WTB: Bigger Cooler

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26#

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This ole' lady weighed in a very healthy 57.2#


Well, sorry for the late post but I hope everyone had a healthy happy 4th weekend. There's just something about being one of three kayakers who were willing to make a very, very, very long paddle in less than optimal conditions, four nights in a row in search of some good grade fish. Over a combined 50 hours spent on the water with a tallied 43.8 miles (on the GPS Odometer) has it rewards, although some may call us crazy, and I'm sure some already have.

The bite got very popular very fast, to the point where it became a hazard for us kayakers at night. When Jim, Danny and I first started fishing this bite we were pretty much the only vessels out there. It took less than a week for it to becomes a complete madhouse.
Even with nav lights, boats pay very little attention to what's ahead of them at night and it really was unsafe for kayaks to be out there.

Factor in the possibility that on a night bite like this...most guys will anchor up, throw their squid lights over and waste no time cracking open a few cold beers.

Not only was being run over a safety issue, but for a lonely kayak to be in the midsts of 40+ boats every night with fly lines running every which way, you are kind of a nuisance in their eyes. Everyone competes for a prime piece of real-estate and will have no problem bullying a kayak out of a spot. More than once, anchors were tossed over the bow of my kayak like warning shots.

I was threatened to be gaffed at one point, even though I was there 4 hours before this "total local brah" got there and wanted my spot. Jim had a similar run in with the same people...

After being bullied out, I had to move about 50 yards away from them. It was an absolute pleasure watching the expressions on their face every time my clicker started screaming. I couldn't help but look over my shoulder with a smug smirk, with a slight head bow thanking them for forcing me off my spot.

[makobob]

Congrats! You put in the time and you reap the rewards, as it should be!

[Dannowar]

Absolutely epic week. So stoked for your trophies. You and Jim are absolute madmen!!!

[Aaron&Julie]

Good for you, nice haul, and a great toad white.

[lowprofile]

you cant catch yellows, on a yak, with an Abu... especially a level wind!

i call BS!

nice haul!

Originally Posted by lowprofile

you cant catch yellows, on a yak, with an Abu... especially a level wind!

i call BS!

nice haul!

You know, everyone always gives me a hard time for using level winds, but I have never had a problem

I fish with the thumb on the spool because I prefer to use human drag rather than rely on the mechanisms of the reel to work properly so the level wind makes it one less thing to worry about.

[beef78]

Originally Posted by Drake

You know, everyone always gives me a hard time for using level winds, but I have never had a problem

I fish with the thumb on the spool because I prefer to use human drag than rely on the mechanisms of the reel to work properly so the level wind makes it one less thing to worry about.

I'm glad you had good fishing! Your story of poor sportsman etiquette, however, makes me want to start packin' out there! It would help subdue wiry fish, too.

[Old Man in the Sea]

Way to go Neil!!!

[FlyFishinYakr]

What size cooler is the big one you have in the pic (a 150-75)?
Does anyone make anything bigger???: confused:
Sorry to hear about your run-in with the PB'ers. That's why I'm considering mounting running lights on my kayak.
There's nothing like the sweet sense of satisfaction with a full cooler of 'BIG' fish while they're strokin' it. LMAO!!! It's even more fun when they have the balls to ask you how big they are and what you caught them on...(I usually tell them the fish were "BIG" and caught them on "bait"!) if they weren't observant enough to notice the Fly rods! "HERE's your sign"!!!
FFY

[Hondatom]

Big Boats get the right away as long as I am on the water. Even if they are duche bags, getting run over or flipped way out there you are at an extream disadvantage. Be courteous, be humble, get their CF numbers and fist phuk them at the dock. DON'T GET DEAD on the water.

That being said, good for you and the awesome haul.

[Deamon]

I've never been around someone with such a high catch rate of quality fish per trip. You are a fish magnet...Jim

[toadstoadsonly]

Congrats on the hard work paying off, I was definitely a zoo out there. I was on my buddies boat and saw a few yakers out there in the dark a few weeks back and it was very hard to see you guys and I agree it does seem a little dangerous for a yaker out there with all of the boats mooring around in the dark. Looks like braving the danger and all the hard work paid off for you .

[blitzburgh]

Nice work! Even better to keep your cool!

[dmrides]

Nice fish Neil. You might want to look into one of those refrigerated seafood trucks!

[undrH2Ohntr]

Sweet..........nice job putting in the work.

[JarrodMc]

Nice fish dude. Costco had some big coolers. maybe check it out

It's the Igloo 150qt, it's quite big

[silverbullet]

Good stuff....

[Billy V]

Originally Posted by Drake

The bite got very popular very fast, to the point where it became a hazard for us kayakers at night. When Jim, Danny and I first started fishing this bite we were pretty much the only vessels out there. It took less than a week for it to becomes a complete madhouse.
Even with nav lights, boats pay very little attention to what's ahead of them at night and it really was unsafe for kayaks to be out there.

Factor in the possibility that on a night bite like this...most guys will anchor up, throw their squid lights over and waste no time cracking open a few cold beers.

Not only was being run over a safety issue, but for a lonely kayak to be in the midsts of 40+ boats every night with fly lines running every which way, you are kind of a nuisance in their eyes. Everyone competes for a prime piece of real-estate and will have no problem bullying a kayak out of a spot. More than once, anchors were tossed over the bow of my kayak like warning shots.

I was threatened to be gaffed at one point, even though I was there 4 hours before this "total local brah" got there and wanted my spot. Jim had a similar run in with the same people...

After being bullied out, I had to move about 50 yards away from them. It was an absolute pleasure watching the expressions on their face every time my clicker started screaming. I couldn't help but look over my shoulder with a smug smirk, with a slight head bow thanking them for forcing me off my spot.

What kind of boat was he on ?

Originally Posted by bigwaterho

i love it when the guys who constantly post big fish reports are also the ones that complain about crowds. You post hundreds of pic of yourself and your yaks all over the net then act suprised when people drop the hook on you?

I never complained about "crowds." Crowds will happen, the same when a good swell moves in and the lineup is packed to the point you can walk from surfboard to surfboard. I shared my experience involving poor etiquette and the unnecessary agression. Jim likes to call it the sheep mentality. We got there pretty much before anyone else. Then everyone starts showing up and sees us "They must know what they're doing, lets get close to them" then a few more boats show up, and see the huddled up group..."OH, those guys all know something we don't let's try and get a spot somewhere in that hot zone" and the same goes on all night...I fished the same spot I had marked on my GPS for 2 months when the fish started showing up and we were the only people out there.
Slowly but surely more and more boats moved in.

Even boaters near us were yelling at the guy who tossed his anchor 6 feet from my kayak.

"Hey man, give the guy some room, he's been there all day"

This post wasn't even intended to hate on or point out any specific boater. I could post photos of him and his CF# which I took with my phone. The internet isn't the place to call anyone out. This post was more of a reminder to kayaks to exercise caution when venturing into unfamiliar or less than optimal conditions

As you can see, my post was two weeks past the day of catch and doesn't include the location. That was by design. Maybe 10% of the fish I catch make it to the internet, and only when there is a story involved, and when they do make it to the internet the bite is over. I get shit for it a lot "Not posting accurate reports" but I'm sorry, I have first hand seen more than a few times the impact a timely report can have on a bite. The bite we worked for these fish is long gone.