Coulda, Shoulda, But I didn't - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

The Kid · 06-01-2011, 10:22 PM

I know what a lot of you guys are thinking when you see a post made by The Kid. You are probably thinking, “This guy is a hater of all other species other than yellowtail.” While this might increase my standards, and limits what I catch out there in La Jolla I will say, with firm belief that there is nothing, NOTHING like sight fishing in La Jolla especially when the tool of choice is a surface iron. I don’t care how good a seabass might taste to some or how appealing searching for a brown crap stain on the ocean floor is to others. When it comes down to it no one can make an argument to show that either of those two are more fun than sight fishing yellowtail and picking them off with a surface iron (please try in your response below).

Anyways I’ve been ragging on the gambling souls in this year’s WCW for its awesome turn out for searching for a slam. I will say right off the bat, that if you achieve a slam within a set time period your abilities are phenomenal as a fisherman. But for me, it is simply not appealing to chase the two other prized species in any way other than wide open white seabass bites or a wide open halibut bites. With so much time on my hands I was debating whether to join the WCW on the evening 5/30/11. If I am going to fish every other day at least (unless the surf looks like it does right now) I might as well and give WCW submitters and especially The Darkhorse some hell.
But I didn’t! Why? I need the money!

Joe: “But it’s just $25”.

Ya ,$25 I can’t afford to let go! So with that in mind I launched the yak with my buddies Cowboybill and R&B into some sinister looking surf. It was not the most fun launch I have had, but I wasn’t soaked. I continued to the outside picking up baits here and there. There wasn’t much bait at all and continued outside and draggin’, and on my way to grab a celebratory beer from deepdvr.

And here we go! A nice school shows and all quality fish. They were definitely my kind of fish. Watching and waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger, I do the kayak side shuffle and I see R&B checking me out. Pick my moment toss my jig of choice and all I see is a white flurry, I feel a bump bump, but no hookup. “What the f***!?”, I yelled in my head as the b*****ds followed me all the way to the yak. “Alright here we go!” pulled up to them make the money shot, a white wash of yellows with a skipping jig. “Mother f*****! Eat it you dirty, yellow belly, sons of………………..” well you get the point. Once again side shuffle make the cast white flurry and wait what, “Oh ya!” as I sank that jig deep into the yellow’s jaw. 2 minute fight on the Ulua and bled out in 3, nice size ‘bout 25.

Strap that fish down, sip on my newly acquired Sapporo, thanks to the dvr, and peddle my butt back around. Cowboybill is on my right Whizzbang on my left and right in between them, more hungry brute yellows. “Bill they’re right behind you,” I yelled as I grabbed my Ulua and flew that jig over the lead fish and watch the mass devastation occur. Two blow ups, tossing my jig out of the air and skipping it on the water let it gather itself. Burn the jig and here she comes! Queen Latifa opened her mouth as wide as she could like the jig was the last Snickers on Earth and the ride began. She runs nearly 100 yrds straight out, I reel like a tweeker spinning a bicycle tire and get straight up and down. Do the grind, gaff sank 2 min 33-35 lb. Well satified i finish my heavenly nectar and continue the search. Should have joined the WCW, but I didn’t.

The strikes came 5 min between each other, and might have continued to produce but Mother Nature is fickle. This is the fishing I love and rarely will I spend my time doing any other kind of fishing. Surface irons are where it is at and no one, NO ONE, can sway this notion away from me. Rarely will I post, but for the sake of surface iron fisherman out there, they can appreciate what I am saying? As I say a lot, “There is nothing like a surface iron fish. NOTHING!!!”

jorluivil · 06-01-2011, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Kid

“This guy is a hater of all other species other than yellowtail.”

