Ghost Fever... - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

THE DARKHORSE · 03-23-2009, 02:12 PM

Well, it's that time of year again as we transition from sixty-five degrees and sunny everyday to seventy three degrees and sunny everyday...spring is here. The water temp is holding right around sixty, but you can just feel the change in the air. The first wave of Barricuda has showed up with what seems like a new wave of life. I'm still hopeful we'll get that last big Northwest swell, but the way most of the winter went I'm glad I have fishing to keep my mind off the swells that never came. That said, I'm thankful we had a lackluster surf season because the fishing from last fall through the colder months has been spectacular. I'm not saying you could just plop yourself in front of the condo with a dead-stick iron or simply drag around some Mackerel to no avail, but for those who pay attention to the ever changing patterns and willing to hunt, the stock of fish in La Jolla is thriving. As of late I could see beautiful bird piles outside that would of had me pedaling as fast as I could two weeks ago, but Yellowtail are available year round and I try to prioratize my trophy hunts. This is the time of year to put that fresh spectra on. Maybe spend a little more time with the weighted carolina rigs along the kelp and hunt for that elusive fish who might take you years to catch. White Seabass are the Bluefin Tuna of kayak fishing, equally annoying as they are beautiful. Fishing for them reminds me of when I was a deckhand on private boats with Bluefin jumping all around the boat and boiling on all the Anchovies I threw in the water, but wouldn't even touch 15 lb flourocarbon...smart fish. White Seabass are much smarter than most will ever know. Sure, during a squid-bite in water over a hundred feet, with live squid on the bottom and a limited amount of light in the early morning hours, your chances go up a notch. But, for those who have spent years waking up at 4:00 a.m. and trolling the kelp until they're blue in the face with nothing to show, you probably get the Bluefin analogy.

Some people tend to confuse the amount of White Seabass swimming around by the small number of them caught. We all know the stock of these fish has been on the rise since the gill nets have been pulled, but the hard work from the awesome people at Hubbs is obviously working. Being a sight fisherman, trust me, over the years I'm blown away by the increasing numbers of fish I see swimming below. White Seabass in particular are so damn smart, even with the skilled divers who have quite the advantage over the guys with spectra and patience, their numbers are without a doubt destined to explode in the years to come. Even if we didn't close one inch of precious coastline from "the only people who really care about this fishery", the fisherman themselves.

Here's a fish who let his guard down for a split second, the question is will you be there for that moment in time?

A local angler who I respect for more than his fishing skills recently mentioned the proposal of a possible plan B, maybe focusing on the legal route to save our precious fishery from the obviously corrupt, over funded bias jury we face. I know quite a few anglers who'd be willing to donate a healthy chunk to something that made us feel like we have a shot. From what I've gathered we have plenty of evidence from investors who would qualify as having a "conflict of interest". Not to take away anything from what our great representatives are doing for the kayak community now, but a battlefield has many fronts to cover. Paul you cover the front, we'll flank them from the back.

Here's a fish of a lifetime that even though they're in great numbers most will never see one attached to their hook.

Released to fight another day...probably paired up by now with an attractive male.

I'm well aware of the survival rate of these fish, even though supposedly properly handled with circle-hooks, netted and carefully taken to large fish tanks a percentage of them don't survive. Some will say "you see, even if you let them go they will die". My opinion is if you take a magnificent, brilliant fish, away from their home with the schools of fish they consider family I'm surprised any of the larger smarter fish survive the shock of relocating to a confined tank. I'm very thankful to the awesome people at Hubbs for the obvious effect they've had on the current White Seabass stock. The fish that are relocated to tanks are responsible for more fish being put back into the system than a whole school in the wild if you consider the quantum leap advantage they have by taking away the predators during the formative years the fingerlings face. I'm in no way saying you should lift a big White Seabass out of the water for a photo opportunity, especially if you haven't handled thousands of fish before. This fish was brought to the surface in a minute, hooked in the corner of the mouth, dragged with oxygen rich water for a couple of minutes, then carefully lifted for a super quick photo opportunity. This fish had a giant belly that I would of loved to show off with a lifted pose, but notice that belly is fully supported by my leg and hidden. If done properly and quickly it's possible to slide the fish up and over your leg with a tiny fraction of their weight and less stress on the fish. I've heard the crap about "oh she came to the surface belly-up, I had to take her", but so do Black Seabass even if brought to the surface in a couple of minutes from 30' of water. I think it's the instinct of playing Opossum as much as it could be fatigue. I've released countless Black Seabass without ever having to puncture the air bladder (a big no-no due to the probability of infection) and plenty of trophy White Seabass over the years. I'm confident that any white Seabass who didn't have to endure baby-drag for an extended period of time will release just fine with proper handling. Especially if caught from shallow water and dragged for a while with fresh oxygen over the gills.

