Catching Tuna and Hanging on for the Ride (kayak)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/sports/23fishing.html?hp

Great story!  Thanks for the link Doug.

My New Hero....

 Thanks Doug....

 Love this line....

 

‘That fish is so big, it doesn’t even know you’re here.’ ”

Good looking fish.

The writer.. I don't get why he needs to talk smack about Howard's flattie? Saying that a "fishing kayak" gives an advantage? He figured out the poundage of the fish he was on by his FF? Funny to see an opinionated article written by a guy who's obviously a newb.  

BTW aren't there a few guys who've landed fish bigger than 157#'s unassisted?

Z

BTW aren't there a few guys who've landed fish bigger than 157#'s unassisted?

Z

not sure if there is Z, I have not heard of many.  most fish of that size are out of the range of paddle-out unassisted (no mothership).

the species i could think about are tuna, billfish, certain shark species, pacific halibut, black sea bass in mexico and maybe some species in other countries. 

as for here on the west coast, bat rays could potentially get that big I guess...that's pretty much the only option we have around here unless someone finds a gigantic thresher.  makos are well out of our range and i don't think a kayaker would stand a chance of landing one of those in most situations.  of course we can get big sturgeon around too but none of those would officially count as a sturgeon that big could not be accurately weighed alive and it would be well over the slot.  158lb surf perch maybe?

I don't dig the comment that landing halibut is like bringing up plywood. Those fish have the ability to kill you as surely as a tuna or shark. I'm stoked for the guy that he targeted a species, had a goal and met it, and landed some big tuna without a mothership.
But don't bag on someone else's Mt. Everest. That screws it all up. I'll blame the writer for now.
It's a neat story though, and interesting to see the fishing micro-climates and "extreme" niches from other coasts.

this was kinda funny....

"It’s a recreational kayak he found in the family garage and modified with additional equipment, the exact nature of which he will not disclose.

“I can’t be revealing all my secrets,” he said, “or else guys who are younger and in better shape will be breaking my records.”

what secret stuff could you have....A motor?

this guy's spot is going to get blown up now for sure

I can see a whole flotilla of gloucesterman, accents as thick as their beards, steaming toward the grounds.  With Harpoons and TLD two-speeds lashed to their closed decks.  Like Clooney queried in PS, "Your GD [kayakfisherman].  Is there anything better in the world?"

On the serious tip, you can draw great parallels between this guy's dilemma and the themes that are playing out on this board.  The vain satisfaction of press exposure in opposition to his desire to be all "mavericky" and play things on the DL...

not sure if there is Z, I have not heard of many.  most fish of that size are out of the range of paddle-out unassisted (no mothership).

the species i could think about are tuna, billfish, certain shark species, pacific halibut, black sea bass in mexico and maybe some species in other countries. 

as for here on the west coast, bat rays could potentially get that big I guess...that's pretty much the only option we have around here unless someone finds a gigantic thresher.  makos are well out of our range and i don't think a kayaker would stand a chance of landing one of those in most situations.  of course we can get big sturgeon around too but none of those would officially count as a sturgeon that big could not be accurately weighed alive and it would be well over the slot.  158lb surf perch maybe?

What about oversize dinos?

the vain satisfaction of press exposure in opposition to his desire to be all "mavericky" and play things on the DL...

What about oversize dinos?

definitely can find them over that weight, but you would have to guesstimate the weight since you can't get them out of the water for a certified scale.