Kayak Hooping - Malibu 10-12-17
 

Thanks for the tips on the first time hooping off the kayak, Went out last night and took too long to rig up ended up having to launch in pitch black. Swell was intermittent 2-3Ft and tide was very low. Helped my buddy time his launch and then spend 30 minutes guessing on when to go in the dark. Guessed right and paddled hard until I was out of the break Zone.

Not a fan of guessing.

Dropped the drive in and got going. Decided to stay shallow and drop nets in 15 feet.

I gotta say, kayak hooping is probably not for me personally, I still prefer to skin dive for lobster. Kayak smells, everything gets dirty, its really cold but it was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had.

The bioluminescence was something out of book. It was everywhere, the bait was boiling and every fish looked like lasers in the water when they took off. I would paddle up to a school and the bioluminescent streaks looked like a screen saver in the water when they scattered.

The whole hoop would glow as it was being pulled up.

All in all, coolest time on the water and only 3 short lobster to show for it. Used salmon Heads and catfood for bait. May have to try one of the break walls next time.

Coming in was a bit nerve wrecking. Still couldn't see anything going in. Waited on the outside for 15 minutes getting an idea what the swell was doing. Decided to keep the drive in and pull it flat as I got shallow. Got some speed and kept going. Found a spot on the backside of a wave and came in smoothly. Lucky this time, but I didn't like guessing.

Notes for next time:
Dress warmer.
Bring one of those warmer packets or you hands.
Bring food to eat while you wait in between pulls
Launch before Sun down
Land on beach lit beach
Figure out how to capture bioluminescence on camera

The big ones will be deeper. 40 ft and more as the season progresses.

I agree, being out at night is a whole different experience. Some fish glow entirely and some only specks or their eyes.

I have also seen flying fish and that was a great experience. I have even rolled up on a sleeping fish, possibly yt since it was about 3 feet long and 5 feet below the surface.


The only scary thing is when you're out deep and hear whales or dolphins surfacing around you and not knowing if they are killer whales stalking you lol


I personally wouldn't try the breakwalls. They probably have few legals left if any.

Most under-rated lobster equipment and most difficult to keep...

A dry towel.

I pack 3 or 4 cotton towellets with me. I try to keep hands and work area as dry as possible.

Well... You just single-handedly tamped down my impulse to go buy some pro-mar this season :) i'm still kind of winging the launch/landing as it is. Last thing I need is a blindfold and a ton of weight on the back of the boat!

I think I'll wait for the dive cert

Thanks for the share, btw! This is a great write-up and super helpful.

A decent headlamp and a good light on a pike behind you do wonders for launching/ landing.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Don't let my experience deter you. I think there's ways to mitigate some of the downsides of my outing.

I'd be willing to try it again.

Just in a well lit launch/ full moon night should mitigate the launch/landing
Warmer Clothes
Bring washdown water for some of the gear.

Probably wasn't a good call on staying until midnight with work the next morning either.

ha...chasen and i ghost hunted your favorite spot...on a 4-5' beach break and got blown out at midnight with waves over the bow. GET SUM!!!!!

Sketch