Dana Point 06-26 - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

PapaDave · 06-27-2011, 06:00 PM

Nice day on the water, decided to try the headlands to see what's up. Caught a nice sandie outside the harbor and then moved on. A ton of boats at the kelp including a couple of party boats. Rather crowded with folks driving between everyone. Anyway, saw some birds working off shore a bit so headed out there to see a lot of porpoises feeding. I thought, "Gee, maybe there is something under these guys" so I flyined a sardine. I always thought that porpoises were too smart to take a sardine with a hook, I was wrong. Was a quick fight, 20secs if that.

So I headed back to the boats and flylined some sardines getting mostly short bites. Tried a krocodile and managed to catch three short barracudas. After a bit decided to head back to the pipeline (?Like I know where that is, but the general area) for a couple of bass and then head home. I fugured I'd leave the kroc out on the off chance there was a legal cuda around.

So there I am navigating all the wakes when the light spinning outfit I was using for the cudas started singing, loudly. So I pick it up and there is something rather large on the other end. Cuda? Yellowtail? maybe... WSB? No way, not that lucky... So the line is singing out and all of a sudden I am watching a Thresher shark jumping out of the water. Whoa... and Yeeehhhaaa.

The first 20 minutes or so was spectacular, runs, jumps. Even had a couple of boats stop to watch and cheer me on. But after that it got boring, at least for the spectators, they left. Just a vertical tug of war with neither party gaining or loosing much ground for 30-40 minutes. Unfortunately, the reel being on the light end, it just didn't have the moxy to bring it home quickly. The end came when shark stared coming up, making a slow run. Just when I thought I finally had him he turned towrd the boat and I was a little slow in getting the slack in and the hook literally dropped out of it's mouth. AAAaahhhhh!

Anyway, maybe that was a good thing as I have never landed a large fish, let alone thresher shark, in the kayak before and by this time was all alone, not a boat in sight. That being said, how would one go about landing a thresher in the kayak?

dick fabulous · 06-27-2011, 07:10 PM

If you wish to just pull it up over the side and land it then I would suggest sitting on your nuts at a minimum. I'm just saying.

FlyFishinYakr · 06-29-2011, 10:52 PM

Ever thought about a long dehooking tool (like an ARC)?
I carry one for just one reason "C n R".
FFY

06-27-2011, 06:00 PM	#1
PapaDave Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Menifee, CA Posts: 1,473	Dana Point 06-26 Nice day on the water, decided to try the headlands to see what's up. Caught a nice sandie outside the harbor and then moved on. A ton of boats at the kelp including a couple of party boats. Rather crowded with folks driving between everyone. Anyway, saw some birds working off shore a bit so headed out there to see a lot of porpoises feeding. I thought, "Gee, maybe there is something under these guys" so I flyined a sardine. I always thought that porpoises were too smart to take a sardine with a hook, I was wrong. Was a quick fight, 20secs if that. So I headed back to the boats and flylined some sardines getting mostly short bites. Tried a krocodile and managed to catch three short barracudas. After a bit decided to head back to the pipeline (?Like I know where that is, but the general area) for a couple of bass and then head home. I fugured I'd leave the kroc out on the off chance there was a legal cuda around. So there I am navigating all the wakes when the light spinning outfit I was using for the cudas started singing, loudly. So I pick it up and there is something rather large on the other end. Cuda? Yellowtail? maybe... WSB? No way, not that lucky... So the line is singing out and all of a sudden I am watching a Thresher shark jumping out of the water. Whoa... and Yeeehhhaaa. The first 20 minutes or so was spectacular, runs, jumps. Even had a couple of boats stop to watch and cheer me on. But after that it got boring, at least for the spectators, they left. Just a vertical tug of war with neither party gaining or loosing much ground for 30-40 minutes. Unfortunately, the reel being on the light end, it just didn't have the moxy to bring it home quickly. The end came when shark stared coming up, making a slow run. Just when I thought I finally had him he turned towrd the boat and I was a little slow in getting the slack in and the hook literally dropped out of it's mouth. AAAaahhhhh! Anyway, maybe that was a good thing as I have never landed a large fish, let alone thresher shark, in the kayak before and by this time was all alone, not a boat in sight. That being said, how would one go about landing a thresher in the kayak?

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06-27-2011, 07:10 PM	#2
dick fabulous Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 90	If you wish to just pull it up over the side and land it then I would suggest sitting on your nuts at a minimum. I'm just saying.

06-29-2011, 10:52 PM	#3
FlyFishinYakr Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Nor Cal...30 min from Bodega/Tomales Bay, 1hr from Clear Lake, 2+ hr to Berryessa & the Delta Posts: 729	Ever thought about a long dehooking tool (like an ARC)? I carry one for just one reason "C n R". FFY