NorCal Kayak Anglers
General => General Talk => Topic started by: A-Rod on September 17, 2018, 01:19:43 PM
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As I mentioned in my 'Intro Post,' I'm seriously looking at getting a new fishing kayak. I've never fished from a kayak before, but watching all those YouTube videos of catching big lingcods, rock fish, salmon, and stripers is strongly enticing me to drop some $$$ into a quality pedal Yak.
I do plan on trying it out first (rental somewhere), but before I pull the trigger for my own yak, I'm hoping some of you could share your opinions about the sport. Good and bad, what can I expect? What do you like, what do you hate? Any regrets? Thanks all :)
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It's been great.
I've met some of my best friends through this hobby, and only a half dozen mortal enemies.
Just watch the safety parts, don't fall into too much of the facebook and instagram bullshit, and you'll have fun.
-bmb
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It's tough to get up early often, cleaning and processing fish is messy and no fun yet the cooking and sharing and eating is excellent, I hate getting seasick. Losing fish is a pure slam with almost eternal mental consequences, but landing a good fish is super rewarding. I love seeing and feeling that rod load up and stick and peel line and gain ground and hang on... more line out until death do us part or join... :smt005 Certainly meeting people and building relationships is a high point. Always figuring out the fish puzzle from species and technique, to location, launch, and landing is a great challenge and always being improved upon including my own kayak system. There's probably deeper stuff but that's a start. My latest enjoyment is knowing where to fish for what species at what time of the year. It becomes a cycle or routine as the seasons of life go by.... :smt006
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I'm guessing that you have gone fishing before, just not from a kayak. If that is true then you know the joy of fishing already. Fishing from a kayak offers a less expensive way to access so much more than you can from shore. It offers the chance to customize your fishing system and spend way more money. Many people call it an addiction. If you are not sure it is for you, consider starting with a used less expensive kayak. If you enjoy kayak fishing you can replace it when you know more about what you like and don't like in a kayak. You can even keep the old one as a loaner kayak for friends and family. I can't think of anything bad. It is different than shore fishing, boat fishing, charter fishing etc. Everything had pluses and minuses but I like kayak fishing the best.
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Pretty wide open question.
Learn how the use th search function here and go through the archives. There’s so much good info here on launch sites and technique.
Get the best used kayak you can afford. For you being new to kayaking and being primarily a fisherman first I’d look at a pedal drive like the Hobie outback.
Take safety very, very seriously. The ocean doesn’t give a shit about you one way or the other and you need to be prepared for all contingencies. Again the archives will help.
I come off as pretty aggressive and dickish but bmb is a bigger dick than I am so at least I have that going for me.
Ultimately kayak fishing is like anything else, you get out of it what you put into it. You can be competitive, you can just hang out and be social, you can take up spearfishing and freediving, you can travel, it’s all up to you to make your experience your own and what effort you want to put into it.
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Or what spiffy said. Especially cliques. We should have patches made.
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While there are a lot of youtube videos making it look like it's catching trophy fish left and right, what they don't show you are all the failed trips getting to that point and all the work it takes to get there. There can be quite a bit of setup involved and it's easy to forgot something as simple as oh i left my bait in the freezer, or shoot i thought my battery was charged but it's dead. It's endless hours of learning about gear, tackle, ocean conditions etc just to get started.
The setup, transportation, and cleanup (think sand and salt) is definitely the worst part of it. Waking up early blows. Seasickness sucks. These things depends on the individual of course.
Only thing I regret so far was buying an Outback instead of a Revo at first =P
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like any other "thing" there`s hardcore kayak-angling jerks, hardcore kayak-angling nice guys, casual slayers and cliques , the competitive types ,non competitive types , over the top going to get a divorce cause they fish too much and ignore their family types.there`s the sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads they all get a kick out of it. , they think it`s a righteous challenge
what I hate : bmb and getting a hook embedded in my hand ,but I cant decide which is worse
what like : DirtyDave ,Eddy,Rockfish,Bushy,3$J,polepole,Raydon,Ravensblack,LoletaEric,rockroach,Chad,Cabeza,Craig ,TW ,Alex-Bulldog ,rider,Hojo,SHULAND,Vwool,Big Jim,FishMaster , Sin Coast,NoSoupforU,Ariel,Shifra,Yakhopper,Fisherman X,RockHopper,Fishshadow,Napajustin,Louis ,Josh,ChuckE,Yoda,Crash (even though he likes turtles), Traildad,Scottymeboy,Nick,Annie,Kiel,Tommy,Jingle,Happy Hooker ,H1,Jeff,Rob ,Steve,R bark, Pablo, Darius,Don,texas boy ,Alain and thats just the off the top of my head..oh and yeah even Bmb ( dont tell him)
Counter point-
Ferris bueller was a sociopath.
