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Topic: Multi-Marlin Madness!  (Read 7956 times)

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Bluewater Jon

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Hi everyone, Jon here. These are all from a mothershipping trip I took in Cabo last week.
Three of us yakkers hooked, fought, landed, and released from kayaks 5 striped marlin.
'Twas ultra nutty! Here are some pics:



I also have a youtube clip but I won't post that until I know you guys approve.
Cheers, Jon Schwartz
http://www.bluewaterjon.com/
Nutty Yakfishing Stories, Pics, and Vids
« Last Edit: December 10, 2007, 11:43:14 PM by Bluewater Jon »


ScottThornley

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Jon,

Post more details!

Regards,
Scott


Bluewater Jon

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Scott, Thanks for asking. Do ya want the short version or the long version? :)


Bill

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Jon there are no restrictions on posting videos or photos here, stop teasing us!  :smt003


Danglin

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WTG Jon!!!!!!

  Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!! .... :thumleft: :thumright:... Danglin
There are 3 Types of people in the world,,,
                          
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Bluewater Jon

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Ok guys, I have included a large chunk of the story that I have written about my wild double marlin day in Cabo on 11/30. The story in it's entirety will be on my own site,in about a week but I wanted to share it with you before it became old news.I have never seen anyone post such a long story before so I hope it's ok. You can see there is a link to a youtube video too that depicts some of the action I mentioned in the story. I thought that the exchange between the guys taking the video and I was particularly amusing.
Hope you enjoy!
Jon
BTW- here are two links which pertain to the day, a news one with some pics, and the youtube video that I slapped together.



http://www.mexfish.com/mfn/mfn2007/mfn071210/mfn071210.htm

Not long after Captain Juan announced we were “on the grounds”, we saw birds diving on a mass of bait. Phillip and I launched the kayaks and began to paddle around in hopes of hooking up with the predators that were driving the bait to the surface, but it wasn’t as easy as plopping the kayaks in the water and waiting for a hookup. The mass of bait with diving birds was a fast moving entity, which we quickly realized upon entering the water. In less than a minute, the swirling bait ball, which reacted to the submarine strikes from its attackers by shuddering and undulating in spasmodic waves, had moved hundreds of yards from us. There was no way we were going to be able to catch up, so we decided to slow troll around the area with mackerel in tow, hoping to get a blind strike from a passing fish.

This slow trolling only worked for a bit. Invariable bait balls would come closer to us, and we’d get all excited and paddle like the devil in hopes of catching up, but these mad dashes only succeeded in raising our hopes and tiring us out. After 45 minutes passed with no luck, I was beginning to wonder if we would ever get hooked up. If the only way to strike gold was to be in the midst of a bait ball, we’d have to get incredibly lucky and basically get run over by one. Not only that- our mad dashes were wearing our baits out. Just as I began to reel in my bait to see if it was even alive, I felt a slight pull on the line, and then nothing. Was I imagining something? Good thing I still had my thumb on the spool though, because the next thing I know, line is racing off the reel. Hookup!

I slowly increased pressure on the spool, and when I tightened down the drag and the line came taught, the bow of my kayak swung around 180 degrees. Seconds later the line goes slack- which either means the fish is off or it’s changed directions- and then I see it- a marvelously lit up striped marlin, bursting out of the water 75 yards in front of me in a sea of spray, furiously waving his bill and twisting furiously in midair! The line was still not taught, and I wondered if he had shook the hook loose- but not to worry! The fish took off again at an even faster pace, the line finally came taught, and I was treated to the famed Nantucket Sleighride that all kayak fishing enthusiasts live for.

I took my submersible vhf marine radio from my lifejacket’s pocket, and radioed in to the boat that I was hooked up. I wasn’t the only angler on the water; I was about 500 yards away, being towed in the opposite direction by the magnificent marlin. Every so often the line would go slack, and my heart would sink, since I thought he came off, but each time I was rewarded with the incredible sight of the marlin once again breaking the surface in an amazing aerial display.

Part of the purpose of the trip was to get pics and video for the upcoming article in Sport Fishing Magazine, but we hadn’t a proper photographer with us. Instead, I had left my cameras with the deckhands, hoping for the best. When the boat caught up with me, Captain Juan announced, “Jon, I can’ take any pic-chor- I heer a alahrm when I poosh de button!” (Jon I can’t take any pictures, I hear an alarm when I push the button). Despite his broken English, I was able to understand him completely- being married to a Mexican woman helps.

