Nothing Ventured nothing gained

[Chuck D]

A quote my Dad always used to always remind me of:notworthy:

Hit up the shores Thr. morn with the AI early hoping to get out as far as I can with hopes of getting back by dark. Prepped for everything safety wise, including my cool fathers day gift beacon. Get some bait in the bait tank and harness a little wind to help get me out on the spot. End up being a perfect day for the AI. Off and on 10 knots of breeze letting me troll and explore where I want. Find some patties but no takers, see lots of birds but no boils. Spent all morning searching to no avail and I am having a blast sailing around but a little disappointed that I am seeing no fish.

I land on a smallish bird school and cruise over it trying to troll my way through. As a I roll through I look at the water to the side of me and see the most fantastic sight I had seen in a long time. A enormous school of BFT 100b plus are shooting by the sides on my kayak following me like a pod of dolphins on a trimaran. Immediately I am waiting for my lines to load up. This doesn't happen so. I fling a greenback out there, no takers. I finally see a little boil to the side of me and flip my iron out , get a short bite but not fish and after about 5 min they are GONE! Amazing experience, but a little bummed I could not put one on the deck.

Search around for another hour in the same area don't see a thing. Then I look behind me and right by a boat about 1/2 mile away there is grip of birds concentrated. I figure that I would give it a go, halfway there I saw the craziest sight I have ever seen on the water. Right around the boat which turned to 3 boats real quick the water EXPLODED! It looked like a YT boil x 100. BFT were demolishing bait and making no secret of it. I finally got there which felt like a decade and of course no more boil. Just as I start to get bummed I missed it, WW III happens right in front of my bow. Immediately get my surface iron out there and HOOKUPPPP! Here I am, in the middle of nowhere, fighting this sweet BFT in the middle of three boats, they must of wondered what the hell was going on. Try to get the go pro rolling but could not, on the wrong setting and too hectic:( Anyways, get the BFT tuna up after an epic battle, get the gaff ready, gaff it and this momma was so pissed it ripped the gaff out of my hand and took it back down with him. Next thing I know he is on another run, my gaff floats up about 25 yards away and I am headed right for a boat. Boater is somewhat cool as my kayak bounces of his boat in an attempt to land the fish,retrieve my gaff and not cross lines with these other fools. Finally get the gaff, get the fish up and there it is, my prize. A 25b BFT on the surface iron:jig: Rest of the day no more boils, headed back, head held up high and happy. What a day. It was amazing, not sure if I could have done it without the sail so for everyone contemplating trying this please be careful, prepared and safe. However, I do hope to see more BFT in your yakking futures.



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[ashmoz]

SICK! :cheers1:

[YakHanded]

Unreal so sick ChuckeeeD! :luxhello: Congrats man! :cheers1:

[Cadillyak]

You are the man. I need to get an AI!

[skrilla]

Hell yeah nice one Chuck. :cool:

[Bert Vega]

Great now I have to buy a TI.

What a great adventure. Congratulations!!! Busted the tuna cherry on the kayak this year for the whole group. :you_rock:

[octico]

Wow great job!!! :notworthy:

[chris138]

Hero! :you_rock:

[Dannowar]

:notworthy::notworthy:


Duuuuuuuuuuuuude

[Geno Machino]

:cool::cool:Rock on Big Daddy!!':cool::cool::cool:

[ful-rac]

Your likeness will be carved out in the cliffs of La Jolla this summer next to Yakjoe, Tjones, Wade and the Darkhorse!!!!


Congrats Chuck D! :luxhello:

[jruiz]

Whoa!

[cabojohn]

niiiice :cool:

[WARRIORMIKE]

I'm jealous :reel:

[fishing md]

TUNA KING 2015 :you_rock:

[INGRIDSDAD]

Chuck D is the man!
Gongrats on kayak tuna!

[AirborneYak]

Wow!! You just made every one here a little bit jealous! Congrats!