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like any other "thing" there`s hardcore kayak-angling jerks, hardcore kayak-angling nice guys, casual slayers and cliques , the competitive types ,non competitive types , over the top going to get a divorce cause they fish too much and ignore their family types.there`s the sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads they all get a kick out of it. , they think it`s a righteous challenge
what I hate : bmb and getting a hook embedded in my hand ,but I cant decide which is worse
what like : DirtyDave ,Eddy,Rockfish,Bushy,3$J,polepole,Raydon,Ravensblack,LoletaEric,rockroach,Chad,Cabeza,Craig ,TW ,Alex-Bulldog ,rider,Hojo,SHULAND,Vwool,Big Jim,FishMaster , Sin Coast,NoSoupforU,Ariel,Shifra,Yakhopper,Fisherman X,RockHopper,Fishshadow,Napajustin,Louis ,Josh,ChuckE,Yoda,Crash (even though he likes turtles), Traildad,Scottymeboy,Nick,Annie,Kiel,Tommy,Jingle,Happy Hooker ,H1,Jeff,Rob ,Steve,R bark, Pablo, Darius,Don,texas boy ,Alain and thats just the off the top of my head..oh and yeah even Bmb ( dont tell him)
Atta Spiff'...gotta get a Hali...it's comin'...fished for Salmon in Benicia today early and got skunked... :smt006
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Mostly I catch small fish and have a great time.
the good - the people, fishing places that are otherwise impossible to get to, catching a ton of fish
the bad - gas money becomes a real thing
the indifferent - some people do get competitive and then get bent out of shape, its the same everywhere. You'll want one kayak, then two kayaks, then 3, then more? hows this different than any other hobby?
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It's a lot of work...loading the car up, unloading when you get to the water, then loading it up to go home. THEN after finally getting home you unload and clean everything.
It's worse when you skunk a few times and have to convince yourself to do it all over again.
Where as if I wanted to just fish from shore I could grab my rod and small bag and be on my way.
The fish quality is much higher from a kayak vs from shore.
I only regret buying a paddle kayak first, as I should have just bought a peddle one upfront.
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Pep talk eh? Lol 😂
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For me being an older gent. The start of the day is ok loading up things, the fishing and friends is absolutely wonderful when you find that other friend to hang with. The end of the day after all is done is tough. After a long strenuous paddle catching fish cleaning fish and your yak thats the part I don't care much for. Thats where the work comes in. But It is worth it.
Good Luck
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I'll second that it is a ton of work. Loading gear, prepping the boat, launching, then landing, rinsing everything, and packing it away for the next time.
But I just love it. Been at it since 1997 and have never tired of it. The ability to launch a watercraft where hardly any other boats fish is something I have always enjoyed. Plus, there's nothing like a good, sporty surf launch and landing! :smt005
I was used to fishing solo, so for me the community of NCKA was just a massive bonus.
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Pep talk eh? Lol 😂
or maybe trying to convince his GF/ wife to let him spend $$$$ :smt044
I’ll save you the drama, get a trident 13, get a FF with GPS, get a trevala , life jacket n farmer John, vhf radio... suggest 2nd hand unless you’re rich. Work your way up from blue gills >crappies > bass>striped bass> halibut>ling cod/rockfish>Salmon>sturgeon.... make friends . Be cool. Don’t be a dick! Learn to tie knots palomar, San Diego jam knot, gt blood knot for braid to mono... be safe not sorry
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It’s definitely not for everybody. Even though I tried really hard to convince all my friends how fun it can be...some folks just don’t like it. This is especially true if you are lazy or don’t have good balance or way overweight or scared of falling in or very old. Or if you just don’t like sitting on your butt in an uncomfortable position for long periods of time. Some people place a lot of stock in their personal comfort level...and boats are more comfortable than kayaks (of course, the most comfortable spot is on the shore, in a recliner at home).
