first time la jolla 8/27 im hooked - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

aaronbowen · 08-28-2014, 01:39 PM

well i finally made it out to la jolla for the first time with my new kayak. had a rough start when my diy pvc kayak cart busted but made it out with a succesful launch. saw a few guys way out there kayak fishing so i headed in that general direction. once out there i felt sick and began puking. haha. then made bait. was my first time using a sabiki rig and was suprised when it worked. threw a mackrel on a #2 hook and let him loose. trolled him for awhile and hooked a nice 17 inch calico. first time catching one of them too. i dont have a bait tank yet, so i put my sabiki back out for more bait, and something big bit my rig. after a nice fight the knot slipped and my one and only sabiki was lost.

with no other way to make bait decided to call it day plus the swells were beginning to get larger due to the hurracaine marie down in baja. i had a great first day and learned alot from actually getting ot there on the water. first thing is i need a better kayak cart. second is i deffinetly need a seat cushion. next would be a circulating bait tank and carry extra sabiki rigs and tie better knots cause bigger fish may bite the sabiki. also i realize i need motion sickness meds and ginger. also i want to install rod holders in front of me, cause the rear flush monted rod holders are kind of a pain to keep reaching back to. im sure more will be learned with each trip out there, but im deffinetely hooked and cant wait till i can go out there again.

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Deamon · 08-28-2014, 02:27 PM

okay...okay...if you edit, I edit.
Beautiful Calico, good job. No place better than LJ.
Jim

aaronbowen · 08-28-2014, 02:34 PM

haha, your right, didnt realize it till you pointed it out. thanks. deleted that pic. yeah i was thinking of doing the bait tube. ill check it out. thanks.

skrilla · 08-28-2014, 03:06 PM

Way to push through the sickness. Keep at it. Next thing you know you'll need a bigger cutting board and a new knife.

tsugg · 08-28-2014, 04:27 PM

Someone just got hooked on the ol kayak fishing thing!

TekkaYaker · 08-28-2014, 04:43 PM

Good to see your chumming paid off! LJ is a healthy addiction, see you out there.

YakDout · 08-28-2014, 06:12 PM

Not sure how small those macs were, but #2 seems a little small. I would go up to at least a 1/0. I've noticed that gamakatsu hooks are sized a little differently. A lot smaller actually. So if using those hooks maybe even a 3/0 or 4/0. It will grab a little more meat on hook set. Good luck out there.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

MarkT · 08-28-2014, 08:22 PM

Sounds like a good first trip. A #2 hook is the standard size for Anchovy, 1/0 - 3/0 for a Sardine and a 3/0 -5/0 for macs. I've used 8/0 for Big Macs targeting big YT. Mini-macs could be sized perfectly for a 1/0 if really mini.

aaronbowen · 08-28-2014, 08:43 PM

thanks guys for all the input. ill start trying different hook sizes and see what happens.

planning another trip in a couple weeks. gonna try to get out there earlier this time.

alanw · 08-28-2014, 09:06 PM

I don't use anything smaller than 1/0 even with anchovies. I go up to a 2/0 with bigger chovies and dines, and usually a 4/0 or bigger with macs. I'd like to go even bigger because everything we target has a huge mouth anyway, but sometimes a hookset becomes harder with a fatter wire hook.

Widgeon · 08-28-2014, 09:13 PM

Try some Bonine for the motion sickness. I had many days on the water without it and had no problems. Then, one day...

.
Since then I just take a Bonine before I go out, just to be safe. Since then, I forgot it once and it was almost a tragedy, but fortunately had it on me and took it a little late.

If you have no bait tank, you can build a bait tube for about $25-30. Less if you have a friend who is a plumber. That's what I use.

YTHunter · 08-28-2014, 09:55 PM

Great post! Way to push through the obstacles! That's what it's all about... doing and learning and taking the good with the bad. Just wait until you hookup on your first YT... what a rush! If you don't already have a gaff, make sure you add that to your list. You're going to need it eventually, hopefully sooner than later.

FISH11 · 08-28-2014, 10:22 PM

Congratulations on your first trip to La Jolla. Sounds like you already learned a lot on your first trip. I found that you learn something every trip and more on some. The important thing is to be safe and have fun. Welcome to the addiction. Tight Lines

Aaron&Julie · 08-29-2014, 08:55 AM

Nice report. Plenty to learn, but love your attitude.

tunaseeker · 08-30-2014, 08:03 AM

1/0 Gamagatsu, San Diego Jam Knot with 30 lb. Fluoro leader.