Wish I had that problem

Aaron&Julie · 06-01-2011, 11:44 PM

Truly amazing KID. Congratulation on a fine catch.
We fish without fish finders and paddle 12 miles+ a day, for a minimum of 8 hours, on average, which we've been doing for 6 years now off of La Jolla. We've had our successes, all the more gratifiying knowing we fish old school. Julie is so hard-core, most people can't believe what she's done.
We've spotted yellows on the surface a few times.
But, other than one situation like yours, when Iceman nailed 2 nice yellows on an iron, we've been waiting for days like yours. He assured us, of little compensation at the time, that the yellows were very fickle, although boiling all around us. Having fished 40 years on the ocean I knew he was right. I couldn't believe I couldn't hook up. I was using a Blue/White 6x Junior (not really a surface jig). I think the Ice told me he was using the same only with the mackeral pattern.
Besides his obvious expertise at kayak fishing, our inexperience with kayak fishing at the time, it seemed to make the difference, as he boated two to our none. We'll go with that theory of fickle/pattern being the difference, the bastard.
I later took photos of his nice catch, and felt honored to do so.
Sure, we've seen the breezing schools go by, we keep our eyes out hoping for the day when we can throw the iron, which we both have ready to chuck. I have had some luck when solo, Julie not yet on the iron.
We'll get our day, and glad when any kayaker get's theirs, like you did. Again, congrats.
Old school days seem to be gone at La Jolla. But, until they're gone completely, we won't give up hope for the day that the yellows show and suck down our irons.
Not trying to steal your thread. Just reminiscing.
Thanks for a good story.

GBF · 06-02-2011, 01:44 AM

Nice fish and story!!

GBF

deepdvr · 06-02-2011, 05:38 AM

Quality stuff Kevin!!!!

Watching you fight that first one on the Ulua was something else. Using a famous Scally term, you were definitely doing some serious 'donkey roping'. With a 10' jig stick nonetheless. I think the real reason you don't like fishing for WSB is that you would pull every hook fishing a biscuit that way. From the way you fought that thing, I swore you had a dog on your ass. Taking out a little aggression eh???

How did our conversation go the night before? Me, 'blah...blah...blah'. You 'blah...blah...blah'. Me, ' you know your going to catch a yellow tomorrow, you might as well join WCW and make the darkhorse sweat a bit', You, 'I know but.....fill in the excuse'.

It seemed like every time I took my focus off my WSB death march you were either hooked up or yelling about something you saw. Way to go on that double. I know you hate my 'honest' scale but you're right, that fish did look heavier than what it tipped out at.

Great job Kevin!

Hypoxic1 · 06-02-2011, 06:19 AM

Congratulations Kevin,
Very nice fish. Hoping to get my shot soon.

Chris

j mo · 06-02-2011, 07:01 AM

Well done sir kid- on the prose and the fish

Dan · 06-02-2011, 07:07 AM

I'm with you. being tied off to the kelp with their macs pinned on iron for 8 hours at a time is worse than halibut fishing!

Killler tails Kid. Way to stuff the plug.

Chuck D · 06-02-2011, 07:44 AM

Nice fish Kevin, the Iron is where it's at! I learned that real quick being a paddler without a fish finder myself! Keep those eyes peeled. Good job man!

dmrides · 06-02-2011, 07:45 AM

Excellent story Kevin, it was a pleasure to read. I can only imagine what a 3 minute fight on an ulua would look like, you must have some serious guns. And though I far from an expert on the subject, I most certainly agree with you, nothing comes close to watching an iron get swallowed by a yellow moving at mach 10, NOTHING. Well, the massive tug of war after that is pretty cool too.

Nice fish. I bet that Sapporo was delicious.

toby · 06-02-2011, 07:52 AM

Great job Kevin!!!

Great read, those are beautiful fish.

Toby

RedSledTeam · 06-02-2011, 08:52 AM

Absoultely, Kid! There is nothing like surface iron fishing! Nice fish!

undrH2Ohntr · 06-02-2011, 09:18 AM

You write as well as you fish.......a good read, thanks.

