New Yaker Here! Any tips?
 

Hello All,

I am new to Yaking. Just starting out. Would love to get advice from everyone on where is best for people just starting out. Also bought a yak recently. Not too expensive, got it for a good deal. It's a Lifetime Sport Fisher Tandem Kayak. Is it okay to take out in the ocean? Hopefully some of you have some tips and tricks for me. Hope to hear from you all.

Thanks, Brandon

brandon...

a great website and resource to cut our learning curve. use the search feature. anything from rod set-ups to halibut rigs.

Buy busy bee sandwiches, beer or ? and post an invite to fish with you. You'll make a friend or two.


Think safety. . .I'd worry more about being comfortable in my kayak (being sure I won't flip and loose my crap) than a hammerhead shark.

More Have Died From Selfies Than Shark Attacks Since 2013


http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-0...rk-deaths-2013



good luck and share a report.

Welcome to the board. A ton of good people on here and a TON of information. If you have a question just ask. One of these guys knows the correct answer :cheers1:

Its hard to answer your questions without knowing where you'll be fishing and what type of fishing you'll be doing.

wear a pfd, and have everything you dont want to loose tied to the boat.

Danapt- Thanks for the website and the info. I read many reviews about the kayak I bought saying it was very stable but I was more curious on if theres a specific type of kayak you need to take into the ocean. I believe mine is flat on bottom.

Jorluivil- I want to do several types of fishing. I wanna go a few miles out at most probably maybe 3-5 at most. I wanna fish for tuna, dorado, rockfish, seabass, stuff like that. Was thinking different areas like lo jolla and san diego areas. Maybe even orange county. Any advice? Also my kayak is flat bottomed. Will it be ok to tske out? I read online that it is very stable.

I'm new also, and have been yaking on freshwater but I haven't been on the salt yet. I'm trying to get my schedule worked out so I can make a La Jolla trip, it just looks like a good place to start. I've also been told Redondo harbor is good for bonita without having to get past the surf so I will make that trip. This is a great group of guys, every time I have asked a question a few people will respond with all kinds of helpful information. I know that when I finally get to salt water there will be someone there who will help me get started. That makes me a lot more comfortable.

Yeah so far everyone is being very helpful. I'm glad I stumbled across this site. I'm enjoying learning and all the useful tips everyone is giving me.

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Tuna & dorado aren't the norm; I do believe this is just an exceptional year.

Redondo is good for the bigger bones during the winter, not sure about right now.

See what I mean, saved me from wasting a trip, La Jolla it is then.

I've seen another kayaker on that boat out at la jolla. Not sure if it's perfect for long excursions but it can work. I used to have one but never took it in the ocean. (Didn't live here when I had it) it is super stable but not a super fast paddle.

Thanks I appreciate the info. Once I gain a little experience Ill probably try La Jolla as I hear its one of the better places to go if you're new to yaking.

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I have the Bass Pro Ascend FS12T sit on top, I understand it isn't the best for ocean either but it's what I have for right now. It has been fine for lake fishing but it doesn't seem to be a very fast hull design. I talked with a guy who saw one with a trolling motor on that worked pretty good but kind of defeats the purpose of having a kayak. It stable though because of it's tunnel hull design.

Do you plan on trying to take it out in the ocean? I'm thinking I'll start in the harbors and work my way out into the open ocean. Probably won't go too far out though maybe a couple miles at most.

I don't have a ton of experience down here but I'd say any yak that works will be OK to take out. It becomes more a matter of how comfortable you are on the water and your skill as a paddler. If anything I'd say take the yak out once or twice without any fishing gear to get used to everything, especially launches/landings.

Also, like was said before, wear your pfd

Whoa there, 3-5 miles is quite a ways out. I would recommend going out of the local bays and get a feel of the limitations of you and your kayak. Once you have feel good with your yak go out of Dana Point or Newport and head out to open water.

As mentioned earlier catching Tuna and Dodo off a yak is not the norm.

Yeah, I think I just need to get comfortable on it and take it out a few times before I head out into open water. I always plan on wearing my pfd. Are launches and landings hard at first?

Okay maybe not quite that far out. But I would like to get a little ways out maybe a couple miles. I really wanna fish the kelp beds off La Jolla. I hear theres some good fishing there. How far out do you have to go to catch Tuna and dorado right now? Also I'm looking for a fish finder for my yak. Something not too expensive but will work well. Any suggestions?

Take your yak to where you are going to be fishing and practice launching, landing, and getting back on after jumping off. La Jolla shores is probably the easiest place to fish regarding size of surf, etc. Also is probably the best fishing location in socal. Fishing La Jolla is pretty close to shore as you can fish just outside the kelp bed or go out a bit further to get into some deeper water. Make sure to buddy up with someone who can assist in case you have an issue. Other than that, have fun.

Thanks for the tips. I appreciate your response. Is it pretty easy to launch out there in La Jolla? My kayak is a tandem so thinking about possibly going with a buddy or something. How far out do you have to go off La Jolla to get to around 100 feet water depth?

Try hitting a harbor first if your by yourself. Look up seagate bridge in Huntington harbor. I'm still farely new as well and that's been great place to start. If you get into any trouble there's always people around and the anglers in the area have been very helpful. I'm still paddling light, plenty of water, one rod, and one 3600 Plano with baits. At least for me, paddling isn't as easy as the seasoned guys make it look. Good luck

Talk little steps
 

I had that Kayak for a couple of years and fished it mostly in small lakes. It is a very stable kayak and was fun to fish in freshwater lakes in calm weather.The kayak is slow and difficult to track straight. I added a DIY rudder that helped quite a bit. (I have pictures of the rudder if you want to build one)
Before you take it too far in the ocean I would recommend you take it out where there is some wind and current and try to paddle against the wind and current. It will be an eye opener for you. That kayak is difficult to paddle against the wind and current.
Remember just because you go out with no wind and current, it will come up when you least expert it and you better know what you are up against.

A good location to try it out would be in San Diego Bay in the afternoon when the wind and current is up. Try it out close to the Shelter Island boat launch that way you can get back to the launch if you get into trouble.
If you feel good about a short trip do some longer trips in the San Diego Bay, ( a mile or two against the current to build your confidence)

I used to hate it when the wind came up and I had to cover any type of distance. I sold mine for that reason. It is a good lake kayak.
I believe the manufacturer also states it is not recommended for the ocean.

Thanks for the info. I guess I just gotta go feel it out and see how it feels and all before I decide to go into open water. I've read on some online reviews of some guys that take theirs out into the Atlantic ocean but I don't know what the difference is wind wise and swell wise between the Pacific and Atlantic. I tried to do a little research to see if it was recommended only for freshwater but yielded no results. Maybe I should take a buddy with me since it's a tandem so I have some help paddling. How's the bay near the Seaworld area? Appreciate the info man!

Totally agree with Sven..

Just cause it's a kayak doesn't mean it's suitable for all conditions. Mission bay is great area to learn and fish. I would stick to the bay and see how you handle wind and boat chops Be safe and don't rush into heading out to "open water".. Trust me you don't want to get yourself in a bad situation as many of us have in the past when starting out.. Not worth losing your life.

Seaworld
 

Seaworld is in Mission Bay. That is great place to get familiar with your kayak and practice paddling and self rescues. It's get windy there too so you will get a change to paddle in the wind. Once your comfortable then go to San Diego Bay (Shelter Island launch) during the running tide and get a feel for paddling against the tide and wind.
Remember to wear your PFD all the time, especially while practicing self rescues.

+1 I was there it sucked!