Here's video of the best possible feeling derived from a fishing adventure, a feeling most will never let themselves enjoy.
http://larryl.com/images/WhiteSeabas...Spring2009.wmv

linghunter · 03-23-2009, 02:28 PM

F work

! Next time I leave my phone in the car.

Paul

esdees · 03-23-2009, 02:37 PM

Very cool vid. Thanks for sharing.

Sebastian · 03-23-2009, 03:36 PM

Awesome video!

Dan · 03-23-2009, 02:33 PM

Way to push the Limits!

Fiskadoro · 03-23-2009, 03:54 PM

Great Video... especially the end

Jim

jimbo · 03-23-2009, 04:25 PM

Well done!

blackcloud9 · 03-23-2009, 04:29 PM

Nice fish Josh. Just amazing to watch.

Better Quality Remix - http://larryl.com/images/WhiteSeabas...Spring2009.wmv

Well, it was like a dream to watch her swim away like that. Happy.

Obviously I got to witness this unique event, and the timing is perfect. I'm
looking forward to presenting three Kayak White Seabass Seminars at
the Fred Hall Show, Del Mar, this weekend.

Show times are this Friday at 5:30 pm, Saturday at 12:30 pm and Sunday at
12:30 pm

Lots of great speakers and information, new kayaks and gear, I encourage
everyone to come join the fun. (Waterboarding is strictly prohibited, I
actually saw nothing.)

It's time.

Larry

Geoffkoop · 03-23-2009, 04:53 PM

Very cool photos and video!

JPSURF · 03-23-2009, 05:24 PM

Very cool stuff right there Sir!!!!!!!!!!

JP

joyjiggin' · 03-23-2009, 05:58 PM

Thank you for filming and posting that video! Feels like I was there!

blackcloud9 · 03-24-2009, 09:41 PM

Oh shoot I guess I've all been "poaching" Black Seabass, bocaccio, short
calicos and halibut and small white seabass "illegally" too all of these
years, and then releasing them carefully. Yawn.

And oh crap, the secret's out on the mysterious objects. Could it be
the bread he was using to chum up the mighty breadball eating bait (hint
hint), or, just dinner, or maybe a sponge? You decide. Watch the video
again.

The truth is I know plenty of guys who would've been yelling "who wants a
42 pounder" while they were still reeling. Josh didn't flinch. Listen to the video.

Matt · 03-24-2009, 09:45 PM

FUNNY STUFF BOYS!!!! All these people lobbing insults and insinuating things don't seem to have real names.......wow way to stand by your convictions! If your gonna lob insults, insinuate nasty things, call people names, be mean...etc....at least have the courage to stand up and be a MAN. Put your name down! Don't hide behind anonimity, stand by those convictions! Don't create a fake account, post a inflammatory post and then hide......

MY REAL NAME IS MATTHEW FALLON

driftwood · 03-24-2009, 10:11 PM

What do you expect from a guy who calls himself CHICKEN?

lamb · 03-25-2009, 01:08 AM

Nice work Josh, WTG on the release!

Nice video Larry! No wonder you were out in the woods on Sunday...

That wind was nasty.

I was happy to get a shot to try over the weekend. No luck.

I have seen a familiar face proudly sporting OEX shirt on Saturday though, with a nicely remodeled deck. He wasn't even riding an almighty Hobie, he was on a good ol' eXtreme.

I was fortunate to be able to help him release some of his trophy... ...through my digestive system.

It was delicious.

Whazup with a freshly registered DFG rules interpretor characters? Post a cool report, catch a big fish.

jasmin · 03-25-2009, 01:12 AM

I'm ok.

Big thanks Nate for the assist.

cioppino · 03-24-2009, 10:01 PM

Name: clock.jpg
Views: 3300
Size: 4.9 KB

Look at it this way. If you spend more of your time online complaining than actually fishing, chances are you are going to catch fewer fish. No need to be bitter about it.

The simple fact that there are more and more big fish being caught and sometimes released should be evidence of a thriving fishery. One that has come way back with commercial fishing restrictions, restocking efforts, size restrictions, and take limits. If people never posted images of big fish because they were simply not being caught, I think that would be a better argument in support of closures.

