Avoided Catastrophe [Archive] - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

wiredantz

01-07-2013, 09:22 AM

Avoided Catastrophe

On Friday Jan 4, 2012, I received a text from team sewer that we were meeting at busy bee to eat lunch and will be on the water at 2pm Saturday for a late night fishing session. So I said to myself, I don’t want to fish, I want to catch some lobsters.

This would be my first real attempt at a beach launch with all 5 hoop nets behind my X-factor, at Cabrillo Beach. I arrived at the parking at 1pm, and the wind was BRUTAL. I decided to wait until the wind calmed down a bit before venturing out in the 1-2ft surf. I checked the radio, and Matt and Tony where having lunch delivered on the water by Jorge. An hour later I was ready to launch, and had a few spectators trying to see what this idiot was doing.
Hatches closed, fishing rods secured, hoop nets on board, ready to launch…3…2…1..
Who cares about counting waves…. I just look at the waves, and when I don’t see any swells behind them I JUST GO!

So I wait and GO!

“DAMN, why am I paddling so slow…? Feels like I am trying to paddle a big rig,” I said to myself. I see a swell coming…. Took one to the face and did not stop paddling….. I didn’t move an inch…. I keep paddling another one is coming…. I start paddling like a mad man and I am crawling like a baby…. Took another one to the face and I am out of the Danger zone…

Well I said, that was a little tough. I might have to paddle all around the break wall (4 miles) instead of coming back, and trying to do a beach landing, I say to myself.

Well I start paddling to the Pt. Fermin, and I start seeing all the commercial lobster traps. Every time I saw a commercial trap, I metered structure on my fish finder. I tried to check in with the guys, but after I turned the point all contact was lost. I found a few places where there was structure, so I decided to put my hoop nets down. (This was a real pain) –Every time I got my nets ready the wind would push me south a few yards and I had to paddle up just to get to the same spot again…

I took out my rods and starting throwing plastics, a few nibbles here and there, but nothing to really stick. The sunset was a beautiful one, clouds of red and purple. I said “I can’t wait to see what I pull up.” I wait half an hour after sunset, and I paddle back to the first one net I dropped.

1st Hoopnet:
DAMN THIS FEELS SUPER HEAVY… its must be crabs because I didn’t feel the tail swooshing on the rope.
I get it about ¼ up and I feel something in the net trying to swim back down. So I pull on the rope harder…. And whatever is in the hoop net is POWERFUL.. So powerful in fact that it was about to tip me over… So I had to let go of the rope or I was going over. …

I am like what the heck is in here….
I tried it again and my Hoop net takes off and I am being hauled away, and I start pulling the rope up then it goes straight down….. And I am about to tip over, so I let go of the rope… Finally manage to pull up my bait cage… … Nothing!!!

So I kept wondering what it was….

2nd hoopnet:

I pull up my second hoopnet this one feels heavy, but not as heavy as the first one…. I pull it up half way… and my hoopnet starts pulling me AGAIN!!!! This time I said HELL NO.. I Start pulling with all my might trying to keep the x-factor stable …. And I Pulled it, it was pulling and I pull I was pulling, TUG OF WAR. And I pull ….. and I Win….. Pulled it up….HUGE SHARK…My 3 inch PVC that was clipped on by a screw with an eye on it gone…. Ripped off and I see the shark swim away…
OMG…. What a rip…. So I pulled it up and put it away behind my kayak

3rd hoopnet:

I pull nothing… but small crabs and star fish….

4th hoopnet and 5th hoopnet were a bit further out on some structure:

Nothing

So I set up in different locations:

I go back to my first hoop net 30 mins later…

This time, I am ready…. If this thing is going to pull as soon as I start pulling…. I need to be ready.
So I grab the rope… PULL really fast (feels light but something is in here…….. ) I get it up to the SURFACE…

SCORE!!!!! MEGA 7 lbs lobster.. FINALLY !!!!!

I put my hoopnet on my lap and shine my headlamp on the cage… WTH

This ain’t no lobster… it’s a leopard shark with its mouth completely around my PVC….and it won’t let go….So I turn the cage upside down and jig it a few time and it finally lets go….

That how my day went…. No lobsters…no love

By this time the wind had settled down but it started picking up again around 7:30- so I said screw this I am going home… So I picked all my stuff and go back to Cabrillo Beach… Can’t see the waves.. Can’t see the surf…. It looks mellow… like no surf,…. I mean I can’t hear the surf…. That good right…

So feeling lazy and not wanting to around the break wall(4miles to around)… I prepare for a yard sale…. Put everything away except for my rods and hoop nets…. ( I hear a helicopter, ambulance , and fire trucks coming and I see them go to Pt. Fermin) – I hope the guys didn’t call coast guard on me I said…

Detach my paddle… and I am ready to land this beast (my kayak)….

Get as close to the beach as possible, slugging along….. I see spectators again… “damn I bet is Tony with his camera”, I said.
Looked behind me… nothing… (I can’t see crap in pitch darkness)
So I decided, I am going for it… Look behind me one more time…. And I see this 3-4ft wave crashing right behind me… and the last thing I say to myself…..”GAME OVER”….

The wave crashes behind my hoop nets. My kayak bow lifts up over the water… and I start going forward SUPER FAST!!!
I say my good byes…

My stern is submerged under the wave….. I try to keep my balance countering the way my kayak wants to go….the kayak is moving like a submerged torpedo… My kayak turns perpendicular to the wave right at the beach…..I MADE IT!!!!!! ALIVE…. Did not capsize

WAAAAWHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO………

EPIC SURFING!!!! Never doing that again though. LOL scary!!!!

