Help with bottom yt in kelp - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

TheBoyScout · 03-03-2016, 07:26 PM

Not an expert but from what I've seen and done don't worry about thickness of mono. I personally use 50-60 lb mono when bottom fishing yellowtail or yoyoing. Also it helps to have a Hobie so you can peddle to be on top of the fish, you wanna be up and down on a yellowtail. Take this with a grain of salt there are much more experienced people on her than me lol

jorluivil · 03-03-2016, 07:45 PM

As far as getting fish out of the kelp..................well, all I can tell you is that the only method that has worked for me is to pull on that fish fish as hard as f*cking possible. If the line breaks you tie your rig and get back to fishing, if it doesn't break you can thank me later.

pingpangdang · 03-03-2016, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorluivil

As far as getting fish out of the kelp..................well, all I can tell you is that the only method that has worked for me is to pull on that fish fish as hard as f*cking possible. If the line breaks you tie your rig and get back to fishing, if it doesn't break you can thank me later.

I'm sure I'll end up resorting to that

pingpangdang · 03-03-2016, 07:45 PM

It would be great if all the you tube videos didn't have music blasting. ..my opinion. ..it's nice to see and hear the reels in action and drag adjustments. Maybe once I land a few I'll enjoy the music. ..probably not.

I plan on hammering the drag down next trip with 40lb floro. .If the jigmaster still gives off too much initially I'm going to thumb it. Once clear from the bottom I'll reduce the drag a bit.....but then I'll probably have to worry about the dogs getting it....dang

Need more time on the water

jorluivil · 03-03-2016, 07:53 PM

It'll take some time to get used to your drag setting. I recall the very first time I went fishing on a cattle boat my initial thought was to get the drag as tight as possible, I learned pretty quick what a mistake that was. My drag is usually set to a point where I know its tight enough for the fish to get hooked but light enough so that I can allow it to run. Once I know the hook is set I slowly tighten the drag until it gets to a point where I can muscle the fish up while still allowing it to run.

If you start a thread asking how tight your drag should be you'll get a million answers from a million experts but only you will know the setting and this is something you'll learn over time. Don't get discouraged, keep at it and before you know you'll land that first big fish, after that it's all downhill.

pingpangdang · 03-03-2016, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorluivil

It'll take some time to get used to your drag setting. I recall the very first time I went fishing on a cattle boat my initial thought was to get the drag as tight as possible, I learned pretty quick what a mistake that was. My drag is usually set to a point where I know its tight enough for the fish to get hooked but light enough so that I can allow it to run. Once I know the hook is set I slowly tighten the drag until it gets to a point where I can muscle the fish up while still allowing it to run.

If you start a thread asking how tight your drag should be you'll get a million answers from a million experts but only you will know the setting and this is something you'll learn over time. Don't get discouraged, keep at it and before you know you'll land that first big fish, after that it's all downhill.

Thx...Once I actually see some color it's all going to sink in....at this point I have no reference base for yt, wsb, hb, threshers etc....only Mahi and small bass. Once the fishing picks up I'll have more opportunities to get the feel for It I'm sure....

chris138 · 03-04-2016, 06:22 AM

To me it sounds like it wasn't kelp, the popping you were feeling was the fish in the rocks. Big fish, blacks especially, swim right into caves and shit. The popping was your flouro being abraded on the rocks ie knicked near the hook. They get the weight snagged and then they can shake the hook easily.

Most likely it was a black, so look at the bright side; when you hook into a 20# yt it will feel like nothing in comparison. Personally I would say you did the right thing by trying to horse it off the bottom quickly. If you're taking the time to test your knots and drags the night before fishing, you should have no doubt in your equipment and know exactly how much you can thumb it.

taggermike · 03-04-2016, 08:42 AM

Heart break right there. Definitely ditch the the 20 lb. 30 or 40 is the way to go. The bad side of heavy line is that if you get hung on the bottom breaking off 40 lb and higher is difficult, especially when you're holding spectra.

Another possibility is that you weren't hooking yt. In winter n spring we can get a influx of soupfin and some times 7 gill sharks in to local reef structure and along deeper kelp lines. These sharks aren't dangerous but they are big and can be aggressive predators. And unlike big leopard sharks, soups and 7's have real shark teeth they mono or fluoro will not stand up to. Mike

taggermike · 03-04-2016, 08:48 AM

Heart break right there. Definitely ditch the the 20 lb. 30 or 40 is the way to go. The bad side of heavy line is that if you get hung on the bottom breaking off 40 lb and higher is difficult, especially when you're holding spectra.

Another possibility is that you weren't hooking yt. In winter n spring we can get a influx of soupfin and some times 7 gill sharks in to local reef structure and along deeper kelp lines. These sharks aren't dangerous but they are big and can be aggressive predators. And unlike big leopard sharks, soups and 7's have real shark teeth they mono or fluoro will not stand up to. Mike

dmrides · 03-04-2016, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pingpangdang

If the jigmaster still gives off too much initially I'm going to thumb it.