In either case, I knew there was nothing I could do to fix the cameras right then, so even though we might miss some good shots, at least they were able to take some video. The fish was still dragging me all over the place, and changing directions. One moment the boat would seem too far away to get footage, and then the next moment he would go right for the boat, and I was worried that the line would get caught in the prop. I kept thinking, “Get closer…no…wait….go away!”

Something else was happening that was kind of funny. The kayaks that we were using were meant to be used with a rudder, but I thought that the line might get caught on it, so I disengaged it, and in doing so, made the kayak track, or stay on course, very poorly. Usually on big fish, when they swim away from you, you can turn your bow in the direction of the fish by tugging on the line, but this kayak wasn’t cooperating. I felt like I was in a salad bowl with no front or back to it, like those circular bumper cars that have no steering. It just kept sliding sideways towards the fish, and since I had no intention of fighting the fish like this, I sat side-saddle on the kayak. Even so, the fish was pulling me and the kayak, sideways, at a decent clip!

By the time I got the fish close to me, it had calmed down quite a bit, so I wasn’t worried about getting attacked or impaled. Fortunately, I had brought it in quickly enough so that it still had enough energy to swim away, and I grabbed the leader and cut it right at the hook, which was wedged perfectly in the outward edge of his jaw. I could have chosen to remove the hook, but I sensed that the fish was too “green” and he would go nuts if I grabbed him, so this was the best solution, the hope being that the hook would rust out within a short amount of time.

To see video highlights of the last few minutes of the fight with this marlin, click here

As I paddled back to the boat to get another bait, I noticed through the drizzling rain that bait balls were still on top, but the predators weren’t on the surface anymore, so I put a 4oz olive sinker on my line so that my bait would drop to where the big ones were still lurking. For the next couple of hours, I did a lot of paddling, with no luck. The rain started to come down horizontally and the wind picked up, but since I came prepared with the proper wetsuit gear, I felt fairly comfortable, as long as I kept paddling.

At some point, one of these crazy masses of bait and big fish appeared again in the distance. It didn’t seem to be moving and I was able to catch up with it. I paddled right into the middle of it, let my bait drop in free spool, and soon the line starts smoking off my reel, and I’m on to something big and fast. It wasn’t a marlin, for sure- it was heading for the bottom, then changing directions on a dime, and shaking it’s head ferociously underwater. I fought the beast for several minutes, but it was all I could do to stem the flow of line racing off the reel, and when I applied pressure, the line snapped. Once the boat caught up with me and they saw the frayed leader, they surmised that it had been mako shark- lots of them in this area.

By now it’s about 3:30, we’ve got maybe 90 minutes left of light, and I really wanted a shot at a second marlin. As far as I know, no one has hooked and landed more than one in a single day from a kayak, and I thought I had a good chance at setting a record that might stand for awhile. I rebaited at the boat, and paddled off. After some more time on the water, I spotted another bait ball with diving birds, bigger than any I’d seen yet, and paddled towards it. This thing was moving helter skelter all over the place and eventually I just stopped paddling and threw my paddle down in frustration- no way I could catch up. Of course by this time my bait was half dead from me dragging him through the water. As I sat there with my head hung low, feeling dejected and trying to regain my breath, I heard a tremendous roar- the very same gigantic bait ball, with free jumping porpoise and scads of diving birds-was heading back straight towards me!

By the time this cavalcade of craziness overtakes me, I feel like I’m in the middle of an episode of Blue Planet. Huge porpoise are free jumping all over the place, and striped marlin are all around me, slashing the surface with their bills, putting on what looked like some type of medieval cross-swords display. I counted at one point a minimum of six marlin slicing the surface within 30 yards of me- and the craziest thing was, all I could do was watch!

They had plenty of live bait to choose from, and even though I pitched my lifeless bait right next to them, they would have none of it! I radioed back to the boat “Guys! Get over here now! Marlin all over! Hurry up!” but it turns out that tons of marlin had erupted next to them as well and they had decided to take a break from kayak fishing and fight a couple from the boat. I sat there alone in disbelief as the display went on for another five minutes, and when the frenzy abated, made my way back to the boat about ½ a mile away.