For myself, when I’m fishing nothing else matters [or just matters way less]; I’ll forgoe eating food & using the bathroom, while sitting in a puddle of cold water and fighting against gnarly ocean conditions...IF there’s a chance I might catch a fish! So, personal comfort levels may vary. And I’m not knocking other peoples’ predilection for creature comforts...I’m just stating the obvious: kayak fishing can be uncomfortable. Physically & emotionally.
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Pep talk eh? Lol 😂
Yea...you need some peppin'?...salt and pep talk... :smt006
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Since you're in San Ramon you may want to first kayak the local lakes like Lafayette reservoir and Lake Chabot to name a few. And rent a yak or buy a low end yak as your first purchase. My first yak was a Lifetime Tamarack 10. About $230 out the door from Walmart with oar. I'll never forget that first launch out of Lake Chabot. I remember thinking to myself "Oh, now I understand..." You're super low on the water, your ass is basically at water level, so you're immersed in the elements. :smt007
And before your first trip have access to a good PFD.
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Big fish, small boat ... Nothing better than that!
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It's a life changing sport
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Just do it!!! You won't regret it, unless your a pussy :smt006..... joking :smt044
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Just do it!!! You won't regret it, unless your a pussy :smt006..... joking :smt044
Uh oh, you didn't say that, did you mean coward... :smt005
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Many excellent and honest replies so far. Some poetic, some funny, but all informative!!
Yes, I definitely need a pep talk, and definitely still need to convince wifey that spending a few $K on another one of my hobbies is a good thing.
I'm pretty sure I'll love the sport because mainly, I enjoy fishing! I don't like the idea of being seasick or flipping the yak, but I can tell there must be something to the sport if these are just considered minor inconveniences to the overall experience. The passion for the sport is clearly evident and is very encouraging! Plus, your all a strange group, and sadly I might just fit in.
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Do it, Do it, Do it!!!! You're gonna be jealous watching Eddie catch all the Sturgeon in San Pablo Bay...
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Since you're in San Ramon you may want to first kayak the local lakes like Lafayette reservoir and Lake Chabot to name a few. And rent a yak or buy a low end yak as your first purchase. My first yak was a Lifetime Tamarack 10. About $230 out the door from Walmart with oar. I'll never forget that first launch out of Lake Chabot. I remember thinking to myself "Oh, now I understand..." You're super low on the water, your ass is basically at water level, so you're immersed in the elements. :smt007
And before your first trip have access to a good PFD.
“Access to a good PFD”? You mean a good PFD securely fastened to your body when on the water. “Oar”? It’ll take a while to live that one down. :smt044 Stay away from the Walmart kayaks. A used name brand will be better and you can get your money back when your done with it. Your right, being low on the water is a big part of what is so special about the kayak fishing experience.
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Do it, Do it, Do it!!!! You're gonna be jealous watching Eddie catch all the Sturgeon in San Pablo Bay...
There are no fish in San Pablo bay :smt044
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It’s a disease without a cure, I now own 3 adult and one (grandkid) kayaks...... run away.....run away and never look back!!!! :smt044
Ok it’s a great way to exercise both physically and mentally, I have a bad back, hip and due to a head injury a permanent headache, it’s my salvation it calms my mind helps keep my hip and back moving without weight on my hip (Native propels). It can be a bear after a long day to load your gear and boats (trailer helps) and then I spend 2-3 hours cleaning everything to wait for it to dry, so I can put it away.
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Do it, Do it, Do it!!!! You're gonna be jealous watching Eddie catch all the Sturgeon in San Pablo Bay...
You know how it works, one epic year than an off year of confusion and wonder...unless of course it is epic again...well at least epic for me... :smt005 :smt006...I double dog dare ya' to have an epic sturgeon year. I want to have an epic dungie year...
