SOLO SKIFF PROGRESS THREAD

[FISH11]

Went out on my weekly trip to LJ as usual in search of Yellowtail. For months now planning what day to go has been more about the surf and wind forecast, as it keeps changing like a roller coaster. Last week while trolling the Nomad I hooked up and fought a nice Yellowtail for a short time and ended up loosing it because i got too careless and allowed slack on the line. Trying to regain line due to shallow (52') water depth and driving the Solo Skiff towards the fish. I looked at the video and realized I was way to relaxed and not just reeling in. The slack allowed the Yellowtail to toss the Nomad with it's head shakes. I still even have a nice reminder on my right thumb, were I tried to thumb the spool when it took off on one of the runs and the Avet drag was already on 3/4 full drag. For the last nine days I have a 3/8" x 1 1/2" strip of my thumb skin that good burned and shrunk. Man it hurt at the instant it happened. Never going to keep my thumb on the spool while fighting a large fish again. This trip unfortunately has no large fish hook up and never found great FF marks to drop a mac on, so while searching for good marks I trolled the Nomad and then drifted a mac later, but no fish other than some Calicos on the troll. Still a great day on the water because the SOLO SKIFF is so much more stable and I stay drier and don't have to spend extra energy fighting the currents or the wind when it comes up. Tight Lines.

[JohnMckroidJr]

Originally Posted by FISH11

I tried to thumb the spool when it took off on one of the runs and the Avet drag was already on 3/4 full drag. For the last nine days I have a 3/8" x 1 1/2" strip of my thumb skin that good burned and shrunk. Man it hurt at the instant it happened. Never going to keep my thumb on the spool while fighting a large fish again.

Nice report, the weather looked beautiful and that was an easy landing.

Sorry to hear about your thumb. A thumb on the spool can be very useful to help pull a circling fish up from the depths while keeping the drag loose enough to prevent a break off if the fish makes a sudden lunge. No bueno on a running fish as you noted.

Traumeel cream will help your thumb heel -- it works miracles. I accidentally put my hand on a hot muffler, I should have had a huge blister, but this cream prevented it. It is good on sunburns also.

https://www.amazon.com/Traumeel-Oint...6&s=hpc&sr=1-3

This thread is a fun documentation of the skiff development. It is getting long, Solo owners might consider a new thread under Kayak Fish Reports for sharing trips?

[FISH11]

Went out on Tuesday, keep having to find a date during the week that had low enough surf (3' or under) and wind that stays below 11 mph. It hasn't been easy some weeks. Wind always picks up after noon, but when it's forecast 10-13 by 11am or noon, it makes for too short of a day. Conditions are looking great with the water temperature having gone from 58.5-60 a few weeks ago and now the last 2 weeks it's been 63.8-64.5 and yesterday I was reading 64.9-65.5 degrees. It's about time we see more consistent nice catches at LJ. Yesterday I saw the RIVAL bait ship for the bait barges, over north of Blacks Beach so after not finding some bait and no trolling action outside the reserve boundary, I went north and found nice greenbacks in an area the ship had covered. Not seeing any nice fish marks on the FF, I went back to the point and then south trolling and after some time just drifted a live green mac. Had my second mac crushed but not taken for a short run. When I reeled it in it didn't have a mark, but was almost dead. I have had that many times and it's Yellowtail that hit it and crush it but don't swallow it and sometimes like this one don't even take it for a short run. Just another of those instances lately that just seems like they are teasing me. Tight Lines!