Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

... cause I got 4 jacks!

What a day on Saturday. Launched at 6AM and headed north to the pier to try for some greenbacks, the snack that all 50+ lb. YT prefer. Picked up a couple with thanks to Brad and his fishfinder. Threw a mack out and started paddling out to the "spot". Started paddling harder once I saw all the birds working and heard the reports from the radio. Please, let me get there in time.
Get out to the spot and see a couple of people on fish and lots of birds working. Reach for my jigstick, and I see swirls behind me. Start to turn the boat and see 3YT come partly out of the water in front of me. For a tenth of a second I froze up, "Where to throw?" ANYWHERE, YOU JACKASS!
Throw to the breaking fish in front of me and the cast is right on the mark. Let it drop waiting for the strike, and nothing. WHAT THE... Cast out again on the surface for nothing. Let the iron drop straight down to the bottom, crank up twice, and I'm on. That's the stuff. The fish makes some nice runs, and this is the first YT I've fought on Spectra, so I'm enjoying really feeling the fish fight. After a 10 - 20 minute battle the fish comes up. For some reason I grab the iron and pull the fish in the boat. Get a measurement of roughly 36" at the fork. Put the fish back in the water and almost have my arm yanked out of my socket when the fish takes off. Guess he didn't need reviving. I must be nuts to let that fish go.
Start yo-yoing again, and a few drops later I'm back on. This fish didn't want to fight for the bottom, but made some nice runs away from the kayak. After another 10 - 20 minute battle the fish came to boat, and I should have just grabbed the iron and pulled him in, because I must have forgotten how to gaff, and I was lucky to get the fish on my 3rd attempt. But it was my lucky day, not the fishes.
http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/f.../1/9/Tape1.JPG
I wasn't the only one hooking up. It seemed like you could look around and there was someone bent at all times. Usually many people bend-o.
Here's Levi with a nice YT.
http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/f.../1/9/Levi2.JPG
And here's Ken with his first kayak YT. Or maybe it was Levi's first kayak YT. It's all a little blurry. I think I've seen that Ken guy before. Great job, Levi. Let's get back to yo-yoing.
http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/f...7/1/9/Ken2.JPG

I'm using a Salas 6X scrambled egg colored iron. I like scrambled eggs for breakfast, and so do the YT, because I hook up to number three. Brian from San Bernandino hooks up at about the same time, and the fish cross paths. Brian hands me his rod, and I do a quick loop around my line, and we're clear. After a couple more minutes, I'm getting close, but my fish has found Brians and have wrapped in a more formidable fashion. After a anxious minute of kayaks banging into each other and trying to untangle, Brian gets his close, gaffs on the first shot like a pro, and quickly cuts his line, freeing me up. Good work Brian. Luckily the fish were smaller and close to the surface when they tangled. Mine was 15-18lbs and was released for Ken to catch today.
Back to yo-yoing. I'm now close to a lobster trap, wondering if I should move a little off it, when #4 strikes. This fish has an awesome first run, right past the buoy line and away from the trap. Nothing is going wrong! This fish is running much harder than the previous, and I'm thinking 30+. After a good battle the fish comes up, hooked between his pelvic fins, explaining his fine fight for a 15lber. From 6:45AM to 9AM, 4YT from 15-24lbs. I still can't believe it.
The rest of the day was spent looking up, wondering if a plane was going to crash on me, balancing out all the good luck I had already received.