I start dragging my kayak up the beach… this guy offers to help push... I said thank you… and I start throwing everything in my car… Check my messages the guys left already, and are at Jack in the box…
The guys asked me, if I was calling from the coast guard station because of all the commotion (ambulance, fire, helicopter).. . they thought something happened….

Well that was that…. I get home and I smell something burning…. I thought it was my batteries… but the smell went away and I left everything in my car and went to bed….

On Sunday, after running some errands I figure it’s time to start taking the junk off my car. I unlock the car, and starting taking my blue plastic box… and I starting smelling something burning… I start seeing smoke… I start panicking… My wife was fixing the emergency earthquake kit in the garage … and I start yelling FIRE!! FIRE!!!….. and she runs to the front of the house to see where the fire is at (she smells it too)…. I start checking my blue box… where’s the fire where’s the fire….

I take out my $700 GPS…… and about to start taking off my kayak… and I see the smoke and flames coming from my passenger seat….

WHAT THE HELL…..
CARS ON FIRE…… I start ripping the plastic away from the passenger seat…..
“Who cares about safety,” I said. Need to save my kayak and my car….Fire FIRE FIRE…..

I start blowing out the fire, the flames were starting to get bigger, So I start blowing like someone trying to inflate his inflatable pfd in the middle of the ocean and the fire settles. And I start disconnecting the electrical…..

My wife said here is some money go buy a pickup truck at the auction….

Good thing, I was there when it happened…. All I needed was to show up to the beach with my car toast…

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w21/darkmatrix84/IMG_0852.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w21/darkmatrix84/IMG_0853.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w21/darkmatrix84/IMG_0854.jpg

and also i have more light in my garage... went to hOMIES DEpOT to buy the light fixture and the bulb= $18.00

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w21/darkmatrix84/IMG_0855.jpg

I

jorluivil

01-07-2013, 09:31 AM

ayyyyy franceesco

Old Man in the Sea

01-07-2013, 09:39 AM

very funny story once again!!!

ful-rac

01-07-2013, 09:48 AM

I thought you said your car caught on fire??? Looks like it got a little warm....

I was expecting something like this...

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQyfzd7ipGJRoH8a-XfX38swTEnpuXm-I6EOzVJ4JO7p-w2Fbxu5g

wiredantz

01-07-2013, 09:55 AM

I thought you said your car caught on fire??? Looks like it got a little warm....

I was expecting something like this...

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQyfzd7ipGJRoH8a-XfX38swTEnpuXm-I6EOzVJ4JO7p-w2Fbxu5g

i bet you were thinking something like that :D Hell if it was a few mins later It would of been something like that

RobFish

01-07-2013, 09:55 AM

Lucky you were there when it happened.
Fire and the risk of it terrifies me.
Glad you're OK, and the Nachomobile is in one piece.

StinkyMatt

01-07-2013, 10:11 AM

Frank,you can make the most boring story into a cliff hanger and a major drama event.

We were seriously worried about you. Seeing the three fire and rescue trucks hauling ass to where you would wash up was not fun either.

New rule for Frank:
Quit doing stupid shiiiit!

bus kid

01-07-2013, 10:15 AM

Glad your ok frank.

Bring
More
Water

jorluivil

01-07-2013, 11:34 AM

Tony said it best!

Frank's text to us make it sound like this is what happened

http://www.worldculturepictorial.com/images/content_2/burning_bmw.jpg

when in fact this is what actually took place.

http://static.freepik.com/free-photo/burning-match-fire-lighting-matchstick_3212372.jpg

Old Man in the Sea

01-07-2013, 01:02 PM

Frank is dangerous in a car seat with electronics...

I am sure a bean burrito fart was the root cause of this accident - doesn't take Columbo to figure this one out...those seats used to be alot whiter too...

Give him a plate of nachos and a keyboard and you get a funny suspense novel 25 minutes later...but no more bean burritos...

Dirty Curti

01-07-2013, 01:47 PM

Wait a minute... You missed the most important part.... Your wife gave you some money to go get a new truck! What did you get? And, is that all it takes to get a new truck? I am rigging my beast tonight.:auto:

Great story.:luxhello:

wiredantz

01-07-2013, 02:00 PM

Wait a minute... You missed the most important part.... Your wife gave you some money to go get a new truck! What did you get? And, is that all it takes to get a new truck? I am rigging my beast tonight.:auto:

Great story.:luxhello:

I need to visit the car auction, so my truck buying a waiting game right now. :D

My wife loves me so much, she has been telling me to get rid of my car for years now...

She said water + BMW= don't mix

maui jim

01-07-2013, 02:18 PM

Frank, Glad every thing went to plan.

1-No lobster....:(
2-No Fish....:(
3-Made a sucessful Surf landing and launch (No Video)....;)
4-Team Sewer Crew brought you NO Jack in the Box.....:mad:
5-Loaded all you wet gear in the car.....:o
6-Emptied your full Salt Water pockets onto Seat Controls.:rolleyes:
7-Convinced wife that car is defective and need a truck cuz it dangerous, and that's easier than cleaning out the trash from the car...:D

Well done Frank....so what kind of truck you looking for, Now Jeorge will be looking for you to drive...:cool:

Deamon

01-07-2013, 04:02 PM

you went down and then back up that hill through the sand with your bug gear? I'm impressed. That walk is a beatccchhh...

sasha

01-07-2013, 09:16 PM

little smoke and its a car on fire.
alittle shark and here you go it pulls the kayak under water.
a little breeze and its a typhoon.\
a little wave on the way back and its a perfect storm and he is captain Nemo in a submarine....

Frank you are such a drama queen.....

JarrodMc

01-08-2013, 09:24 PM

i'm glad you only soldered your wires together. thankfully you didn't lose your leg to a Chark and you're ok.