December Tanker... - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Geno Machino · 12-01-2015, 07:27 PM

Hit the water a little before 7am this morning, to a consistent 1-2' swell. Paddled out with no problems

and hooked up my new Garmin echoMap 54.

Wind was a brisk 5-10 mph off shore, with a water temp of about 65 degrees. Using the wind to my advantage, I stop peddling and started fooling around with the meter trying to dial it in. When I drifted past the reserve line, I started metering bait. The theme of the morning, plenty of bait everywhere but no biters. I made 2 Spanish and that was it for more than an hour. I ended up catching a nice calico on one Mac and got crushed on the other. Tried making more bait - but what's the theme of the morning...so I decided to give some whole squid on a dropper loop a try. While I was drifting, I kept metering bait balls and my sabiki (even with squid tipped hooks) would not entice any to bite.
Got antsy with the squid gig, so I decided to start yoyoing. It was getting to be about 9:30 by this time, with no breeze to speak of and the nice warm sun shining down on my face (not to mention the sweat dripping off my brow from yoyoing in 100' of water). I would peddle until I saw bait and drop. Nothing for about a half an hour or so. Peddle here - drop, peddle there and drop. Then it happened, I metered some bait close to the bottom with what looked like predator fish above them. I dropped my blue/white jig once again. It hits the bottom, and before I make a half a crank -- I,m on! Getting pulled around for a December sleigh ride - whowho! Thinking yellow all the way, about ten minutes into the fight I start gaining line and I short stroked it to a tell tale sign of dead weight and no fight all of a sudden. Two more pumps of the rod and what to my wondering eyes should appear -- C-bass!!!:

My first c-bass from a yak!

Not having much room in my Rev13, I,m trying to make sure this baby gets in the hatch and not back in the drink. A fellow kayaker (Tony, Big Thanks for the help!) sees me struggling with this (40#even) fish and comes over to help me stuff this Beautiful fish into my front hatch

But not before a quick couple of on the water pics.

And then Fishja showed up at the beach to get me a another couple of photos of this Big Beautiful local tanker!!!

Stopped by Tim's new shop in Oceanside 'O'side Dive and Kayak' to weigh her up. Met Denise from Hobie and Jim Salazar with Promar. Great meeting the both of you and thank you Tim for weighing my hard earned first WSB.

And what is soooo very nice about this wsb - is that it was caught around 10am on the yoyo and not on a squid bed at 2 or 3 in the morning

Like I told my fiancé Lori - I can't catch anything on the couch or behind a computer ...

Geno

iethinker · 12-01-2015, 07:35 PM

Way to go Geno!

Iceman · 12-01-2015, 07:36 PM

Right on Geno! nice fish

spicolly · 12-01-2015, 09:14 PM

Congrats!

2-Stix · 12-01-2015, 09:24 PM

bad ass!

FISH11 · 12-01-2015, 09:25 PM

WOW Geno, congrats. This has been a great week for some trophy fish being caught in the middle of a slow period. Hope it's a sign that thing are changing around. Now if only making bait was as easy as it used to be. Finding and seeing bait but not getting them to bite, even with squid on the sabiki is getting old.

steveooo · 12-01-2015, 09:40 PM

So awesome! December So Cal c-bass is a pretty slim club.

Murray · 12-01-2015, 09:52 PM

oh ya. that is what we are talking about. way to go on catching one of the tastiest fish in the ocean. enjoy the meal. see you on the water mate. way to go.

Aaron&Julie · 12-01-2015, 11:40 PM

Nicely done, congrats!

fishja · 12-02-2015, 12:45 AM

Geno! Super stoked for you bradda! Congrats on a chunker!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

King Saba · 12-02-2015, 01:11 AM

Stoked! Great report Geno and congrats to your first WSB on the yak.

Cbad Mike · 12-02-2015, 01:34 AM

Right on Geno!
Congratulations!
Nice report and great fish!

MITCHELL · 12-02-2015, 04:21 AM

Sweet....eats...

Phishphood · 12-02-2015, 06:02 AM

Way to go Geno! Looks like you don't need those 0 dark 30 trips after all

MITCHELL · 12-02-2015, 06:08 AM

Got my 60lb WSB first drop with a Spanish mac around 8pm just as the full moon was coming up in September on dropper loop

summers in kuwait · 12-02-2015, 06:37 AM

Beautiful fish Geno!

Congrats

Geno Machino · 12-02-2015, 06:59 AM

Thanks guys! I appreciate the positive support...

SmokinBass · 12-02-2015, 07:08 AM

Very nice!! Congrats!!

Chuck D · 12-02-2015, 07:24 AM

Nice fish Geno

octico · 12-02-2015, 07:30 AM

Congrats, Geno! I have yet to catch WSB. Thanks for the report.

