So what did you fish before kayaking?

[Fiskadoro]

I've always messed around with small boats and actually bought my first boat a 10' Glaspar rowboat when I was a kid with lawn mower money. No pics of that one, but my first boat I owned for fishing in So.Cal. was this one:

...a fourteen ft Western that someone gave me when they could not pay their T top fabrication bill.

Of course I did some modifications to it and fished the shit out of it.

So the question is what kind of small craft did you fish before kayaking, and what caused you to make the switch?

Jim

[jorluivil]

Wiping away the tears as I post these pics

Laid off in February 2009 at DHL, worked there for 20 years
Daughter attending CSULB, mortgage, car notes, credit cards, and most importantly had to keep food on the table and a roof over my families head.

[sdfisher]

she was a beauty, sorry you had to lose her ......... me and my buddy had a 8 foot aluminum boat we called charlie brown, we would put it in his astrovan, used to take her out in lakes in sd, the engine was a trolling motor and the battery was shitty so we would always end up paddling
2 person boat uncomfortably, 3 person boat for danger fishing, had a lot of good times in that boat

[steveooo]

Pool Toys



Canoes





Old beat up boats

[Jimmyz123]

When I was 8 my dad bought a little run about when we were in Central California for the river up there. We moved to San Diego and upgraded to a little bigger of a run about, 18' Gradywhite, and had boughts pretty much into High school until he sold the boat to help my sister through college. I was mad.

about 8 years ago I bought this

For $200 and restored it. (Photo to be posted later)
I was able to take it on the bay, lakes, and all that but when we moved the new place did not allow for me to keep it. Also it was an old boat and would have costed me more to keep up than it was worth, so Father Joe was given a nice donation.

Other than that it was me waiting for friends who owned boats to call and ask if I wanted to join them. I realized I was missing a lot of time on the water and took it into my own hands and searched out Kayaks. Now I'm hooked and I love it.

[bigbarrels]

Use to tear up Mission Viejo and Irvine Lake on my $100.00 boat (before I added some seats, pole holders)

[Gino]

My Cousin's boat...

But most weekends I fisher Dana Point Jetties trying to catch fish.

[Aaron&Julie]

Jim,
You can probably relate since you fish the area. Went from Redondo 1/2 days (City of, and Special) to full day on the Pursuit (even pin-headed when I was 11), all in the very early 70's. About the same time did the rental skiff in Redondo bay for wide open bonehead bites (+mackeral). My buddy and I also fished his 8' rowboat in the bay for the same. Graduated to yellowtail and albie fishing on sportboats off of San Diego, by the time I was 16. About the same time, I also, managed a 24lb King salmon on the City of Redondo, when an incredible year had both bluefin and salmon biting for months in the canyon, not very far from the harbor mouth, remember that bite? Continued the partyboat scene for 25+ years. Then found my true love, the kayak. I had heard from some fishermen/surfers about them taking their long-board out for both hali's and WSB. But, until I started kayak fishing, I didn't know what I was missing out on.
Since I started yak fishing, I haven't been on a 1/2 day or 3/4 day party boat. I still enjoy the overnight tuna trips on party boats, a whole hell of a lot. But, if tuna ever became retarded and were within paddling range, I'm sure I'd rather do the yak thing to get 'em. Ain't gonna happen though, so I'll continue to shell out a couple hundred bucks to get those bad boys.
Aaron

[T Bone]

The skiff.It was a blast.I wanted someone from BWE to buy it so they could have as much fun as I did.I plan on getting a 13' Whaler or an aluminum of some sort.

[T Bone]

Steveooo - are those pike or muskie's? I dont know them well enough to tell them apart.I would love to fish for either one.Thats awesome.

