A win is a win

[TCS]

This year I resolved not to miss any of my daughters water polo games, and there are a lot of them. She's 13 and I am glad I have been doing it. One side effect is less time on the water.

Spoke to josh on the phone and saw all the posts so decided to go on Sunday. Launched at 11. Made about 20 macs and started the slow troll around the corner. About an hour into it I got picked up pretty shallow. This was one feisty YT and it went right through the kelp. I managed to pop some stringers and catch up to it, only to realize that it had gotten tangled in a bunch of kelp.

Up till this point I think I looked reasonably competent even if I was over excited. (You never see the varsity all worked up like that.)

So I get up next to the kelp and josh paddles over to lend a hand. The fish does a big circle just out of gaff range (josh later tells me I should've had her at that point) and gets caught in the mirage drive. While I'm yanking out the drive a harbor seal grabs the fish by the tail. Josh tells me not to freak out cause its a little harbor seal and it will probably let go. It does and I manage to get the fish back into the big jumble of kelp and just out of reach. Josh finished the job with a perfect gaff shot. Sorry no pics. I think it's about 25 pounds.

Yes, it was ugly, but fun as hell and a win is a win. It's nice to have people out there willing to lend a hand.

Good Times!

[rhyak]

Awesome glad it all worked out. Loosing it would have been heartbreak thats for sure.

[lamb]

Right on

Glad to hear it all ended well!

[blitzburgh]

SWEET!

[chris138]

Right on Tom! It's never a bad thing to accept help from a fellow kayaker, it just means you're more likely help someone else in return! Enjoy the fruit of your WIN!!!

[Baja_Traveler]

Good job!

My first yellowtail got hung up in the kelp just like that, I didn't have to fight off seals, but I nearly rolled the kayak trying to get it out! Luckily got it on the gaff and brought it and about 100 pounds of kelp into my lap. I cant wait to get a nice stable platform like you have...

[THE DARKHORSE]

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Well done. I'm sure there's quite a few guys who've been pounding the Ocean for years who'd kill for that fish! Literally. In fact I know there are.


The lesson here is that while the adrenaline is flowing we should really try and stay aware of our surroundings. At all times for that matter. I was with a client near by and was simply coming over to snap some 'bendo-shots' for Tom. I thought he'd be stoked on some action shots and I had just put my camera in burst mode (shooting 15 frames a second). As I approached, though, I could see a Sea Lion coming in hot from a few hundred feet away. And for the record, it was a couple hundred pound female, Sea Lion. Not a friendly Harbor Seal.

Unfortunately, at the same time, Tom's fish breaks the surface right off his bow. Tom saw it. I saw it. And the Sea Lion definitely saw it---for sure. I see the fish do a couple circles within gaff range (we're talking one more turn of the handle!). So whether it was in gaff range or not is relative at this point. The fish was at leader and technically caught. With that said, I've seen many, many fish lost at this point in the fight.

This in my professional opinion was Tom's shot to take that fish without incident. And I'm sure Tom would have taken that first shot had he realized what was coming in hot from behind. I could tell it was going to get ugly; and it quickly did just that. The camera was never turned on for obvious reasons.

The next circle of the fish was one foot beneath Tom's Hobie Adventure. Unfortunately, Tom, had his legs over the side and his pedals weren't flush to the hull. This is a major no-no when you bring a trophy fish to color on a Hobie kayak. Either bungee your pedals (flush to the hull) or simply push one pedal forward---damn adrenaline I suppose.

I see the line do a wrap around the pedals and the fish's circle tightens to wrap around again. I'm screaming for Tom to pull his pedals and he does. All the while I'm watching the dog out of the corner of my left eye---screaming straight for the fish! Fortunately, Tom pulls the pedals in the nick of time and the line's free. Then I watch the dog grab his fish six feet below the kayak. If he hadn't freed his pedals at that exact second his turbo-fins would have been ripped off. Hell, Tom's boat might have been flipped with a large, pissed off mammal, attached. Oh yeah, it's gone from ugly to, well, Fugly!

Please excuse the exclamation points in the previous sentences, but this was about as exciting as it gets. Just not the right kind of excitement we seek out. If you've never had this happen before: imagine a Grizzly Bear jumping on the picnic table to nab your fried chicken.

Anyway, this is really not the right time to panic. In fact it's the opposite. It's time to lower your drag setting and simply make sure you don't snap your line. After all, for the average guy, you've spent how long trying to freakin' hook this fish? How many seasons? Exactly. Lets just seal the deal, shall we? Pun intended.

Again, the worst thing you can do is freak out and put your thumb on the spool. It's like hooking a Toyota Tundra at this point. Just relax and make sure you have a smooth drag at this point. Take a deep breath. Remember, you're already connected to your prize. 99% of the hard work is done, right? If you have a cold one open now's the time for a sip. Just stay close with the pedals and remain tight on the line. It's just like fighting the fish.

While this was an adult female, she's not the alpha male of the heard (a.k.a. knothead). These Sea Lions, while capable of ruining your day, can be easily beat with a little patience and nohow. In this case just a little patience was required. She realized we weren't going anywhere and were determined to win the fight. She gave up. The rightful owner was rewarded his hard earned prize. Congrats to Tom for keeping a level head throughout the ordeal. When's the party?

[slobslayer]

I'm that guy who's been waiting for this fish, I've put in countless hours and money to get gear and tackle. I can't wait for my turn I'm long over due. Good job