The reel has a drag for a reason, let it work for you. It's easy to get caught in the excitement when line is ripping off and use your thumb. Usually what happens is you lock the spool and

Set your drags to the right pressure before head out and let the fish run if it wants to run. Take a deep breath, be patient and you'll get the line back.

Only use your thumb if you have been stuck in the kelp for a few minutes and really need to pull. Sometimes in a stalemate I will take the reel out of gear and let the fish or weight of the fish pull out a little line, while keeping tension. Then reel it back in and repeat. Try to let the braid saw through or weaken the kelp.

pingpangdang · 03-03-2016, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBoyScout

Not an expert but from what I've seen and done don't worry about thickness of mono. I personally use 50-60 lb mono when bottom fishing yellowtail or yoyoing. Also it helps to have a Hobie so you can peddle to be on top of the fish, you wanna be up and down on a yellowtail. Take this with a grain of salt there are much more experienced people on her than me lol

Still just have a paddle...may jam the rod under my leg and paddle out...

TheBoyScout · 03-03-2016, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pingpangdang

Still just have a paddle...may jam the rod under my leg and paddle out...

Let me know if you wanna buy a Hobie lol
Goodluck

03-03-2016, 07:45 PM	#2
jorluivil Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6,856	As far as getting fish out of the kelp..................well, all I can tell you is that the only method that has worked for me is to pull on that fish fish as hard as f*cking possible. If the line breaks you tie your rig and get back to fishing, if it doesn't break you can thank me later. __________________ www.facebook.com/Teamsewer

03-03-2016, 07:53 PM	#5
jorluivil Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6,856	It'll take some time to get used to your drag setting. I recall the very first time I went fishing on a cattle boat my initial thought was to get the drag as tight as possible, I learned pretty quick what a mistake that was. My drag is usually set to a point where I know its tight enough for the fish to get hooked but light enough so that I can allow it to run. Once I know the hook is set I slowly tighten the drag until it gets to a point where I can muscle the fish up while still allowing it to run. If you start a thread asking how tight your drag should be you'll get a million answers from a million experts but only you will know the setting and this is something you'll learn over time. Don't get discouraged, keep at it and before you know you'll land that first big fish, after that it's all downhill. __________________ www.facebook.com/Teamsewer

03-03-2016, 07:26 PM	#1
TheBoyScout Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Oceanside Posts: 115	Not an expert but from what I've seen and done don't worry about thickness of mono. I personally use 50-60 lb mono when bottom fishing yellowtail or yoyoing. Also it helps to have a Hobie so you can peddle to be on top of the fish, you wanna be up and down on a yellowtail. Take this with a grain of salt there are much more experienced people on her than me lol

03-03-2016, 07:45 PM	#4
pingpangdang Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 228	It would be great if all the you tube videos didn't have music blasting. ..my opinion. ..it's nice to see and hear the reels in action and drag adjustments. Maybe once I land a few I'll enjoy the music. ..probably not. I plan on hammering the drag down next trip with 40lb floro. .If the jigmaster still gives off too much initially I'm going to thumb it. Once clear from the bottom I'll reduce the drag a bit.....but then I'll probably have to worry about the dogs getting it....dang Need more time on the water

03-04-2016, 06:22 AM	#7
chris138 donkey roper Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Pacific Beach Posts: 968	To me it sounds like it wasn't kelp, the popping you were feeling was the fish in the rocks. Big fish, blacks especially, swim right into caves and shit. The popping was your flouro being abraded on the rocks ie knicked near the hook. They get the weight snagged and then they can shake the hook easily. Most likely it was a black, so look at the bright side; when you hook into a 20# yt it will feel like nothing in comparison. Personally I would say you did the right thing by trying to horse it off the bottom quickly. If you're taking the time to test your knots and drags the night before fishing, you should have no doubt in your equipment and know exactly how much you can thumb it.

03-04-2016, 08:42 AM	#8
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	Heart break right there. Definitely ditch the the 20 lb. 30 or 40 is the way to go. The bad side of heavy line is that if you get hung on the bottom breaking off 40 lb and higher is difficult, especially when you're holding spectra. Another possibility is that you weren't hooking yt. In winter n spring we can get a influx of soupfin and some times 7 gill sharks in to local reef structure and along deeper kelp lines. These sharks aren't dangerous but they are big and can be aggressive predators. And unlike big leopard sharks, soups and 7's have real shark teeth they mono or fluoro will not stand up to. Mike

03-04-2016, 08:48 AM	#9
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	Heart break right there. Definitely ditch the the 20 lb. 30 or 40 is the way to go. The bad side of heavy line is that if you get hung on the bottom breaking off 40 lb and higher is difficult, especially when you're holding spectra. Another possibility is that you weren't hooking yt. In winter n spring we can get a influx of soupfin and some times 7 gill sharks in to local reef structure and along deeper kelp lines. These sharks aren't dangerous but they are big and can be aggressive predators. And unlike big leopard sharks, soups and 7's have real shark teeth they mono or fluoro will not stand up to. Mike