5/26 Point Loma Report -- Irons/Kelp/Spectra Question

[5-20]

This is actually a boat report but I have some yak related thoughts. My buddy was cool enough to extend an invite to go out of Mission Bay this morning. We ran to the PL area. It was the first time I finally made it out on a boat onto the Pacific and it was really so cool being able to look into the depths of that kelp forest. Didn't really try to measure the water clarity but it had to be at least 20'?

Anyway, I threw a bunch of stuff on that new Phenix PSW 700H. Last night, I first put a Cardiff 400 on it but that rod just didn't feel right, so I hesitantly decided to see how a Curado 300e that I've used as a freshwater swimbait reel for the last 3 years would make the rod feel, and oh yeah, totally made the rod feel light and fun! So I told the reel it was being sacrificed, put fresh 65 lb. pp on it and paired that with a 40 lb. seaguar blue label leader.

I tried a ton of different stuff, but primarily gave most of the time to throwing a salas 6x, 6xjr and a big hammer style swimbait. I got snagged a few times, and wow, that 700h is an absolute beast. I pulled on the rod as hard as I could just to see if I could bottom it out, and I'm not entirely sure I ever fully made that happen. I was making awesome casts with both of the salas irons, too. Really liking everything about the 700h so far.

But funny -- I went into Chalet Sports yesterday and that 7'0 MH Tiger Ugly Stik (30-60 I think) they had looked and felt like an awfully good rod for $65, too!

Anyway, my question is.... every time I got snagged with my rod... I had a dickens of a time getting my lure free. I tried every trick in the book and the only thing that worked was having my buddy start up the boat so I could exert a direct pull on the lure with the line wrapped around a stick or handle of some sort.

How do you get unstuck when you're in a kayak fishing that type of heavy line? It almost seems like you'd need to cut the line most of the time. Hate the idea of needing to do that...

Another question -- how are you fishing heavy irons around kelp? Are you looking for channels or identifying clear areas with your fishfinder, or mostly trying to work them in the mid to upper part of the water column to avoid snags? If I tried fishing them close to or off the bottom, I'd usually have my worst snags then...

No fish for me until I tied on a sabiki and caught a bunch of bait but by then we needed to get off the water. My friend fished small sardines most of the time and caught 3-4 small bass.

Ahh, an absolutely great day, regardless!!! Oh yeah, the boats around us didn't seem to be catching much either.

Thanks for any/all tips, dudes!!!

[Cadillyak]

I think typically around the kelp,and kayak Fishin in general, surface irons are used which are much lighter than the heavy yo-yo type jigs. Just my 2 cents as I don't typically throw irons in the forest.

[5-20]

Cool, thanks, Caddy.

Are most of you cutting your lures or bait off when you get snagged?

[CKallday71]

With Irons when I get snagged I will grab the spectra and pull up on it as hard as possible and then let the iron fall to the ground. This will sometimes take half a dozen tries but eventually it normally pops off and comes up. I've lost a couple jig heads but never an iron doing this.

CK

[taggermike]

If you're fishing 40 lb and get stuck in the kelp you should be able to rip it loose. On a kayak I pull myself over until I'm straight up and down over the snag and pull hard. You won't break 40 on kelp. Heavy iron is tough to use inn the kelp. Some times you can drop one straight down through gaps in the kelp but casting one around the kelp is not so good. Mike

[chris138]

I like using megabaits in the kelp. they seem to tear through better.