GS4 Lesson Learned

Montana,
First off - Glad you are still around to tell the tale.
I have learned alot from others tales and also from personal experiance.
For my gear I like the waterproof boxes since they will float all but the heaviest gear - I rolled my yak in So-Cal and was able to retrieve my Irons that were in a waterproof box and floating (had atleast a dozen 4oz irons in it).
Also learned from anothers experiance about the leashes - he was able to cut himself loose thanks to the knife he had attached to his vest with a blunt tip (the pointed tip could have caused more damage in the frantic action).
The other thing I learned from a friend is to have a guard on the tip of your gaff (could be a major problem when you are trying to get out of the leashes)

I am glad you pulled out of it OK.  I have gotten tangled in braided line while diving and it can be terrifying.

I am a firm believer in a small blunt tipped dive knife.  I attached one to the front of my PFD.  I have only used it for fishing line and cutting bait, but it is there if I need it.  It could definitely save your life.

I have a paddle leash and a leash for my two rods behind my seat.  I agree that the leashed are a real pain, and potential hazard.  I think the paddle leash is a must, I don't know how many times it saved my paddle from floating away.  I have slowly phased out the rest of my leashes.  I am considering of just using one rod now, and keeping a spare rod tucked away in the hatch.  I use a good snap swivel to switch out my lures quickly anyways, and rarely pull the second rod from the holder.

My knocker and gaff both float.  I tried them and was please to be able to unleash them.  I carry a net, and filled the handle with expandable spray foam from the hardware store.  It floats great.  i also painted the shaft orange to see easily, and it makes my kayak a little more visible.

I may put floats on my rods, but want to see if I can use the spray foam on them.  On a lot of rods the handle portion is hollow, I may be able to fill it with the foam.  My large rod is too heavy though, I may have to attach a pool noodle to that one.

Great things to think about.

Matt

Glad this worked out OK. Getting tangled in leashes is my nightmare scenario. At this point I only have leashes on rods stored behind me, and my paddle. The rod leashes are actually those lanyards that they give you casinos for your membership card. They are barely good enough to hold your rod, but light enough (I hope) to break in a struggle. My paddle leash is more durable, but releases simply by slipping a loop over a knob. After reading this I think I might just use the light weight stuff on it too.

Thanks for sharing, it's invaluable to all of us.

Ben

Thanks for sharing your mishaps with all of us Rich. I have been scaling down as
much as I can whenever going out. Now it seems I may have to ditch the leash
too for my rods except for my paddle of course. Glad everything workout well in the
end.

Jedmo

So the question remains,,,,,, when we going fishing again guys? 

Glad you kept yer cool & got back on the horse Montana. I've almost flipped over when freeing snags too. Best method is to paddle directly over the snag and pull straight up...so when your line breaks/unsnags, your momentum will not cause you to flip. I actually hold my rod upside-down w/thumb on the spool and pull straight up (rod tip pointed at the snag).
And as far as leashes go, I hate em. I have about 6" of bungee w/a tiny plastic clip attached to my rod holder...and only leash it down when the rod is in the holder. The paddle gets a leash though.

I have ate it in them too. But was usually prepared in that everything was stowed.  Face it, after being on the water for a while, you become complacent, and stiff legs and sore arms don't work the way they should.  Case in point, all the nice yard sales on the incoming kayaks in the cove. 2' wave dumped many a fisherman on Saturday.

hey rich, was that u i seen trying to free a snag and the line busted sending the rod into ur face? hahaha sorry bro , i was like " i seen that rich" but got no responce!

  Case in point, all the nice yard sales on the incoming kayaks in the cove. 2' wave dumped many a fisherman on Saturday.
[/quote]

Oh yeah? How many dumps were there, and was it due to inexperience, or crappy conditions? Where are the pics?
No matter how nice it is, I always pucker a bit when coming in from the big pond.

Look how flat it is! This is what happens when you let your guard down. Wilderness hunter at Stump 09. I did it at Linda Mar. After coming in with no mishaps in the 4-5ft stuff I got rolled by a little 2ft wave when I stopped paying attention. Pretty embarrasing to say the least. Saltydog has got pics of a few of us. Come on Jim.

 Case in point, all the nice yard sales on the incoming kayaks in the cove. 2' wave dumped many a fisherman on Saturday.

 Where are the pics?
No matter how nice it is, I always pucker a bit when coming in from the big pond.
[/quote]




I witnessed a few dumps but in the spirit of 'givin everyone shelter' I didn't snap any pics.

+1 on the pucker factor. No one wants to yardsale..... especially with witnesses.  


Actually the power boaters were having the worst of it. One guy almost being crushed between his boat & trailer.....twice got lucky and fell face first under water and the boat just missed him each time.

So the question remains,,,,,, when we going fishing again guys? 

As soon as you bring the coffee

Look how flat it is! This is what happens when you let your guard down. Wilderness hunter at Stump 09.

I happened to be there that day to help Brian pickup his belongs. My VHF and iPhone got wet and ended up having replace both. Bummer.

Rich,
You seemed to have analyzed the situation pretty well in terms of how to retain your items. I think you failed to noticed one very important point. I saw you attempt to jump back in your yak three times and failed. It wasn't until I held down your yak before you were finally able to climb back in. To tell the truth, I was a little worry for you. I would sincerely suggest that you practice self-rescue in your local lake with someone near by. I would not consider going out to the ocean if I have difficulty getting myself back in the kayak. Please learn it my friend.

ernest

Montana,

Maybe a dumb question, but what pound test line were you using?

Hey Rich, it was great meeting you and camping next to you.  I have gotten some teasing about my pink pool noodles, but it is great to be able to fish without a leash.  Having said that, I am still using leashes when I am paddling, and I leash the rod(s) I am not using, so I am not really a great example of what you want to do.  But the trick is to have a noodle on which can float the rod but not get in the way of fishing.   

The real problem with the noodles is the line rubs on the noodle and can even work its way through the slit you cut in the noodle.   

We found the best way is to: 1) cut the noodle long so it comes up PAST the first guide, 2) slit the noodle length-wise so you can slide the rod in, 3) fillet off a 1 1/2" slice off the OTHER side from the slit, so that side is flat and the line runs over it with no rubbing, 4) once you have slipped it on, use zip ties to close the slit side and keep it on there.   The fact that the noodle is an inch (?) above the lowest guide keeps it from spinning around and messing with the line.  I can post photos.

I am glad everything turned out OK for you.   The number one goal of fishing/ab diving/ spearing in the Pacific Ocean is to come back safe and sound to our families at the end of the day.   NO fish dinner is worth taking risks with your life. 

And congrats to the event organizers for the team concept, which helped safety.


Pete