Newbie looking to join up 10/5
 

Hello. 36 male in rancho bernardo. New to kayaking and haven't fished salt water much but looking to get out this friday (10/5), preferably with some guidance. If I could join up with one or more of you that would be great. I have a coworker I plan to go with eventually but he is busy this friday and I don't want to miss an oppurtunity, especially since I just spent $50 on an annual license and want to get ahead on using it 3+ times. I have a 10 ft. walmart SOT kayak, taken it out on lake once so far. I have also rented Kayak in La Jolla. I mountain bike however my kayak is not pedal one. Might be interested in pedal kayak eventually. I have 12 lb. baitcaster setup and looking to extend collection. I also already have lures, custom crate, PFD, sun protection, tools, lanyards, etc. but looking to pick up anything I am missing.

If not 10/5 maybe some other day this weekend or in future. I have every other friday off.

thanks,

Not sure about Friday, but if your ever in the Long Beach San Pedro area let me know, am off every Friday and usually fish in the mornings

thanks but trying to stay local.

Be prepared to dunk if you have a walmart 10ft yak. Water proof your phone, keys, wallet, and secure everything you dont want to lose in case you dunk.

And I cant stress this enough, but always wear your PFD out on the water.

Good luck

will do. I am thinking sd bay fri 530. I was foolishly considering La Jolla this early on but have since reconsidered.

Going to be a group next weekend. I’m still working on making it

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ad.php?t=33416

IMO 10 ft kayak is too small for open ocean.

forgive me for asking questions already forum'd elsewhere.

-what are top 3 causes of a "dunk" in 10 ft kayak?
-do dunks still happen with larger kayak?
-is adding side stabilizers a decent idea?

I am just getting into the hobby and it is a bit premature for me to consider larger, expensive kayak. If that means I should stay out of open ocean so be it. But if there is a way to make my 10 ft kayak more capable and get in there with minimal safety risk, I would like to wet my appetite with open ocean.

Of course I am already looking at new and used pedal kayaks 11+ ft...but not seriously. I must say hobie 14 ft pro angler is like a freaking ship...could get tired pacing that deck!

The main cause is stability.

Most Walmart kayaks are not designed with open ocean swells in mind. Is your kayak a sit on top or sit inside?

Did you buy it new? If so i would return it and buy a used kayak from craigslist. If budget is an issue, a used malibu, wilderness systems, or ocean kayak will be way better suited to go out. You dont need a Hobie to have fun but you do need a well designed kayak.

If you go out in the Walmart kayak you might flip and get discouraged with our wonderful hobby.

really appreciate the feedback, guys.

it is a sit on top type, lifetime tamarack 100, bought new on sale. It is not going back. Thanks for idea though, I understand your thought. I have already taken it out on a lake and I have a moral issue with returning stuff after use. Furthermore, if I buy a more substantial kayak, I would keep it as a secondary for my wife and son to accompany me on in the future.

No doubt a large enough swell/wake would send me over in this kayak. I also worry about catching too large a fish too early on in my kayak fishing career and not knowing how to counter balance those loads.

You shouldnt worry about returning stuff that is not safe for you to use the way u intend to use it. They either accept your return or they dont. Their choice. What you return at one place, you buy at same place or another place.


Most people dunk on the way in or out in the surf, from what I witnessed. Especially people that surf their yaks all the way in and dont jump out when it gets waist deep.

Also watch out for cross chop....waves that hit you on the side versus from the front.

Whatever you can place inside your kayak instead of on top will lower your center of gravity, increasing primary stability. That said, be VERY careful opening as it is also an avenue for water to get inside if you get swamped when access is not secured.

Could you do open water in that? Sure.

You could also drive to New York in a Smart Car. You can take more equipment and would be a lot more comfortable and safer in a SUV, but you could do it.

I have a 10 footer that I use when I can only get away for an hour or two after work and am going to hit the harbor with 1, maybe 2 rods and a single tray of artificials. It works great for that and can easily be transported on my Civic.

