I'm the new kid in the pond

Greetings all,

I am called Ebyekewabjeget (potawatomi name) My name is Phil. I am new to all of this. I have had a few surgeries on my shoulder after being hurt on the job as a firefighter. I love to fish and need to rehab my body........well I sold my wife on it and here I am. I have a big game. I am in need of lots of help I am sure. I have many questions and little gear. I live in Salinas and am looking to get to know you all. I am always open to see what is available on a poor boy's pocket book. Look me up and say hi. lockwoodwolfman@yahoo is my email. I am going to try Monterey bay this weekend. I just have to get out there and try this. Hope to meet some of you soon.

Welcome to the madness Phil,
 I too am a relative newbie to yak fishing and this site. The wife and I started kayaking last summer and now I'm hooked. You will find the resources and people here a great help as I have. All my yak fishing has been on Nor-Cal lakes for trout and will be getting my first ocean fishing experience this May at Gimme Shelter III (see the thread in the Hook-ups section) and I'm looking forward to meeting the NCKA crew in person, you should try to make it, should be a great time!

Tad

Welcome, I notice you said you were new to all this, yak fishing is just as much of a blast as you might imagine,  safety first attitude is good way to start.  Take a look at the link below especially if you plan to go out in Monterey Bay as one of your first outings.  You might also want to browse thru the "This Happened to Me" section, for some real life stories.

You can have a blast, be safe

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,14820.0.html

Welcome aboard Phil. Like Dale had already mentioned, safety first which I am sure
you are aware being a firefighter and all. You have just made a wise choice of a
new hobby. Wait till you catch your very first fish on the yak. It will be very hard
to go back to shore nor pier fishing. Have fun out there and see you on the water
soon.

Jedmo

It will be very hard to go back to shore fishing. Jedmo

What's that??????? 

Hit the lakes, practice jumping off your kayak and getting back on ( aka self rescue ).
When you have that down pat THEN hit the ocean.
Welcome to the maddness. ( WTTM )

Welcome, Ebyekewabjeget - that's a tough one, so welcome, Phil!   

The choice to kayak fish says alot about someone, it turns out.  Welcome aboard. 

Hey Phil,

Welcome! The OK Big Game is a solid platform and excellent for fishing. Are you geared up to go out in the ocean? Being new to this we want you to be as safe as possible and would recommending not going at it alone. What other equipment do you have besides the kayak?

Ben

I might suggest launching from the coast guard station and heading ou to the red buoy for sand dabs. The WX looks better for saturday. http://forecast.weather.gov/shmrn.php?mz=pzz535&syn=pzz500 If this is your first time on the ocean in a yak, think about paddling with an experienced person.

good luck Scott

Welcome aboard Phil!!! .. I too live in gangland...A.K.A Salinas... I will look you up when I hit the water. Good luck. Make sure you have A good PFD Marine radio, and good tackle!!! .. See ya on the water soon.

travel light

Welcome!
This advice from bluekayak is something I wish I would have considered when I first started. I'm a "gear ho" and initially was carrying a lot of stuff. I'm now trying to go as minimalist as I can (which compared to others isn't very minimal) and I'm finding less frustration with my gear and more fun on the water.

Have fun learning and I'm sure we'll see you on the water soon!  

WTTM!!  reads like you got plenty of energy and I'm sure in the right place now!
See you out there, somewhere, after you get some (safety) miles on them paddles.  

Welcome to the group Phil!
If this is your first kayak, I would recommend taking a basic paddling class from one of the reputable outfitters here on the central coast. One class can go a looooong way toward your enjoyment of the sport.
My oft-repeated advice is to consider yourself a kayaker first, and a fisherman second.

You won't need much gear, but I do advise a waterproof handheld VHFand a compass, along with the standard PFD, wetsuit, and paddle leash.
as far as fishing stuff, cheap is best in the beginning, because kayaking can be tough on rods & reels, especially in the salt.
-Sean

The choice to kayak fish says alot about someone, it turns out.  

I'm nuts?

Welcome Phil

WttM   

travel light

 Amen!!!  Words of Wisdom....

 I have forgotten gear bags 3 times, went fishing anyway, and still had too much on my Yak   


 Madness, I tell ya, Just Madness   

And the Monterey Bay contingent continues to expand.....!!

You're off to a good start, Phil....you already got a seaworthy kayak and found the NCKA site. Now you just need to go catch some fish.

The learning curve for kayak-fishing in the ocean is rather steep. In as little as 4-5 trips, you'll go from knowing nothing...to knowing a whole heck of a lot. But never allow yourself to think you know everything.
-At first, it seems very intimidating and you don't know what to do or expect. But you'll go out into the ocean and begin to learn.
-Then after the second trip you feel like you're better prepared and 10X smarter.
-Then after the third trip you look back and say "Man, I thought I knew what was up...but NOW I know what I'm doing." You'll feel 10X smarter/better-prepared after each fishing trip.
-Then the fourth time you get swamped & rolled in the surf and realize "I need more practice." A humbling experience that everybody learns. And your respect for the ocean will grow....making you a better kayak angler.


Two very important qualities that every ocean kayak angler must have (or learn to have):
1. Healthy respect for the ocean. [obvious]
2. A sense of humility. [in a sport like this, it is impossible to know everything because the ocean is dynamic and constantly changing]

Good luck, and see you on the water!
PK