My gaff didn't float!!!! - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

PapaDave · 07-20-2015, 12:06 PM

Fished Dana Point Saturday, headed off shore to try my luck for tuna. On the way out was trolling a rapala and a mackeral. The rapala rod goes off big time. Yep, it's a thresher. tail hooked. Bummer. Fought it for about an hour getting it to the kayak, it's big, well over 100. The tail is the only thing I can get to so I grab the gaff, extend it out as far as it will go and sink it in the base of the tail. Big mistake, it exploded, taking my gaff with it. It should have floated up, it says it's a floating gaff, but didn't. Another 10 minutes to get the fish back to the yak, grab some rope and make a loop, touched the tail and off it goes again, this time the line pops.

So I continue out about 4-5 miles, and suddenly the rod with the new rapala goes off again. Okay, now we're talking, doesn't seem like a big fish so I'm thinking bonito, small yellow or tuna. Get it to the yak and it's a stingray. What the heck?!?!?!

Then came the rain, lightening and thunder. Time to head back, but since I am soaked I figure I might as well cruise by the point. This time the mac gets hit twice and the line starts screaming out. It's another T, but since there was no leader it cut through the line fairly quickly.

And that was it.

FlyFishinYakr · 07-20-2015, 04:19 PM

Sorry to hear about your gaff...That sucks

.
I'll bet it was a PROMAR wasn't it? Doesn't sound like the tail loop fared much better.
Also glad to read you weren't injured by the tail too. (You're lucky you weren't accidentally "smacked" by the tail!).
FFY

radastaff · 07-20-2015, 05:05 PM

I had the exact same plan
glad I cleaned reels instead
at home

attached floaty to my gaff
maybe we could fill our promars with that spray foam inside the handle?

FISH11 · 07-20-2015, 05:56 PM

Bet if you had targeted Threshers then you would have caught Tuna, right!

taggermike · 07-20-2015, 06:38 PM

Most things made to float are made to float at the surface. If the shark took the gaff down too far the floatation material may have been crushed or a water proof air chamber may have failed. Threshers are just tough to handle. Mike

DanaPT · 07-20-2015, 10:03 PM

Yeah... tail slapped by a thresher with 2 or 3 sets of treble hooks sounds like a disaster.

PapaDave · 07-21-2015, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FISH11

Bet if you had targeted Threshers then you would have caught Tuna, right!

I have a habit of doing that...

LBKayakDude · 07-20-2015, 10:50 PM

Those promar gaffs most definitely do not float. Dropped mine in the water one time and it sank like a stone. Hard to understand why they say they float? They really don't, at all... 😉 😏

Platano · 07-21-2015, 09:19 AM

What kind of Rapala? Curious on what attracted those shark species.

Sheephead · 07-21-2015, 09:30 AM

Did you lip hook the ray or just snag it? Sorry you lost your gaff :/

PapaDave · 07-21-2015, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheephead

Did you lip hook the ray or just snag it? Sorry you lost your gaff :/

It was hooked in the mouth, it was trying to eat it.

parkermann · 07-21-2015, 12:21 PM

There is a type of pelagic stingray. We caught one 25 miles out of Dana point last year

PapaDave · 07-21-2015, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platano

What kind of Rapala? Curious on what attracted those shark species.

I was using one of the new ones, a deep diver 30, in a yellowfin tuna pattern.

07-20-2015, 12:06 PM	#1
PapaDave Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Menifee, CA Posts: 1,473	My gaff didn't float!!!! Fished Dana Point Saturday, headed off shore to try my luck for tuna. On the way out was trolling a rapala and a mackeral. The rapala rod goes off big time. Yep, it's a thresher. tail hooked. Bummer. Fought it for about an hour getting it to the kayak, it's big, well over 100. The tail is the only thing I can get to so I grab the gaff, extend it out as far as it will go and sink it in the base of the tail. Big mistake, it exploded, taking my gaff with it. It should have floated up, it says it's a floating gaff, but didn't. Another 10 minutes to get the fish back to the yak, grab some rope and make a loop, touched the tail and off it goes again, this time the line pops. So I continue out about 4-5 miles, and suddenly the rod with the new rapala goes off again. Okay, now we're talking, doesn't seem like a big fish so I'm thinking bonito, small yellow or tuna. Get it to the yak and it's a stingray. What the heck?!?!?! Then came the rain, lightening and thunder. Time to head back, but since I am soaked I figure I might as well cruise by the point. This time the mac gets hit twice and the line starts screaming out. It's another T, but since there was no leader it cut through the line fairly quickly. And that was it. __________________ So long and thanks for all the fish...

07-20-2015, 05:56 PM	#4
FISH11 Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Pine Valley when not fishing La Jolla Posts: 2,643	Bet if you had targeted Threshers then you would have caught Tuna, right! __________________ MARK ......... 2016 MALIBU X FACTOR, 2020 SOLO SKIFF (Fishing Kayak on Steroids )

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07-20-2015, 04:19 PM	#2
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	Sorry to hear about your gaff...That sucks . I'll bet it was a PROMAR wasn't it? Doesn't sound like the tail loop fared much better. Also glad to read you weren't injured by the tail too. (You're lucky you weren't accidentally "smacked" by the tail!). FFY

07-20-2015, 05:05 PM	#3
radastaff Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 314	I had the exact same plan glad I cleaned reels instead at home attached floaty to my gaff maybe we could fill our promars with that spray foam inside the handle?

07-20-2015, 06:38 PM	#5
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	Most things made to float are made to float at the surface. If the shark took the gaff down too far the floatation material may have been crushed or a water proof air chamber may have failed. Threshers are just tough to handle. Mike

07-20-2015, 10:03 PM	#6
DanaPT Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: South OC Posts: 1,606	Yeah... tail slapped by a thresher with 2 or 3 sets of treble hooks sounds like a disaster.

07-20-2015, 10:50 PM	#8
LBKayakDude Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 193	Those promar gaffs most definitely do not float. Dropped mine in the water one time and it sank like a stone. Hard to understand why they say they float? They really don't, at all... 😉 😏

07-21-2015, 09:19 AM	#9
Platano Junior Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Inland empire Posts: 13	What kind of Rapala? Curious on what attracted those shark species.

07-21-2015, 09:30 AM	#10
Sheephead Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 115	Did you lip hook the ray or just snag it? Sorry you lost your gaff :/

07-21-2015, 12:21 PM	#12
parkermann Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 63	There is a type of pelagic stingray. We caught one 25 miles out of Dana point last year