Gear to fight Yellow tail with?
 

Im planning on taking my Sealine X30SHA coupled with a Medium heavy action Ugly Stik tiger (rated to 50lb test) out on the yak to hit the kelp beds with. its spooled with 40lb power pro with a 20lb hybrid (smoke) top shot. Was wondering whats the most effective way of catching YT? I keep reading about surface irons but when I went to go look at some I wasnt sure which type to get. The really heavy ones (taddy) or the lighter more reflective ones (sumo?)

and, if you are to use live bait, whats the best way to rig em? Fly lining? dropper looped?

Thanks in advance

I would boost that up to 65lb braid and a 40lb flourocarbon top shot. The first place the yellows head for is the kelp. And as I found out this weekend, even after you get them out of one kelp bush, even two, they head over to the next one.

will do.

suggestions or bait/lures?

I am mostly a live bait person, I both fly line and drop one down close to the bottom. I got hooked up on a spanish mac near the bottom Saturday. My buddy got hooked up with a soupfin on the bottom as well. Nothing went for the flylined mac except a overzelous dolphin. THAT was a ride.

in my opinion... yt smash pacific mackerel most readily in LJ compared to spanish macs or sardines. i used a fly lined 1/0 Owner saltwater ringed live bait hook on 20# fluoro topshot with 65# spectra. i was lucky that the line didnt break. i have purchased some 25# and 30# fluoro. like i said... i will be out there saturday and you are more than welcome to fish with my friend and i. we are also relatively new to LJ kayak fishing, but my buddy is not new to YT fishing (he has a boat too). send me a pm if you want to meet up on saturday.

thanks man. I would love to get out there Saturday, gotta work though. im also getting a little nervous about having a narrow twelve footer out there. Especially with all the grey suit reports. it would be the first time I take it in the ocean. I went tandem kayaking there out of OEX but our hobie was rock solid, i couldnt flip it if I tried. My kayak I feel (in lakes) like I could tip it easily with a push of a wake... maybe a couple more yaks on the lake and ill be more stable and have more confidence.


Side note; small world, I live in Menifee too. You fish any of the local lakes around here? Perris has been great for kayak bassing lately.

65# Power pro to a short topshot of 40# fluoro. You can get by with 30# fluoro, but if they eat 30# they'll eat 40# imho when it comes to fluoro.

You're reel is fine. The rod? I personally would go with at 30-60# type of rod for live baiting.

actually just looked at my rod and its a medium action, not medium/heavy. Since Ill also be bottom fishing dropper loops, can I get by sticking with this rod or should I up it to a medium heavy/heavy? The ugly Stik tigers have tremendous backbones and much if the give in the rod is the first 8 inches. I just dont know what kind of action ill be getting when i decide to throw live/taddy/irons etc...

No, I've been having too much fun on the ocean lately. And it is a lot cooler there right now. Where abouts do you live in Menifee?

over behind the old folks home thats on Valley Blvd. Sun City (though now its all Menifee i think)

ya its pretty hot. I wanna make the trip down to LJ but need to get a few more runs on my yak before I brave the waves (only been out three times so far)

Grey suits are good. Seal population is out of control! Keeps the crowds down at the launch as well. :)

if i was in a wider, 14-16 footer, I wouldnt mind AS much. AND, my yak is sand colored. Aka, FLESH colored. haha

so aside from LJ, would dana point be pretty good too? I was looking at the kelp beds there that are pretty close to the beach. Anyone fish those? Id like to hit some calicos and what not.

I go out to DP all the time. There are several areas that are known to house Calico and Sand bass. One area that is popular is the pipline. It is pretty close to the harbor entrance and goes out a good distance. Head out to the red bouy at the harbor entrance, go about 200 yards south from there and look for a hump on the bottom on your fish finder. The pipeline goes straight out from there.

You can also try along the beach, I have been getting some Calico's there ercently, and there is a lot of kelp to the south that can be productive, to the north as well. Do some exploring too, there are all kinds of surprises out there.

I live off Scott Road across from the Revival church. Perhaps we can link up sometime, PM me for contact info.

The outfit you have sounds fine for YT. Like the others said, I would go with the heavier briad and fluoro. The heavy of string might sound like overkill but the YT I've seen and caught this year have been close to the kelp or right in it. YT have tough mouth and you can pull so much harder than you think you can on them. I switched to bigger hooks, 3/0 to 5/0 or 6/0. When pulling a big YT plus several hundred pounds of kelp to the surface you'll be glad you have the heavier gear. Mike