2008 MOYER TOURNAMENT - MEMORABLE!!!!!

[LocoKayako]

September 7th, 2002 is the day I lost my ultimate fishing buddy, my father, to cancer. Fishing was/is our father-son thing ever since I was able hold a fishing rod and reel. Before he passed, we had gone together looking for a kayak to buy. After he passed, I didn't do any type of fishing for one full year. My family, a very close family, encouraged me to start fishing again as that is what my father would have wanted. For this reason, the Moyer tournament has always been important to me, along with Donate a Life and other events benefitting cancer research.

Excuse the long story as I'm beyond stoked.

Now for the report. Greg, Keith and I planned on staying the night at a hotel to avoid the 1 hour sleep for a full day of fishing. It worked out well since we got 6 hours of sleep and a hot shower before our early morning launch. My plan was to get some sardines, make some more bait by the hotel, see if this area was fishy, and if not, head north.
Keith, Greg and I headed north and began fishing. I started in deeper water and worked my way in. The day was pretty slow and I began to pull a TMAN, and began to dose off. Got a small octopus, and then beagn to wake up again. Drifted different areas for not much action and missed two hali bites. Pulled the bait fromt he fish both times as they just mouthed the bait forever. Decided to put on a trap hook and got two shorts. By this time I was thinking, I'm gonna head in soon.
I decided to head north passed the pier and let the wind puch me back in. Well on the way to the pier my line peels out for 2-3 seconds then stops. I reel in some line and now I'm on top of the fish and feel the weight. I began to reel, but was not gaining any line. I had to tighten the drag little by little until I was able to reel and gain some line. THe fish began to come up, one little head shake and not much else. As I see color see the 'butt is hanging straight up and down, but can't see the whole fish. I cut my other line that was out, and grabbed my gaff and exposed the hook. I had to think about how I was gonna gaff this fish as the wind is pushing me in, but the halibut was working just like a drift-chute. Put the gaff in my left hand and rod and reel in the right, and gave a gentle continous pull towards me and hte halibut laid out perfectly, and stuck her good. quickly threw my rod between my legs and grabbed the gaff with both hands. The 'butt went crazy. I was holding onto the gaff with both hands and just trying to follow the butts movements and keep the gaff i her. I was thinking "I'm gonna flip!"Then she pops off the gaff and I see her start to sink out. I'm thinking, "I just lost her." then my rods begins to move, yes she's still on. Get her back upt, and stick her again, but don't see the end of the hook.
By this time, a kayaker, in a blue kayak, is going by and I ask for a second gaff. Sorry I didn't get your name. He starts to give me his gaff, but by this time, the 'butt is calm and the game clip is in her. I reach behind by seat to get my wooden dowell with rope, and its not there! Adi see's the commotion, comes over to help, throws me his game clip with rope and is yelling with excitement, "Tie it off!! TIE IT OFF!! TIE IT OOOOFFFF!!!!!" She's tied off and Adi yell, "Go! GO NOW!!"
I start the paddle to the beach, leaving the 'butt in the water as she was calm as if I had stuck her in the brain. I thought about putting her on the yak, but I figured if I took her out of the water she'd go crazy and I'd flip for sure. I saw she was calm so I let her be and paddled hard to the beach and dragging her in the water. Didn't look to time the small surf and just paddled in. Caught a small wave, and yelled at a tourist "MOVE!!!" She moved as the wave took me right by her. Jumped off my yak and ran my yak onto the neach, threw the 'butt on the yak, got my keys and ran to my truck. As I ran to my truck I began to gag, as my cardiovascular conditioning is not where it should be.
Got to my truck, got the wheels and ran back to the beach. Plopped my yak on th wheels, and began a brisk walk to my truck, stopping every now and then to rest. Then the ICEMAN comes and lends me a hand for little bit until I catch my breath.
Threw everything in my truck, 'butt in the cooler and off we go. Stopped really quick for 2 bags of ice, then off to south shores. Got there with enough time and placed her on the scale and she was hitting the ground. Placed her on the scale by the gills and saw the weight. I was stoked as I though she was only 35# or so on the water. She was bigger than I thought. 5 minutes later Gergo rolls up with a big smile. YESSSS. Nice job Greg. We weight his fish, and he nneds a ride back to LJ as he needs to get all his stuff. I realize that I was kinda shaking as I was so stoked.
Got to the south shores again and we missed the food, but its all good. Finally able to relax.
Called my family and my sister tells me, "I can't believe this. I just went to the store and bought some halibut to grill for tomorrow for Dad's anniversary." Oh well.
That's my memorable day in the most meaningful tournament to me. Thank you Jim and family, Matt and family, OEX, Brent, CJ, and Costa del Mar, love the polarized shades.
Thank you Adi, what you did says a lot about who you are, BWE and the kayak fishing community. I remember doing the same for a friend in a Dana point tourny a few years ago. Thank you to the other gentlemen in the blue yak.

Oh, fed 20 people at my familie's annual gathering to remember my father. The dinner table was silent was my family gobbled down the fresh halibut. I know my pops was with all of us.

Here are some random pics, but no on the water shots as there was no time.:



Thank you Kiyo for the photos.

Tight lines all.

Gabe

[Billy V]

Congratulations on your trophy Halibut.

What was the official weight ?

[steveooo]

You Da Man Gabe

[Holy Mackerel]

BARN DOOR!!!! Congrats Gabe, a nicer guy couldn't have won this coveted tourney!

[JPSURF]

Congrats Gabe!!!!

Fish of a lifetime and i am sure your father was watching you battle her!!

JP

[Grego]

Great post Gabe....no more pity for you when you don't catch fish! Oh yeah...thanks for the extra ice you gave us on the beach Josh (Darkhorse), he didn't have any use for it and so dumped in our cooler while we loaded my yak to help keep our catch cool, much appreciated.

Grego

[Dan]

Great fish story. Congrats on the win and the thick fillets off that monster halibut.

[T-Rex]

Gabe,

Thanks for the write up and congrats on the monster flatty. What a great tribute to your dad!

[CandyCatcher]

Amazing Story! Great Fish! Super stoked for you!

[Snork]

Also lost my Pops to cancer in '97. Had it not been for fishing i would have lost my life to drugs. Its fish like that, which give guys like me hope. Very Awesome Fish. Way to go!

Ray