose all that I had gained plus so much more. As I looked around I had noticed that the fish had taken me far from the pack which left me with no moral support from my fellow yakkers. After thirty minutes of battle, I had the YT at gaff at 0745. This one was just shy of 23 pounds and 38 inches long.

I paddled over to Adi and he took some pics for me. What a bitchin' way to start a new Yakfishin' season.