Newbie looking to join up 10/5

[Aznronin]

If you plan on fishing the ocean as a beginner I would recommend a kayak no shorter than12/13 feet long and at least 30” wide. Also I would make sure you go out during calm conditions so make sure you familiarize yourself with being able to research and read the forecast. Get familiar with sites like magicseaweed and Surfline and take the minimal amount of gear when you first start out. As far as flipping your kayak in the ocean, just make sure you stay relaxed and keep your weight in your butt and don’t do things like look over your shoulder until your more experienced because if you look behind you, you will probably flip over. Good luck.

[goldenglory18]

Great advice so far. Since you already have a boat, I'll skip over some of my typical lecture and jump the "what boat to buy" part....

My suggestion #1 is to spend good money on a comfortable PFD. If its not comfortable dry, you'll never wear it on the water. If you get used to wearing it now, it will become second nature (I almost feel uncomfortable in the water now without it.)

Suggestion #2 is to learn your boat without your gear on it. Find the tipping points, figure out how to board in open water if you fall off or turtle (flip) the vessel. Play around in the surf if you have the time/space (tell the lifeguard present that you will be doing this.) It's best to figure these things out BEFORE you load up your precious gear and then donate a bunch of plastic and carbon to the sea....

[kevbeer]

sd bay went well. caught 10 inch spotty. no troubles.

[kevbeer]

Ok guys, moving on here. I am looking to kayak fish La Jolla in the next couple weeks with a somewhat experienced friend/coworker. I am in need of a more substantial pole to fish the kelp beds. He has recommended okuma PCH 8 ft. 20-50 lb rod with penn squall levelwind 20 reel. I would use 30 lb mono on this for starters I believe. A couple questions.

Do you think 7 ft. ok for most kayak fishing? This fits more manageably in my car.

Is it better to have star or lever drag on this type of setup/fishing on a kayak?

I am thinking to minimize $$$ and get either Penn Rival Levelwind combo ($80!!) or Penn Squal Levelwind Combo (~$160). If the interest sticks I would upgrade and let my son use these reduced cost setups. Do you think they are good enough? Is okuma rod really worth the dough? I saw it in turners outdoorsman earlier and it is very nice with carbon fiber showing however I am all about function not aesthetics.

thanks as always

[Hunters Pa]

If you are looking to gear up for a fair price get in touch with John (fishaholic)

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ad.php?t=33352

I have bought from him before and been happy with the transaction

[goldenglory18]

Originally Posted by kevbeer

....I saw it in turners outdoorsman....

Eh, you lost me at Turners. There is A TON of great used gear available online, and MUCH better shops than Turners. SoCal has a huge amount of high quality stuff on the resale market that wont break the bank. Your buddies suggestion is a great one, but there are numerous options out there.

Rod length is a matter of preference. In my opinion, if I'm casting and covering a lot of water, I would stick to 8' rods. If you are dropping directly down into kelp, or just pitching bait/plastics to targets, 7' will work. I have and use both consistently. When you get out there in the open water and need that extra distance, or accuracy, you will see what I'm talking about.

I used to think I needed shorter rods for the kayak, and then I learned my gear better and got more comfortable. Now I fish the same way/gear on my kayak as I do on charter and sport boats.

Casting vs Conventional vs Spinning. Lever drag vs Star drag. Glass vs Carbonfiber vs Composite. Braid vs Mono vs Fluoro. All of the gear out there can be used to accomplish what you are looking to do so long as its setup accordingly. Here is my suggestion on kelp fishing...

7-8' carbon or composite casting stick in a moderate weight (30lbs ish.) You want a fast tip and strong butt section to put pressure against the kelp. I would look into finding a 300 or 400 sized casting or conventional reel, then fill it with 50-65lbs braid. The braid works like a saw against the kelp aiding in slicing through it. Depending on the bite or visibility, you can terminal directly to the braid, or tip it with 3-4' of fluorocarbon leader.

[Kingpen818]

YouTube is an excellent source for learning how to launch your kayak in the Surf. I have launched from La Jolla at least four times and have never flipped my kayak. I did however have a very stable but budget friendly kayak. I used a 11.6ft Perception Striker Angler Kayak that is rated for 500 pounds. I was a pretty big guy at about 280 but have since lost weight and I'm currently down to 245 good luck with your Kayaking adventures and if you ever want to meet up and Kayak fish Lake Perris let me know and maybe we can meet up.

[kevbeer]

thanks guys.

golden, can you specify what pounds test on the flourcarbon leader?

[goldenglory18]

Originally Posted by kevbeer

thanks guys.

golden, can you specify what pounds test on the flourcarbon leader?

It depends on the bite.

I always use braid main line specifically so you can retie any weight of leader in case the bite is slow, or you are fishing around odd cover/structure.

For me, its 40lbs leader when I know the bite isn't line shy, or I'm in/around heavy cover or structure. Rocks, kelp, etc.

If I'm fishing open water, say fly lining fin bait, maybe think about 20lbs.

I ALWAYS have 40, 30, 20, and now 15lbs line available in my bag just in case. Each of the last few times I've been out, it's been slow until I went down to 20lbs test. One time I was out of 15 and REALLLLLY could have used it (the bait was small and the yellows were SUPER line shy.)

[otterpupster]

Regarding La Jolla, check out You Tube's kayak mishaps and wipeouts. Listen to these seasoned Kayakers and get a stable kayak 'rd 12-13ft length. Good Luck!

[otterpupster]

Check out You Tubes kayak's mishaps and wipeouts at La Jolla. Listened to these Seasoned Kayakers and get a 12-13' SOT kayak. Good Luck

[kevbeer]

So I have purchased:

-Stroker 7 ft. casting rod 15-40 lb action, on sale at big5
-Penn Warfare Star Drag 20N conventional reel, 15 lb. max drag
-KastKing SuperPower 50 lb braided line - low visibility grey

Is that line the best braided to go with? Or at least decent? I can return if not. Sounds like maybe it is on the thicker side at .4 mm?

What type of hooks should I use for la jolla kelp? 2/0 circular? I plan to run 6 foot 30 lb. mono leader for a while, then graduate to 30 lb flouro at some point.

[goldenglory18]

Originally Posted by kevbeer

So I have purchased:

-Stroker 7 ft. casting rod 15-40 lb action, on sale at big5
-Penn Warfare Star Drag 20N conventional reel, 15 lb. max drag
-KastKing SuperPower 50 lb braided line - low visibility grey

Is that line the best braided to go with? Or at least decent? I can return if not. Sounds like maybe it is on the thicker side at .4 mm?

What type of hooks should I use for la jolla kelp? 2/0 circular? I plan to run 6 foot 30 lb. mono leader for a while, then graduate to 30 lb flouro at some point.

Meh, on a rod/reel combo like that, I'd drop down to 40lbs braid (visibility doesnt matter in your situation), and get a few leader spools 20/30/40. My line preference is Seaguar Premier leader and Daiwa J-Braid in high-viz colors.

Take the reel to a shop and have them spool it up correctly. It will be cheaper in the long run and with braid on conventional reels is VERY important to make sure it gets spooled tight and neat.

Hooks all depend on size of bait (what are you doing for bait?) Remember, J hooks (flyline, gorilla, drop shot) typically need a solid hook set to catch a lip or mouth plate correctly. Circle hooks (Mutu) on the other hand don't need a hook set. Just apply pressure and reel, reel, reel.