By this time the deckhand Fernando decided that he wanted to give this kayak thing a try. This was the first time that I’d ever seen a local Mexican get in a kayak, let alone try kayak fishing. Phillip, Fernando, and I all baited up and started trolling bait behind out yaks, and about ten minutes later I get hooked up- another marlin! It’s dragging me all around, tail walking, and then the guys on the boat radio me to tell me that we’ve got a triple kayak marlin kayak hookup- Phillip and Fernando are on too!

The three marlins were all evidently pulling us kayakers in different directions, and the boat stayed with me because it seemed I might land mine first. After another classic sleigh ride and some more awesome aerial antics, the fish and I slugged it out in a vertical battle, and I got him to leader. This marlin was more exhausted than the first, and knew I had to work to revive him, so I pulled him up to me to remove the hook from his mouth, and then gently placed him back in the water.

He wasn’t healthy enough to swim off, but rather was looking like he might go belly up so I decided to try something I’d been dreaming about…...
I jumped in off of my kayak, swam up next to him, gently grabbed his fins with my gloved hands, and held him upright. He seemed to appreciate the gesture and within a minute or two he was wagging his tail happily and the iridescent glowing stripes on his sides had returned, indicating he was ready to swim away on his own. I grabbed his rear fin and gave him one last big push and he swam off with vigor. What a thrill that was!

There's plenty more to the story, but I'll cut it here for now- rest will be on my site. There is some really hilarious and wild stuff that went on even after all of this madness, including a giant fish, bigger and mightier than the rest, that pulled me way out of sight of the mothership as the pink sunset gave way to darness, and the crazy 4 hour boat ride back through 8 foot seas and 30 knot winds, when I insisted on taking a shower and almost broke every bone in my body. Hope you enjoyed it! Oh, one more thing, this is not meant to be a "how to", but just a "here's what happened". I think the best way to learn how to kayak for big fish is to hire a licensed professional guide. :smt001
Cheers,
Bluewater Jon Schwartz
http://www.bluewaterjon.com/
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« Last Edit: December 11, 2007, 01:39:59 PM by Bill »


polepole

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Sounds like you hit it right Jon.  Cabo was on fire in November.  One boat got 179 stripers and a sailfish ... IN ONE DAY on the finger banks on Nov 4.

-Allen


Bluewater Jon

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Allen, Yeah I heard some really wild reports. Prior to me going there, the reports were like 15
per boat at Finger Banks, but that is with a boat, you know, put-putting around from bait ball
to bait ball. Man if we were fishing from a boat instead of paddling all around trying to catch
up with those baitballs I don't know how many we would have landed!
Good to hear from you man,
Jon


Bluewater Jon

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Hey man really really good question. I am just another yakker of course, but here is my input:

 I do know that some keep track of this, but in my opinion the way they keep track of it is not really meaningful, in my eyes. I'm not dissing anyone, I'm just saying that a lot of estimating is going on, and sometimes the weight seems to be rounded up- not just to the closest ten digits, but maybe even more than that! :smt002. Of course, people are selling services that might benefit from having heavier fish, so unless a scale is being used, that's bound to happen. That's why they call scales "De- Liar's", right? (Funny fact- when I was a kid I thought that was a fancy French word that meant 'scale' since I saw it written on my Zebco)

I know this from personal experience, I have been on guided trips that this has happened on. You know, "That is a huge fish, it's got to be at least 40 pounds" and then from then on it's considered 40 pounds. Scales are the way around this and they don't cost that much, and then you have pictures that can help. If there is no weight, you could get the dimensions of the things next to the fish, give the photo to several experts who have no vested interest in the matter, and ask them for their opinion as to what it weighs, but it would still be an estimate of course. Scales can ruin your day! :smt005 I know this, because I have caught fish, that looked huge, paddled over to other yakkers, who swear that the fish was at least 55 pounds, even shown it to powerboaters on the way in who swore it had to be 60, and then weighed it on shore and it was "only" a 36 pound white seabass. :smt003