It's all a tradeoff. If that is what you have then use it. Get used to the feel of where you tip. If you want to try open water, do it without fishing gear first. If you don't feel comfortable in open water then stay in protected areas for now

good stuff guys.

would you say a native slayer propel 10 is quite adequate for open water? or just barely cutting it?

confidence
 

Kevbeer...Use the kayak you have and get some confidence in your kayaking abilities by launching and fishing in one of the many bays or harbors that we have available in the northern part of So Cal...Cabrillo...Long Beach...King Harbor....MDR...Dana Point...Newport...Huntington Harbor.
There are some nice fish to be caught in most of these inshore areas and it's a great place to hone your skills and your kayak rigging...and learn to use the fish finder that you'll eventually buy.
If it's a flat day with no wind and you feel good about your abilities after a couple of trips you just might venture outside the bay or harbor and get a feel for the swell and current "on the outside".
Check out the other kayaks next time Andy has another demo day at OEX... and when the Fred Hall Show comes around in March...come on down to the lagoon at Long Beach and try out one of the Hobies. :cheers1:

I will look into those events, thanks

My question remains, is the (10 ft) Native Slayer Propel 10 (pedal kayak) considered open ocean worthy? Or barely capable? Seems substantially wider and beefier than my 10 ft cheapo kayak.

guys--I am really listening to all the input, please don't mark me an ignorant dummy. I have been your shoes in the mountain bike forums, where some new guy comes in asking about expensive carbon fiber full suspension bikes before he has even been on a single trail ride. That being said, don't be offended if I continue to ask dumb questions.

You are asking solid questions. There are plenty of smarta$$es here (not saying anything about anyone in particular) that will give you crap, but we were all there, getting our first kayak and starting out.

It is likely open ocean worthy, if you develop the time on the water and skills to make it so and are reasonable about your expectations. Don't load it down like you would a PA14, don't go out in iffy conditions. Don't expect to keep up with something longer and sleeker.

If it gets you on the water then use it. But check out different models before buying your next one. If you plan on keeping this then get something that meets needs that this one does not.

If you plan on fishing the ocean as a beginner I would recommend a kayak no shorter than12/13 feet long and at least 30” wide. Also I would make sure you go out during calm conditions so make sure you familiarize yourself with being able to research and read the forecast. Get familiar with sites like magicseaweed and Surfline and take the minimal amount of gear when you first start out. As far as flipping your kayak in the ocean, just make sure you stay relaxed and keep your weight in your butt and don’t do things like look over your shoulder until your more experienced because if you look behind you, you will probably flip over. Good luck.

Great advice so far. Since you already have a boat, I'll skip over some of my typical lecture and jump the "what boat to buy" part....

My suggestion #1 is to spend good money on a comfortable PFD. If its not comfortable dry, you'll never wear it on the water. If you get used to wearing it now, it will become second nature (I almost feel uncomfortable in the water now without it.)

Suggestion #2 is to learn your boat without your gear on it. Find the tipping points, figure out how to board in open water if you fall off or turtle (flip) the vessel. Play around in the surf if you have the time/space (tell the lifeguard present that you will be doing this.) It's best to figure these things out BEFORE you load up your precious gear and then donate a bunch of plastic and carbon to the sea....

sd bay went well. caught 10 inch spotty. no troubles.

Ok guys, moving on here. I am looking to kayak fish La Jolla in the next couple weeks with a somewhat experienced friend/coworker. I am in need of a more substantial pole to fish the kelp beds. He has recommended okuma PCH 8 ft. 20-50 lb rod with penn squall levelwind 20 reel. I would use 30 lb mono on this for starters I believe. A couple questions.

Do you think 7 ft. ok for most kayak fishing? This fits more manageably in my car.

Is it better to have star or lever drag on this type of setup/fishing on a kayak?

I am thinking to minimize $$$ and get either Penn Rival Levelwind combo ($80!!) or Penn Squal Levelwind Combo (~$160). If the interest sticks I would upgrade and let my son use these reduced cost setups. Do you think they are good enough? Is okuma rod really worth the dough? I saw it in turners outdoorsman earlier and it is very nice with carbon fiber showing however I am all about function not aesthetics.

thanks as always

If you are looking to gear up for a fair price get in touch with John (fishaholic)

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ad.php?t=33352

I have bought from him before and been happy with the transaction

Eh, you lost me at Turners. There is A TON of great used gear available online, and MUCH better shops than Turners. SoCal has a huge amount of high quality stuff on the resale market that wont break the bank. Your buddies suggestion is a great one, but there are numerous options out there.

Rod length is a matter of preference. In my opinion, if I'm casting and covering a lot of water, I would stick to 8' rods. If you are dropping directly down into kelp, or just pitching bait/plastics to targets, 7' will work. I have and use both consistently. When you get out there in the open water and need that extra distance, or accuracy, you will see what I'm talking about.

