Sat 7-7-07 LJ - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Handymansd · 07-08-2007, 08:48 PM

Launched late at around 5pm to Tourist crammed beach

.

Marine layer was in to cool everything off. Launched to 2 footers with my friend Darren, for his first LJ trip. Very choppy and the onshore flow made for a lengthy paddle to the bouys, where we skunked on bait. So we moved to the kelp line to find the current picking up. There were only two other kayaks in sight and they left before the fun started. Took until 8pm to make my first mac, then they were everywhere. Within minutes, the birds started crashing all around us, and before I could adjust my lines for action, Darren's deep line started screaming, I advised him to go easy, (we know I learned that the hard way

)! Not 2 seconds later, both of my reels started screaming simultaneously! Double Hook-up! After much disorganized pole switching to keep the fish out of the kelp I somehow managed two WSB approximately 28" by the official FND ruler.

I will leave Darren's stories to him, but it was an amazing experience with the total count of 5 lost fish (Kelp and multiple double hook-ups), and 6 caught and released WSB in 45 minutes! WOW!

All fish were released back to their beds tired but happy!

All of the excitement of finally catching my first WSB was quickly erased....

My kayak, Darren's kayak, his newly installed Thule rack, and the front end of the drunk driving Honda behind us were all destroyed when the rack came detached on the 52!

Luckily, no one was injured.

Upon retrieving and examining the remains of the rack, it seems one of the towers pulled loose all of the threads holding one of the clips in place. The remaining unbalanced load only took seconds to pull apart and send the whole mess to its demise. I have always been an advocate of responsibly securing your load, but this sucked because the entire rack failed.

He is talking to the place that he got the rack from, but it looks like I am out a yak!

So Jim.... when are those Tridents going to be available? In time for my fishing salvation?

Does anyone have any other thoughts on brands of kayaks that have a more specialized model for ocean fishing?

I am considering the X-treme, but I think the trident looks promising too. Any thoughts or input would be helpful!

Thanks in advance.... yak less handyman!

dgax65 · 07-08-2007, 08:59 PM

That's a bad way to end a good day of fishing. I feel for you brother. I got rear-ended once while transporting my yak. It's a sick feeling when it happens; knowing that a lot of your stuff is about to get trashed. Good thing nobody got hurt.

Corey · 07-08-2007, 09:08 PM

Congrats on the fishing and sorry to hear about your kayaks. It's good that no one was hurt.

frugalfisher · 07-08-2007, 10:14 PM

I have been wanting a roof rack. Who installed it? Was it covered with insurance? Sorry for the loss.

Matt · 07-09-2007, 05:05 AM

Sorry to hear about the Yak lossage and car damage, but stoked to hear about your fishing adventure! Good job on the releases!! Also extremely glad everyone is doing ok!! Could have been a lot worse

Jim Sammons LJKF · 07-09-2007, 07:27 AM

That just sucks, to have such a fun evening ruined like that.
I guess on the positive side, you do get to get a new kayak.
The best way to get a Trident is to Pre Order so you are at the top of the list. I know Anglers Yak Shack and Aqua Adventures are taking refundable deposits for them.
Let me know if you need to borrow a kayak while you wait for the new ones to come. I am heading to Baja at the end of the week and could loan you one of my Prowlers for at least two weeks.

madscientist · 07-09-2007, 07:53 AM

Wow, scary stuff. Sorry to hear about the loss. On the bright side, buying new gear is always fun. Make sure you test paddle any yak you are interested in and find the one that feels right for you.

GHOSTHUNTR · 07-09-2007, 12:27 PM

Man, that sucks for everyone involved. Did the guy behind you get arrested?

h2ofishfo · 07-09-2007, 07:50 PM

man that sucks !!!!!!! im afraid of that happening w/my ghetto pillow top racks but uuuh bonus no threads just 3 straps glad 2 here every ones safe ............i got a x-factor but those tridents loook sick !!!!

Handymansd · 07-09-2007, 08:42 PM

Thanks all for the concern, comments, and the multiple offers to help!

Quote:

Man, that sucks for everyone involved. Did the guy behind you get arrested?

The Police took him away, with his car on a tow truck. I am not sure if they arrested him or not, I was too busy trying to find any salvageable pieces with a head lamp, while dodging the occasional flying leftover pieces from the traffic. The police did mention to me that they were aware that he was plastered.

Quote:

I have been wanting a roof rack. Who installed it? Was it covered with insurance? Sorry for the loss.

I can't say who the rack came from, at this point... But I will say that the insurance wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.

Quote:

Let me know if you need to borrow a kayak while you wait for the new ones to come. I am heading to Baja at the end of the week and could loan you one of my Prowlers for at least two weeks.

Thanks so much Jim, that is a very generous offer! I think I will need to get a sleigh before the Tridents will be available though. PM on the way.

Quote:

im afraid of that happening w/my ghetto pillow top racks but uuuh bonus no threads just 3 straps

Obviously safer than a high end, brand new, Thule rack with all the trimmins!

Quote:

On the bright side, buying new gear is always fun.