yakhunter · 08-31-2014, 10:25 PM

Rite on man. LJ is an amazing experience

08-28-2014, 01:39 PM	#1
aaronbowen Junior Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: palm springs ca Posts: 11	first time la jolla 8/27 im hooked well i finally made it out to la jolla for the first time with my new kayak. had a rough start when my diy pvc kayak cart busted but made it out with a succesful launch. saw a few guys way out there kayak fishing so i headed in that general direction. once out there i felt sick and began puking. haha. then made bait. was my first time using a sabiki rig and was suprised when it worked. threw a mackrel on a #2 hook and let him loose. trolled him for awhile and hooked a nice 17 inch calico. first time catching one of them too. i dont have a bait tank yet, so i put my sabiki back out for more bait, and something big bit my rig. after a nice fight the knot slipped and my one and only sabiki was lost. with no other way to make bait decided to call it day plus the swells were beginning to get larger due to the hurracaine marie down in baja. i had a great first day and learned alot from actually getting ot there on the water. first thing is i need a better kayak cart. second is i deffinetly need a seat cushion. next would be a circulating bait tank and carry extra sabiki rigs and tie better knots cause bigger fish may bite the sabiki. also i realize i need motion sickness meds and ginger. also i want to install rod holders in front of me, cause the rear flush monted rod holders are kind of a pain to keep reaching back to. im sure more will be learned with each trip out there, but im deffinetely hooked and cant wait till i can go out there again. Last edited by aaronbowen; 08-28-2014 at 02:32 PM. Reason: selfie crotch shot no bueno

08-28-2014, 03:06 PM	#4
skrilla Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 664	Way to push through the sickness. Keep at it. Next thing you know you'll need a bigger cutting board and a new knife. __________________ Urban Camo Trident 13

08-28-2014, 04:27 PM	#5
tsugg LOWSPARK Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: CARLSBAD Posts: 251	Hooked Someone just got hooked on the ol kayak fishing thing!

08-28-2014, 04:43 PM	#6
TekkaYaker Junior Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: San Diego Posts: 19	congrats! Good to see your chumming paid off! LJ is a healthy addiction, see you out there.

08-28-2014, 09:06 PM	#10
alanw Made in U.S.A. Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Dana Point Posts: 1,625	I don't use anything smaller than 1/0 even with anchovies. I go up to a 2/0 with bigger chovies and dines, and usually a 4/0 or bigger with macs. I'd like to go even bigger because everything we target has a huge mouth anyway, but sometimes a hookset becomes harder with a fatter wire hook. __________________ Hobie PA 14 ¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º> Jackson Kraken ¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º> Malibu X-Factor ¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º> Malibu Stealth-12 ¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º> Its not a spelling B its a fishing B ~yakjoe

08-28-2014, 02:27 PM	#2
Deamon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 1,972	okay...okay...if you edit, I edit. Beautiful Calico, good job. No place better than LJ. Jim Last edited by Deamon; 08-28-2014 at 02:39 PM.

08-28-2014, 02:34 PM	#3
aaronbowen Junior Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: palm springs ca Posts: 11	haha, your right, didnt realize it till you pointed it out. thanks. deleted that pic. yeah i was thinking of doing the bait tube. ill check it out. thanks.

08-28-2014, 06:12 PM	#7
YakDout Brandon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,345	Not sure how small those macs were, but #2 seems a little small. I would go up to at least a 1/0. I've noticed that gamakatsu hooks are sized a little differently. A lot smaller actually. So if using those hooks maybe even a 3/0 or 4/0. It will grab a little more meat on hook set. Good luck out there. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08-28-2014, 08:22 PM	#8
MarkT Deep Release Specialist Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mission Viejo Posts: 94	Sounds like a good first trip. A #2 hook is the standard size for Anchovy, 1/0 - 3/0 for a Sardine and a 3/0 -5/0 for macs. I've used 8/0 for Big Macs targeting big YT. Mini-macs could be sized perfectly for a 1/0 if really mini.

08-28-2014, 08:43 PM	#9
aaronbowen Junior Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: palm springs ca Posts: 11	thanks guys for all the input. ill start trying different hook sizes and see what happens. planning another trip in a couple weeks. gonna try to get out there earlier this time.

08-28-2014, 09:13 PM	#11
Widgeon Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Clairemont Posts: 175	Try some Bonine for the motion sickness. I had many days on the water without it and had no problems. Then, one day... . Since then I just take a Bonine before I go out, just to be safe. Since then, I forgot it once and it was almost a tragedy, but fortunately had it on me and took it a little late. If you have no bait tank, you can build a bait tube for about $25-30. Less if you have a friend who is a plumber. That's what I use.

08-28-2014, 09:55 PM	#12
YTHunter Carlisle Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: San Diego Posts: 206	Great post! Way to push through the obstacles! That's what it's all about... doing and learning and taking the good with the bad. Just wait until you hookup on your first YT... what a rush! If you don't already have a gaff, make sure you add that to your list. You're going to need it eventually, hopefully sooner than later.

08-28-2014, 10:22 PM	#13
FISH11 Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Pine Valley when not fishing La Jolla Posts: 2,642	Congratulations on your first trip to La Jolla. Sounds like you already learned a lot on your first trip. I found that you learn something every trip and more on some. The important thing is to be safe and have fun. Welcome to the addiction. Tight Lines __________________ MARK ......... 2016 MALIBU X FACTOR, 2020 SOLO SKIFF (Fishing Kayak on Steroids )

08-29-2014, 08:55 AM	#14
Aaron&Julie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Spring Valley Posts: 1,400	Nice report. Plenty to learn, but love your attitude. __________________ "Never say die"

08-30-2014, 08:03 AM	#15
tunaseeker TB Metal Art Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 653	1/0 Gamagatsu, San Diego Jam Knot with 30 lb. Fluoro leader.

08-31-2014, 10:25 PM	#16
yakhunter Junior Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: North SD Posts: 12	Rite on man. LJ is an amazing experience