RK · 06-02-2011, 09:34 AM

Second to the last paragraph is hilarious...
Glad I came in ten minutes before that .......
well done

TCS · 06-02-2011, 10:40 AM

Very cool. Nice write up Kevin. I just got a new jigstick and I'll be out there with every other Tom, Dick and Harry on Saturday trying to get one too. When it happens it will be my first surface iron yellow. From your description, it sounds pretty fun!

Iceman · 06-02-2011, 11:00 AM

see if you had a halibut instead of the pair, you would be posing with the sorority girls!

Surface iron, makes my heart pump like no there.........EAT IT!!! #$%#%^&

FISHIONADO · 06-02-2011, 11:29 AM

Nice fish! The huge bait tank and bait rigs and sonar in the pics don't express a lot of confidence in the surface iron but the results are still awesome!

TCS · 06-02-2011, 12:04 PM

The Kid is not a one trick pony! That is him in the pic with Queen Latifa after all!

Whizz Bang · 06-02-2011, 12:48 PM

Well Done!!! What Kevin doesn't mention is that the wind was beginning to pick up along with the swell when he sighted the second Yellow's school (or the same school again) upwind, awesome cast given the conditions, and your placement in relation to those fish. Kevin also neglected to mention that he waited for DeepDvr and myself to come in given the surf conditions at the launch and I greatly appreciated his help when I got sideways. Again, well done and thanks for the hand.

cjthomas · 06-02-2011, 12:58 PM

awesome double! I am most envious!!!

I HATE wearing my prescription glasses, but the surface iron/sight fishing is making me change my ways....next on my check list are a pair of polarized prescription sunglasses. Who knows how much I have missed!

06-01-2011, 10:22 PM	#1
The Kid Loves Surface Irons Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: San Diego Posts: 455	Coulda, Shoulda, But I didn't I know what a lot of you guys are thinking when you see a post made by The Kid. You are probably thinking, “This guy is a hater of all other species other than yellowtail.” While this might increase my standards, and limits what I catch out there in La Jolla I will say, with firm belief that there is nothing, NOTHING like sight fishing in La Jolla especially when the tool of choice is a surface iron. I don’t care how good a seabass might taste to some or how appealing searching for a brown crap stain on the ocean floor is to others. When it comes down to it no one can make an argument to show that either of those two are more fun than sight fishing yellowtail and picking them off with a surface iron (please try in your response below). Anyways I’ve been ragging on the gambling souls in this year’s WCW for its awesome turn out for searching for a slam. I will say right off the bat, that if you achieve a slam within a set time period your abilities are phenomenal as a fisherman. But for me, it is simply not appealing to chase the two other prized species in any way other than wide open white seabass bites or a wide open halibut bites. With so much time on my hands I was debating whether to join the WCW on the evening 5/30/11. If I am going to fish every other day at least (unless the surf looks like it does right now) I might as well and give WCW submitters and especially The Darkhorse some hell. But I didn’t! Why? I need the money! Joe: “But it’s just $25”. Ya ,$25 I can’t afford to let go! So with that in mind I launched the yak with my buddies Cowboybill and R&B into some sinister looking surf. It was not the most fun launch I have had, but I wasn’t soaked. I continued to the outside picking up baits here and there. There wasn’t much bait at all and continued outside and draggin’, and on my way to grab a celebratory beer from deepdvr. And here we go! A nice school shows and all quality fish. They were definitely my kind of fish. Watching and waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger, I do the kayak side shuffle and I see R&B checking me out. Pick my moment toss my jig of choice and all I see is a white flurry, I feel a bump bump, but no hookup. “What the f*!?”, I yelled in my head as the b*ds followed me all the way to the yak. “Alright here we go!” pulled up to them make the money shot, a white wash of yellows with a skipping jig. “Mother f***! Eat it you dirty, yellow belly, sons of………………..” well you get the point. Once again side shuffle make the cast white flurry and wait what, “Oh ya!” as I sank that jig deep into the yellow’s jaw. 2 minute fight on the Ulua and bled out in 3, nice size ‘bout 25. Strap that fish down, sip on my newly acquired Sapporo, thanks to the dvr, and peddle my butt back around. Cowboybill is on my right Whizzbang on my left and right in between them, more hungry brute yellows. “Bill they’re right behind you,” I yelled as I grabbed my Ulua and flew that jig over the lead fish and watch the mass devastation occur. Two blow ups, tossing my jig out of the air and skipping it on the water let it gather itself. Burn the jig and here she comes! Queen Latifa opened her mouth as wide as she could like the jig was the last Snickers on Earth and the ride began. She runs nearly 100 yrds straight out, I reel like a tweeker spinning a bicycle tire and get straight up and down. Do the grind, gaff sank 2 min 33-35 lb. Well satified i finish my heavenly nectar and continue the search. Should have joined the WCW, but I didn’t. The strikes came 5 min between each other, and might have continued to produce but Mother Nature is fickle. This is the fishing I love and rarely will I spend my time doing any other kind of fishing. Surface irons are where it is at and no one, NO ONE, can sway this notion away from me. Rarely will I post, but for the sake of surface iron fisherman out there, they can appreciate what I am saying? As I say a lot, “There is nothing like a surface iron fish. NOTHING!!!”