Nice video, pics, and story.

Willy · 03-25-2009, 07:51 AM

Three types of kids go to a magic show:

The first type is the gullable kid; they love the show, they think the magic is really magic, they cheer the magician.

The second type is the kid who knows the magic isn't magic, but craft, and that kid too enjoys the show, but for what it is, entertainment. He too appluads the magician. What a showman!

The third type is the insecure kid; the one who sits in the back, muttering 'oh, that's just a trick, I can do that, I know how he does that, that lion dosen't have teeth, that bird is fake...' but is really jealous of the showman. Really wishing he had the guts and talent to do his own show, but knowing inside he has neither.

Funny, that third kind of type always goes to the magic show anyway...

Gotta love psuedo-intellegent people who propose a riddle, and then never give one. Who criticize the magician, and can't do a show of their own.

Food for thought,
Willy

wiseguy · 03-25-2009, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willy

Three types of kids go to a magic show:

The first type is the gullable kid; they love the show, they think the magic is really magic, they cheer the magician.

The second type is the kid who knows the magic isn't magic, but craft, and that kid too enjoys the show, but for what it is, entertainment. He too appluads the magician. What a showman!

The third type is the insecure kid; the one who sits in the back, muttering 'oh, that's just a trick, I can do that, I know how he does that, that lion dosen't have teeth, that bird is fake...' but is really jealous of the showman. Really wishing he had the guts and talent to do his own show, but knowing inside he has neither.

Funny, that third kind of type always goes to the magic show anyway...

Gotta love psuedo-intellegent people who propose a riddle, and then never give one. Who criticize the magician, and can't do a show of their own.

Food for thought,
Willy

Willy,

Very, very well said.

Quilted Germ · 03-25-2009, 08:27 AM

My only question is...why post if you feel the need to photoshop the pic? I can already tell this is going to make someguys get all chapped, but it just seems a little odd. I'm sure we'll get a good explanation that will put the nay sayers to rest. Hopefully this wont stop Dark Horse from posting in the future as his posts get me fired up to get out there and fish.