Quote:

I guess on the positive side, you do get to get a new kayak.

yay!

I'll be eating raman noodles for the next two years though.

Anyone know how Tuna tastes with raman?

nunyabizness1 · 07-10-2007, 04:32 PM

Sorry to hear how your day of fishing success turned into such a bummer. Glad to hear that no one was hurt. Nice of you Jim to offer a loaner. I am happy to see how many fellow yakkers out there offer help and assistance to other yakkers. Good karma!

I hope you get back on the water soon to have better experiences!

nunyabizness1 · 07-13-2007, 01:34 PM

Hey Handyman, are you the same guy I met at Noah's who helped me with what I needed to buy for yak fishing at La Jolla? If so, you and Orca/Don were a great help and I appreciate your kindness. Sorry to hear about your yak! Hope you found another way to get out there and fishing again. I've been practicing the knots you two showed me and finally got the hang of them! I even made up a bunch of leaders like you suggested!

Maggie

Handymansd · 07-13-2007, 08:29 PM

Hi Maggie,

Yup, that was I at Noah's. I am now calling those my pre kayak days.

I am glad that there was at least a bit that I could pass on! Hopefully it will lead to a great catch for you eventually!

An Update for the "highway kayaks":

Wess, up at Cobra kayaks has agreed to help us by attempting to repair the kayaks! We are waiting to see if they will be successful in that attempt. I will post the results of this attempt when I know.

Here are some cheesy camera phone pics of the yaks:

dgax65 · 07-13-2007, 08:58 PM

A little time with a heat gun and a soldering iron should fix 'er right up. If he can fix it you're going to have a great conversation piece there. You might also need to put a rudder on it to compensate for that S in your keel. Good luck. I hope he can make them seaworthy again.

lambadmin · 07-14-2007, 07:52 AM

wow.

Glad no one was hurt.

Piranha · 07-14-2007, 04:25 PM

Wes Ogle is a good man. I' m confident he'll do everything he can to fix you up! He's helped some of my bros in the past! Including myself! Cobra is very good about things like this. Let us know how it turns out! Jerry/Piranha

nunyabizness1 · 07-14-2007, 09:01 PM

Wow!!!! That yak took a beating!!! So sorry to see that! My brand new tie-down straps snapped when I was on the 5 going north a couple months ago and the front of my yak went flying off the side of my SUV. Luckily the back ones held on and no one was hurt. A couple of very minor scratches on my SUV was all, and an almost heart attack! I can't imagine what you went through when your yak went flying! I hope they can fix it for you so you can get back out there soon.

07-08-2007, 08:48 PM	#1
Handymansd Ancient Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: On The Water Posts: 935	Sat 7-7-07 LJ Launched late at around 5pm to Tourist crammed beach. Marine layer was in to cool everything off. Launched to 2 footers with my friend Darren, for his first LJ trip. Very choppy and the onshore flow made for a lengthy paddle to the bouys, where we skunked on bait. So we moved to the kelp line to find the current picking up. There were only two other kayaks in sight and they left before the fun started. Took until 8pm to make my first mac, then they were everywhere. Within minutes, the birds started crashing all around us, and before I could adjust my lines for action, Darren's deep line started screaming, I advised him to go easy, (we know I learned that the hard way)! Not 2 seconds later, both of my reels started screaming simultaneously! Double Hook-up! After much disorganized pole switching to keep the fish out of the kelp I somehow managed two WSB approximately 28" by the official FND ruler. I will leave Darren's stories to him, but it was an amazing experience with the total count of 5 lost fish (Kelp and multiple double hook-ups), and 6 caught and released WSB in 45 minutes! WOW! All fish were released back to their beds tired but happy! All of the excitement of finally catching my first WSB was quickly erased.... My kayak, Darren's kayak, his newly installed Thule rack, and the front end of the drunk driving Honda behind us were all destroyed when the rack came detached on the 52! Luckily, no one was injured. Upon retrieving and examining the remains of the rack, it seems one of the towers pulled loose all of the threads holding one of the clips in place. The remaining unbalanced load only took seconds to pull apart and send the whole mess to its demise. I have always been an advocate of responsibly securing your load, but this sucked because the entire rack failed. He is talking to the place that he got the rack from, but it looks like I am out a yak! So Jim.... when are those Tridents going to be available? In time for my fishing salvation? Does anyone have any other thoughts on brands of kayaks that have a more specialized model for ocean fishing? I am considering the X-treme, but I think the trident looks promising too. Any thoughts or input would be helpful! Thanks in advance.... yak less handyman! __________________ All men are equal before fish. -Herbert Hoover

07-08-2007, 08:59 PM	#2
dgax65 Guerro Grande Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 629	That's a bad way to end a good day of fishing. I feel for you brother. I got rear-ended once while transporting my yak. It's a sick feeling when it happens; knowing that a lot of your stuff is about to get trashed. Good thing nobody got hurt. __________________ Douglas Gaxiola Team No Fish- Amateur Staff

07-08-2007, 09:08 PM	#3
Corey Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: ...waaaay out there Posts: 794	Congrats on the fishing and sorry to hear about your kayaks. It's good that no one was hurt. __________________

07-08-2007, 10:14 PM	#4
frugalfisher Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 190	Ouch! I have been wanting a roof rack. Who installed it? Was it covered with insurance? Sorry for the loss. __________________ James Caldwell Yellow Prowler

07-09-2007, 05:05 AM	#5
Matt Support your local pangas Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lj Posts: 976	Sorry to hear about the Yak lossage and car damage, but stoked to hear about your fishing adventure! Good job on the releases!! Also extremely glad everyone is doing ok!! Could have been a lot worse Last edited by Matt; 07-09-2007 at 08:09 AM.

