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Messages - jremi

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General Fishing Tips / Re: Flat fall jigs recommendation

« on: October 18, 2022, 01:45:55 PM »

genuine question: why flat fall for rf? huge $$ spent on rod and jigs. to catch a billion dinker rockfish? spend a day with a diamond jig and see if u still want to spend hundreds of $ to do basically the same thing?

Safety First / Re: Realistic immersion gear advice (waders vs wetsuit vs drysuit)

« on: October 18, 2022, 01:28:32 PM »

Quote from: Sprmario on October 18, 2022, 12:20:18 PM

Comfort question.

Is a back zipper a deal breaker in a kayak wetsuit? will it be a source of discomfort while in the seat?

i wear a 3/4full with a back zipper. i fold the wetsuit down most of the time but usually full zip on surf launch, depending on how bad it looks. usually fold down when otw. when folded down the zipper rubs into your back and is annoying. usually i zip it halfway up so it’s not between my lower back and the seat. peeing is not a problem, just fold the wetsuit down. when i launch somewhere nice - inshore/flat ocean i wear the wetsuit backwards so the zipper is in the front and doesn’t rub.

also u need to know what you’re looking for when buying used wetsuit. wetsuits don’t last forever, esp in kayak. they get worn down from the seat

Hobie Kayaks / Re: Mirage drive idler cable

« on: September 18, 2022, 02:15:30 PM »

Quote from: SpeedyStein on September 16, 2022, 04:10:27 PM

Quote from: NowhereMan on October 01, 2020, 06:25:26 AM
The rope worked, but it liked to slip off on occasion, even with the no-stretch rope. So, I replaced it with a bungee cord, and that seems to work well. After a fair number of miles, there's been no slipping off, and I don't see any wear at all.

How is this holding up? Mine snapped today, not feeling like spending $35 or waiting for delivery... Thanks!

my purple bungee has been cranked tight, is faded and ragged but has held longer than some other drive parts. i should get a replacement though.

General Fishing Tips / Re: Surf confidence

« on: September 08, 2022, 09:45:37 PM »

spare rod, main rod, food, bait, tools, other rigs, fish finder, all in front hatch

Craftsmen's Corner / Rainshadow RX6 MB846 - thoughts

« on: July 06, 2022, 11:29:45 PM »

Last year after wrapping and breaking yet another eye on my now 6'4 jigging/swimbait rod I had enough. I started looking for a new rod. Something light, physically light, durable construction, good backbone yet fast action, with a sensitive tip, and exclusively double footed guides. This rod does not exist... probably. At the time the closest I could find was the Harrier X, daiwa's update to the existing harrier line. 140 was more than I was willing to spend though, stock was terrible, and I really wanted split grips for some reason.

So I wrapped one. The RX6 MB846. A cardboard box and a bobbin got the job done. Nothing fancy all utility.

A beast of a jigging rod, lightweight to hold and a ton of lifting power. Personally too stiff of a tip for halibut imo. would have preferred a slightly softer tip for flatfish. The rod still caught fish, halibut to 20lb, stripers to 36", and lingcod to 36". The rod performed best for jigging lingcod, could pop a 4oz swimbait in 120ft of water easy, and the hooksets were pure dopamine.

Unfortunately due to the split grip the rod blank became worn down from being pulled in the back rod holder of the kayak. I was aware of the scratches but couldn't pinpoint what exactly they were from until it was too late. One final to heaven hookset on a ling and that was that. Lesson learned, no more split grips. At least I still have the eyes on the rod.

Now the real reason for this post. Those who have bought blanks online know how hard it is to guess exactly how a blank will perform based on its specs. Something I wish was standard was a demonstration of the flex of the blank, or a video of a fully wrapped blank in use. Hopefully this post will help someone looking to build this blank.

In left to right order the weights are 4oz, 12oz, 24oz. RDR MB846:

Fishing Pics / Re: Rock Fish Age from Otolith

« on: July 06, 2022, 09:41:25 PM »

20-22 years fits the curve for your fish's size. I don't need to keep lots of rockfish so when I keep fish I usually only keep lings. A 20+inch vermillion in california is an old fish and an important breeder for the species. At this point I have cnr probably 100 or so 20 inch class verms, I just would rather catch more goldfish than eat goldfish. I still remember the first big verm I ever caught, something about the bright orange color as it comes up from the depths, magic. Hope the stock remains in a good place so others can experience it as well.

Rough stats
20-22 inch verm: ~20yrs old
24-30inch lingcod: ~5-7yrs old
23inch cabezon: 10-11yrs old
I think coppers age similarly to verms but am not 100% sure

All of these ages are assuming the fish is female, if it's a male then add 10 to verm, 3 to ling, 10 to cab.

Hookups and Fishing Reports (Viewable by Public) / Re: Saturdays halibut chasing 6/24

« on: June 27, 2022, 01:20:14 PM »

looks like weather windows closed. personally have multiple spots I would fish before making the run from muir to north bar. there are lots of halibut to be had for less effort. draw of the north bar was lots of 35-40+inch fish being caught. very good size quality. 3-3.5miles is easy doable in a pedal yak but not sure how strong currents are in that area, could get ugly.

have too much white meat in the freezer, want salmon. this past week has been killer to not have a boat, wide open salmon deep reef and offshore bodega + huge halibut bite on the bar...

General Fishing Tips / Re: rods in front hatch

« on: May 17, 2022, 08:40:52 PM »

Quote from: Corey on May 17, 2022, 01:14:02 PM

I've tried, but haven't made that work.

