WTF
 

Need some newbie advice, please!

Headed out with my son today, he pulled in a few spanish mackerel for me and we flylined while eating lunch. At one point I metered some fish and dropped a vigorous bait, maybe 8". Bait was only a few feet under the kayak with only the 40lb fluoro in the water and I watched 3 or 4 yellowtail chase the bait around. We got all excited and I let the bait swim in a thumbed freespool waiting for the strike...nothing! Tried to stay around the same spot and drop another line... nothing.

Anyone have any tips on what I could be doing wrong? They clearly were after the bait but decided not to take it. Hard to estimate the size but bait didn't seem too big, was certainly one of the smaller ones. Will they get line shy with too thick a leader too close to the surface? Mac was nose-hooked on a 3/0 circle hook and swimming well, I thought he was history for sure.

Thanks in advance!

You most likely scared them. Fish don't know what a kayak is. They see it as a floating object similar to kelp or wood that may be holding baitfish. They probably would have ate your bait but fled when they realized a potential predator was above them. I freak out all the time when that happens but if you can keep your cool i've also had schools of YT literally ram the bottom of my yak trapping the bait against it and trying to eat them.

OR

Not much you could've done. Their instinct made them curious, not hungry. Some days you'll meter 50+YT come up or dive down 20-100' nose your bait and turn away even if your using 5lb line (i've tried it) and super tiny hooks. When they see a struggling bait their instinct is to check it out, even if their FAT and aren't feeding.

Green backs a re a better choice of bait if the choice is there.

Fish can be picky at times.

Thanks
 

Thanks for the help. Frustrating to see them but not be able to get them on the hook.

Go figure
 

So basically us hootin' and hollerin' and scrambling around the kayak when we saw the fish might have spooked them? Guess I could have thought that one through!