07-09-2007, 07:27 AM	#6
Jim Sammons LJKF Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 947	That just sucks, to have such a fun evening ruined like that. I guess on the positive side, you do get to get a new kayak. The best way to get a Trident is to Pre Order so you are at the top of the list. I know Anglers Yak Shack and Aqua Adventures are taking refundable deposits for them. Let me know if you need to borrow a kayak while you wait for the new ones to come. I am heading to Baja at the end of the week and could loan you one of my Prowlers for at least two weeks. __________________ Jim Sammons La Jolla Kayak Fishing The Kayak Fishing Show JimSammons.com

07-09-2007, 07:53 AM	#7
madscientist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,906	Wow, scary stuff. Sorry to hear about the loss. On the bright side, buying new gear is always fun. Make sure you test paddle any yak you are interested in and find the one that feels right for you. __________________

07-09-2007, 12:27 PM	#8
GHOSTHUNTR Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Poway Posts: 160	Man, that sucks for everyone involved. Did the guy behind you get arrested?

07-09-2007, 07:50 PM	#9
h2ofishfo Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Santee Posts: 821	man that sucks !!!!!!! im afraid of that happening w/my ghetto pillow top racks but uuuh bonus no threads just 3 straps glad 2 here every ones safe ............i got a x-factor but those tridents loook sick !!!!

07-10-2007, 04:32 PM	#11
nunyabizness1 Maggie Join Date: May 2007 Location: Nunya Posts: 126	Sorry to hear how your day of fishing success turned into such a bummer. Glad to hear that no one was hurt. Nice of you Jim to offer a loaner. I am happy to see how many fellow yakkers out there offer help and assistance to other yakkers. Good karma! I hope you get back on the water soon to have better experiences!

07-13-2007, 01:34 PM	#12
nunyabizness1 Maggie Join Date: May 2007 Location: Nunya Posts: 126	Hey Handyman, are you the same guy I met at Noah's who helped me with what I needed to buy for yak fishing at La Jolla? If so, you and Orca/Don were a great help and I appreciate your kindness. Sorry to hear about your yak! Hope you found another way to get out there and fishing again. I've been practicing the knots you two showed me and finally got the hang of them! I even made up a bunch of leaders like you suggested! Maggie

07-13-2007, 08:29 PM	#13
Handymansd Ancient Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: On The Water Posts: 935	Hi Maggie, Yup, that was I at Noah's. I am now calling those my pre kayak days. I am glad that there was at least a bit that I could pass on! Hopefully it will lead to a great catch for you eventually! An Update for the "highway kayaks": Wess, up at Cobra kayaks has agreed to help us by attempting to repair the kayaks! We are waiting to see if they will be successful in that attempt. I will post the results of this attempt when I know. Here are some cheesy camera phone pics of the yaks: __________________ All men are equal before fish. -Herbert Hoover

07-13-2007, 08:58 PM	#14
dgax65 Guerro Grande Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 629	A little time with a heat gun and a soldering iron should fix 'er right up. If he can fix it you're going to have a great conversation piece there. You might also need to put a rudder on it to compensate for that S in your keel. Good luck. I hope he can make them seaworthy again. __________________ Douglas Gaxiola Team No Fish- Amateur Staff

07-14-2007, 07:52 AM	#15
lambadmin Spam Sanitation Dept Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,374	wow. Glad no one was hurt.

07-14-2007, 04:25 PM	#16
Piranha Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Alhambra.CA Posts: 35	Cobra People Care! Wes Ogle is a good man. I' m confident he'll do everything he can to fix you up! He's helped some of my bros in the past! Including myself! Cobra is very good about things like this. Let us know how it turns out! Jerry/Piranha __________________ Oh Lord, Thy sea is so great and my boat is so small! Last edited by Piranha; 07-14-2007 at 04:27 PM. Reason: error

07-14-2007, 09:01 PM	#17
nunyabizness1 Maggie Join Date: May 2007 Location: Nunya Posts: 126	Wow!!!! That yak took a beating!!! So sorry to see that! My brand new tie-down straps snapped when I was on the 5 going north a couple months ago and the front of my yak went flying off the side of my SUV. Luckily the back ones held on and no one was hurt. A couple of very minor scratches on my SUV was all, and an almost heart attack! I can't imagine what you went through when your yak went flying! I hope they can fix it for you so you can get back out there soon.