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A lot of work but we still do it, win or lose. It's our drug... :)
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like any other "thing" there`s hardcore kayak-angling jerks, hardcore kayak-angling nice guys, casual slayers and cliques , the competitive types ,non competitive types , over the top going to get a divorce cause they fish too much and ignore their family types.there`s the sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads they all get a kick out of it. , they think it`s a righteous challenge
what I hate : bmb and getting a hook embedded in my hand ,but I cant decide which is worse
what like : DirtyDave ,Eddy,Rockfish,Bushy,3$J,polepole,Raydon,Ravensblack,LoletaEric,rockroach,Chad,Cabeza,Craig ,TW ,Alex-Bulldog ,rider,Hojo,SHULAND,Vwool,Big Jim,FishMaster , Sin Coast,NoSoupforU,Ariel,Shifra,Yakhopper,Fisherman X,RockHopper,Fishshadow,Napajustin,Louis ,Josh,ChuckE,Yoda,Crash (even though he likes turtles), Traildad,Scottymeboy,Nick,Annie,Kiel,Tommy,Jingle,Happy Hooker ,H1,Jeff,Rob ,Steve,R bark, Pablo, Darius,Don,texas boy ,Alain,Yakhopper and thats just the off the top of my head..oh and yeah even Bmb ( dont tell him)
:smt005 :smt005
This ^^^^^
Good job Spiffy !! This one does not need to be deleted ! Oh and don't forget the " Homies ". :smt001
Or what spiffy said. Especially cliques. We should have patches made.
This is a good idea.. :smt005
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It honestly costs more than I expected.
But that’s mainly because of me. I’m a sucker for the newest and flashiest and there is always room in the tackle box for a few more lures. Then there are the new spots to explore and new fish to chase, which of course leads to more gear!
4 kayaks, pounds upon pounds of gear, numerous rods and reels later and here I am. All I wanted to do was float down the creek near my house and catch a few small fish.
Along the way I’ve learned a lot and met a bunch of great people through kayak fishing.
If you want to learn the best and safest way to do it there is a wealth of information among the members here and can be found using a search of the site.
If you want to be humbled go fish with a few of the guys on here. The knowledge and generosity of that knowledge is amazing.
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I concur
If you want to be humbled go fish with a few of the guys on here. The knowledge and generosity of that knowledge is amazing.
This ^^^^
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Do It!
It is expensive. The clean up is a PITA.
Before I started kayakfishing, I could barely paddle and didn't know how to fish.
Now, I can barely paddle and still can't catch fish. :smt044
But it has probably been best thing I've ever done for myself. I have made lifelong friends that span well beyond sitting in a kayak. I have laughed harder around a campfire than I thought was possible.
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It's definitely and addition and never gets old.
But honestly, kayak fishing probably saved my life...
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I bought my first sit on top in 1974. It’s been a live affair ever since. Just do it. Ft. Ross is still as fun to fish as it was way back. AOTY will break your bank. It’s super fun though. I’ve met so many excellent people. Come to Ocean Cove this weekend and meet us. Cheers.
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- I'm a fly fisherman, so I like things light and tidy -- basically reduced to the minimum level
- A kayak is the most minimal boat
- If you try it and decide you want to kayak fish enough to buy a boat, then buy only a pedal boat (I'm partial to my Hobie Revo-16 but that's because I'm 99% salt oriented and want the speed, power, and rough water handling of the Revo-16)
- When me and my homies head out, we catch whatever we need/want with some variation of about 3 different bait/lures, no kidding. That is super simple, it points out that it's all about the golfer, not the golf clubs, and the kayak is no place to fiddle with masses of gear. K.I.S.S.
- I carry more safety gear, food, & water than fishing gear.
- Budget wisely before actually buying. For example, if you have apprehension about falling off the boat, then buy a drysuit and you'll have no more worries; plus it's always good to buy top notch gear that will save your life, but drysuits are pretty dear, so that will impact your budget (25% - 50% the cost of the kayak).
- Speaking of budget, I won't go out on the ocean without a fish finder with GPS (I consider GPS to be essential gear).
- I'm a fly fisherman, I love being IN the water and a kayak offers the most intimate possible relationship to the water of any boat -- I frequently just reach down and touch the water with my hands, it's right there, I can smell it, I can feel it, I can see the little bait fish ever-so gently disturbing its glassy surface, I'm eye-to-eye with the pelicans, I rise and fall with the swells, it is quiet enough to hear the water swirling around me and my boat. I love being on the water so much that it doesn't kill me if I don't catch (an outcome that's a little too frequent :smt005)
- Everything the other folks said about the fishing and ability to access ANY water you're willing to shlep your boat to.
- Then there's the friends. This is as special as the being on the water and majorly catching fish. We always go out as a group (safety is smart) and help each other in any way that is needed -- this is super satisfying to me. We look out for each other and share the great times.
