Fish of a Lifetime - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

kurtfish · 03-31-2010, 05:19 PM

Josh said, this was my "Fish of a Lifetime"

As a native San Diegan and lifelong sport fisher I thought I knew quite a bit about fishing off our coast. Over the past forty years I have fished off most of the sport boats in our great local fleet and as a Whaler owner for the past few decades I have seen my share of the kelp beds, islands and local banks. It was not until I made the move to kayak fishing that I began to learn the importance of the little details that are so critical to kelp bed fishing. On sports boats or skiffs you can run around chasing birds and throwing live chum to locate fish with relative ease. The advent of GPS and wed sites like Bloody Decks and BWE have made sharing current information and traffic jams on the high points and current hot spot a common occurrence.

I have drifted across the La Jolla kelp beds in a skiff hundreds of times before I realized the importance of silence and positioning within the kelp. Thanks to Josh and his dedicated teaching I have learned more about fishing the kelp beds over the past year than I learned in the previous forty years. Several years ago my father and I landed three White Sea bass off our Whaler on one perfect afternoon with offshore winds. This experience incited an interest in WSB that included many free diving attempts to spear one and countless hours in the kelp trying to catch the elusive ghosts one more time.

2010 has turned out to be my year for WSB. After hiring Josh for a couple trips I got very close with several near misses. I will not soon foreget March of 2010 and the ball of kelp that turned out to be "the fish of a lifetime" pictured below. My office mates and family have appreciated the fine dining provided by the queens of the kelp and I enjoyed a great spontaneous tour of Hubbs Research Institute as I dropped off my WSB head. The marine biologists are doing some great work with Yellowtail right now with a good potential for viable commercial applications. 2 yr old fish are 15 pounds raised from fertilized eggs collected from their brood stock will all natural, no hormone induced mating or milking. Fertilized eggs float to the surface and are filtered out and raised in adj tanks. Too bad I cut out the cheeks of my first 2010 WSB as that is where the tags are. The fish head I have curing in my fridge now may be one raised by Hubbs more than a decade ago. Looks like I will be busy July 10 & 11 with Hubbs WSB contest with a special tribute to one of the true founders of local sport fishing, Bill Poole. http://www.hswri.org/index.php?bShow=9&cat=3

Josh may not run a landing or own a magnificent boat but he sure knows his stuff and if you are willing to put in the time and pay attention to the details he is a coach worth hiring.

This is my favorite shot with the tail as wide as a basketball.

-scallywag- · 03-31-2010, 05:27 PM

Damn!!!!

Did that thing have utters???? MOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

it sure put the "gangsta lean" on that prangler!!!

Ohhh yeh....what was the weight?? don't make us beg......

fishaholic · 03-31-2010, 05:57 PM

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lets_Fish · 03-31-2010, 06:01 PM

Congrats on the "CATH OF A LIFE TIME". I have never fished for

but would love to get the chance to, still a kayak noob.

Iceman · 03-31-2010, 06:14 PM

fAT, FAT, FATTY FAT!

old_rookie · 03-31-2010, 06:46 PM

Awesome catch! WTG!

yakrider · 03-31-2010, 06:51 PM

WOW!!!!!

fishinkid2010 · 03-31-2010, 07:55 PM

Nice! That thing is a behemoth!

Rob929 · 03-31-2010, 08:14 PM

Very nice! Congrats

sterling · 03-31-2010, 08:19 PM

Weight?

PescadorPete · 03-31-2010, 08:39 PM

Nice fatso! Great work!

Whizz Bang · 03-31-2010, 09:41 PM

I was fishing with Josh that day and didn't recognize the new ride. I would have swung by....CONGRATULATIONS!!! Beautiful fish! That is the second time I have been on the water with you when you connected with what I was day dreaming about. Nicely done, again.

bellcon · 03-31-2010, 09:58 PM

incrediblicous

Dan · 03-31-2010, 10:39 PM

christ on bike, that is huge!

Tman · 04-01-2010, 07:29 AM

Day-um! Healthy

Congrats...

blitzburgh · 04-01-2010, 07:34 AM

Holy crap!

Yakking101 · 04-01-2010, 07:37 AM

I do believe that manatees are a protected species. Awesome!!

Bryantfish · 04-01-2010, 07:51 AM

i just have one thing to say about that fish... thats inconceivable

Spyder · 04-01-2010, 08:06 AM

MOOOOOO!!!

