Today was my day...1st yelowtail at la jolla! - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

ore714 · 09-09-2017, 05:23 PM

After 7 or 8 attempts over the summer I finally landed my first yellowtail at la jolla! Anyhow I launched about 515 to 1 to 3 foot rollers and one soaked me pretty good. I headed over to the peir and made bait most small mack and 2 decent sized ones. Unfortunately my fish finder died due to a short since o got soaked hope it still works! Next I headed west and slightly south west about a mile past the condo I got hit on a fly line big mack I put out but I missed it due to fumbling the rod a bit. Damn...so I put out another mack and keep going west until I decide to turn around and slowly paddle back. I put put a dead mack on a reverse dropper loop to thw bottom and kept slowly paddling back east. I was still pretty far out aND about 20 minutes after putting the dead mack out my reverse dropper loop gets slammed zzzzzzzzzzzzzz goes my clicker then it was on. Not sure how deep it since my fish finder died but maybe 80 to 100 and I was using 40lb line with 6oz of lead. It took me about 10 minutes or to wrangle the a decent sized yellow and I got a perfect heads hot with the gaff. I was super jazzed I finally got a yellow. I bled my fish and stowed him in a trash bag on the way in. I was off the ate by 10am spent most of the time paddling g out then back in. Coditions were decent with a little wind, current heading south wasn't bad, but some consistent swells made it bit bumpy but fun. Landing was easy since I timed it just right letting some bigger wave go before I raced in! All in all great morbing out and I still super stoked my first kayak yellowtail. The fish measured about 38.5 inches and was probaby about 20 to 25 pounds was my best guess.

kirkdavis · 09-09-2017, 05:54 PM

Thanks for the post. I'll be taking my brother out next week and hope to score at least a YT and maybe a big Butt or just be on the water with my brother will be great.

iethinker · 09-09-2017, 07:42 PM

Congrats on your first YT! Crazy on a dead mack too...may be he came back to life down there.

FISH11 · 09-09-2017, 08:57 PM

Congrats! That is a nice looking fish and your face in the picture tells it all. You'll always remember the first one. Hope you got to experience a good sleigh ride. Thanks for the post.

Hamachijohn · 09-09-2017, 09:14 PM

Congrats! Thx for the report

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SDROB · 09-10-2017, 08:47 AM

yeah super cool, must of been a happy paddle in!

FullFlavorPike · 09-10-2017, 09:52 AM

COngrats, buddy.

spinnerwalker · 09-10-2017, 11:25 PM

Congratulations, nice fish
Your efforts paid back.
That is on my bucket list a YT in la Jolla.
Thank you for the post

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JamesM · 09-14-2017, 03:41 PM

Congrats on your first YT!

Ro12 · 09-15-2017, 09:42 AM

Very nice
Congrats

LEEZO · 09-15-2017, 09:49 PM

great fish! you will be coming back for sure.

MITCHELL · 09-16-2017, 11:59 AM

First.

ore714 · 09-16-2017, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LEEZO

great fish! you will be coming back for sure.

Yes I am hooked!

09-09-2017, 05:23 PM	#1
ore714 Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Costa Mesa Posts: 34	Today was my day...1st yelowtail at la jolla! After 7 or 8 attempts over the summer I finally landed my first yellowtail at la jolla! Anyhow I launched about 515 to 1 to 3 foot rollers and one soaked me pretty good. I headed over to the peir and made bait most small mack and 2 decent sized ones. Unfortunately my fish finder died due to a short since o got soaked hope it still works! Next I headed west and slightly south west about a mile past the condo I got hit on a fly line big mack I put out but I missed it due to fumbling the rod a bit. Damn...so I put out another mack and keep going west until I decide to turn around and slowly paddle back. I put put a dead mack on a reverse dropper loop to thw bottom and kept slowly paddling back east. I was still pretty far out aND about 20 minutes after putting the dead mack out my reverse dropper loop gets slammed zzzzzzzzzzzzzz goes my clicker then it was on. Not sure how deep it since my fish finder died but maybe 80 to 100 and I was using 40lb line with 6oz of lead. It took me about 10 minutes or to wrangle the a decent sized yellow and I got a perfect heads hot with the gaff. I was super jazzed I finally got a yellow. I bled my fish and stowed him in a trash bag on the way in. I was off the ate by 10am spent most of the time paddling g out then back in. Coditions were decent with a little wind, current heading south wasn't bad, but some consistent swells made it bit bumpy but fun. Landing was easy since I timed it just right letting some bigger wave go before I raced in! All in all great morbing out and I still super stoked my first kayak yellowtail. The fish measured about 38.5 inches and was probaby about 20 to 25 pounds was my best guess. Attached Images

09-09-2017, 05:54 PM	#2
kirkdavis Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: SD County Posts: 360	Nice! Thanks for the post. I'll be taking my brother out next week and hope to score at least a YT and maybe a big Butt or just be on the water with my brother will be great.

09-09-2017, 07:42 PM	#3
iethinker Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Inland Empire Posts: 370	Congratulations Congrats on your first YT! Crazy on a dead mack too...may be he came back to life down there.

09-09-2017, 08:57 PM	#4
FISH11 Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Pine Valley when not fishing La Jolla Posts: 2,643	Congrats! That is a nice looking fish and your face in the picture tells it all. You'll always remember the first one. Hope you got to experience a good sleigh ride. Thanks for the post. __________________ MARK ......... 2016 MALIBU X FACTOR, 2020 SOLO SKIFF (Fishing Kayak on Steroids ) Last edited by FISH11; 09-11-2017 at 11:13 AM.

09-10-2017, 08:47 AM	#6
SDROB Malibu Stealth 12 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Hollywood, San Diego, Gonzaga Bay Posts: 512	yeah super cool, must of been a happy paddle in! __________________ She will keep you warm in the winter and give you shade in the summer (Rossman) I'm telling ya, you have to keep these suckers on a game clip until just before you drop them in the frying pan.(Rossman)

09-09-2017, 09:14 PM	#5
Hamachijohn Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: San Francisco Posts: 74	Congrats! Thx for the report Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

09-10-2017, 09:52 AM	#7
FullFlavorPike Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 809	COngrats, buddy.

09-10-2017, 11:25 PM	#8
spinnerwalker Junior Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 2	Congratulations, nice fish Your efforts paid back. That is on my bucket list a YT in la Jolla. Thank you for the post Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

09-14-2017, 03:41 PM	#9
JamesM Junior Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Castro Valley, CA Posts: 19	Congrats on your first YT!

09-15-2017, 09:42 AM	#10
Ro12 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 137	Very nice Congrats

09-15-2017, 09:49 PM	#11
LEEZO Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Coronado Posts: 179	great fish! you will be coming back for sure.

09-16-2017, 11:59 AM	#12
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 you never forget the First. __________________ Duke Mitchell