success!!! - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

William Novotny · 09-26-2011, 10:50 AM

Today I dicided to take the yak out for its second voyage and try and hook into a hali. I only had about 2 hours to make something happen before my wife needed to get to work and I had my daughter to watch. I launched off m street at the end of balboa penninsula at 6 am just as the sky started to lighten up and headed towards the bait barge. The current was moving so fast with the incoming tide it took me twice as long to get to the barge. Pulled in a medium sized sculpin nudging around a 3" white grub waiting for the barge attendent to be ready for me. Set him back it the water, loaded up on a scoop of dinos, rigged up my rods and started drifting along the jetty back into the harbor. At about 7 I got my first hit. My light baitcasting setup with 8lb mono gave a quick sharp tug. I pulled the rod out of the holder and nudged it a little. There was weight at the other end but I wanted to give him room to swallow it so I sat a few more seconds before giving it a sharp jerk upwards. F***! I forgot to tighten down my drag and I had it way loose. I didn't make the set and he spit the hook. I quickly rebaited my line and tossed it back to where I got the hit. Before it even hit the bottom...WHAM! My little Fenwick bent double and it was on! I gave a little tug making sure my drag was situated this time an got the h

ook set in. This was a nice fish! He ran for the yak cutting under and almost pulling me over, but I got my rod tip around the nose and spent a good 5 minutes working him and wearing him out. Every time he'd get close to surface he'd do about 3 spins and take another dive. I had my drag at about 6 lbs and I'm doing my best to be patient and let him get good and tired since I have no net or gaff. Finally I get him to surface and lay still long enough to slide my hand inside of a gill pull him into the yak. The first thing he does is go right for the soft part of the inside of my upper thigh and take a nice bite! Right through my board shorts. Whatever I'm so excited to catch my first legal hali....and from a yak, that the pain doesn't even faze me. I get him on the stringer and toss him back over and make my paddle back to the launch spot to call it a morning. 28 1/2 inches on 8lb. I'm quite proud at this point and can't wait to get home to fillet this puppy up!

pchen911 · 09-26-2011, 11:51 AM

Bite him back! That's always the best part anyways.

YakMedic · 09-26-2011, 12:03 PM

Second time out and you get a legal halibut, I'm envious. Good job.

StinkyMatt · 09-26-2011, 12:20 PM

Way to go William!

Either you are completely unprepared or just plain crazy! Going after Halis without a net or a gaff. The good old grab the bastard by the head and wrestle him

.....love it.

Congrats once again

Matt

William Novotny · 09-26-2011, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StinkyMatt

Way to go William!

Either you are completely unprepared or just plain crazy! Going after Halis without a net or a gaff. The good old grab the bastard by the head and wrestle him

.....love it.

Congrats once again

Matt

A little bit of both! My first adventure I flipped my yak and didn't have my landing net secured properly and lost it. I'm originally from florida and we wrestle gators down there so ifelt comfortable trying to man handle a hali till I get a new net!

premo · 09-26-2011, 12:50 PM

nice fish.nice last name-guesing Czech?

William Novotny · 09-26-2011, 12:24 PM

@pchen911 I'm biteing him back as we speak! Fresh halibut lunch!
@yakmedic thanks for the words! I'm super stoked right now. I've caught big fish from boats before on heavy gear but there is nothing like working a fish on light tackle. Looking forward to many more from my yak. I've got the bug!

Aaron&Julie · 09-26-2011, 12:25 PM

Nice job, 2 trips out, legal 'but, now you're hooked.

THE DARKHORSE · 09-27-2011, 04:15 PM

.
.
.
Man, for a second there, I thought you were describing the fight of a Yellowtail in your post. You're f'n stoked! Obviously. I'm stoked for ya'!

Halibut put up a good fight on light, Bass tackle. That's for sure.
.
.
40 lb yo-yo set up...not so much!

.
.
Welcome to the site.

09-26-2011, 10:50 AM	#1
William Novotny The carpetbagger Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: tha newps Posts: 1,474	success!!! Today I dicided to take the yak out for its second voyage and try and hook into a hali. I only had about 2 hours to make something happen before my wife needed to get to work and I had my daughter to watch. I launched off m street at the end of balboa penninsula at 6 am just as the sky started to lighten up and headed towards the bait barge. The current was moving so fast with the incoming tide it took me twice as long to get to the barge. Pulled in a medium sized sculpin nudging around a 3" white grub waiting for the barge attendent to be ready for me. Set him back it the water, loaded up on a scoop of dinos, rigged up my rods and started drifting along the jetty back into the harbor. At about 7 I got my first hit. My light baitcasting setup with 8lb mono gave a quick sharp tug. I pulled the rod out of the holder and nudged it a little. There was weight at the other end but I wanted to give him room to swallow it so I sat a few more seconds before giving it a sharp jerk upwards. F***! I forgot to tighten down my drag and I had it way loose. I didn't make the set and he spit the hook. I quickly rebaited my line and tossed it back to where I got the hit. Before it even hit the bottom...WHAM! My little Fenwick bent double and it was on! I gave a little tug making sure my drag was situated this time an got the hook set in. This was a nice fish! He ran for the yak cutting under and almost pulling me over, but I got my rod tip around the nose and spent a good 5 minutes working him and wearing him out. Every time he'd get close to surface he'd do about 3 spins and take another dive. I had my drag at about 6 lbs and I'm doing my best to be patient and let him get good and tired since I have no net or gaff. Finally I get him to surface and lay still long enough to slide my hand inside of a gill pull him into the yak. The first thing he does is go right for the soft part of the inside of my upper thigh and take a nice bite! Right through my board shorts. Whatever I'm so excited to catch my first legal hali....and from a yak, that the pain doesn't even faze me. I get him on the stringer and toss him back over and make my paddle back to the launch spot to call it a morning. 28 1/2 inches on 8lb. I'm quite proud at this point and can't wait to get home to fillet this puppy up!

09-26-2011, 12:20 PM	#4
StinkyMatt Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Under a bridge Posts: 2,168	Way to go William! Either you are completely unprepared or just plain crazy! Going after Halis without a net or a gaff. The good old grab the bastard by the head and wrestle him.....love it. Congrats once again Matt

09-26-2011, 12:25 PM	#8
Aaron&Julie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Spring Valley Posts: 1,400	Nice job, 2 trips out, legal 'but, now you're hooked. __________________ "Never say die"

09-27-2011, 04:15 PM	#9
THE DARKHORSE Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Seven minutes from the launch! Posts: 987	I'm diggin' the deck shot, William! . . . Man, for a second there, I thought you were describing the fight of a Yellowtail in your post. You're f'n stoked! Obviously. I'm stoked for ya'! Halibut put up a good fight on light, Bass tackle. That's for sure. . . 40 lb yo-yo set up...not so much! . . Welcome to the site. __________________

09-26-2011, 11:51 AM	#2
pchen911 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 218	Bite him back! That's always the best part anyways.

09-26-2011, 12:03 PM	#3
YakMedic Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Wrightwood Posts: 623	Second time out and you get a legal halibut, I'm envious. Good job.

09-26-2011, 12:50 PM	#6
premo Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: costa mesa Posts: 124	nice fish.nice last name-guesing Czech?

09-26-2011, 12:24 PM	#7
William Novotny The carpetbagger Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: tha newps Posts: 1,474	@pchen911 I'm biteing him back as we speak! Fresh halibut lunch! @yakmedic thanks for the words! I'm super stoked right now. I've caught big fish from boats before on heavy gear but there is nothing like working a fish on light tackle. Looking forward to many more from my yak. I've got the bug!