[619-SWIM-DOG]

Nice Job Chuck, you talked to me about it and then bam you got your BFT. Congrats

[Dirty Curti]

Way to prove your Dad right.

Nothing ventured nothing gained! :reel::sifone:

[Ilikebigbutts]

Bad ass man !

[Gr8fuldude]

Must...........Purchase............A.............. ....I



That, sir, was outstanding. :notworthy:

Now please go do it again and have your damn gopro prepared. :cheers1:

[Caden]

Good chit chuck

[LEEZO]

Pushing the limits! Nice Chuck.

[Ggiannig89]

Let the tuna frenzy begin!
Good job landing that blue!

[Caseym]

SoCal history being made right here, right now. So cool!

[Amish Ed]

:you_rock: :jig:

[FISH11]

Super nice. You beat Yani and Andy to be the first kayaker to post BFT on the yak. Although it needs an * was aided by wind power. Congrats Chuck.

[paddle man]

U DA MANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN MR 'D'

:jig:

[Iceman]

That is so cool! :luxhello::luxhello::luxhello: now who is gonna get the the pedal crown and the paddle crown...........I am betting it will be happening........and then come the dorado!

[MrPukaShell]

Simply Awesome. Thanks for taking the time to share.

[JayB619]

Holy shit!!! You are my hero, way to go on the first bft posted on big waters edge!!!

[Razorback]

:you_rock: AWESOME :cheers1:

[tamddo714]

awesome job out there man!!

[kayakfisherman]

That was so awesome!!!! Congrats!! What a story.

Well deserved, plus plenty of good eats. So jealous...:luxhello:

[theluckypig]

he shoots, he scores!!!:cheers1: well earned!

[Aaron&Julie]

So very sweet, congrats on the tuna catch from a kayak in SoCal. No diminishing needed with an *, whether paddling, pedaling, sailing or motors, off of a kayak. You're on small piece of plastic miles from shore and that's a great accomplishment.
Julie and I went after Dodos out there a few years back using motors, nothing caught, and motors died on the way back, which made it even harder to paddle with motors/60lb marine batteries on board.
Yours is one Helluva catch worth about $150 or more, on the market for your effort, and one lifetime of a memory :D
Enjoy your awesome eats, you deserve it.

[steveooo]

F'n Chuck D! Thats too awesome! Congrats!

[Kayak_Bernie]

Duuude!!! That is awesome! Congrats!!!!

[blitzburgh]

AI's are now on backorder :D

YOU THE MAN

So is it safe to say that's the first ever, unassisted Kayak Tuna, caught in So Cal?

[ful-rac]

Not surprised ChuckD pulled this seemingly impossible feat off....He fishes hard! He put in the work had the right equipment and motivation...Southern California Kayak History is made! :luxhello:

[kjsdad619]

That's Awesome Chuck D!

[summers in kuwait]

Some people travel from all over to catche these on a boat and they consider it a fish/fight of a life time and then you raise the bar by doing it on a kayak with all the additional difficulties and safety aspects thrown in. Very inspiring and impressive. Cheers to Chuck D!

[capntim]

Nothing else needs to be said. Epic.

[the dude]

I doff my cap to thee sir. Well done.

[Zed]

BOOYA! Way to put youself in that right zone.

[MattRabasco]

Atta Boy!!!!! Well done!

[phisher_man bossin-it]

How far did you sail for that bft?

[h2ofishfo]

:drool5:

[cesar74]

That is BaD A$$ ! Congrats!:notworthy:

[kobra]

Hell yeah Chuckie D. You da man!!! Congrats on such an awesome catch. :you_rock:

[Silbaugh4liberty]

Insane! Nice job! Now every body on here is going to try for tuna this weekend, lol!

[Caseym]

Super nice. You beat Yani and Andy to be the first kayaker to post BFT on the yak. Although it needs an * was aided by wind power. Congrats Chuck.

