La Jolla 6-18. Fish on! Wait, it’s my foot! (((PIC)))

[filippo]

Sorry guys, I don’t post here much but simply because I don’t catch fish haha. Still trying to get my first YT at La Jolla and I’m sure that day will come soon. Just posting to share some lessons learned and hoping it’ll help others making the right decision before hitting the water.

I always leave my lures/hooks exposed attached to my line on all my rods. Sabiki setup as well. Today my landing wasn’t perfect and I was thrown out of my yak and got my Rapala CountDown Magnum 14’s hooked onto my foot. Holy shit that was painful! What was even more painful was that the lure wasn't just hanging lose on line, but it was stuck on the rod's tip, with the rod bent putting pressure on my skin. On top of that, add 100lb of my kayak sitting on that rod with that lure stuck onto my foot while waves were splashing against me. All I could do was holding on to my flipped kayak so that it wouldn't move and drag the rod/hook away from my foot, and screaming for help haha. It felt like that hook was ripping my skin off! PAINFUL! Luckily my buddy @dingokevin and another kayaker on the beach helped me flipped the kayak back and bring my stuff to shore. Not sure who the other guy was, but if you're reading this, THANK YOU!

Last but not least, I have a Scion tC (sedan car) and it got stuck in sad today, more than once. Thanks to my buddy @dingokevin and those extra 2-3 guys pushing my car through it!

What a day! :S

Other than that, it was a beautiful day on the water.

Lesson learned:

* Never launch/land with hooks/lures exposed and attached to your rods! NEVER!
* Always carry a first aid kit, on the water!
* Always carry cutting pliers!
* Buy a truck haha

Peace.

Won’t post pics of post hook removal because it’s too bloody.

[Dingokevin]

you're welcome for cutting you free. the bill is in the mail for the hook removal. I know if you would have that done in my OR it would cost way more. so be happy that im cheap

[kirkdavis]

Yes, but did you catch any fish?
Just kidding. That had to hurt, and being attached to your kayak by a big hook thru your ankle......makes me cringe to think of it.
Thanks for sharing to make us all think more about the consequences of our actions (or inactions.) I flipped for the first time last weekend, and was lucky to only have a sibiki hook in my pants leg. I had bigger hooks hanging around that were much more dangerous.

[FullFlavorPike]

speed is your friend driving the 2wd on sand.

[Dingokevin]

Originally Posted by FullFlavorPike

speed is your friend driving the 2wd on sand.

Yes it is and five guys when you get stuck in soft sand.

Forgot about the sand that Bill is on the way too. That's right I got you out twice... Ruff day brother.

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[FullFlavorPike]

I helped push a guy on saturday, but he got right out because he didn't dig in too far first. With the little cars though...youch. They get dug in and then they're dragging the chassis in the sand and there's just no love from Dr. Physics.

[FISH11]

The once thing about trips to La Jolla is you always learn a lesson, some are just more painful or expensive than others. I learned the same about leaving lures on, except I got a little luckier on the pain side. The Salas 6 treble hook only went through my water shoe sole. It was trying to go into the bottom of my foot every time a wave hit the upside down kayak and I could not turn it over because the line from the rod was trying to pull it into my foot. The time it took to walk it in a little shallower to reach my knife on the other side of the kayak cost me the head on my Lowrance Elite 4. Now, never leave jigs or irons attached and have a tactical knife on the front of my PFD. Good thing you had help and that the hook was already all the way through making removal a little easier and less painful. Thanks for sharing, that hopefully will save a few others.

[filippo]

Haha, I'll pay you with iron jigs. I've got a "slightly" used Rapala that I won't use anytime soon. It's got blood on it, so you know it catches "fish".

I've caught bait, does that count? ahhh

Yes, that's what I'm hoping so that others won't make my same mistakes. I read so many posts here and don't always take all advice, but I will be more diligent going forward.

Thanks guys! Giving it more thought, the real moral of the story here is to do the right thing, always. I have my first aid kit, I have pliers, and I knew about exposed hooks/lures not being a good idea, but I just went with it, like every other time because I thought I wouldn't need any of that and never thought of being hooked like a fish. The same way I pack my tackle, I should take the extra minute to store my other items where they belong, because you never know WHEN it'll happen. Lesson learned!