- Consider a boat for wifey :thumright:
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like any other "thing" there`s hardcore kayak-angling jerks, hardcore kayak-angling nice guys, casual slayers and cliques , the competitive types ,non competitive types , over the top going to get a divorce cause they fish too much and ignore their family types.there`s the sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads they all get a kick out of it. , they think it`s a righteous challenge
what I hate : bmb and getting a hook embedded in my hand ,but I cant decide which is worse
what like : DirtyDave ,Eddy,Rockfish,Bushy,3$J,polepole,Raydon,Ravensblack,LoletaEric,rockroach,Chad,Cabeza,Craig ,TW ,Alex-Bulldog ,rider,Hojo,SHULAND,Vwool,Big Jim,FishMaster , Sin Coast,NoSoupforU,Ariel,Shifra,Yakhopper,Fisherman X,RockHopper,Fishshadow,Napajustin,Louis ,Josh,ChuckE,Yoda,Crash (even though he likes turtles), Traildad,Scottymeboy,Nick,Annie,Kiel,Tommy,Jingle,Happy Hooker ,H1,Jeff,Rob ,Steve,R bark, Pablo, Darius,Don,texas boy ,Alain,Yakhopper and thats just the off the top of my head..oh and yeah even Bmb ( dont tell him)
I just read through this whole thread and the only takeaway is that there's some secret club with yak sluts............so long as they're not the gaysian tuna chasers I think I need to join this clique :metal
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half dozen mortal enemies.
I've read through this thread. The count is now up to 9.
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half dozen mortal enemies.
I've read through this thread. The count is now up to 9.
What is this half assed crap. Live your life, do a full dozen mortal enemies!
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half dozen mortal enemies.
I've read through this thread. The count is now up to 9.
What is this half assed crap. Live your life, do a full dozen mortal enemies!
these things take time. I'm incredibly patient.
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I do plan on trying it out first (rental somewhere), but before I pull the trigger for my own yak, I'm hoping some of you could share your opinions about the sport. Good and bad, what can I expect? What do you like, what do you hate? Any regrets? Thanks all :)
I don't know why, and I'm sure I'm wrong, but this all reminds me of SG. (OG's know who that is)
Lots of good advise has been shared. Welcome and have fun!
Al
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I do plan on trying it out first (rental somewhere), but before I pull the trigger for my own yak, I'm hoping some of you could share your opinions about the sport. Good and bad, what can I expect? What do you like, what do you hate? Any regrets? Thanks all :)
I don't know why, and I'm sure I'm wrong, but this all reminds me of SG. (OG's know who that is)
Lots of good advise has been shared. Welcome and have fun!
Al
:smt044
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IMHO from a newbie who never fished from a boat.
First off, kayakers are great people and are very supportive of other kayakers. (We will help each other roof top our yaks, help each other on the water, etc.) This community is awesome and welcomes newbies. I have yet to meet anyone I would call an enemy, but I am a pure recreational kayak fisherman. Catching a fish is always the best outcome, but a good day on the water can't be beat in my mind.
I have owned a kayak since April and have had it out on the water about ten times. I love fishing even if it doesn't involve catching. This applied even before I bought my kayak.
The learning curve on a kayak takes some time. Getting comfortable with handling your gear on the water and dealing with power boat traffic, current, wind, etc are all the things no one tells you about but you need to pick up on quickly. If you ride a bike, just use the same level of care (head on a swivel/aware of surroundings) and common sense. You are unprotected and small compared to the other traffic around you. Wear your PFD!
The other part of learning is dealing with line and tackle issues in open water. This was a big transition from bank fishing to being on the water. Here your layout of your kayak and where you keep essential equipment comes into play.
The most enjoyable part for me is being on the water paddling from place to place and being able to get to spots that I could never get to from the shoreline line/pier/bank....
Paddle or pedal depends on what you want to do and what body of water you expect to be on as does the size of your kayak (perhaps that is why some people own multiple yaks). Pedal yaks will get you to places faster and you can go a lot further without wearing out. Paddle yaks can go shallow, cost less, but if you are looking to be on the ocean or want travel more than five miles on the water, you should get a pedal yak.(IMHO)
IMHO the sport of kayak fishing is heaven on earth (unless you are snagged, with a birdsnest in your line, and the boat traffic around you is causing you to almost fall out)
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<snipped> I don't know why, and I'm sure I'm wrong, but this all reminds me of SG. (OG's know who that is)
Al
Shudder - let's hope.
