Rockwall updates anyone?

Heading out to the Rockwall tomorrow wondering how it's been lately....I was at Paradise Cove yesterday, had some good strikes lost one fish.... the boats were killing it with live anchovies but the yakers we're coming up empty....

Dead

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I was out there on Saturday, 7/20. I wouldn't say it was dead. I threw back 5 shakers I picked up around the hole midway up the wall. Went home with a ~22.5 incher after about 3 hours on the water. It did seem like I was the only person there though. Some folks came to try to spearfish near the flagpole but decided there was too much algae cover and went over to the beach.

The algae is making it a little tougher to be on the bottom very long, but I did okay. I was on the water right at the bottom of the tide, 9AM, no real action until about 1030 when the current picked up. Wind was around 6kt or less for most of the morning. As usual, it picked up to 10+ kt around noon.

Here's a ridiculous dramatization of the day:

I was out there on Saturday, 7/20. I wouldn't say it was dead. I threw back 5 shakers I picked up around the hole midway up the wall. Went home with a ~22.5 incher after about 3 hours on the water. It did seem like I was the only person there though. Some folks came to try to spearfish near the flagpole but decided there was too much algae cover and went over to the beach.

The algae is making it a little tougher to be on the bottom very long, but I did okay. I was on the water right at the bottom of the tide, 9AM, no real action until about 1030 when the current picked up. Wind was around 6kt or less for most of the morning. As usual, it picked up to 10+ kt around noon.

Here's a ridiculous dramatization of the day:

Fun video. You definitely have it stripped down to the essentials you need to get the job done. What does that yak weigh? 20 pounds?

Hah, I wish. It's closer to 40, just enough to be unwieldy for a single person. It's definitely not the ideal fishing platform, although I did originally build it with fishing in mind. The biggest struggle I have is with keeping a legal sized fine-mesh net secured to the rear deck. That and squeezing a large fish into the cockpit.

Hah, I wish. It's closer to 40, just enough to be unwieldy for a single person. It's definitely not the ideal fishing platform, although I did originally build it with fishing in mind. The biggest struggle I have is with keeping a legal sized fine-mesh net secured to the rear deck. That and squeezing a large fish into the cockpit.

This is fantastic. What's the deal with the radio antennae rod? I'd love to see the landing video if it exists!

Very suspenseful, nice video!

Hah, I wish. It's closer to 40, just enough to be unwieldy for a single person. It's definitely not the ideal fishing platform, although I did originally build it with fishing in mind. The biggest struggle I have is with keeping a legal sized fine-mesh net secured to the rear deck. That and squeezing a large fish into the cockpit.

This is fantastic. What's the deal with the radio antennae rod? I'd love to see the landing video if it exists!

I was waiting for it to extend for the whole video.

Sadly I don't have the landing video. Ran out of batteries right there. I'll try to be better about battery management next time around, maybe I'll have something to share.

The rod is an emmrod. I like it for the (obviously) short length, it's a little easier to manage on a traditional kayak. It's also a lot stiffer than the dock demon that I sometimes use, which is critical for the bucktail jigging technique, or so I'm told. All I know is I've pulled up 14 or so halibut (mostly shakers, the biggest was 26 inches) on the emmrod and none on the dock demon.

The short length makes it a little crazy to land a fish, keeping tension on at the surface is a challenge with even a moderate length leader. It's also tough to force the fish into a particular direction so you have to be able to swap the rod and net between hands mid operation. There's no real benefit to the emmrod for most folks, it just makes everything more difficult. Since I'm pretty keen on keeping the trad look of my yak, it lets me get away without mounting a rod holder somewhere as it stashes into the deck rigging pretty quickly. It's tougher to do that with a full length rod without damaging the guides.

Sadly I don't have the landing video. Ran out of batteries right there. I'll try to be better about battery management next time around, maybe I'll have something to share.

The rod is an emmrod. I like it for the (obviously) short length, it's a little easier to manage on a traditional kayak. It's also a lot stiffer than the dock demon that I sometimes use, which is critical for the bucktail jigging technique, or so I'm told. All I know is I've pulled up 14 or so halibut (mostly shakers, the biggest was 26 inches) on the emmrod and none on the dock demon.

The short length makes it a little crazy to land a fish, keeping tension on at the surface is a challenge with even a moderate length leader. It's also tough to force the fish into a particular direction so you have to be able to swap the rod and net between hands mid operation. There's no real benefit to the emmrod for most folks, it just makes everything more difficult. Since I'm pretty keen on keeping the trad look of my yak, it lets me get away without mounting a rod holder somewhere as it stashes into the deck rigging pretty quickly. It's tougher to do that with a full length rod without damaging the guides.

Too bad about the battery!

The Emmrod: that's weird, and I like it.

I hear you about having something short and not dinking with a rod holder. When I fish in my SIKs, I'm nearly always using a telescopic rod for that very reason. My wife does the same, and uses her PFD as a rod holder for trolling.

 Nice video and thanks for the updates!
I used to fish on a 17 foot sit inside fiberglass but to really cover some territory and paddle is a nightmare and I'm so happy I switched to a peddle kayak ....anyhow I did go out and it was blowing so hard I couldn't make it past the jetty😂😂

7-28-19. Spent 4 hours drifting/pedaling with the incoming tide towards Bay Farm and back with outgoing. One 17 hali during incoming and one jacksmelt on the outgoing. Update on the launch area — construction will begin last week August— new boat ramp with 2docks (one motorized one nonmotor). New restroom, lighting, outdoor shower, kayak laydown pad, improved parking lot. Beach area will be accessible for launching. Ramp and adjacent parking lot are closed. How long this will take is anyones guess?

Looking forward to the improvements, shower/kayak washing station before heading home really is awesome.

So guess the back up launch spot in the area is Crab Cove or Crown Beach?

Hey martianfish! Good to meet you this morning.

Now for the report: On the water at 9, high tide at 11. I was drifting the incoming tide on the far side of the big hole using my usual bucktail/gulp combo. One short (I didn't measure) around 945, two missed strikes shortly after. My group collectively missed another two strikes. I'm not sure what this means, there are definitely fish there. Maybe they're just all small? I suspect the bite was still on but the current turned and my drift died.  I was off the water by 1130.

Looking forward to the improvements, shower/kayak washing station before heading home really is awesome.

+1