[Harry Hill]

I've seen a think called a lure taco for sale, it's wallet type thing you wrap around the lure/hook and rod and all the hooks are contained inside of it. It might be worth looking into.

[Orca Winfrey]

Yeouch!!!! Lol. I'd be screaming like a girl. Now I'm thinking I should a a syringe full of lidocaine to my first aid kit. Are surf launches worth it? Glad you had help. Sometimes, throwing your floor mats under the tires can get you out of a pinch. It only works if you haven't buried you tires too deep though.

[filippo]

Shimano makes some, and I've also seen Calcutta ones but with really bad reviews. Definitely worth looking into BEFORE my next trip -- next week ahah.

Surf was really manageable today, almost non-existent. We just found ourselves in the middle of a zoo, people crossing us, yak renters all over, and by the time we got to shore we had very little space to do a proper landing. It was either go in or hit somebody. Another lesson learned: WAIT until shores clears up to land safely.

People were so cool that they helped me the minute I got stuck. I didn't even go out of the car to ask for help. No need for mats. :P Muchas thanks people!

[GTboosted]

Ouch!!

I carry a knife on my pfd and cant count how many times it has helped me. From safety issues to landing a fish with tangled lines.

I carry this one. Its only $15. I probably got it for $9 during a sale but its a good deal either way. I use it every outing and it has minimal rust.

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004ZAIXSC

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Filippo, was your gaff secured? Just curious.

Coincidentally, I was looking at gaff point guards a few days ago. Might be a good idea for replacing a section of rubber hose I'm using now.

Glad you are OK.

[filippo]

Got a knife but from that position with my kayak pushing weight on the rod and lure I couldn't move much. Not to mention that the waves kept splashing and could barely see underwater. Had @dingokevin cut the lure free for me. That's a good knife, thanks for sharing the link.

Thanks Mr. NiceGuy. Yes, my gaff was secured on the left side of my yak and it's got a rubber cap on it. "Luckily", I was thrown out on the ride side. I bet that if I had hit the gaff the cap would have come off. It was so forceful that my Rapala bent the rod guide and broke the inner ring. I got "lucky" I guess.

[Dannowar]

look at it this way....your first yellowtail is gonna be FOOOOOOKIN SWEET

[FullFlavorPike]

Busted guide on that pristine-looking (at least as far as the pic shows) the seeker prolly hurts as bad as your ankle.


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[Mr. NiceGuy]

Where's Yanni? I'll bet he knows what to do

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Originally Posted by GTboosted

Ouch!!

I carry a knife on my pfd and cant count how many times it has helped me. From safety issues to landing a fish with tangled lines.

I carry this one. Its only $15. I probably got it for $9 during a sale but its a good deal either way. I use it every outing and it has minimal rust.

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004ZAIXSC

Based on your recommendation, I received one of these Swedish knives from Amazon today. There are other options, but I ordered the 4" blade in stainless steel, in black color.

It's exceptionally well built. Stout and wicked-sharp like a razor blade, straight out of the box. High tech plastic and nice desiqn quality in all respects. Excellent size for a kayak or to clip on a PFD. It's light. I mounted mine on a "stretch paracord" to hang around my neck under my PFD, along with my line clippers & alert whistle. I had a one-hand-flip-folder there before, but it's nowhere near as sharp and I always have to clean and oil to keep the joint smooth.

Thank you for the recommendation. For build quality and sharpness, this is a winner. Especially for the low price. Great value for minimal outlay.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[GTboosted]

Originally Posted by Mr. NiceGuy

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Funny, I linked a different color but when I clicked on your link it shows purchased in October 2013. So yeah I got the black one too.

I felt the same way when I first held it and still do. I have a few nice folders but might order a couple more to add to other kits like for camping and stuff. Plus if you lose one, you wont worry about it too much.

[Hunters Pa]

Originally Posted by FullFlavorPike

Busted guide on that pristine-looking (at least as far as the pic shows) the seeker prolly hurts as bad as your ankle.


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Pretty simple wrap, should not be hard to fix. But yeah, still sucks