LJ 7/11
 

Launched at 6:30 in to warm water n tiny waves. Stopped just passed the reserve bouy to cast the jig stick and get the line wet. Hooked a small bonito and while grinding it in a 4-5' mako nailed it right next to the kayak. Bit the bonie in half and missed the iron thankfully. I could not make bait. Saw a few macks caught but all I got was bonito. Put a bonie on the hook and started out about 50 yards out side the kelp. Saw a few cormorants diving with 1 gull over them. Saw the gull dip fast but no boil or cormorant under it. Gull saw some thing. Got a surface iron passed the gull, maybe 4 cranks, and huge boil. Some yt are just extra mean, and this was one. An ulua 93h is a lot of jigstick on a kayak. Fish kicked my ASD for a while. Got it to gaff, bled n in the hatch. Tried for bait some more with no luck and headed in. Mike

Nice hit 'n run Mike!

Solid work
 

Thanks for sharing . Luckily he missed the :jig:.

Ulua's are big but they are great. What reel are you matching yours with? How do you like the combo?

Congrats. Look like the good bite is hanging around.

I love my ulua. Absolutely my fav jig stick. I have it paired with a Trini 16n with 65lb smooth samurai braid. It took a bit of practice but I'm comfortable just grippin it and rippin it with the braid now. I use a short price of 40lb mono so I don't have to cut back the braid to change jigs. I've used 90j and 690j on the kayak but the ulua is lighter and cast better for me. The slow action jig sticks cast great but I never cared for the loading and waiting feeling of them. A buddy of mine has a 10' Harnell that feels more like a bull whip. Reel section of the rod is pointed at the fish while the top 6' is still pointed straight behind.l old school. Mike

Nice one. Nothing beats YT on the surface iron. Congrats!!







Disclaimer: There are some who might argue that a BFT on surface iron trumps a YT, not that I would know.

Mike,
I never had the chance to try out the ulua. How would you describe the "action" relative to the Calstar 530?
Thanks,
FFY :sifone:

Nice Mike! ive been missing out. be down in few days. sent u a pm.

Don't think I've casted a 530. Most of the older classic jig sticks had softer actions, parabolic and bent almost all the way down to the reel. Cast almost like loading a heavy fly rod. Those rods are older E glass. Uluas are S glass which is lighter and stiffer. Not as much as graphite but more than E glass. They cast "faster" more like graphite casting rods. More of a load and snap rather than a slow load, wait a second, than launch. Both cast the same distance but the feel and timing is different. I prefer the faster feel. Uluas are a bit parabolic but shut off closer to the tip. This moves the main lifting part of the rod further from your center if gravity. Harder on you and unbalancing on a yak. My attitude about long rod surface iron fishing is actual fish fighting ability is a distant second to casting. As you might be able to tell I'm kinda insane when it comes to jig sticks. It is my absolute fav fishing style. Jig stick style is a so cal original and has a great history and evolution here. I lived for a year in the outer banks of North Carolina and worked with hard core anglers and charter boat skippers and none of them had ever even heard of light/surface irons. The only long rod fishing they knew was surf casting. I showed them a tady 45 and they thought it was a joke. Hope this helps if you made it to the end. Mike

Thanks Mike,
Yes, I read it to the end! After all, you took the time to respond and write-up the description, the least I could do is read the whole thing! :D
Sounds like my 530 is much like the ulua. Like you, I'm kind of a jig stick nut, the 530 is a 9' fast taper rod, much like the 196 rods. I also never cared for the 690J (the noodle!), it's the first dedicated jig stick I wrapped and the first I sold after I bought and finished wrapping a Seeker SJ85 and a Calstar 530.
One of the issues I have with the 530 is that it has a large butt section and the best reel that balances out the rod is the Penn 112-H 3/0. The other issue is much like your ulua the rod is too fast and therefore the leverage is too high for Kayak fishing!
I'm just trying to find that "perfect" 30# jig stick (a cross between the 90J and the 530 or a slightly heavier version of the Seeker SJ85 or a lighter Truline D-8, which is my fav go to 40# yo-yo stick :D).
Again thanks for the info,
FFY :sifone:

Congrats
 

Nice fish...don't know about bleeding them in the haul though....

Great story Mike!! Way to keep you eyes and hears
open. That fish looks like it would kick anyone's asssss.

Bled the fish then in to the hatch. In side the yak is still kinda nasty tho.
The journey for the perfect jig stick. Maybe that's why guys have been cutting off the top and bottom for years. Sounds like you've tried plenty. I picked up a Phoenix abyss jig stick last year. Rated for 30lb and medium soft action. I use it for wax wings and little tady AA lights. Maybe give the Phoenix a look. The calstar GGs are worth a look. Maybe not for the kayak, but I'd like to have a 10' baby ulua for a lighter jig stick. Mike