I do frequently store the reel below deck for a surf landing and take my chances with the rod. Bit of a pain to have to break down the rigging each time, but worth it to protect my Avets. If you come up with something, please post.

You're right, it takes less time to take off and put back on the avet than it does to clean all the sand out, but its a pain putting the reel back on the rod and running the line through all the eyes, not to mention I'm afraid I'll end up dropping it eventually.

A 7ft 2 piece works, I keep a secondary backup rod with me inside the kayak when I'm salmon fishing, just in case. 46" comfortably gets the butt end into the front hatch, and my current 8'6" butt end is 54", so cutting off 7 inches would make a blank fit...

My current salmon rod is a little noodly for my preference so looking to build a new one, will order the blank and build it when I have time, may or may not cut down the blank depending on the action.

General Fishing Tips / rods in front hatch

« on: May 17, 2022, 01:07:13 PM »

I can comfortably fit 2 piece 7ft rods in the front hatch of my revo13 but have trouble with longer rods. After turning my avet into a coffee grinder a few times last season, I would like to start storing my salmon rod in the front hatch for surf launches/landings. Also just not really a fan of keeping rods in the paddle holder. Is there a way to reasonably fit an 8'6" butt end into the front hatch of a revo13?

Current plan is to cut down an 8'6" blank butt end and then wrap the rod from there, just seeing if there is an easy solution that I'm missing before going through all that effort.

Safety First / Re: Took the Plunge Today! (self rescue)

« on: December 05, 2021, 02:50:29 PM »

Quote from: bluekayak on December 02, 2021, 08:21:29 PM

Quote from: NowhereMan on December 01, 2021, 05:11:14 PM
Nice writeup!

Quote from: astralography on December 01, 2021, 05:00:21 PM
Not sure if I were to tip over once, would I be able to continue fishing ...

I'm interested what the confirmed wet-suiters have to say about this particular issue.

I started out as a free diver trading off between fishing and diving any day I was out so I would be one of those confirmed wetsuiters A lot depends on you and a bunch of factors like your wetsuit, the weather, whether you’re fishing for salmon or rockfish

From sometime in the 90s to a few years ago when I last fished salmon I was in a thin NRS farmer john, and took many a swim along the way. Actually in the salmon pics looks like there’s a photo of me in a shortie FJ. It’s always been fine but I have a pretty manageable kayak compared to most of the ones you see out there these days, so when I get knocked in I’m in the water a few minutes tops

Last two years I’m in the water 2-4 times a week and typically anywhere from 4-6 hours swimming with a camera in the surf lineup. Winter water temps here get fairly chilly, and I’m in a 4/3 which is great if you’re sitting on a board but just adequate for swimming for hours at a time

Reason I think all of that is relevant here is a practice is good thing but a situation where you get knocked in will be a different ball of wax

If I get any future salmon fishing time I’m changing to a full suit pulled down around my waist so I don’t overheat paddling but if I end up in the water for a long swim I can pull the suit up and be good to go

swapping from a no sleeves 3mil FJ to a full 4/3 this coming season, spent some time surfing this year down in sb with my 3mil FJ and even though the water is a little warmer down here I don't really think it cuts it, esp since it has gotten old and is thinning. I can self rescue but the conditions that would make me flip also make me worried I could get separated from my kayak and spend some time in the water before I could get help. Also self rescue is one thing but I imagine that self rescue and gear gathering with a now swamped kayak in 15+ wind and breaking swells is a whole other animal entirely. Very wet and very cold.

For tipping over and continuing fishing I have been rejected several times by the ocean on the launch, and assuming all gear still works pump the yak out and try again. Tipping on the water would probably mean the conditions are really shit and I would probably lose relevant gear so I would likely head in and focus on not getting rolled again.

Also I am interested to how swimming a kayak out works. I feel like I would just get spat back out onto the beach. It seems hard to pull a kayak through heavy surf and end up on the outside. You need fins?

Gearing Up and Rigging Up / Re: Conventional reel recommendation?

« on: September 05, 2021, 07:29:46 PM »

avet sxj g2. one of the greatest reels I have owned.

small and has enough line cap for anything around here. enough drag and you can thumb the spool if you need. my buddy stopped and turned a seal he hooked rockfishing with his.

very easy to take apart and put back together, it is a simple reel. has excellent maintenance videos on yt. On surf landings I have turned it into a coffee grinder on multiple occasions and after a breakdown and clean it is smooth again.

General Fishing Tips / Re: What is “straight bait”

« on: August 24, 2021, 05:00:17 PM »

Traditionally means just a wire baiter, cable baiter, or crowbar. So just an anchovy with nothing else. Yes the bait rotates in the water.

But even though that is the "correct" definition some people will say straight bait when they run an inline flasher or a bait holder head.

General Talk / miller park lost and found

« on: August 23, 2021, 09:06:41 PM »

found 2 rods @millers today msg me with a description of them and we can work out a way to get it back to you.

Hookups and Fishing Reports (Viewable by Public) / Re: 8/12 Slowdega, no luck

« on: August 14, 2021, 11:55:03 AM »

Quote from: Poopsmith on August 13, 2021, 04:05:53 PM

thats an odd looking black, could that be a deacon?

that's a blue

General Talk / Re: How to identify unsafe conditions?

« on: August 05, 2021, 07:33:54 PM »

for salmon creek yes to both days if im salmon trolling, 5@8 decreasing and 4.5@8 is fine but can get bad so cross ref a couple forecasts and check webcam. toop much up and down for nice rf. obv will not be able to launch salmon creek

LM too windy forecast sunday, looks fine sat dont know the surf launch though. also would not rf fish, too swelly, lose too much gear