How about a fishing report! - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

MattRabasco · 09-12-2013, 10:25 AM

The other day was a good day! I hit the shores at about 5:00am. It was raining at my house up in the mountains. It was humid and cloudy at the beach, calm and glassy, with little swell. There were only two other kayakers out and one small boat with a trolling motor. It was super calm, super quiet, real mellow. Summer time should always be like this! I have not fished much this summer in La Jolla, last week I got lucky and got a nice yellow in the am. with a lot more people out. This day was much different, mid week and no people – you got to love LJ when it is empty in the summer. There was lots of popping bait, but no squid. Made the biggest most beautiful sardine I have ever seen, a full 12” golden beauty. On he goes to the dropper loop. Fished it for at least an hour with nothing much happening. Bait was still popping, still kept trying to make squid with no luck. There was a light southwest drift, not much current. It was real calm and quiet. Made a Spanish put it on the flyline. Not much was happening. It got to be about the time when you start to think about what to do, bail, move? I made a Greenie and swapped it out for the Spanish. I moved back to my spot and I see off in the distance at the back of the small skiff some commotion on the water. Actually heard it first and then saw it. I love it when it is so quiet you can hear what is happening on the water. A few birds and a few boils, too bad it was so far off – 300 yards or so. Thought about moving and chasing after them but it was not needed. The dropper loop rod in the front rod holder goes off ZZZZZZZZZZZZ! And at the same time the flyline goes off right behind me in the rear rod holder, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ! Talk about your adrenaline going from 0-60 in 2 seconds flat. I picked up the rod in front of me flipped it in to gear and get smoked for a good run. I engaged the reel behind me, and it starts burning drag and turning me sideways and pulling me backwards. The fish on the front was going out and away and the fish in the back was going for the kelp. I focused on getting the one I was fighting in the boat and left the other one in the holder taking drag. Came up and thought it might be a shark it was going across the surface, not up and down like they usually do. Saw a beauty yellow tail and gaffed it to my lap. I grabbed the other rod and untangled it from the rods in the rod holders in back of me and made quick work of the other one. Fun times for sure! I was not expecting this to happen today! Fish went 27 and 28lbs. This is the type of day that keeps me coming back day after day and year after year. It makes the long dry spells between good fish fade away. You just never know what is going to happen off of La Jolla; you might just have it virtually to yourself and you might just get a double! It might be dead one minute and blow wide open the next!

Spent some great days fishing up in Shelter Cove on the Lost Coast this summer. Super Kayak friendly place; unbelievable King Salmon fishing, Lings are pests as well as giant rockfish – A mini Alaska for sure.

Have fun out there!

09-12-2013, 10:25 AM	#1
MattRabasco Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 102	How about a fishing report! The other day was a good day! I hit the shores at about 5:00am. It was raining at my house up in the mountains. It was humid and cloudy at the beach, calm and glassy, with little swell. There were only two other kayakers out and one small boat with a trolling motor. It was super calm, super quiet, real mellow. Summer time should always be like this! I have not fished much this summer in La Jolla, last week I got lucky and got a nice yellow in the am. with a lot more people out. This day was much different, mid week and no people – you got to love LJ when it is empty in the summer. There was lots of popping bait, but no squid. Made the biggest most beautiful sardine I have ever seen, a full 12” golden beauty. On he goes to the dropper loop. Fished it for at least an hour with nothing much happening. Bait was still popping, still kept trying to make squid with no luck. There was a light southwest drift, not much current. It was real calm and quiet. Made a Spanish put it on the flyline. Not much was happening. It got to be about the time when you start to think about what to do, bail, move? I made a Greenie and swapped it out for the Spanish. I moved back to my spot and I see off in the distance at the back of the small skiff some commotion on the water. Actually heard it first and then saw it. I love it when it is so quiet you can hear what is happening on the water. A few birds and a few boils, too bad it was so far off – 300 yards or so. Thought about moving and chasing after them but it was not needed. The dropper loop rod in the front rod holder goes off ZZZZZZZZZZZZ! And at the same time the flyline goes off right behind me in the rear rod holder, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ! Talk about your adrenaline going from 0-60 in 2 seconds flat. I picked up the rod in front of me flipped it in to gear and get smoked for a good run. I engaged the reel behind me, and it starts burning drag and turning me sideways and pulling me backwards. The fish on the front was going out and away and the fish in the back was going for the kelp. I focused on getting the one I was fighting in the boat and left the other one in the holder taking drag. Came up and thought it might be a shark it was going across the surface, not up and down like they usually do. Saw a beauty yellow tail and gaffed it to my lap. I grabbed the other rod and untangled it from the rods in the rod holders in back of me and made quick work of the other one. Fun times for sure! I was not expecting this to happen today! Fish went 27 and 28lbs. This is the type of day that keeps me coming back day after day and year after year. It makes the long dry spells between good fish fade away. You just never know what is going to happen off of La Jolla; you might just have it virtually to yourself and you might just get a double! It might be dead one minute and blow wide open the next! Spent some great days fishing up in Shelter Cove on the Lost Coast this summer. Super Kayak friendly place; unbelievable King Salmon fishing, Lings are pests as well as giant rockfish – A mini Alaska for sure. Have fun out there!