Savvy sea lion

At the SC Harbor, I saw a guy walking down the dock carrying a nice salmon in one hand and some small rockfish in the other as a sea lion was flopping down the dock after him.  So the guy throws one of the small rockies toward him, and the sea lion sniffs it but keeps flopping after the salmon the guy was holding. 

Careful, someone might call CalTip to report wasting fish.

Choosy sea lions choose salmon...

I had a first-- sent down a peeled clean frozen giant squid..8" or so nice octo like suctions on its long tents etc...in 60 fow, just got it set about 36" off the bottom ,and sat back...30 lb mono main to 50 lb mono slider leader...long lamiglass flexible rod...bam...feels like a nice fish- feels like its running--- turns...runs straight for my yak...line adding up quick..wrapped around my trigger finger---turns again heads back for the bottom---still a big fish there...trying to gain some loose line---turns...ripps the mainline thru the water like a Marlin...thumb on reel trying to get my finger free, wrapped slicing into skin-sucks my finger into the reel as the Marlin breaks the surface,and becomes a 100lb  teen age sea lion...doing 20' long 2' high surface runs...in a giant ciricle around my kayak ..snap....he must have ingested the bait- I never saw the white of any squid but it was 100' away easy...no way to get my knife out in time one handed --rod would nt break-line wouldnt break..bouncer ball and main leader swivel all like new clean cut right above top hook-----teen sea lion either learned a lesson ---or taught me one

Seen alot of vids of those things snatching fish from people

I had a first-- sent down a peeled clean frozen giant squid..8" or so nice octo like suctions on its long tents etc...in 60 fow, just got it set about 36" off the bottom ,and sat back...30 lb mono main to 50 lb mono slider leader...long lamiglass flexible rod...bam...feels like a nice fish- feels like its running--- turns...runs straight for my yak...line adding up quick..wrapped around my trigger finger---turns again heads back for the bottom---still a big fish there...trying to gain some loose line---turns...ripps the mainline thru the water like a Marlin...thumb on reel trying to get my finger free, wrapped slicing into skin-sucks my finger into the reel as the Marlin breaks the surface,and becomes a 100lb  teen age sea lion...doing 20' long 2' high surface runs...in a giant ciricle around my kayak ..snap....he must have ingested the bait- I never saw the white of any squid but it was 100' away easy...no way to get my knife out in time one handed --rod would nt break-line wouldnt break..bouncer ball and main leader swivel all like new clean cut right above top hook-----teen sea lion either learned a lesson ---or taught me one

Yikes! Was your finger OK? Sounds painful.

Fur bags take salmon from guys all day long. I think they follow the boats around knowing theres going to be an easy meal. I must have heard 20+ reports over the vhf out of moss on Thursday about lost fish to seals.  One guy said the seal went airborne and snatched it out of his hands as he was lifting it into his boat. Deffently use a fish bag and dont hang your fish that you work hard for off the side of your kayak... I dont like being the bobber tied to shark bait or seal food but that's just me. Be smart and stay safe and tight lines!

I was amazed that it was a seal and as soon as I saw this my finger went in the reel line counter bar as it came to one side...knowing it was F$%^cking seal I was able thumb the reel enough with the rod hand to stop the take out and wrap my rod hand -gloved-around the line while elbowing the rod straight out ...it couldnt take my rod tho-- cause my finger was holding the whole seal lol....snapped and I was learnt good right there--I had no idea you can stop a reel with a gloved thumb..next was tip..it hurts and has a line around it...I got a but and smaked the ring finger same hand so its back burner to that     never saw any seals...never heard any all day prior ....thought i had hook up...

I had a first-- sent down a peeled clean frozen giant squid..8" or so nice octo like suctions on its long tents etc...in 60 fow, just got it set about 36" off the bottom ,and sat back...30 lb mono main to 50 lb mono slider leader...long lamiglass flexible rod...bam...feels like a nice fish- feels like its running--- turns...runs straight for my yak...line adding up quick..wrapped around my trigger finger---turns again heads back for the bottom---still a big fish there...trying to gain some loose line---turns...ripps the mainline thru the water like a Marlin...thumb on reel trying to get my finger free, wrapped slicing into skin-sucks my finger into the reel as the Marlin breaks the surface,and becomes a 100lb  teen age sea lion...doing 20' long 2' high surface runs...in a giant ciricle around my kayak ..snap....he must have ingested the bait- I never saw the white of any squid but it was 100' away easy...no way to get my knife out in time one handed --rod would nt break-line wouldnt break..bouncer ball and main leader swivel all like new clean cut right above top hook-----teen sea lion either learned a lesson ---or taught me one

Yikes! Was your finger OK? Sounds painful.

I was amazed that it was a seal and as soon as I saw this my finger went in the reel line counter bar as it came to one side...knowing it was F$%^cking seal I was able thumb the reel enough with the rod hand to stop the take out and wrap my rod hand -gloved-around the line while elbowing the rod straight out ...it couldnt take my rod tho-- cause my finger was holding the whole seal lol....snapped and I was learnt good right there--I had no idea you can stop a reel with a gloved thumb..next was tip..it hurts and has a line around it...I got a but and smaked the ring finger same hand so its back burner to that     never saw any seals...never heard any all day prior ....thought i had hook up...

I had a first-- sent down a peeled clean frozen giant squid..8" or so nice octo like suctions on its long tents etc...in 60 fow, just got it set about 36" off the bottom ,and sat back...30 lb mono main to 50 lb mono slider leader...long lamiglass flexible rod...bam...feels like a nice fish- feels like its running--- turns...runs straight for my yak...line adding up quick..wrapped around my trigger finger---turns again heads back for the bottom---still a big fish there...trying to gain some loose line---turns...ripps the mainline thru the water like a Marlin...thumb on reel trying to get my finger free, wrapped slicing into skin-sucks my finger into the reel as the Marlin breaks the surface,and becomes a 100lb  teen age sea lion...doing 20' long 2' high surface runs...in a giant ciricle around my kayak ..snap....he must have ingested the bait- I never saw the white of any squid but it was 100' away easy...no way to get my knife out in time one handed --rod would nt break-line wouldnt break..bouncer ball and main leader swivel all like new clean cut right above top hook-----teen sea lion either learned a lesson ---or taught me one

Yikes! Was your finger OK? Sounds painful.

It's crazy out there and shit happens fast! Just glad you didnt get flipped or hurt worse! You can only prepare for so much and just try to learn from what you werent ready for. Not sure what more you could have done on your part but I'm sure that seal isn't feeling too good and learned a lesson.

Nothing I can do-I never ever hooked a seal and am aware of diving birds and 'friendly' pelicans,and seagulls taking freshly rigged slider squid --all day they sit with me eating toss out...not much I can do tho with  a seal-or whale-shark- reel up for sure- if a teenager is doing loops -or whales are under me - Risso pods too, and as mentioned I don't ' dangle' dead bleeding fish in the place im sitting in the ocean , it can change ones angle