Many well deserved congrats!

buttchaser · 04-01-2010, 08:19 AM

Damn........
Very nice

03-31-2010, 05:19 PM	#1
kurtfish Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: I work in the little Village of La Jolla Posts: 139	Fish of a Lifetime Josh said, this was my "Fish of a Lifetime" As a native San Diegan and lifelong sport fisher I thought I knew quite a bit about fishing off our coast. Over the past forty years I have fished off most of the sport boats in our great local fleet and as a Whaler owner for the past few decades I have seen my share of the kelp beds, islands and local banks. It was not until I made the move to kayak fishing that I began to learn the importance of the little details that are so critical to kelp bed fishing. On sports boats or skiffs you can run around chasing birds and throwing live chum to locate fish with relative ease. The advent of GPS and wed sites like Bloody Decks and BWE have made sharing current information and traffic jams on the high points and current hot spot a common occurrence. I have drifted across the La Jolla kelp beds in a skiff hundreds of times before I realized the importance of silence and positioning within the kelp. Thanks to Josh and his dedicated teaching I have learned more about fishing the kelp beds over the past year than I learned in the previous forty years. Several years ago my father and I landed three White Sea bass off our Whaler on one perfect afternoon with offshore winds. This experience incited an interest in WSB that included many free diving attempts to spear one and countless hours in the kelp trying to catch the elusive ghosts one more time. 2010 has turned out to be my year for WSB. After hiring Josh for a couple trips I got very close with several near misses. I will not soon foreget March of 2010 and the ball of kelp that turned out to be "the fish of a lifetime" pictured below. My office mates and family have appreciated the fine dining provided by the queens of the kelp and I enjoyed a great spontaneous tour of Hubbs Research Institute as I dropped off my WSB head. The marine biologists are doing some great work with Yellowtail right now with a good potential for viable commercial applications. 2 yr old fish are 15 pounds raised from fertilized eggs collected from their brood stock will all natural, no hormone induced mating or milking. Fertilized eggs float to the surface and are filtered out and raised in adj tanks. Too bad I cut out the cheeks of my first 2010 WSB as that is where the tags are. The fish head I have curing in my fridge now may be one raised by Hubbs more than a decade ago. Looks like I will be busy July 10 & 11 with Hubbs WSB contest with a special tribute to one of the true founders of local sport fishing, Bill Poole. http://www.hswri.org/index.php?bShow=9&cat=3 Josh may not run a landing or own a magnificent boat but he sure knows his stuff and if you are willing to put in the time and pay attention to the details he is a coach worth hiring. This is my favorite shot with the tail as wide as a basketball.

03-31-2010, 06:01 PM	#4
Lets_Fish Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Wildomar, CA. Posts: 294	Nice catch! Congrats on the "CATH OF A LIFE TIME". I have never fished for but would love to get the chance to, still a kayak noob.

03-31-2010, 06:14 PM	#5
Iceman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 1-2 miles off the point Posts: 6,943	fAT, FAT, FATTY FAT! __________________

03-31-2010, 07:55 PM	#8
fishinkid2010 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: La Mesa Posts: 386	Nice! That thing is a behemoth! __________________ Need a custom rod wrapped? PM me! http://s686.photobucket.com/albums/vv222/fishinkid2010/Sample%20Rod%20Wrapping/?albumview=slideshow

03-31-2010, 09:41 PM	#12
Whizz Bang Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 396	Congratulations!!! I was fishing with Josh that day and didn't recognize the new ride. I would have swung by....CONGRATULATIONS!!! Beautiful fish! That is the second time I have been on the water with you when you connected with what I was day dreaming about. Nicely done, again.

03-31-2010, 05:27 PM	#2
-scallywag- Banned Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: on the road... Posts: 598	Damn!!!! Did that thing have utters???? MOOOOOOOOOOO!!! it sure put the "gangsta lean" on that prangler!!! Ohhh yeh....what was the weight?? don't make us beg......

03-31-2010, 05:57 PM	#3
fishaholic Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 867	WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

03-31-2010, 06:46 PM	#6
old_rookie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Santee Posts: 904	Awesome catch! WTG!

03-31-2010, 06:51 PM	#7
yakrider Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 611	WOW!!!!!

03-31-2010, 08:14 PM	#9
Rob929 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Diego Posts: 134	Very nice! Congrats

03-31-2010, 08:19 PM	#10
sterling Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 118	Weight?

03-31-2010, 08:39 PM	#11
PescadorPete Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Leucadia, CA Posts: 261	Nice fatso! Great work!

03-31-2010, 09:58 PM	#13
bellcon Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: San Pedro Posts: 999	incrediblicous __________________

03-31-2010, 10:39 PM	#14
Dan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,053	christ on bike, that is huge!

04-01-2010, 07:29 AM	#15
Tman BRTF...bought & paid... Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,247	Day-um! Healthy Congrats... __________________ Adios Tman Gaffer for Clay the Fishcatcher

04-01-2010, 07:34 AM	#16
blitzburgh Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Menifee Posts: 2,509	Holy crap!

04-01-2010, 07:37 AM	#17
Yakking101 Junior Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 26	I do believe that manatees are a protected species. Awesome!!

04-01-2010, 07:51 AM	#18
Bryantfish Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 60	i just have one thing to say about that fish... thats inconceivable

04-01-2010, 08:06 AM	#19
Spyder Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: San Diego Posts: 169	MOOOOOO!!! Many well deserved congrats!

04-01-2010, 08:19 AM	#20
buttchaser Float Tuber Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 243	Damn........ Very nice