06-01-2011, 11:44 PM	#3
Aaron&Julie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Spring Valley Posts: 1,400	Truly amazing KID. Congratulation on a fine catch. We fish without fish finders and paddle 12 miles+ a day, for a minimum of 8 hours, on average, which we've been doing for 6 years now off of La Jolla. We've had our successes, all the more gratifiying knowing we fish old school. Julie is so hard-core, most people can't believe what she's done. We've spotted yellows on the surface a few times. But, other than one situation like yours, when Iceman nailed 2 nice yellows on an iron, we've been waiting for days like yours. He assured us, of little compensation at the time, that the yellows were very fickle, although boiling all around us. Having fished 40 years on the ocean I knew he was right. I couldn't believe I couldn't hook up. I was using a Blue/White 6x Junior (not really a surface jig). I think the Ice told me he was using the same only with the mackeral pattern. Besides his obvious expertise at kayak fishing, our inexperience with kayak fishing at the time, it seemed to make the difference, as he boated two to our none. We'll go with that theory of fickle/pattern being the difference, the bastard. I later took photos of his nice catch, and felt honored to do so. Sure, we've seen the breezing schools go by, we keep our eyes out hoping for the day when we can throw the iron, which we both have ready to chuck. I have had some luck when solo, Julie not yet on the iron. We'll get our day, and glad when any kayaker get's theirs, like you did. Again, congrats. Old school days seem to be gone at La Jolla. But, until they're gone completely, we won't give up hope for the day that the yellows show and suck down our irons. Not trying to steal your thread. Just reminiscing. Thanks for a good story. __________________ "Never say die"

06-02-2011, 01:44 AM	#4
GBF Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Huntington Beach CA Posts: 323	Nice fish and story!! GBF __________________ "Just keep going out....it's better than staying Home"

06-02-2011, 06:19 AM	#6
Hypoxic1 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oceanside Posts: 215	Par Excellence!! Congratulations Kevin, Very nice fish. Hoping to get my shot soon. Chris

06-02-2011, 11:00 AM	#16
Iceman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 1-2 miles off the point Posts: 6,948	see if you had a halibut instead of the pair, you would be posing with the sorority girls! Surface iron, makes my heart pump like no there.........EAT IT!!! #$%#%^& __________________

