How-to on fighting large fish

Anybody out there have experience fighting large fish in the bay? I'm talking anything over 30lbs. I'm down for a sleigh ride but I also dont wanna get towed 2 miles. Anybody have any tips, tricks, or advice for preventing a ridiculous sleigh ride? I was thinking, besides a drift sock/chute, an 8lb mushroom anchor...?

Anybody out there have experience fighting large fish in the bay? I'm talking anything over 30lbs. I'm down for a sleigh ride but I also dont wanna get towed 2 miles. Anybody have any tips, tricks, or advice for preventing a ridiculous sleigh ride? I was thinking, besides a drift sock/chute, an 8lb mushroom anchor...?

Is this an “issue” you’ve already faced, or just a hypothetical question?

I’d say just use properly sized gear for the species you’re targeting, set the drag properly, and enjoy. No need for any kind of anchor or drift sock during the fight. If you really need/want to slow down your sleigh ride for some reason (instead of just enjoying it) you could straddle your kayak with your legs in the water for a little extra drag.


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Anybody out there have experience fighting large fish in the bay? I'm talking anything over 30lbs. I'm down for a sleigh ride but I also dont wanna get towed 2 miles. Anybody have any tips, tricks, or advice for preventing a ridiculous sleigh ride? I was thinking, besides a drift sock/chute, an 8lb mushroom anchor...?

I can't imagine ever getting a ride like that. You probably won't lock up your drag so that will allow the fish to expend energy that doesn't move your kayak. The drag of pulling you in a kayak will tire a fish easily, especially when added to the runs they make and fighting you reeling them in. Maybe if you hook a big sturgeon in a fast moving river and you get pulled down stream. You can see the sturgeon I caught in the bay in my profile photo. It didn't move me much at all.

For some reason I have snagged quite a few large bat rays at Tomales Bay, and one at ARW. They are powerful and rip the line out even with the drag tightened all the way. Have reached speeds of 5-6 mph at some points. So far they have all changed direction a few times so I was never dragged very far. Just remember to keep the rod at the front of the kayak, and it will follow the fish. Several times the line has snapped at full drag and full bend in the rod. If it happened with the rod off to the side I would of been flipped off the kayak backwards.

For some reason I have snagged quite a few large bat rays at Tomales Bay, and one at ARW. They are powerful and rip the line out even with the drag tightened all the way. Have reached speeds of 5-6 mph at some points. So far they have all changed direction a few times so I was never dragged very far. Just remember to keep the rod at the front of the kayak, and it will follow the fish. Several times the line has snapped at full drag and full bend in the rod. If it happened with the rod off to the side I would of been flipped off the kayak backwards.

Agree, when I was battling yellowtails at La Jolla, my guide kept telling me to keep the rod tip pointing to the front of the kayak.

Paul

5 1/2 foot soupfin shark. 15 minutes of fun, caught while going for halis, did not adjust drag at all.  Like the others said keep your rodtip towards the front and just enjoy

I've caught 3 sturgeon over 50#, all in moving water, 30# line (I never go over 30# in the yak). Drag set appropriately, which can lead to some time and distance in the fight, but never left the anchor, if I had I'd have ended up miles downstream of my launch.  My anchor did drag thru the mud a ways, but not that far. Current tends to keep them downstream and there really isn't much to foul or snag in most bay water, let'em run and reel'em back, forget the sleigh ride (if you're already on the anchor.)   

If you're drift fishing, well I guess you go where the fish/current takes you.

I've caught several fish over 30 pounds and haven't had any problems bringing them onboard.  If anything is towing you for miles, you need to cut the line and run.  I watched a guy once, hook onto a GWS, and he was towed around for miles. 

Having a fighting belt or Rod Butt Cushion would help to battle a large fish.
My wife uses a fighting belt all the time to bring up large lingcod and halibut.

Paul

Everybody, thank you so much for the insight. Every answer I got was excellent information.
If the sleigh ride gets hairy I'll either drop anchor or cut the line if I hook into something massive.
Keep your eye out for an orange tarpon 160 haulin ass near the marin rod and gun club  

A reel with good drag and a nice rod helps...just don’t over tighten the drag... in case if the line snaps... it doesnt  whip u off the kayak.

Cart before horse? 
One time I was towed over a mile during a 2+ hour fight with a 12ft thresher shark that I tail-hooked with a Rapala. And I don’t wish that on anybody.

Cart before horse? 
One time I was towed over a mile during a 2+ hour fight with a 12ft thresher shark that I tail-hooked with a Rapala. And I don’t wish that on anybody.

Dude, that was closer to three hours.

I was on the water for like an hour after you hooked up, paddled back to the Islander, got boarded and situated, then I went and changed, and then we were starting to eat dinner when we heard you were climbing into the skiff.

Everybody, thank you so much for the insight. Every answer I got was excellent information.
If the sleigh ride gets hairy I'll either drop anchor or cut the line if I hook into something massive.
Keep your eye out for an orange tarpon 160 haulin ass near the marin rod and gun club  

I don't think I would try dropping an anchor while fighting a fish. Better to keep the rod in your hands. Not to mention adding the possibility of getting tangled with the anchor line.

Everybody, thank you so much for the insight. Every answer I got was excellent information.
If the sleigh ride gets hairy I'll either drop anchor or cut the line if I hook into something massive.
Keep your eye out for an orange tarpon 160 haulin ass near the marin rod and gun club  

Can’t imagine anything that big around the Marin club to tow you around for miles.  Maybe a large sturgeon or bat ray.  But you should still be able to get it situated within an hour if you do it correctly.