Secondly, I think that yes, there would have to be different categories. I have done some weird stuff like hook into a 111 pound tuna from a boat, and then land it from the yak. That can't be considered for any record, because it was hooked from a boat, simple as that. Now, was it an intense experience, heck yeah! Shoot, I was stabbing the thing with a spear for a good 5-10 minutes in a battle to the death where I almost got huge hooks ripped into my skin and dragged under by a still green beast( I made a video about it and had to edit all but a little bit out because it was too gory). But again, that was just me trying something new, trying to have as much fun as I can before I die type of thing. I knew it would be scoffed at by some people as being a stunt, and I knew it would never be considered for any record, but it was something I wanted to try- to see if I could pull up a huge tuna from a yak, and then kill it with my own hands and a primitive spear- and it was freakin' wild! :smt003

Then there is the mothershipping aspect. There is so much variability with mothershipping, with regards to how much paddling the angler has done, that it is really bizarre. Sometimes people sight a fish while cruising in the comfort of a boat, plop their kayaks in the water, paddle less than 5 minutes, and call that a "pure" catch. Yes, again, just in my humble opinion, fun, and cool, and yes, hooked, fought, and landed from a kayak,but can that considered a "pure" catch? How do you compare that to a guy who paddled out from shore, caught it all by himself, and paddled in as you say? More "pure" than hooking from a boat, of course, but if you're not paddling much, then, well, I think it's misleading to say it's pure kayak fishing.

Then what if the person gets brought out to an area, paddles for a short or long time, hooks from the yak, and then gets help in landing the fish- as in, help from another angler, or even more significant, help from the person following in a mothership- like the fish is gaffed or otherwise disposed of by someone in the boat? How can that be compared to the person that has to defeat their fish with their own hands and tools? In my opinion, for a "pure" catch, a person would have to land it with their own hands and tools. They could get passed a gaff, etc, by a chase boat,  but a gaff by a person on a chase boat would not be pure. That's a huge part of the battle right there, and a time when the fish could easily be lost, and the angler injured on big fish.

Ok then there's more! Yes, I agree with you, the most pure way to do it is to launch with no assistance, land with no assistance, and paddle back. Here is where it gets really interesting, in my opinion. Sometimes, and I know this from my own personal experience, these people are paddling far less, and having a less physically intensive day of exercise, then those of us who sometimes get mothership support and get brought out to the fishing grounds. Like I said, I know this is true, because when I go to Hawaii, off of Kona, I have landed ulua/giant trevally up to a certified 64.5 pounds at the harbor mouth, less than a ten minute paddle from the launch. Not only that, in Hawaii, many of the launches are protected. There are a lot of places where you never have to stow any gear at all in launching, because you just plop the yak in in a protected harbor or cove and paddle out in 75 degree water , have access to the world's biggest and best fish, and can be back at the launch in 90 minutes.  Again, been there, done that, know people who do it regularly. In fact I have a friend in Kona and he usually only fishes 2- 3 hours max- no need to do any more, because maybe 98% of the time spent of the water is "in the zone" of the "Land of the Giants". I don't think that's an unfair advantage, of course, but then, keep in mind people who live in places, say, like California, sometimes we launch through shoulder high surf. Not necessarily in La Jolla, because that often has much less of a swell than the other beaches, but some other spots are just like launching from, well... from a surf break, like Cardiff here in North County. So I guess my point is, people in places like Hawaii have a huge advantage over people in other places, because the big pelagic like tuna, mahi/dorado, billfish, and then even the bottom dwellers like ulua and amberjack, all these can be hooked, with a bit of luck, less than a couple hundred yards from shore. As you know the powerboats that fish Kona put out their lures for 1000 pound marlin and 200 pound tuna, as well as the ono/wahoo, before they leave the harbor many times, because right outside of the harbor exit, all of these fish have been caught- huge ones at that, due to the ultra steep drop poffs with it being such a geologically recent volcanic island.

That's why, in my post about the marlins we caught in Cabo on 11/30, I wanted to mention that I had been paddling all day. It was snotty out at times, and even though there were tons of fish in the general area, I paddled for over 6 hours in the chop for only 4 hookups, because th marlin were bunched up with the fast moving bait balls. In a boat it would have been a turkey shoot because boats are fast and can keep pace with the bait balls without much effort, but it was maddening to try to keep up with the bait balls, or head them off, and then by the time I was in the right place, my bait was often dead, and the chase boat was almost out of sight because there were other anglers hooked up in the water.