I used to think I needed shorter rods for the kayak, and then I learned my gear better and got more comfortable. Now I fish the same way/gear on my kayak as I do on charter and sport boats.

Casting vs Conventional vs Spinning. Lever drag vs Star drag. Glass vs Carbonfiber vs Composite. Braid vs Mono vs Fluoro. All of the gear out there can be used to accomplish what you are looking to do so long as its setup accordingly. Here is my suggestion on kelp fishing...

7-8' carbon or composite casting stick in a moderate weight (30lbs ish.) You want a fast tip and strong butt section to put pressure against the kelp. I would look into finding a 300 or 400 sized casting or conventional reel, then fill it with 50-65lbs braid. The braid works like a saw against the kelp aiding in slicing through it. Depending on the bite or visibility, you can terminal directly to the braid, or tip it with 3-4' of fluorocarbon leader.

YouTube is an excellent source for learning how to launch your kayak in the Surf. I have launched from La Jolla at least four times and have never flipped my kayak. I did however have a very stable but budget friendly kayak. I used a 11.6ft Perception Striker Angler Kayak that is rated for 500 pounds. I was a pretty big guy at about 280 but have since lost weight and I'm currently down to 245 good luck with your Kayaking adventures and if you ever want to meet up and Kayak fish Lake Perris let me know and maybe we can meet up.

thanks guys.

golden, can you specify what pounds test on the flourcarbon leader?

It depends on the bite.

I always use braid main line specifically so you can retie any weight of leader in case the bite is slow, or you are fishing around odd cover/structure.

For me, its 40lbs leader when I know the bite isn't line shy, or I'm in/around heavy cover or structure. Rocks, kelp, etc.

If I'm fishing open water, say fly lining fin bait, maybe think about 20lbs.

I ALWAYS have 40, 30, 20, and now 15lbs line available in my bag just in case. Each of the last few times I've been out, it's been slow until I went down to 20lbs test. One time I was out of 15 and REALLLLLY could have used it (the bait was small and the yellows were SUPER line shy.)

Regarding La Jolla, check out You Tube's kayak mishaps and wipeouts. Listen to these seasoned Kayakers and get a stable kayak 'rd 12-13ft length. Good Luck!

Check out You Tubes kayak's mishaps and wipeouts at La Jolla. Listened to these Seasoned Kayakers and get a 12-13' SOT kayak. Good Luck

So I have purchased:

-Stroker 7 ft. casting rod 15-40 lb action, on sale at big5
-Penn Warfare Star Drag 20N conventional reel, 15 lb. max drag
-KastKing SuperPower 50 lb braided line - low visibility grey

Is that line the best braided to go with? Or at least decent? I can return if not. Sounds like maybe it is on the thicker side at .4 mm?

What type of hooks should I use for la jolla kelp? 2/0 circular? I plan to run 6 foot 30 lb. mono leader for a while, then graduate to 30 lb flouro at some point.

Meh, on a rod/reel combo like that, I'd drop down to 40lbs braid (visibility doesnt matter in your situation), and get a few leader spools 20/30/40. My line preference is Seaguar Premier leader and Daiwa J-Braid in high-viz colors.

Take the reel to a shop and have them spool it up correctly. It will be cheaper in the long run and with braid on conventional reels is VERY important to make sure it gets spooled tight and neat.

Hooks all depend on size of bait (what are you doing for bait?) Remember, J hooks (flyline, gorilla, drop shot) typically need a solid hook set to catch a lip or mouth plate correctly. Circle hooks (Mutu) on the other hand don't need a hook set. Just apply pressure and reel, reel, reel.

Thanks GoldenGlory. I will take your advice.

So this weekend I am hoping to get out in the open ocean on my dinky Kayak. I have researched livewell and livebait, however, to keep it simple I am just going to fish plastics and metals. I just need to get out there and build some time on the water.

So I was thinking La Jolla because really I do not know any better/easier place to try for my first time out in open ocean. Please suggest something local to SD if you want.

So La Jolla. See attached image. I am paddling so shorter is better. I am thinking to putz around in the yellow circled area. I understand it is 1 mile paddle if I launch from the Kellogg park area? Is there better launch point like around the coves? I know there are restrictions.

Thanks in advance.

fell Ill Thursday and didn't get around to getting out until sunday 11 am. went to mission bay instead. feeling more confident with trip #2. I am thinking maybe get 3+ more bay trips before I even go open ocean. casting distance and padeling speed had noticeable improvement, among other things.