Hmmmm, interesting point. He had a sail. So was it a sail boat? It is a kayak though...technically. Then again, would a mirage drive be considered an * boat since it is not paddled but peddled. I say the AI counts, cheers to Chuck, but to be fun lets see who can get the first on a peddle yak (hobie) and the first on a paddle yak. Then all 3 can buy a round of beers....preferably Ballast Point Sculpin IPA's. Just sayin'....

[addicted2sp33d]

That is nothing short of Legendary! :notworthy:

[cell128]

Amazing!

[HELLSTER INC.]

Outstanding job!!!!! Congrats, who's next!

[jorluivil]

Sail boat or not, its a catch of a lifetime

Way to go! couldn't have happened to a better vato

[roby]

Impressive Chuck! You fish hard and have a lot of passion for the sport.

Congrats!!

:luxhello:

[Rav3n805]

Absolutely amazing! Congratulations man... I hope to be in your company soon. With some Tuna off the yak!

[King Saba]

Now that's how you do it!

[crazywakeboarder]

when are you planning to sail out again, I've got a TI and would love to head out

[PAL]

Epic! Congrats Chuck D. Way cool to see you do this from the sands of the Shores.

[FlyFishinYakr]

Can't add to what has already been said! :notworthy:
Only one question...how far offshore were you (if you know, roughly)?
FFY :sifone:

[katchfish]

Well done!

I'd love to get a paddle bluefin.

[jscott]

Wow! Amazing....great story and epic catch! :you_rock:

[Kayakfisherman79]

SWEEEEEET!!!! "In my Cartman voice". LOL awesome catch bro.

[kaya_one]

Very cool! Would love to hear more of the details as I just picked up an AI myself.

[StinkyMatt]

Wow.....Chuck you da man!



Chuck is intense...when he fishes......


With all due respect.....most of the guys on this board could not have done it. I've seen Chuck go on a solo expedition in Baja where left the fleet behind, went waaaaaaay far, found his own turf and killed the big fish while the fleet was chasing spotted bass by the beach.


Congrats Chuck!

:cheers1:

[Chuck D]

Thank you everyone for the kind words, it was fun and I hope to do it again next week. Maybe we'll see some other larger models pop up on the board soon! Be prepared, be safe and good luck to those giving it a shot:driver:

[Saba Slayer]

Nice Job...!!!
I was on the fence about an AI as my next Hobie...I think you just made my mind up for me.

[Deamon]

Definitely one of the hardest fisherman I know. Well deserved Chuckie Dee...well deserved. Jim

[Handymansd]

Well so much for secrecy... The tuna's out of the bag.
http://www.cbs8.com/story/29427996/big-fish-caught-by-man-in-small-kayak
I guess guys named Chuck are BFT slaying machines!:cheers1:
Adi, can we get a tuna smiley?

[lamb]

Chuck, I am not the guy for smileys - that's Andy's department. :D

Big time congrats to both of you - waaaay cool!!!
It's going to be a crazy year!

Chuck - if you were out there this past Saturday... :eek:
I was there on my boat, and from the getgo I wished I stayed home, it was nasty!! :boxing_smiley:

[lbsurf2ca]

I was on the newseaforth that day watched two guys on kayaks heading west as we passed la jolla ...had me worried for them on the way in as it got nasty hope whoever it was turned around on time. It was brutal.

[Handymansd]

Yes it was brutally rough out there! Horrible headwind, and whitecaps with occasional mixed swells to keep me wet! That warship 108 kept doing propulsion drills that created 8 ft wakes to keep me on my toes, one of them almost sent me over... And he wasn't even that close to me. But it was an epic trip with epic results! I will go again as soon as work allows.

[svendawg]

Nice catch Chuck. It couldn't have happened to a more dedicated fisherman.
Hope to see you OTW soon, but maybe a little closer to shore.

[makobob]

Congrats on a well deserved fish. Chuck strikes again.