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<snipped> I don't know why, and I'm sure I'm wrong, but this all reminds me of SG. (OG's know who that is)
Al
Shudder - let's hope.
the SG still rears up from time to time in the most unexpected places
around the campfire y'all noobs can learn how to become a living meme
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I've lurked on a lot of advice pages and everyone has different opinions but for me one of the better things I've seen is that yaks are full of trade-offs. Trade-offs between between cheap and expensive, speed and stability, between simplicity and complexity, etc.... If you take the plunge you will be reminded constantly of the limitations and downsides of the trade-offs you've accepted and sometimes you're going to have to play to your strengths and sometimes you decide it's too much and go back to the drawing board and accept a different set of trade-offs. And if you're like me that cycle of testing and refinement may never end
My honest opinion is that doing your homework is important, but don't take everything you read on the internet (except everything I say of course :smt003 ) with a grain of salt. I personally believe the best way to figure things out is to get out and experience it, whether you have to go spend some time in a rental or find a place that does demos. The important thing is to fit your decisions around your preferences and acknowledge the trade-offs entering in ahead of time. Also be ready because your preferences are going to change completely (I lust over boats and gadgets I never would have even considered when I was getting started, YAY!).
Also the community is super swell
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I've lurked on a lot of advice pages and everyone has different opinions but for me one of the better things I've seen is that yaks are full of trade-offs. Trade-offs between between cheap and expensive, speed and stability, between simplicity and complexity, etc.... If you take the plunge you will be reminded constantly of the limitations and downsides of the trade-offs you've accepted and sometimes you're going to have to play to your strengths and sometimes you decide it's too much and go back to the drawing board and accept a different set of trade-offs. And if you're like me that cycle of testing and refinement may never end
My honest opinion is that doing your homework is important, but don't take everything you read on the internet (except everything I say of course :smt003 ) with a grain of salt. I personally believe the best way to figure things out is to get out and experience it, whether you have to go spend some time in a rental or find a place that does demos. The important thing is to fit your decisions around your preferences and acknowledge the trade-offs entering in ahead of time. Also be ready because your preferences are going to change completely (I lust over boats and gadgets I never would have even considered when I was getting started, YAY!).
Also the community is super swell
+1
+ test paddle/pedal as much as you can before you buy. I was 100% I knew what I wanted and was ready to buy online until I saw Dan at Headwaters. Nothing beats going to a reputable kayak shop and testing out what is available to make an informed decision.
++ Be prepared to also spend a good sum of $$ on accessories for you and your kayak as well. I would suggest, get the necessities first (PFD, dry bags, etc), then take it out and see what else you may need/want.
+++ the kayak community is great and the NCKA community are rockstars.
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+ test paddle/pedal as much as you can before you buy. I was 100% I knew what I wanted and was ready to buy online until I saw Dan at Headwaters. Nothing beats going to a reputable kayak shop and testing out what is available to make an informed decision.
++ Be prepared to also spend a good sum of $$ on accessories for you and your kayak as well. I would suggest, get the necessities first (PFD, dry bags, etc), then take it out and see what else you may need/want.
I have a considerable amount of $$ invested in paddle, PFD, drybags, and waterproof tackle storage and I have never regretted that decision
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+ test paddle/pedal as much as you can before you buy. I was 100% I knew what I wanted and was ready to buy online until I saw Dan at Headwaters. Nothing beats going to a reputable kayak shop and testing out what is available to make an informed decision.
++ Be prepared to also spend a good sum of $$ on accessories for you and your kayak as well. I would suggest, get the necessities first (PFD, dry bags, etc), then take it out and see what else you may need/want.
I have a considerable amount of $$ invested in paddle, PFD, drybags, and waterproof tackle storage and I have never regretted that decision
+1
and one more word of advice. If it isn't secured to you or your kayak and you drop it or roll over, it will either float away or sink to the bottom. Either way can really ruin your day. (A good rule of thumb is if you can't afford to replace what you lost on your way home, secure it)
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I like my kayaks, but love my float tubes.
If I need to cover lots of water or the ocean to find fish, then I use my kayak, but 95% of the time I use my float tubes. I cover about 4 - 5 miles a day in my float tube.
But then I am a fly only fisherman and people think I am weird, so there you go.
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I like my kayaks, but love my float tubes.
If I need to cover lots of water or the ocean to find fish, then I use my kayak, but 95% of the time I use my float tubes. I cover about 4 - 5 miles a day in my float tube.
