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

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

03-03-2016, 07:53 PM	#1
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

03-04-2016, 06:22 AM	#3
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	#4
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	#5
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