06-02-2011, 05:38 AM	#5
deepdvr Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Carlsbad Posts: 591	Quality stuff Kevin!!!! Watching you fight that first one on the Ulua was something else. Using a famous Scally term, you were definitely doing some serious 'donkey roping'. With a 10' jig stick nonetheless. I think the real reason you don't like fishing for WSB is that you would pull every hook fishing a biscuit that way. From the way you fought that thing, I swore you had a dog on your ass. Taking out a little aggression eh??? How did our conversation go the night before? Me, 'blah...blah...blah'. You 'blah...blah...blah'. Me, ' you know your going to catch a yellow tomorrow, you might as well join WCW and make the darkhorse sweat a bit', You, 'I know but.....fill in the excuse'. It seemed like every time I took my focus off my WSB death march you were either hooked up or yelling about something you saw. Way to go on that double. I know you hate my 'honest' scale but you're right, that fish did look heavier than what it tipped out at. Great job Kevin!

06-02-2011, 07:01 AM	#7
j mo Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Encinitas Posts: 600	Well done sir kid- on the prose and the fish

06-02-2011, 07:07 AM	#8
Dan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,053	I'm with you. being tied off to the kelp with their macs pinned on iron for 8 hours at a time is worse than halibut fishing! Killler tails Kid. Way to stuff the plug.

06-02-2011, 07:44 AM	#9
Chuck D Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Bay Park Posts: 559	Nice fish Kevin, the Iron is where it's at! I learned that real quick being a paddler without a fish finder myself! Keep those eyes peeled. Good job man!

06-02-2011, 07:45 AM	#10
dmrides Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Point Loma Posts: 584	Excellent story Kevin, it was a pleasure to read. I can only imagine what a 3 minute fight on an ulua would look like, you must have some serious guns. And though I far from an expert on the subject, I most certainly agree with you, nothing comes close to watching an iron get swallowed by a yellow moving at mach 10, NOTHING. Well, the massive tug of war after that is pretty cool too. Nice fish. I bet that Sapporo was delicious.

06-02-2011, 07:52 AM	#11
toby Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Escondido Posts: 154	Great job Kevin!!! Great read, those are beautiful fish. Toby

06-02-2011, 08:52 AM	#12
RedSledTeam Daddeo Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: OC Posts: 660	Absoultely, Kid! There is nothing like surface iron fishing! Nice fish!

06-02-2011, 09:18 AM	#13
undrH2Ohntr Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: San Diego Posts: 115	You write as well as you fish.......a good read, thanks.

06-02-2011, 09:34 AM	#14
RK Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 736	Second to the last paragraph is hilarious... Glad I came in ten minutes before that ....... well done

06-02-2011, 10:40 AM	#15
TCS Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 478	Very cool. Nice write up Kevin. I just got a new jigstick and I'll be out there with every other Tom, Dick and Harry on Saturday trying to get one too. When it happens it will be my first surface iron yellow. From your description, it sounds pretty fun!

06-02-2011, 11:29 AM	#17
FISHIONADO Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 698	Nice fish! The huge bait tank and bait rigs and sonar in the pics don't express a lot of confidence in the surface iron but the results are still awesome!

06-02-2011, 12:04 PM	#18
TCS Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 478	The Kid is not a one trick pony! That is him in the pic with Queen Latifa after all! Last edited by TCS; 06-02-2011 at 01:49 PM.

06-02-2011, 12:48 PM	#19
Whizz Bang Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 396	Well Done!!! What Kevin doesn't mention is that the wind was beginning to pick up along with the swell when he sighted the second Yellow's school (or the same school again) upwind, awesome cast given the conditions, and your placement in relation to those fish. Kevin also neglected to mention that he waited for DeepDvr and myself to come in given the surf conditions at the launch and I greatly appreciated his help when I got sideways. Again, well done and thanks for the hand.

06-02-2011, 12:58 PM	#20
cjthomas Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 108	awesome double! I am most envious!!! I HATE wearing my prescription glasses, but the surface iron/sight fishing is making me change my ways....next on my check list are a pair of polarized prescription sunglasses. Who knows how much I have missed!