7 day Skiff/Kayak trip on the Qualifer 105

All right heres my story and I'm sticking to it .The names have been changed to protect the guilty . Day 1 . First day is checking in meeting all your new fishing buddies and getting bait.Got everything loaded and we were off.Cap. Joe gave safety talk and all that good stuff. Next our sponcer for the trip Casey of MC Swimbaits hands out about 25 slugs and around 30 swimbait .About 150.00 worth of plastics .Awsome !!He also gave a rod to all of the crew .Had a great dinner and turned in .Day 2 got to our fisrt spot Sacramento Reef .This is a well known spot for Calico bass . We get the skiffs in and then the yaks .We have 7 kayakers and the rest are skiff guys .The wind is blowing a bit but the trek to the kelp is a breeze .This is my second time being here . The first time was my first time on a kayak .Which was last June .On with the fishing .Fisrt couple of casts nothing then a slow pic of bass 3 to 4 pounders .Not bad but I make a small move and get a few bigger bass in the 5 to 6 lb range .Bass fishing was good . Next thing I know cap is changing out skiffs .Nice to be on the yak dont have to come in yet .Fish around with the other guys and then its time to go .Get yaks on boat then skiffs and we are off to Cedros island. Along the way we make a few drifts for reds so we can have fish for lunch the next day .A couple of drifts and we have enough .Big reds 5 to 8 lbers .We stop at a few other spots to fish to break up the way down .Another good meal and its movie time then off to bed .Day 3 . Cedros Island .Wake up to the cooks coming down the halls yelling first call for breakfast.Always a little starteling in the morn . Makes me laugh everytime.Get feed ,get skiffs in then the yaks and we are off. We are near redondo beach . Good place for yellows and calicos .No bird schools so we head for kelp to get bass .Hear on the radio skiffs are getting yellows .We stay where we are to far to trek .Get some good bass then blam Scott who is next to me nails a yellow . 5 mins later his cus Ken nails on also .No matter what I throw I cant get bit .Bite slow so we head for a point .Cap calls for skiff change .Nice not having to go to the big boat .We catch some nice bass and then its time for lunch .Get yaks on then skiffs and move to weather side of island .We usualy don't get to fish this side .wind on lee side this time .Drop skiffs then we are next .While waiting we fish from big boat and get some yellows .Yaks in and we are off again to the thick canopy of kelp .First couple of drops noda .Then a few and a few more .Scott who is 10 ft away is getting one after another .Driving me crazy .Then he hooks a yellow and get hosed .We hooked a couple more but the kelp was to thick to get them out .At one point Scott and myself got bit everytime we dropped in a swimbait.At on point we started using baits with no tails and got bit .We would move 20 or 30 ft and do it again .WFO on the bass . I move about a 1/4 mile to a spot that had a few big spots of open water .Fished the pockets and found a pack of 5 to 7 lbers .All on the bottom strange but awsome .Next thing you know sun is going down and its time to head for the big boat .all in all the best day of fishing for all that were on the yaks over 50 fish each .Guys on the skiffs and big boat wish they were us that day .Another healthy dinner .No movie tonight .In bed at 8:30 up at 5 .Day 4 . Benitos island .This place is beautiful boiler rocks all over the place big coves lots of places for kayaks .Get in the water and there is a bit of a swell and some wind .Get closer to the island and it seems to be worse .We move around and catch some bass of boiler rocks .We make a 1/2 mile move to a cove that has had yellows and ghosts in the past .My first cast a big calico .Next even bigger .I haer in the distance got a big one on . Pedal over and help Ken gaff his yellow and then give it a free wood shampoo .Next thing I hear Scott has one on .I go to help but hes got it up and in quickly .I move over to a point make a few casts and get my biggest calico ever around 8lbs .Thought it was a small yellow at first the way it took me for a ride . My buddie goes where I was just at and blam a yellow .I go back to the point and then tis my turn .Hook up then get snappedof on the rocks. Re tie and do it again 3 more times I get broken off. F#*@! to say the least . My fault I was only using 40 lb braid . Called big boat and said I was coming over to get a bigger outfit 60 lb rig .Get it go back to the spot and by now the yellows are gone.Fish for bass for awhile and head to big boat for lunch .Decided to let one of the skiff guys take out the yak and took his spot on a skiff .Was alot of fun fishing with the guys I did these guys are legends in the bass secene down in so cal.These to have won many events ,learned alot from them .Next thing you know got to haed in for dinner.More added weight ie big dinner ,movie then bed .Day 5 We move to the coast to fish a bay for yellows .We fished the big boat today just so everyone who wanted to take fish home had a chance .WO on yellows .Surface iron .YoYo, slugs,swimbaits whatever you through .We even used poppers .Fish for 3 or 4 hrs then headed back to Cedros for an afternoon trip .Fished a couple of hrs and called it a day. Oh yeah at the bay one of the guys got a 165 lb black sea bass. And back at Cedros we got 3 broomtail groupers .At dinner we decide to go back up the line and fish sac reef the last day and a half.Dinner bed etc etc. Day6 .Wake up at the reef to fog .Bad can't see for shit .We fish big boat til it breaks .Skiffs in yaks in off we go .Good bass fishing again for all . On the big boat theey go off about a half mile to a rock pile in around 60 ft . I decide to head over and fish near the big boat .I decided to put on a butterknife jig I made .And am glad I did Got all kinds of fish on it 5lb sandbass,big ling ,10lb sheepshead and 5 or 6 types of rockies.One of the cooks asked what I was using and the next thing you know 5 guys are using and catching fish on my homemade jigs.Kinda cool .I head over get off yak to let someone use for photos opts and such .I grab a 10 lb bass rod I have with 20lb braid and a 40lb shot of mono with a butterknife jig .First drop and bendo a 25lb yellow ! Good way to end the day .All in all was a good trip for all and will be doing this trip and others next year .Hope you enjoyed my report.David Sorry for no pics last trip I fell in and that was it for my camera .Will post a few I got from other fisherman.