[mtnbykr2]

it would take awhile for me to dig up the pics, but I can feel for you on how things in life change. For whatever reason, but the memories are indeed priceless.
my first boat was a 12' Valco aluminum boat my grandfather had, I installed a sub floor in it and set it up to fish for large mouth, complete with two trolling motors and a portable Humminbird f/f, at 12-13 yrs old it was the bomb...and it caught fish.
the next project was a 28' 11' beam retired gill net boat we bought from the DFG, we won it in a silent auction at a boat show for $201.00...yes...201.00, fished off it for approx four years and sold it for about $5000.00, the guy that bought it from us pulled it out of the water and sunk 30k into it and sold half for 15k, it is still moored in Ventura harbor to this day...
then we got a 24' Skipjack...fished off of that approx 2 years...sold it.
time flash forward, bought a 18' VIP fish ski from one of my best friends, and fishing partner who taught me countless lesons in the art of finesse, he passed away at 40 years young, so I went through and completely re did the boat with all the goodies, spent alot of $ on the boat, life happened and had to sell it for next to nothing to get rid of it in a bad economy.
a few years past I had a buddy that wanted to trade me one of my down hill bikes for a "kayak" I thought, well that might be fun, it's been about five years since I got the yellow Xfactor, now I am in the Outback and the obssesion continues, but I must say, although 70 mph on the water is fun, the kayak is the best...

[Ohana]

Grady White Sailfish 282. Sold her in 2008 as due to traveling for work, two young kids and their non-fishing activities on the weekends I could not find the time to go fishing on her as much as I liked and still justify paying for slip fees, insurance, and yearly maintenance. Great boat with the 2 Yamaha 225HP 4-strokes, 220 gallon fuel capacity, bathroom, and sleeping quarters. If I ever get another boat, I will definitely get another Grady model.

[ronbo613]

Hobie longboard with a milk crate bunjeed to the nose.

[Jimmyz123]

So I missed the Edit cut off so I'm posting the before and after pics here.
about 8 years ago I bought this

For $200 and restored it.

That was also me 62 pounds bigger.

I could have spent the same $2000 I spent restoring the boat on one that was ready to go, but I've always wanted to restore a boat. I did so, and learned that next time I'll save the time and buy a boat ready for fishing, and so I did, My Kayak.

[old_rookie]

Used to fish here:




And here:



Which I still do when I only have a few hours.

[mtnbykr2]

Originally Posted by ronbo613

Hobie longboard with a milk crate bunjeed to the nose.

Touche'...that's where this all started....

[WahooUSMA]

Originally Posted by Ohana

Grady White Sailfish 282. Sold her in 2008 as due to traveling for work, two young kids and their non-fishing activities on the weekends I could not find the time to go fishing on her as much as I liked and still justify paying for slip fees, insurance, and yearly maintenance. Great boat with the 2 Yamaha 225HP 4-strokes, 220 gallon fuel capacity, bathroom, and sleeping quarters. If I ever get another boat, I will definitely get another Grady model.

Saaaweeeeeet boat....

[lamb]

oh yeah, that Grady seems like a beaut.

Ours was mighty vessel Lamb



We sold it last week.

I was bummed. Still am. Some Bosnian guy is going back to Croatia to retire, and he bought it. He will ship it back in the big container with all his stuff. Funny, mighty Bayliner is going overseas to live.

Great little 16' Bayliner runabout, which we turned in pretty cool fishing machine. Simple custom flat deck in the back in place of that soft bench, with 22 gal bait tank mounted in the middle, 6 flush mounts on it while traveling. That boat caught fish.

It sat in the garage for 2.5 years, we didn't touch it. Engine started on 2nd crank!
Never let us down out on the water, we had it out at least once a week year around for many years. I don't know what's all the fuss with Bayliners being shitty boats. That was not our experience.

JIm, what's up with no meat on the pic? Did you run out?

Let me show you some details of that boat...

Sorry, gotta pay a tribute











>

[Lets_Fish]

Did most of my fishing off piers (Huntington, Newport & Balboa), jetties (Dana Point; long wall & Newport; short wall), Buddy Epsen's dock on Balboa Island and of course the 1/2 day, 3/4 day and all day open party boats from Art's Landing, 22nd Street, Redondo, Long Beach & San Diego. I remember as a kid fishing from the island in Dana Point harbor before it was finished.

[Billy V]

Yes - I did in fact fish on this boat while in New Jersey. I would fill kill bags full of ice and head out Point Pleasant inlet for the Texas Tower to fish Bluefin Tuna. Caught some - lost some, they run big out there.

On calm days I could be out there pretty fast. Get home in a hurry too.

Gratuitous girlfriend shot up on the bow.




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I didn't fish this one - although it was much faster and a little bigger.
38 Aero-Tek 540ci. Tall Deck Chevy's built by Innovation Racing Engines.