Gregg Patrick Hartness

03-23-2009, 02:12 PM	#1
THE DARKHORSE Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Seven minutes from the launch! Posts: 987	Ghost Fever... Well, it's that time of year again as we transition from sixty-five degrees and sunny everyday to seventy three degrees and sunny everyday...spring is here. The water temp is holding right around sixty, but you can just feel the change in the air. The first wave of Barricuda has showed up with what seems like a new wave of life. I'm still hopeful we'll get that last big Northwest swell, but the way most of the winter went I'm glad I have fishing to keep my mind off the swells that never came. That said, I'm thankful we had a lackluster surf season because the fishing from last fall through the colder months has been spectacular. I'm not saying you could just plop yourself in front of the condo with a dead-stick iron or simply drag around some Mackerel to no avail, but for those who pay attention to the ever changing patterns and willing to hunt, the stock of fish in La Jolla is thriving. As of late I could see beautiful bird piles outside that would of had me pedaling as fast as I could two weeks ago, but Yellowtail are available year round and I try to prioratize my trophy hunts. This is the time of year to put that fresh spectra on. Maybe spend a little more time with the weighted carolina rigs along the kelp and hunt for that elusive fish who might take you years to catch. White Seabass are the Bluefin Tuna of kayak fishing, equally annoying as they are beautiful. Fishing for them reminds me of when I was a deckhand on private boats with Bluefin jumping all around the boat and boiling on all the Anchovies I threw in the water, but wouldn't even touch 15 lb flourocarbon...smart fish. White Seabass are much smarter than most will ever know. Sure, during a squid-bite in water over a hundred feet, with live squid on the bottom and a limited amount of light in the early morning hours, your chances go up a notch. But, for those who have spent years waking up at 4:00 a.m. and trolling the kelp until they're blue in the face with nothing to show, you probably get the Bluefin analogy. Some people tend to confuse the amount of White Seabass swimming around by the small number of them caught. We all know the stock of these fish has been on the rise since the gill nets have been pulled, but the hard work from the awesome people at Hubbs is obviously working. Being a sight fisherman, trust me, over the years I'm blown away by the increasing numbers of fish I see swimming below. White Seabass in particular are so damn smart, even with the skilled divers who have quite the advantage over the guys with spectra and patience, their numbers are without a doubt destined to explode in the years to come. Even if we didn't close one inch of precious coastline from "the only people who really care about this fishery", the fisherman themselves. Here's a fish who let his guard down for a split second, the question is will you be there for that moment in time? A local angler who I respect for more than his fishing skills recently mentioned the proposal of a possible plan B, maybe focusing on the legal route to save our precious fishery from the obviously corrupt, over funded bias jury we face. I know quite a few anglers who'd be willing to donate a healthy chunk to something that made us feel like we have a shot. From what I've gathered we have plenty of evidence from investors who would qualify as having a "conflict of interest". Not to take away anything from what our great representatives are doing for the kayak community now, but a battlefield has many fronts to cover. Paul you cover the front, we'll flank them from the back. Here's a fish of a lifetime that even though they're in great numbers most will never see one attached to their hook. Released to fight another day...probably paired up by now with an attractive male. I'm well aware of the survival rate of these fish, even though supposedly properly handled with circle-hooks, netted and carefully taken to large fish tanks a percentage of them don't survive. Some will say "you see, even if you let them go they will die". My opinion is if you take a magnificent, brilliant fish, away from their home with the schools of fish they consider family I'm surprised any of the larger smarter fish survive the shock of relocating to a confined tank. I'm very thankful to the awesome people at Hubbs for the obvious effect they've had on the current White Seabass stock. The fish that are relocated to tanks are responsible for more fish being put back into the system than a whole school in the wild if you consider the quantum leap advantage they have by taking away the predators during the formative years the fingerlings face. I'm in no way saying you should lift a big White Seabass out of the water for a photo opportunity, especially if you haven't handled thousands of fish before. This fish was brought to the surface in a minute, hooked in the corner of the mouth, dragged with oxygen rich water for a couple of minutes, then carefully lifted for a super quick photo opportunity. This fish had a giant belly that I would of loved to show off with a lifted pose, but notice that belly is fully supported by my leg and hidden. If done properly and quickly it's possible to slide the fish up and over your leg with a tiny fraction of their weight and less stress on the fish. I've heard the crap about "oh she came to the surface belly-up, I had to take her", but so do Black Seabass even if brought to the surface in a couple of minutes from 30' of water. I think it's the instinct of playing Opossum as much as it could be fatigue. I've released countless Black Seabass without ever having to puncture the air bladder (a big no-no due to the probability of infection) and plenty of trophy White Seabass over the years. I'm confident that any white Seabass who didn't have to endure baby-drag for an extended period of time will release just fine with proper handling. Especially if caught from shallow water and dragged for a while with fresh oxygen over the gills. Here's video of the best possible feeling derived from a fishing adventure, a feeling most will never let themselves enjoy. http://larryl.com/images/WhiteSeabas...Spring2009.wmv __________________ Last edited by THE DARKHORSE; 03-24-2009 at 01:51 PM.

03-23-2009, 02:28 PM	#2
linghunter skunk Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 61	You da man! F work! Next time I leave my phone in the car. Paul

03-23-2009, 04:25 PM	#7
jimbo Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: san diego Posts: 97	double! Well done! __________________ that's why they call it fishing

03-23-2009, 04:29 PM	#8
blackcloud9 Kayaker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Big Rock, WindanSea, La Jolla Posts: 413	Nice fish Josh. Just amazing to watch. Better Quality Remix - http://larryl.com/images/WhiteSeabas...Spring2009.wmv Well, it was like a dream to watch her swim away like that. Happy. Obviously I got to witness this unique event, and the timing is perfect. I'm looking forward to presenting three Kayak White Seabass Seminars at the Fred Hall Show, Del Mar, this weekend. Show times are this Friday at 5:30 pm, Saturday at 12:30 pm and Sunday at 12:30 pm Lots of great speakers and information, new kayaks and gear, I encourage everyone to come join the fun. (Waterboarding is strictly prohibited, I actually saw nothing.) It's time. Larry Last edited by blackcloud9; 03-24-2009 at 06:10 AM. Reason: Shameless plug; new video

03-24-2009, 09:41 PM	#12
blackcloud9 Kayaker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Big Rock, WindanSea, La Jolla Posts: 413	Oh shoot I guess I've all been "poaching" Black Seabass, bocaccio, short calicos and halibut and small white seabass "illegally" too all of these years, and then releasing them carefully. Yawn. And oh crap, the secret's out on the mysterious objects. Could it be the bread he was using to chum up the mighty breadball eating bait (hint hint), or, just dinner, or maybe a sponge? You decide. Watch the video again. The truth is I know plenty of guys who would've been yelling "who wants a 42 pounder" while they were still reeling. Josh didn't flinch. Listen to the video. Last edited by blackcloud9; 03-24-2009 at 10:47 PM.

