sleigh rides in the bay

We launched from ARW today ( took a friend that hasn't fished from a yak beofre). We took squid and went with the intention of anchoring and trying to catch the biggest fish we could (hoping for a big leapord).

We caught 4 smaller leapords that were all around 2 feet long. We caught about 10 stingrays and several were huge. At one point my partner hooked into something very big and it started stripping line. He pulled anchor and it looked like he had a trolling motor on the Tarpon 130. I started to pull anchor to go help when my reel started screaming. I got my anchor up and off I went. It was funny because we were both going all over the place.

We both fought for 15-20 minutes and his 30 lb braid finally snapped. I got mine to the yak and it had to have been 3 feet across. I don't know how to estimate weight of rays but this had to have been around 50 lbs. It made several long runs even though I was using a Diawa sealine 40 with the drag set very heavy. We were able to unhook all the fish and they were all released. I am going to have to take my son out there for the water rodeo.

A couple of guys in a pb had a leapord that looked to be around 4 feet.     

I can't imagine a sleigh ride of that proportion!  Found this on the net.  YEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAA

Sweet! Let me know next time you head out. I want to hook up. Jeff

Sounds like a blast.  Thanks for the report.   

Great report!    What a thrill it must have been. 

Just curious about hooking and unhooking stingrays from a kayak  -  when you mess with them from a kayak, can they smack you with their tails?    I recall we used to step on the tails while unhooking them from shore to avoid getting tail whipped. 

I've caught bat rays a lot and have never found their tails to be dangerous. The stinger is at the base of the tail anyway...

You can see the stinger at the base of the tail. We pull them up with their back to the yak leaving them in the water as if they were standing up and unhook them from that position. They will fight and fight before you get them to the yak so when you finally get them in they don't have much fight left. Pull the hook with some long pliers and they slowly swim away.

We will do it again in the next few weeks. Company welcome.

That sounds like a great time! Thanks for sharing.
John

Sounds like fun Merv.  I fished for "mud marlin" a bunch when i was young....always fun.  later....

Norm

thanks for the feedback on tail whipping.   I always wondered how to deal with a ray from a kayak.   I live across the street from the bay, but have never kayaked it or fished it because i didnt know how to deal with the ray's tail from the kayak.     Very clever to bring them up in upright position, back to the boat. 

Would love to join up for the next sleigh ride occassion.

I can't imagine a sleigh ride of that proportion!  Found this on the net.  YEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAA

Hey I know that Guy

I can't imagine a sleigh ride of that proportion!  Found this on the net.  YEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAA

Hey I know that Guy

Jim  - Is that you in the picture? That is awesome.

I have a buddy of mine that has fished with your group in Baja a couple of times. Said it was a great time and that the fishing can be incredible.

YEP, that would be me. That was in 2004, Heading back down next week for 20 days, can't wait.
Five days with clients then seven days of my own fishing time working on the movie, then a few more days with clients.

YEP, that would be me. That was in 2004, Heading back down next week for 20 days, can't wait.
Five days with clients then seven days of my own fishing time working on the movie, then a few more days with clients.

That's pretty damn cool. Don't forget to throw out a couple of video teasers every once in a while. Looking forward to that video!

YEP, that would be me.

 I didn't know that was a NCKA member when I saw that picture.  I always show that picture to co-workers when they ask about catching big fish from yaks.  Although I should be showing the pics from the gentlemen with the freaking salmon sharks last year.  Insane!  I don't have enough huevos for that.