Then again, you guys have some other issues to deal with , like sharks! The 64.5 pound ulua that I landed, that was hooked after my friend Steven and I launched from shore in the harbor, paddled out south of the harbor for an hour, he hooked a tuna and landed it about 200 yards from shore, there was a lot of blood in the water, and then, maybe related to the blood or not, he hooked into a tiger shark that dragged him all over the place in a Benny Hill outro-skit fashion. So yeah it can be very easy to land huge fish from Kona in a short amount of time with not much paddling, in bathtub like conditions, but then again, you literally have to worry that you might get attacked. I also know this from personal experience because I was charged by a tiger shark in this exact same area when I was with my wife, and the way that thing was hurtling toward us, it would have at the very minimum likely thrown us from our tandem yak had it not been deterred when it reached the electrical field of the Shark Shield that my friend Steven from Kona calls,"The most important piece of equipment on my kayak."

Another thing that is interesting. How about the advantage people have when their jobs permit them to fish whenever they want? It doesn't make their catches not 100% pure, IMO, but it is a significant factor, just like living in Hawaii. There are guys I know (some very good friends of mine) who can literally take off whenever they want for a couple of hours any morning they want, so they get to hit the grounds when the fish are biting, and when all the sops like me are at work. Oh, the pain of it all, to watch them with their reports, day after day in the spring when the big white seabass are biting, as they fish day after day after day! The horror! The horror! And the truth is, they are launching many times onto lake like conditions in L.J., paddling out to an area where there is very little guesswork, because the pier or the kelp will hold bait, then they make bait, pin one on, paddle a bit, and can be hooked up and back on the beach by 7:00 am. I know, because I have done it, and seen it done right next to me while I watch in silent jealousy, many times. (but I had to call in a sub- I'm a teacher!)

One other thing to consider that can't really have a direct impact on whether or not it's "pure" yakfishing, but is worth mentioning as far as what makes things hard or easy, is water temp. Shoot, in Hawaii it's bathtub water temps usually. Compare that to our friends in NorCal! Dude I lived in Norcal for 13 years and even in the summer I had to wear a wetsuit to go surfing! I surfed once on a unusually warm day in August with no suit in Santa Cruz and I was shivering and having uncontrollable teeth chatters after that for hours. So imagine "records" from a NorCal perspective- they gotta get in a thick wetsuit to just get on the water, and then the fish they have to target there aren't big like in Hawaii or even SoCal, so unless they spend some dough to travel to a tropical paradise like Hawaii, or go on a mothershipping trip, or drive 8 hours, they're stuck with smaller fish than those people who live in places where big fish lurk constantly. I bet you they would like to be able to have access to bigger fish close to shore in warm water.
   Anyway bro, great, great question. I hope I didn't say anything that offended anyone, it's just my opinion and own personal observations, and really in a way I think records are kinda silly. I mean, look at the boat records. They are really laughable in many instances. Take, for example, the world's record for wahoo/ono. It is like over 170 pounds, and if I am correct,caught by a teenage girl with little angling experience- because in boat fishing, the angler is often only required to crank the reel- it's the people driving and maneuvering the boat, setting out the lures, and gaffing the fish that do most of the work- and they don't even get mentioned.
  Dude, all I wanted to do when I got up 90 minutes ago was take a leak,check my email, and go back to sleep for two hours, and now I have to go to work because you got me going on an interesting topic! :smt005
cheers me lad,
Jon
« Last Edit: December 12, 2007, 06:50:50 AM by Bluewater Jon »


polepole

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aloha  great catch john thanks for sharing the story and pictures with us. I have a question and maybe i could get a little edumacation. Allen maybe you could help or anyone on the forum. like everyone i got the fever bad and i am in the hunt for large ocean pelagics. I am talking about record kayak fish. I am amazed at how fast kayak fishing has evolved in the last few years.

Hey Boogie, there are no official kayak fishing records that I am aware of.

Jon, I keep looking at your pictures of swimming with the marlin.  Crazy stuff there, but way to go the extra mile for the fish ...  :smt038

-Allen


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Wow John!!! That looks like the ride of a lifetime  :smt007

You're always nailing the big ones. Great job

FF
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Quote
my take is that pure kaykers should have there own set of records. meaning those that have to paddle to and from beach, fight land and catch fish with no assistance from a motor.

