Dana Point; Leopard Shark Off The Kayak - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

JohnMckroidJr · 04-12-2021, 05:55 AM

Sorry to hear that you did not have better success with the slow pitch jigging outfit, but Congratulations on the Leopard shark action. Already subscribed.

If the intentions are release, it is always best not to attempt to bring a shark onto a kayak. Most of the time I bust them off alongside.
For smaller species that are less risky to unhook (like that leopard shark), peddle Fwd to maintain a slight headway. The headway will cause the shark to face the bow(parallel to the kayak) which will make it easier to control. At this point, slacken the drag, and place the rod in a vertical rod holder on the opposite side of the kayak while maintaining tension on the line with one hand. Now that the other hand is free, use a long extension unhooking device to keep well clear of the jaws while unhooking.

If you plan on landing big fish off the port side of the kayak, best to have the fishfinder mounted on the STB side. Whichever side you choose for landing bigger fish should be as clear as possible of gear that might obstruct the operations. Everyone has their own style, hopefully, the above suggestions will help yours. Cheers.

04-12-2021, 05:55 AM	#2
JohnMckroidJr Senior Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Fort Lauderdale Posts: 2,006	Sorry to hear that you did not have better success with the slow pitch jigging outfit, but Congratulations on the Leopard shark action. Already subscribed. If the intentions are release, it is always best not to attempt to bring a shark onto a kayak. Most of the time I bust them off alongside. For smaller species that are less risky to unhook (like that leopard shark), peddle Fwd to maintain a slight headway. The headway will cause the shark to face the bow(parallel to the kayak) which will make it easier to control. At this point, slacken the drag, and place the rod in a vertical rod holder on the opposite side of the kayak while maintaining tension on the line with one hand. Now that the other hand is free, use a long extension unhooking device to keep well clear of the jaws while unhooking. If you plan on landing big fish off the port side of the kayak, best to have the fishfinder mounted on the STB side. Whichever side you choose for landing bigger fish should be as clear as possible of gear that might obstruct the operations. Everyone has their own style, hopefully, the above suggestions will help yours. Cheers.