Made Every Rookie Mistake on 8/1/10 in Santa Cruz

First Post!

Long-time surf and rock-bashing kayaker and not much of a fisherman.  Got the fishing bug three weeks ago from a 26# WSB caught off Santa Cruz Island in early July.  I started trolling NCKA and the Kayak Fishing Forums to upgrade my tackle box and an ancient 17-year old OK Yahoo! surf kayak into a fishing craft.  Thanks for all the great tips and advise.  I just wish I followed all of it.

Launched from a West Cliff Drive dumping beach at 1000am, farted around for about an hour fishing the shallows for no bites, then moved out to the end of the kelp and got lined up on a long down-drift corridor (5-10 yards wide by 300 yards long) through the kelp towards the beach (cliffs).  Based on the online advise, I was jigging a 3oz p-line lead "chovy" with a dead squid (from Safeway) on the treble.  2-minutes, Bam reeled up a 14-inch Cab.  Went to snap a photo and found out that putting a camera in a Ziploc is pretty stoopid (very old, cheap, have not used in years, no great loss).  Released the Cab and watched him dart home to Momma. 

Hook a new squid, down to the bottom, 2-minutes later Pow, reeled up a nice ~18-inch blue rockfish.  He wiggled off the hook into my lap.  I had him pinned, reached for my stringer and it was closed, he jumped out of the boat while I was trying to open the stringer...ARRRGGGHHH.  OK, keep the stringer open and handy.  Me learn fast!

New squid, hit bottom, 30-seconds WHAM.  My drag was was low and he was running away bigtime.  Tightened the drag and he nearly pulled me out of the boat.  After a couple minutes, got him along the boat and it's a 30+inch Halibut (it felt bigger than the WSB, but that was on a boat) and he is not very happy.  But I'm smart, learned from my mistake and had the stringer ready and open.  As soon as the steel touched his gill flap, he broke the hook clean off the p-line lead.  Buh By... See Ya...  I screamed to the Gods for a while.  After the screaming stoped, I'm re-reading in my mind the posts on gaffs and fish clubs... What an idiot.  I guess I thought you guys used all that extra equipment just for the fun of having lots of toys. 

Fished for another couple hours, moved around quite a lot and did not get another bite.  The tide came up with some swell and wind, headed back to the dumping beach that was now wet all the way up to the cliffs and rip-rap.  No problem, time it good, get to knee deep water, jump off, no problem... except the water was thigh-deep and completely filled with dead kelp.  It was like trying to walk through molasses.  No worries, I kayak all the time in way bigger surf.  Rut Roh, the side-slamming reverb wave just pushed my kayak between me and the incoming waves.  No sweat, I wheel it around and run it out a$$-end first into the crashing wave.  Got through the wave, but the kelp took out my legs and I go down and the side-reverb wave capsizes the kayak.  No problem, everything is tied down.  I manage to right the kayak, but the Milk Crate is now just hanging by a thread and a couple more wave + reverb cycles take it all the way off.  The kelp managed to tackle me a couple more times in there as well.  I manage to salvage the bottom half of the bass/bait rod/reel, ocean rod/reel, paddle and kayak.  The milk crate with the tools and small Plano tackle box are gone.

The West Marine stainless rivets failed.  As I look at the mess that remained of my fishing kayak on the remaining sliver of high and dry sand, my mind is going over the post about how the stainless rivets don't hold as well because they only mushroom out slightly.  After taking all of the loose items up the rip-rap and cliff to to the truck, I spot my crate getting hammered onto the big surf-zone rock in the middle of the beach.  It took me about 1/2-hour to get the milk crate, but alas, the tools and tackle were gone because I had clipped them to the islets that were ripped out of the kayak.

Good thing I didn't boat any of the fish!  I should also mention that this was a solo trip.  At least the waters in Santa Cruz are not very sharky: Safety First!

The pictures I took of my kayak setup before destroying it were on the soggy camera.  After it dries out, I'll see if I can post them.  I had a great time, learned a lot and want am even more motivated to get out fishing on my kayak again. 

thx for sharing! Glad you're not hurt, and that the yard sale didn't cost you too much.

Everybody gets humbled, dude.

Kudos for admitting it all and describing your woes for my amusement 

Welcome to the madness.

Welcome aboard and to the MADNESS Howard!    Sorry about your gear loss but it's a small price to pay for the experience you've gained.  Thank you for your maiden kayak fishing report and looking forward to future reports.

I  ENJOYED your report,,,,,,glad things turned out safely,

Awesome first post! Welcome aboard, dude - looking forward to fishing with you sometime.

Peter

 School of hard knocks is in session, sounds like you graduated

the thing about kayak fishing, after all that you still want to go out.  The force is strong in this one 

can't wait for you second post!

You've definitely got the Madness - welcome!

 

Thanks for the post. That took some moxie. On the plus side you sure found fish!

Howard all of us go through an actual real life learning phase of kayaking the ol' blue.  Some come out with just bruises and scratches, for some it's another trip to tackle shop for more gear.  Hang in there and keep at it and it will pay off soon enough.

You need one of these

http://kayakfishinggear.com/thefishgrip-madeintheusa-newcolorspinkandglowinthedark.aspx

Ha, Ha, Ziploc is really not a good idea. I lost my brand-new iPhone in a ziploc bag. I wasn't not even soaked in water at that time, just some splash from surf zone. Apple refused to repair it because it is water damage. This is how I learned that salt water can cause a great damage to electronic equipment. That stupid mistake cost me  quite a bit of money.

Thanks for the encouragement!  You guys are the best.  I have to admit I was very very cocky because of my 20-years experience rough water ocean kayaking.  My view of fisherman was out-of-shape alcoholics sitting in lawn chairs drinking beer, so in my great system of logic that always works so well, I figured fishing on a kayak would be easy.  To the contrary, fishing adds a several new levels of of complications to yaking that creeps up on you slowly until you realize your nuts are laying on the chopping block.  The challenge of doing it all right and safely is enormous, all you guys have my utmost admiration and respect.

Fish grip looks like a good call as well as a gaff and club.  I gotta go shopping and fixing this week.  Gonna do West Cliff next Sunday with a friend who normally launches from 38th on the eastside.  We are gonna go in his Malibu double.

Of course I want more, that Halibut was an f-ing monster and I want to land his uncle sometime.  I'm still completely amped about that fish, I could barely sleep last night.   Madness is not a strong enough word to describe NCKA and I don't think there is a word invented yet that does it justice, so Madness will have to do.  Thanks for the welcome.  Look forward to fishing with those of you deranged enough to go with me.