 I couldn't agree more,  It's " the Old Man and the Sea " thing that I feel draws us to this sport in the first place.

 I liked Jon's video " Giant Tuna ", found it very entertaining, but was a bit put off by so much mothershipping involved.

 I now understand that you were not trying a "How to" video and do respect the difference of a Beach launch, catch, landing.

 You were having fun and showing enthusiasm...... Good Stuff :smt002

    Now I don't know much about

 pelagics and what your doing Jon, no matter what, is gaining experience for us all as to what to expect when

 battling giant fish, especially when you do have a crowded kayak deck from a beach launch.

Question for Boogie-D...

 Do you find that the Out Riggers of the AI get in the way when your battling peligics?


  And Jon, about the Shark Shield?

 I guess you were using it when the Tiger charged?

 I understand that the shield only repels the Predetory shark through a specific senosry gland that GWS and Tigers ect

have, not  bothering other game fish,  whats your experince?

 I also like the idea of a KayakFishing Record catch site, just more ways to have fun...

 Great Job Again Jon........... Danglin
There are 3 Types of people in the world,,,
                          
                 The Sheep, The Sheep Dog & The Wolf,
                                                                         
      Which are You ,,,

2006 NCKA Shark Fishing Tournament Champion    
2nd Moutcha Bay, BC. 2006 "Tyee" Surfing Contest
ELK 07  1st Place Loser
HMB 09 3rd Place
HMB 09 Sardine Champion
2009-2016 Northern California HOW Coordinator

Love Baja…  :smt055


Bluewater Jon

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Boogie- D, Cool man. All I wanted to do was bring up some elements that I think are kinda interesting to talk about. I guess the main point I was trying to make, and maybe I didn't do such a good job of it, was that records can be misleading.

 For example, if there was a term "non-assisted kayaking" type of category, I would think that implied that the people in that category are the ones that really work the hardest and are the most hardcore, but in my experience, that's not always the case, because like I said people I know, and I include myself in this, have caught giant fish so close to shore in places like Hawaii and San Diego, with such an easy paddle, in such mellow conditions, that we/they worked less hard for those catches than some people who have gotten assistance. Again I know this cuz sometimes that person has been me, and sometimes that person, to my great dismay, is the person 50 yards from me  :smt010who landed a huge fish and was back on the beach within 90 min of launching. But you are totally right- the line has to be drawn somewhere.

   In the spirit of having an interesting and thoughtful discussion, let's consider, what do you think would be the best way to deal with the huge amount of variables in assisted kayak fishing, by that I mean mothersipping. I'm not talking about the one- off stuff I did for that DVD I made- Danglin, you are right, that's just entertainment,(except for the uluas I landed!) and I think that if there is going to even be a category like this, then there would have to be some minimum time spent paddling, or on the water, before a hookup can count in this category. If not, what is to prevent someone from just driving around till they see a huge specimen, plopping the yak in when they or someone else spots the fish, baiting it up as they are sitting down in the yak, and calling that a "pure" kayak catch because they hooked it in the yak? In that case, the only thing they did that involved "kayaking", and by that I mean paddling, was being in a kayak for a quick 20 seconds (or less) prior to the hook taking the bait, because they didn't use it to catch the fish other than as a platform to land it from.

 Now, when I say they, I don't get me wrong- I have done that as well! Having done a bunch of mothershipping of many types, from the 'see a fish, get in the yak, and quickly bait it up', to 'get dropped off and wait until hookup that occurs within a half an hour, etc', to 'getting dropped off into a general area and paddling many hours between hookups (the case with this last marlin trip)', all I think I have learned is that they are all fun in their own way, and what I try to do is be upfront about how I have caught each fish- how I got to the grounds, how much paddling was involved before I hooked up, how I fought it, and how I landed and maybe even released it. Kind of like surfing. There's paddle in surfing, and tow in.
   
To add to this, again in the spirit of let's have a lively and thoughtful discussion, don't you think scales ought to be required or something like that? The estimating thing, unless it is done by a bunch of people who have no vested interest in what the actual weight is, can result in some really "fuzzy math", know what I mean? Maybe there could be a "council of elders" that are familiar with each species and could be trusted, accurate judges. I am half kidding on that. Maybe the next time I'm out your way we can go out together and have some fun.

