Extreme Kayak Fishing video

Here is a very condensed version of the video from the most recent
La Jolla Kayak Fishing trip to Hotel Punta Colorada in Baja.
Extreme kayak fishing.
Strictly Bill Fish
I hope you enjoy it.
http://revver.com/video/7136/


This is the video from last year.
http://revver.com/video/4452/

Happy Holidays

Looks like fun but I was wondering where the extreme part comes into it, somebody catches your bait, probably rigs up your gear babysits the whole time and lands your fish for you etc

I always think of extreme sports as those guys jumping off cliffs with skis on etc where there's a bigtime chance you can get hurt or even killed

I bet they get some pretty extreme sunburns, I'd be extremely sleepy if I had to get up that early to fish

Paul - you crack me up 

Erik caught this monster by himself and under his own steam. "Extreme" = Absolutely! In my opion at least.
(and let's not forget the cold,windy and choppy conditions he had to dish out from the Bay during the entire ordeal)

Erik K. has super hero status in my book 

here's another extreme kayak fisherman...

catching a 37# King at the same area where a feeding white shark had just been spotted by the private boaters 

well, it's extremely expensive at least.  

a guy like sammons would kickass whether he's fishing
off iceland or a luxury yacht tho I'm sure.  having somebody
tell me what to do every 3 seconds is not my idea of fun
(that's why I like brendan as a guide myself), but sammons
delivers for his clients.

as for extreme, this cat that builds the pygmy boats, lockwood,
going on a 5 month solo kayak trip, living off deer and salmon,
that's extreme! (what does he do for fresh water?).

paul and erik aren't doing too badly either.

here's another "Super Hero"................

183-pound Pacific Halibut caught by Howard Mckim
in Ketchikan, Alaska from his KAYAK!

I agree that we have no lack of extreme situations to experience in our neck of the woods.

Paul is about as capable of handling the extremes of our sport as anyone I've seen... I always look forward to his reports and he has some cajones for launching and fishing some of the waters he frequents.  McKim in Alaska seems to be pretty hardcore as well.  I'll say that a Sturgeon adventure can be pretty challenging if the conditions go sour on you... it can definitely be some of the more dangerous fishing we do given the cold water, heavy currents, large fish, and fiesty weather.    Joe and Fred's end of season Lingfest on the North Coast is another epic for sure.  I also remember last year that long (salmonless) trip that a bunch of us made out of Moss landing got to be pretty darn extreme when the place turned into a washing machine on the way back and having a whale fully breach in front of me was a moment I'll never forget.  

Now all we need is some video footage of some of this stuff.  

(I hope Santa brings Sean one of those little video cameras for Christmas...)

Yep... it's fun alright... but I wouldn't take anything away from Jim on his guided tours.  He is dishing up an experience that most people would never experience in their lifetime... and some of those spear-faced fish thrashing near the yak could certainly turn ugly if a guy didn't know what he was doing.  It's all good in my book.

Erik

Those billfish at the boat are nothing to sneeze at.  I've seen them turn really ugly and I think having them along side the boat is VERY dangerous.  I've seen billfish leave significant dents on boats.  The power of these fish is also unlike anything I've ever hooked anywhere else.  Catching one from a kayak is extreme enough in my book.

If I hike up a mountain and ski down a double diamond cliff, it's pretty extreme.  If I take a helecopter or chairlift up the same mountain and ski the same run, it's still extreme.  I like the term "hardcore" for the hiking scenario though.  Blue and Howard are hardcore AND extreme.

-Allen

I'll hang out a sign as the extreme salmon fishing guide, $500 dollars a day for any jackass who wants to give it a shot

I'll be that jackass ....I'll start saving my lunch money  and if I don't get a salmon over 30#'s = get yourself a good lawyer 

I just don't see the "extreme" when you're getting "dropped off"  to a hot fishing spot ( I guess it would be for a newbie). IMO: Gotta earn it  This is just my opinion on the matter - no pun intended.