12-01-2015, 07:27 PM	#1
Geno Machino "Relax" Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: O'side Posts: 553	December Tanker... Hit the water a little before 7am this morning, to a consistent 1-2' swell. Paddled out with no problems and hooked up my new Garmin echoMap 54. Wind was a brisk 5-10 mph off shore, with a water temp of about 65 degrees. Using the wind to my advantage, I stop peddling and started fooling around with the meter trying to dial it in. When I drifted past the reserve line, I started metering bait. The theme of the morning, plenty of bait everywhere but no biters. I made 2 Spanish and that was it for more than an hour. I ended up catching a nice calico on one Mac and got crushed on the other. Tried making more bait - but what's the theme of the morning...so I decided to give some whole squid on a dropper loop a try. While I was drifting, I kept metering bait balls and my sabiki (even with squid tipped hooks) would not entice any to bite. Got antsy with the squid gig, so I decided to start yoyoing. It was getting to be about 9:30 by this time, with no breeze to speak of and the nice warm sun shining down on my face (not to mention the sweat dripping off my brow from yoyoing in 100' of water). I would peddle until I saw bait and drop. Nothing for about a half an hour or so. Peddle here - drop, peddle there and drop. Then it happened, I metered some bait close to the bottom with what looked like predator fish above them. I dropped my blue/white jig once again. It hits the bottom, and before I make a half a crank -- I,m on! Getting pulled around for a December sleigh ride - whowho! Thinking yellow all the way, about ten minutes into the fight I start gaining line and I short stroked it to a tell tale sign of dead weight and no fight all of a sudden. Two more pumps of the rod and what to my wondering eyes should appear -- C-bass!!!: My first c-bass from a yak! Not having much room in my Rev13, I,m trying to make sure this baby gets in the hatch and not back in the drink. A fellow kayaker (Tony, Big Thanks for the help!) sees me struggling with this (40#even) fish and comes over to help me stuff this Beautiful fish into my front hatch But not before a quick couple of on the water pics. And then Fishja showed up at the beach to get me a another couple of photos of this Big Beautiful local tanker!!! Stopped by Tim's new shop in Oceanside 'O'side Dive and Kayak' to weigh her up. Met Denise from Hobie and Jim Salazar with Promar. Great meeting the both of you and thank you Tim for weighing my hard earned first WSB. And what is soooo very nice about this wsb - is that it was caught around 10am on the yoyo and not on a squid bed at 2 or 3 in the morning Like I told my fiancé Lori - I can't catch anything on the couch or behind a computer ... Geno Attached Images __________________ Last edited by Geno Machino; 12-02-2015 at 07:29 AM. Reason: spelling

12-01-2015, 07:35 PM	#2
iethinker Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Inland Empire Posts: 370	Yeah! Way to go Geno!

12-01-2015, 07:36 PM	#3
Iceman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 1-2 miles off the point Posts: 6,948	Right on Geno! nice fish __________________

12-01-2015, 09:25 PM	#6
FISH11 Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Pine Valley when not fishing La Jolla Posts: 2,643	WOW Geno, congrats. This has been a great week for some trophy fish being caught in the middle of a slow period. Hope it's a sign that thing are changing around. Now if only making bait was as easy as it used to be. Finding and seeing bait but not getting them to bite, even with squid on the sabiki is getting old. __________________ MARK ......... 2016 MALIBU X FACTOR, 2020 SOLO SKIFF (Fishing Kayak on Steroids )

12-01-2015, 11:40 PM	#9
Aaron&Julie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Spring Valley Posts: 1,400	Nicely done, congrats! __________________ "Never say die"

12-01-2015, 09:14 PM	#4
spicolly ..... Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Carlsbad Posts: 135	Congrats!

12-01-2015, 09:24 PM	#5
2-Stix Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 376	bad ass!

12-01-2015, 09:40 PM	#7
steveooo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,921	So awesome! December So Cal c-bass is a pretty slim club.

12-01-2015, 09:52 PM	#8
Murray Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Vista Posts: 326	oh ya. that is what we are talking about. way to go on catching one of the tastiest fish in the ocean. enjoy the meal. see you on the water mate. way to go.

12-02-2015, 12:45 AM	#10
fishja Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 155	Geno! Super stoked for you bradda! Congrats on a chunker! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12-02-2015, 01:11 AM	#11
King Saba Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: SGV Posts: 848	Stoked! Great report Geno and congrats to your first WSB on the yak.

12-02-2015, 01:34 AM	#12
Cbad Mike Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Carlsbad Ca. Posts: 1,206	Right on Geno! Congratulations! Nice report and great fish! __________________ [SIGPIC]

12-02-2015, 04:21 AM	#13
MITCHELL Sea Hunter Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Where ever I may roam where I lay my head I call home. Posts: 2,277	Congratulations Sweet....eats... __________________ Duke Mitchell

12-02-2015, 06:02 AM	#14
Phishphood Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 346	Way to go Geno! Looks like you don't need those 0 dark 30 trips after all

12-02-2015, 06:08 AM	#15
MITCHELL Sea Hunter Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Where ever I may roam where I lay my head I call home. Posts: 2,277	Got my 60lb WSB first drop with a Spanish mac around 8pm just as the full moon was coming up in September on dropper loop __________________ Duke Mitchell

12-02-2015, 06:37 AM	#16
summers in kuwait Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: East County San Diego Posts: 657	Beautiful fish Geno! Congrats

12-02-2015, 06:59 AM	#17
Geno Machino "Relax" Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: O'side Posts: 553	Thanks guys! I appreciate the positive support... __________________

12-02-2015, 07:08 AM	#18
SmokinBass Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: San Marcos, CA Posts: 61	Very nice!! Congrats!!

12-02-2015, 07:24 AM	#19
Chuck D Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Bay Park Posts: 559	Nice fish Geno

12-02-2015, 07:30 AM	#20
octico Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: The city of Orange Posts: 1,278	Bad Ass! Congrats, Geno! I have yet to catch WSB. Thanks for the report.