New kayak fishing magazine seeking stories

[ful-rac]

So Paul this is how I recall the story...we arrive somewhere in malibu in the dark before daybreak, with the hopes of catching a seabass. Me, Gregandrew, stinkymatt, roby, minh, were the first ones to arrive. We get unloaded and set to launch...it's still dark, and the surf is pounding. Since we cant' really see what were up against, but I can hear it....and it sounds intimidating...so I figure no pain no gain....So here we go, me and greg push off into the darkness....OH shit! the waves are bigger than I anticipated...wait...wait...paddle like crazy..!!! wait...wait..slam!!!!! I took a big one to the face..! Ok now kayak wont' move because its filled with water and I get pushed sideways....ok now straiten out here comes the next one...SLAM! Filled up again, spitting out water, but still ok...but considering a new hobby...Slam!...Ok am I going to survive this? ....Slam!!!!....I see greg finally make it past the kill zone....Slam! one more time and I'm able to survive, and I finally make it past the kill zone. I turn on my radio to see if the other guys made it and....not so much stinky matt got flipped. Oh well lets go fish!

So we finally get out to the seabass grounds and nothing much is happening. We start making squid and then the rest of the guys start to show up, but were short. "Wheres minh?", "oh he broke his paddle on the way out and went home"....little did we know he was just the first casualty. The seabass that day pulled a no show on us, but the log barracuda were plenty. We hear from jorge across the radio, hes finally here, ok see you guys in a minute....not so much....Finally John "Buttchaser" shows up after spending months fishing La Jolla for nothing. On his first drop he catches this fish.



So after loading the front hatch with limits of LOG BARRACUDA, i'm ride'n kinda low...we make the decision to go in. Me, John, stinkymatt, roby, greg, are right on the edge of the kill zone. We notice all the surfers out there...I decide to go in....whoa!!! that was a huge swell!!!! I make it over and greg can't believe I made it over...Ok no pain no gain...again...I'm following a huge set in and I notice that all of my forward momentum has stopped and I'm now getting sucked out fast...Oh shit!!! It's an 8 possibly even 10 footer! HOLY Crap! I'm thinking of what Sammons said in one of his videos...you can brace into a wave no matter how big it is.....so I turn broadside to the wave and tuck in, I lean as far a I could into the wave as I crashed right on my head...I remember telling myself..."goodnight!" SMASH! Everything went black. I'm now underwater with my waders, no lifejacket in giant surf, I'm screwed. I can't touch the bottom and I'm completely underwater. Slam again, by another wave, Im able to swim up and take abreath while another waves slams into me. After a few seconds...seemed like an eternity, I can now touch the bottom. I make my way into shallower water just in time to see my kayak wash up on the beach upside down. People are on the beach pointing out into the waves, yelling "look out!!!" I turn and theres another giant wave coming twards me unfortunately I cant move because now my feet have become water balloons, and I cant move very fast. I get knocked down by the wave. It happens at least 2 more times before I can make it to shore....that was not fun. I take a look at the damage...Im missing a rod...one of the rod leashes broke and the rod went by-bye. (Calstar 800m with a daiwa saltiga 30T...that's close to a $1000 dollar set up......) I take a look next to me and somebodys kayak washes in upside down.... Some one asks me hey is that your tacklebox out there? I turn and look...I said no that's just robys bait tank...as he is furiously trying to swim over to it. A couple of seconds after that stinkymatts kayak washes in upside down soon followed by Buttchaser John's...then I turn to my right and see Greg Andrews sliding in perfectly like there was no surf at all...I'm thinking WTF?

So I learned that yes, like Jim Sammons said you can brace into any size wave but will you make it right side up and all of your gear intact?....uh not neccessarily.

Well this is the story from my point of view and my recollection, if I missed anything the rest of the crew can fill in the blanks.

[PAL]

Well told sir! I was right there with you, heart beating way too fast. That surf was mean. It has everything, even the big reward (that butt, LOG CUDA) before the bill came due. PM coming your way.

[PAL]

I don't know if anyone else has video of that day but here is mine. I work graveyard so I showed up a few hours after the group launched and I was able to make it on the water, but that was about all I did.

That last pile packed a wallop. I've only launched County Line one time way back. It looked a lot like that, a good ten minutes chilling in the foam zone before the window opened. Must have been an inferno of a bite to get so many guys out in that mess. Props.