WOW David that's an epic trip. With a happy ending...nice!

Awesome fishing down there.  Way to capitalize and love the use of the homemade jig!

Norm

WTG on an awesome trip David. Congrats to all the fish you caught.

Jedmo

Nice report.  Try using paragraphs for easier reading. 

Nice report.  Try using paragraphs for easier reading. 

Or bullet points 

David
You are one CRAZY fisherman bro! Thanks for the report glad you had fun! Looks like a blast maybe next time I can join you!

Great report David it was nice to read it after listening to you tell it .Wish I was there!

Awesome report! Sounds like an epic trip indeed. I hope we get to see some pics!


-Eliot

Thanks for the post. Headed there in just a couple of days.
Any words of wisdom??
What was the wx like and what did you wear OTW?

No Pics-what's up here TF, you know the drill.....no pics means it could all be story. Post up or go out and buy a waterproof camera dude

I went out on the Qualifier 105 on it's maiden kayak trip.  We got blown off the water and never got to fish.  I am looking forward to doing it again on a Kayak only trip.  Perhaps NCKA would like to completely take over the Boat with a large group of us.

I was hoping to put a trip togrther in July or Aug .Anyone have any intrest ?Was thinking a 7 day .David

I was hoping to put a trip togrther in July or Aug .Anyone have any intrest ?Was thinking a 7 day .David

A little too early to decide, but yeah I would love to..

Right on David! July sounds good to me.

I was hoping to put a trip togrther in July or Aug .Anyone have any intrest ?Was thinking a 7 day .David

After a great post like tat Hellz Yeah i wanna go haha lol but just like Darius said its too far along mayb a few months before july/aug you should put up a post.

Thanks for sharing an adventure David cant wait to see ur pics Bragging Rights BABY  Jai Boi

Keo