03-23-2009, 02:37 PM	#3
esdees The Good Clone Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Clairemont Posts: 520	Very cool vid. Thanks for sharing.

03-23-2009, 03:36 PM	#4
Sebastian Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Carlsbad Posts: 35	Awesome video!

03-23-2009, 02:33 PM	#5
Dan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,053	Way to push the Limits!

03-23-2009, 03:54 PM	#6
Fiskadoro ....... Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,509	Great Video... especially the end Jim

03-23-2009, 04:53 PM	#9
Geoffkoop Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: So. Orange County Posts: 302	Very cool photos and video!

03-23-2009, 05:24 PM	#10
JPSURF Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 86	Very cool stuff right there Sir!!!!!!!!!! JP

03-23-2009, 05:58 PM	#11
joyjiggin' Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Huntington Beach Posts: 109	Thank you for filming and posting that video! Feels like I was there!

03-24-2009, 09:45 PM	#13
Matt Support your local pangas Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lj Posts: 976	FUNNY STUFF BOYS!!!! All these people lobbing insults and insinuating things don't seem to have real names.......wow way to stand by your convictions! If your gonna lob insults, insinuate nasty things, call people names, be mean...etc....at least have the courage to stand up and be a MAN. Put your name down! Don't hide behind anonimity, stand by those convictions! Don't create a fake account, post a inflammatory post and then hide...... MY REAL NAME IS MATTHEW FALLON __________________ Thanks Matt F.

03-24-2009, 10:11 PM	#14
driftwood Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SAN DIEGO Posts: 1,086	What do you expect from a guy who calls himself CHICKEN?

03-25-2009, 01:08 AM	#15
lamb Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,563	Nice work Josh, WTG on the release! Nice video Larry! No wonder you were out in the woods on Sunday... That wind was nasty. I was happy to get a shot to try over the weekend. No luck. I have seen a familiar face proudly sporting OEX shirt on Saturday though, with a nicely remodeled deck. He wasn't even riding an almighty Hobie, he was on a good ol' eXtreme. I was fortunate to be able to help him release some of his trophy... ...through my digestive system. It was delicious. Whazup with a freshly registered DFG rules interpretor characters? Post a cool report, catch a big fish. __________________ [------------------------ <)))< ....b-a-a-a-a

03-25-2009, 01:12 AM	#16
jasmin Junior Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 25	I'm ok. Big thanks Nate for the assist. __________________ baaah

03-24-2009, 10:01 PM	#17
cioppino Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: La Jolla Posts: 94	Look at it this way. If you spend more of your time online complaining than actually fishing, chances are you are going to catch fewer fish. No need to be bitter about it. The simple fact that there are more and more big fish being caught and sometimes released should be evidence of a thriving fishery. One that has come way back with commercial fishing restrictions, restocking efforts, size restrictions, and take limits. If people never posted images of big fish because they were simply not being caught, I think that would be a better argument in support of closures. Nice video, pics, and story.

03-25-2009, 07:51 AM	#18
Willy Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: La Jolla Posts: 189	Chicken dinner... Three types of kids go to a magic show: The first type is the gullable kid; they love the show, they think the magic is really magic, they cheer the magician. The second type is the kid who knows the magic isn't magic, but craft, and that kid too enjoys the show, but for what it is, entertainment. He too appluads the magician. What a showman! The third type is the insecure kid; the one who sits in the back, muttering 'oh, that's just a trick, I can do that, I know how he does that, that lion dosen't have teeth, that bird is fake...' but is really jealous of the showman. Really wishing he had the guts and talent to do his own show, but knowing inside he has neither. Funny, that third kind of type always goes to the magic show anyway... Gotta love psuedo-intellegent people who propose a riddle, and then never give one. Who criticize the magician, and can't do a show of their own. Food for thought, Willy

03-25-2009, 08:27 AM	#20
Quilted Germ Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cardiff, Ca Posts: 185	My only question is...why post if you feel the need to photoshop the pic? I can already tell this is going to make someguys get all chapped, but it just seems a little odd. I'm sure we'll get a good explanation that will put the nay sayers to rest. Hopefully this wont stop Dark Horse from posting in the future as his posts get me fired up to get out there and fish. Gregg Patrick Hartness Last edited by Quilted Germ; 03-25-2009 at 08:39 AM.