But then I am a fly only fisherman and people think I am weird, so there you go.
Do you use your float tube and fly fish in the ocean?
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I like my kayaks, but love my float tubes.
If I need to cover lots of water or the ocean to find fish, then I use my kayak, but 95% of the time I use my float tubes. I cover about 4 - 5 miles a day in my float tube.
But then I am a fly only fisherman and people think I am weird, so there you go.
Do you use your float tube and fly fish in the ocean?
I have in bays like Newport and San Diego. But for big open water, HELL NO, but I have thought about trying it.
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I can remember my first contact with these NCKA types. It was at the HMB tournament in 2007 and ALL of these great bunch of guys welcomed us, my wife and I, into the group readily and made us feel comfortable. Might have been because I am part Philipino, but who knows.
Throughout the years I have had the privilege of fishing with these guys and learning a lot about kayak fishing, which I now bring with me to Texas and teach "rookies" the fine art of our sport.
I will forever have great memories fishing and getting to know this crazy bunch of guys and miss them all dearly as well as all the damn good food. NCKA rocks!!!1 :smt003 :smt003 :smt003
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Peer pressures, and bullying into kayaking has gotten to him I think... no response. These things happen regularly I guess Lol JK
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I've been following this thread, and many others, even sneaking peeks while sitting in my office staring at Mt. Diablo from my office window, daydreaming of this weekend's fishing adventure (from land of course since I don't have my yak, lol).
So many great and truly honest replies in this thread about my OP.
There were some interesting posts about 'SG.' Not sure what that was about, but hope to find out some day :-)
Nothing has dissuaded me from jumping into the sport. You guys have only fueled the fire! I'm still targeting later this year or early next for purchasing my yak. I'll buy a new yak, but thanks to the forum, I have researched many of the things that I think are the most important to me. I'll share those when I get closer to having the yak. Thanks again all!
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There's a few of us that live in the Tri-Valley that can help you try out kayaks. I am a staffer with Native Watercraft, so you can try out our pedal drives if you want to make the trek to Shadow Cliffs. I let people use my yaks all the time.
If you're set on that Hobie Outback though, you'll probably be better off talking to someone at California Canoe and Kayak, CCK. I believe they have a Hobie demo day coming up at Redwood City CCK location on October 13, and they rent them at the Jack London Square location.
-bmb
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like any other "thing" there`s hardcore kayak-angling jerks, hardcore kayak-angling nice guys, casual slayers and cliques , the competitive types ,non competitive types , over the top going to get a divorce cause they fish too much and ignore their family types.there`s the sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads they all get a kick out of it. , they think it`s a righteous challenge
what I hate : bmb and getting a hook embedded in my hand ,but I cant decide which is worse
what like : DirtyDave ,Eddy,Rockfish,Bushy,3$J,polepole,Raydon,Ravensblack,LoletaEric,rockroach,Chad,Cabeza,Craig ,TW ,Alex-Bulldog ,rider,Hojo,SHULAND,Vwool,Big Jim,FishMaster , Sin Coast,NoSoupforU,Ariel,Shifra,Yakhopper,Fisherman X,RockHopper,Fishshadow,Napajustin,Louis ,Josh,ChuckE,Yoda,Crash (even though he likes turtles), Traildad,Scottymeboy,Nick,Annie,Kiel,Tommy,Jingle,Happy Hooker ,H1,Jeff,Rob ,Steve,R bark, Pablo, Darius,Don,texas boy ,Alain,Yakhopper and thats just the off the top of my head..oh and yeah even Bmb ( dont tell him)
I just read through this whole thread and the only takeaway is that there's some secret club with yak sluts............so long as they're not the gaysian tuna chasers I think I need to join this clique :metal
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THIS ^
And how come my name is not among the likes. I mean - Really?
And which way to the non-gaysian Tuna chaser sluts ?