Mooch I'll give you a discount

groovey 

Hmmm ... I don't know if I should contine this fray ... but what the hell.

How many of you have actually fished for marlin?  I've  seen a marlin strip 300 yards of line off a spool in less than 30 seconds.  I've burned my thumb on the initial run of a sailfish (you only do that once!).  The accelration is something to behold.   I've seen 200 pounds of marlin flesh slam into a boat.  If it was a kayak angler, they'd be seriously hurt.  I've seen 450 pounds of marlin pull the wireman like a rag doll from one end of the stern to the other in a split second before the wireman was able to let go (I really thought he was going for a swim).  I've seen a marlin snap 130 pound line like it was nothing, it got bowstrung with a hook in one end and a tailwrap on the other.  To each his own .. but really, it's not a walk in the park.

My love of kayak fishing is only exceeded by my love of blue water fishing.  And these guys are doing both at the same time!  Come on guys, let me dream without dumping cold water on me.

-Allen

I have never caught a Marlin - but if it's within paddling distance = I would love to give it a go 

Joel, I've caught Marlin within 1/2 mile of shore down in Cabo, so you could definitely paddle to them.  And if the Marlin are not close, there are plenty of other things to keep you busy.

$1000 a day?  Seems a bit rich for Mexico.  You can charter a boat in Cabo for $400 and a panga for much less than that.

BTW, there are cases where marlin fishing can be "dainty".   The typical tourist gets on a boat and sits around waiting for the deckhand to hand them a pole with a fish on it.  Then they just reel.  Yup, that sucks.  I tell you, it gets fun when you get involved.  Casting live baits on a mariln or bait and switch fishing a sailfish is as intense (and frustrating) as it gets.  Leadering and billing a marlin is indeed dangerous, but some crews will let you do the smaller ones.  I don't think you want to leader a large model without having a lot of experience.  If I'm going to kayak fish for them, I want to do it all myself (hook, fight, and release), but far be it for me to turn down a mothership ride out to the productive grounds if need be.

-Allen

WOW didn't think I would have to defend this. As the intro stated this is a very condensed version of the video, bandwidth issues. We couldn't get every jump and every release in the web.
Most of the fish were released, one died, and tasted great on tacos the next day.
I guess extreme is subjective, but to me having a fish with a three foot spear on the end on his face, about jump in your lap is pretty extreme. The fights with these fish last an hour to 2 and a half hours with a full bend in the rod, it is a very tough fight. We could certainly paddle to where we catch these fish, they are that close to shore, but we do use the boats on our trips for safety reasons also as a better way to hold the bait and get video. Plus it optimizes the fishing time for our clients. Would you rather spend your time fishing or paddling to the spot. All the fish were hooked, fought and landed from the kayaks, and that is what it is really all about. We actually had to rush a guy back to shore to a doctor, via the boat, he got stung buy a man-o-war, he had an allergic reaction to the sting and could of died.
As far as having me as a leader man on the fish, yes you could land these fish solo, but you would have to really wear them out and then no release would be possible. I have landed two hundred pound thresher sharks from my kayak, solo, and I tell you the bill fish are sketchier to deal with.
What is Extreme, I don't know your definition, but for me this is about as extreme as kayak fishing gets. And a hell of a lot of fun.

I wish we got $1000 for a day, $1000 would more get you three nights at the hotel including meals, kayak rental, panga support, guide and bait plus your airfair. Who came up with that number. Baja fishing trips, outside of Cabo, are some of the best fish values you will find.

Don't mind us you think too much when the season's over and you have too much time on your hands.
Apologies for my part in the noise here

Is the season over??? we are having great yellowtail fishing down here right now. Just need this huge swell to pass so we can get back out.
No apologies necessary, I just look at it like this, as long as you are getting on the water and having fun, who cares what you are catching, how you do it or what anyone else thinks about it. Just have fun and be safe.

Yeah, I've been reading about the yellowtail run you guys are having.  Is it like this every december?
Pat