Epic Fail Game Clipping - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

todd one · 09-10-2013, 01:14 AM

So I went out to San Diego Bay to chase Halibut today. After hitting the bait barge, I headed straight to the North Island side. There I saw 2 kayakers fishing. They told me the bite was just started to pick up. I guess they were right. As soon as I left them, just a couple hundred yards up the way, I was hooked up. Right away I knew it was a pretty good one. After about a 3 or 4 minute fight I get her up. She was well over 30 inches, and she was gassed, or she seemed to be. She just laid out and gave me a clean shot like I like them to do. This is where everything went wrong on my part.
I never took the safety off of the gaff as I usually do right after I get bait. So I did it as I was pulling her up. I took what was supposed to be a clean shot, I hit her up high behind the head. I knew it wasn't a good gaff job because I never turned the safety around out of the way, and the gaff didn't go all the way through. I was going to game clip her while still in the water. as I saw Greg Andrews do in his videos. I had the rod in one had and the gaff with the fish on, head out of water in the other hand. With both hand full I looked back at my game clip. And before I could set the rod down she goes ballistic. She put so much water in my face, My eyes were closed, cheeks blown up like Dizzy Gillespie, and yak rocking. Then all of a sudden, my rod is bent and line is peeling off. She's off the gaff. I drop the gaff and start reeling again. In no time at all she shakes the hook and she's gone. I guess I'll have to watch Greg's video again.
After sitting there for a couple minutes, reflecting on everything I did wrong, I proceed up toward the jetty. It's been so slow lately, I'm thinking that was my shot for the day. No! 20 minutes later, I'm hooked up again. I knew this one was even better than the last one when I got her to the yak and she was still at the bottom. I got her half way up to where I could see her. She was a beauty, In the upper 30's, much longer than my 24 inch gaff. Other than a little head shake, she was she had pretty much given up. as I'm trying the get her in reach of the gaff, she spits the hook, and she's gone too. Today just wasn't my day, but it restored my faith in the SD bay. I thought it was over until next season. I'll be back out in the next couple of days to redeem myself.

09-10-2013, 01:14 AM	#1
todd one Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 364	Epic Fail Game Clipping So I went out to San Diego Bay to chase Halibut today. After hitting the bait barge, I headed straight to the North Island side. There I saw 2 kayakers fishing. They told me the bite was just started to pick up. I guess they were right. As soon as I left them, just a couple hundred yards up the way, I was hooked up. Right away I knew it was a pretty good one. After about a 3 or 4 minute fight I get her up. She was well over 30 inches, and she was gassed, or she seemed to be. She just laid out and gave me a clean shot like I like them to do. This is where everything went wrong on my part. I never took the safety off of the gaff as I usually do right after I get bait. So I did it as I was pulling her up. I took what was supposed to be a clean shot, I hit her up high behind the head. I knew it wasn't a good gaff job because I never turned the safety around out of the way, and the gaff didn't go all the way through. I was going to game clip her while still in the water. as I saw Greg Andrews do in his videos. I had the rod in one had and the gaff with the fish on, head out of water in the other hand. With both hand full I looked back at my game clip. And before I could set the rod down she goes ballistic. She put so much water in my face, My eyes were closed, cheeks blown up like Dizzy Gillespie, and yak rocking. Then all of a sudden, my rod is bent and line is peeling off. She's off the gaff. I drop the gaff and start reeling again. In no time at all she shakes the hook and she's gone. I guess I'll have to watch Greg's video again. After sitting there for a couple minutes, reflecting on everything I did wrong, I proceed up toward the jetty. It's been so slow lately, I'm thinking that was my shot for the day. No! 20 minutes later, I'm hooked up again. I knew this one was even better than the last one when I got her to the yak and she was still at the bottom. I got her half way up to where I could see her. She was a beauty, In the upper 30's, much longer than my 24 inch gaff. Other than a little head shake, she was she had pretty much given up. as I'm trying the get her in reach of the gaff, she spits the hook, and she's gone too. Today just wasn't my day, but it restored my faith in the SD bay. I thought it was over until next season. I'll be back out in the next couple of days to redeem myself.