And BMBs a dick, except when he is super cool for taking me Salmon fishing on his PB
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like any other "thing" there`s hardcore kayak-angling jerks, hardcore kayak-angling nice guys, casual slayers and cliques , the competitive types ,non competitive types , over the top going to get a divorce cause they fish too much and ignore their family types.there`s the sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads they all get a kick out of it. , they think it`s a righteous challenge
what I hate : bmb and getting a hook embedded in my hand ,but I cant decide which is worse
what like : DirtyDave ,Eddy,Rockfish,Bushy,3$J,polepole,Raydon,Ravensblack,LoletaEric,rockroach,Chad,Cabeza,Craig ,TW ,Alex-Bulldog ,rider,Hojo,SHULAND,Vwool,Big Jim,FishMaster , Sin Coast,NoSoupforU,Ariel,Shifra,Yakhopper,Fisherman X,RockHopper,Fishshadow,Napajustin,Louis ,Josh,ChuckE,Yoda,Crash (even though he likes turtles), Traildad,Scottymeboy,Nick,Annie,Kiel,Tommy,Jingle,Happy Hooker ,H1,Jeff,Rob ,Steve,R bark, Pablo, Darius,Don,texas boy ,Alain,Yakhopper and thats just the off the top of my head..oh and yeah even Bmb ( dont tell him)
I just read through this whole thread and the only takeaway is that there's some secret club with yak sluts............so long as they're not the gaysian tuna chasers I think I need to join this clique :metal
^
THIS ^
And how come my name is not among the likes. I mean - Really?
And which way to the non-gaysian Tuna chaser sluts ?
And BMBs a dick, except when he is super cool for taking me Salmon fishing on his PB
Sorry Kirk,
I feel honored to be on the list 2x ....
Just goes to show ..
Life is Good in the Cove!
;0)
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Nothing has dissuaded me from jumping into the sport. You guys have only fueled the fire! I'm still targeting later this year or early next for purchasing my yak. I'll buy a new yak, but thanks to the forum, I have researched many of the things that I think are the most important to me. I'll share those when I get closer to having the yak. Thanks again all!
I'm a little late to the party here, but I'll chime in that my first kayak experience was renting one (and fishing from it) at Chabot with my wife for my b-day 3 or 4 years ago. We've cycled through 9 boats in that time (fleet currently numbers 6), and I foresee doing this until by body tells me to knock it off. At that point, I'll probably keep going but grumbling about it.
If you can get to Chabot on a Wed, they do half price rentals. http://www.lakechabotrecreation.com/specials/ Works out to be around $40 for the day on Wednesdays with parking, fishing access fee, and kayak rental, and it tends to be a fun place for a low-intensity paddle.
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Lots of good opinions given and I would add that there is nothing more exhilarating than bobbing around the ocean in a Tupperware tub knowing there is a better than even chance a Great White Shark is sizing you up. :smt044
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@bmb: Thanks, I might take you up on the offer to try out the NW on Shadow Cliffs. I had looked into the demo program at CCK Oakland and was considering it. I wasn't aware of the CCK Hobie Demo Day until you mentioned it--I plan to attend and to demo an Outback.
@newfuturevintage: That's a great idea to rent a kayak on HALF OFF Wednesdays at Chabot. Sounds like a good day for my 'unlimited vacation' benefit.
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Lots of good opinions given and I would add that there is nothing more exhilarating than bobbing around the ocean in a Tupperware tub knowing there is a better than even chance a Great White Shark is sizing you up.
This!
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I live by Shadow Cliffs too, you can try my Outback sometime. Just pm me... maybe meet up with bmb at the same time too so that you can see why the outback is better.
Just kidding, the NW stuff are awesome too. But yeah you can try my outback, takes me just 10 mins to get to SC and i have a yearly pass so it won't cost me anything.
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Having kayaked in Texas, it is a big difference than kayaking here. I could go after work, stop by the lake throw "big Red and a pole and my PFD and just have at it. Went for 10 mile stretches down the Brazo's river with a coworker, because we could, and didn't start until 4 PM.
I would not think of going on big blue at that time of day. I wouldn't paddle alone, nor without a Radio, Wetsuit/Dry Suit, my toasty warm neoprene muckalucks (or however you spell them), tie down everything to the boat. and keep your head rotating 360 degrees for dumb ass boaters, dumb ass birds, and that damn landlord!
Having said that, I agree with the other older gentlemen, that getting up and out is easy, but coming home cleaning everything is a PITA.
I have also seen some amazing sites I would of never seen from a boat or shore, like the day a Grey whale popped up 100 feet away from me (definitely a code brown event), or watching the furbags down at Moss Landing, or the dolphins in Santa Cruz. So there is the good the difficult, and the bad, Like when I am grumpy SOB at 6PM and just want to go to sleep but need to wash every thing.
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Bumping for update. Did the wife put the kibosh on a kayak? Been a little quiet after a fast start.