Danglin, good to hear from you again. Yeah, the DVD was really just about entertainment. I was never making it for kayakers, who are such an independent, do-it yourself bunch, I was just making it for anyone with a sense of adventure who likes entertainment. Also, I don't get to get out much with a wife and three kids and I like telling stories so it was a way to kind of share stuff with other people- laypeople- who might get a kick out of it.

It could be arguedthat if you're going to make a kayak fishing movie, rather than just a compilation of footage, with a plot and all that, there's several ways to do it. One, done by my friend Steve Heusser, is the pure way- put the cam on your helmet, have the video device in the tankwell, and wait till you get enough footage. I love Steve's videos, and I also really like Johnnie Ceviche's short clips that he has on youtube- super cool. However, I have heard people complain that they get dizzy when they watch them, and that they are too raw. To make a product that appeals to a broader range of people,  you need a boat to film from, otherwise you are going to have rough footage,and if you are going to hire a boat with a video guy in it, which is expensive even if you get some dude off Craigslist like I did, then you are probably going to try and scare up as much action as possible when you have the boat and video guy available.

But if anyone wanted to take it to the next level and make a whole film, with enough footage to make up a movie, that has a plot and a storyline, they are going to have a real budget, or be funded by Inside Sportfishing or something like that.

So I guess my point with regards to the DVD I made is that I respect how you were a bit put off by the mothershipping, but then, if I had done the filming the pure way, I bet you never would have seen it, cuz all it would be is some low res footage like I took when I was by myself in shark alley on the 3 uluas!

This may be going off topic or sound defensive, but you may find it somewhat interesting that I never really planned on making a whole movie- I just wanted to document, on film, whatever happened so that if I did battle a tuna and, uh, make not-so-nice to it with a spear, people would believe that it happened. Then I had the footage, and found that I couldn't afford to get someone to do with it what I wanted, and that editing is something I like to do, so I actually got into it as kind of a storytelling entertainment thing, rather than a how to. Shoot I hope no one looks at that video and looks at it as a how to, I went to great lengths to discourage people, on my site and in the front of the video, that it's for entertainment, not instructional purposes, and I hope no one tries the stuff because some of it was just plain reckless.

Anyway guys, great to have this discussion. I'm sure we'll chat soon on one of these threads soon.

Take care,
Jon

Cheers,
Jon


Danglin

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Quote
This may be going off topic or sound defensive

 No worries Jon :smt006,

 The only reason I even brought it up was because we were watching it on the Islander trip, and having a bit of fun

 with it as only drunkard sods on a boat @ Sea can do :party :beer3....

 I wanted to chime in on how I could see now what you were trying to accomplish.

 And it is a accomplishment.  It's not easy to put something like that together,

 And the Uluas part was Kool :smt002


 A full length Movie?  Maybe we can get Russel Crow and borrow the " Jaws " Prop :smt005


 Your doing Fine and Practice makes perfect, 

 Like to Hook Up down there and fish with ya this comming Year.....

  See ya on the Water.............. Danglin
There are 3 Types of people in the world,,,
                          
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2006 NCKA Shark Fishing Tournament Champion    
2nd Moutcha Bay, BC. 2006 "Tyee" Surfing Contest
ELK 07  1st Place Loser
HMB 09 3rd Place
HMB 09 Sardine Champion
2009-2016 Northern California HOW Coordinator

Love Baja…  :smt055


Bluewater Jon

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Cool man, sounds great and you are totally wild with the sport! 
Dude I believe you re: the thresher, you live in the Land of the Giants.
That's nutty about that shark. There is a story on my site that details
 how the Shark Shield works, and the whole encounter of the tiger shark,
my wife, and I. You might find it a hoot to read, here it is:
http://www.bluewaterjon.com/story/story4.html

One thing- you mentioned "super exotic location". Dude you live
in Hawaii! Where's a super exotic location? The moon? I know what you
were saying though. I am actually considering a trip to Tobago this
summer with the wife and kids. The airfare to Hawaii is getting so darn
high that it makes sense to consider alternatives and even the Big Island
is super built up..
Late guys,
Jon