[StinkyMatt]

Well written Tony.
A little extra info.


As we are launching I look at the sets that Greg and Tony decided to brave and think to myself " those are pretty big, I'll wait a little for it to mellow out". I wait....wait....wait and wait. I know that there is a smaller set coming. Not today, they keep getting bigger. Crap! I didn't drive two hours to watch the seagulls. Here we go.....never made it past the first wave, closed up nicely on my head. My kayak somehow got righted by another wave and washed up on the beach only twenty feet from my bait tank. Ok, time to pack it up. Crap! I'm too stubborn. Place broken tank in the truck. Since I only had one more set of dry clothes I put them in a dry bag and went half naked into the launch part 2. Paddle like a crazy man. Holy cow! I made it! WSB here I come! Got dressed on the yak and pull up to the others.

An hour later,

I hear George calling from shore on the radio, something along these lines:

George ". Hey guys you out there? This surf looks pretty big."

Me. " it's really not that bad, we all made it out just fine...... Just time it right, see you out here in a few."

5 minutes later....


Me. ". George, do you copy? Come in George."

5 more minutes......

" I got tossed, I don't think it's gonna happen."

Me " Comon George, don't be a p&@@$, try again, just time it better. We got WSB all over the fish finder."


15 minutes later.....

George. ". F$&@ this! What time does OEX open up? I need a new rudder. See you guys later."


We did not get any Wsb but had a blast playing with the snot sticks.



Coming in I was sweating it just a little. As I approach the beach I'm thinking "why are there so many surfers out here? Must be a great surf spot. Crap."


I am getting ready to come in and notice all the surfers sitting on their boards getting ready for the "show". One guy yells "Go now!". Screw it, surfers know the surf better then I do. I manage to outrun, outmaneuver the big sets outside and make it to within 10 of the beach when a smaller wave shore breaks on my ass. I wash up unhurt at the feet of a LA county lifeguard smiling at me and my friends collecting my gear on the sand.

A couple of bait tank straps/ buckles, a hat and a crappy old cell phone, small price to pay for a fun day with friends.


At the truck we totaled the damage for all of us and I think it came up to about $2500. And some pride.


Stupid WSB.




A few days later........


We came back and got some revenge.......Or was it a few days earlier.....All the saltwater in the brain confuses me....

[ful-rac]

No that was the trip before that steevo got taken out on. That was a story in of itself. Went something like this....Look out steevo!!! huh?? AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Smash..! Crash!!! Splash!!!

[StinkyMatt]

If the swell is predicted to be more than 6 inches....I'm NOT going to that place again.

[wiredantz]

Man when i asked you guys about this story last year, it did not have all this intensity... It was like...O we bailed out because we were not going to make. it.....


this was more like A CASTASTROPHE and I WAS NOT THERE TO FILM IT!!!!!!




AWH well theres always next year

[buttchaser]

Fun day to remember , Good stories guys !
I just wanted to add that " Roby" is one hell of a swimmer

[danjor]

When I launched at Leo Carrillo last Tuesday (in flat waves, like a lake) I paddled up past county line and over there were huge waves! Why did you launch up by the surfers and the big waves?

[RobFish]

Hey there PAL,
It was nice to meet you on the sand in LJ on Tuesday as well.
As far as beer lollipops go, we have them, but only the root variety.
I do know of a recipe for hops flavored ones, but what's the point in that.
That would be like a nun with D cups.

[bus kid]

Originally Posted by RobFish

That would be like a nun with D cups.

Impressive analogy....

[roby]

Hey boys, we weren't suppose to talk about that trip....

Whatever happens in Malibu stays in Malibu.

Wait...or was it The Islander....or maybe Mammoth.....or Irvine......or?

Good times

[GregAndrew]

I don't think that Minh broke his paddle. I think he was one of the lucky ones that forgot his paddle and a battery and turned arround before he started. Yep, when I saw Tony parallel to the shore about 10 inches outside the break point of an 8 foot swell, I was sure he was toast. Right until he popped up over that sucker. John sounded like me when I saw my first 25# Halibut (I think this is big... I think this is big... This is BIG!!!). He had me jealous for a few months. And Tony was as happy as a kid in a candy store out there slaying Cuda. Props to the guys that got tossed and made it out anyways. When I reached the beach unscathed, a sunbather asked "So what is the difference between you and them?" I answered " Lots of practice, or it could be that they did not wait for the surfers to say the set is over, go now".