Catching a Halibut and a Calcutta 400 - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Saba Slayer · 05-31-2019, 11:33 AM

Butt Persistence finally paid off yesterday...
After hooking two strong 20" fish in a small area, I really concentrated on working that spot hoping that those smaller guys were males near a big breeder...sure enough... she couldn't resist it and finally ate the Sardine, She swallowed the bait and was a nice runner then stubborn on the up and down...I was Lucky the front hook held as the rear treble had just broken off and I had replaced it with a fresh water treble...the only one that was small enough in the tackle kit. ...I was fishing 15# leader with a trap hook so I couldn't really horse her in.
Sometimes I'd rather be lucky than good...LOL...

There were so many sand fleas on her that I think she must have been half buried in the bottom.

She was 30' and a little chubby...the first fillets will be slit and filled with fresh basil then wrapped in Procutto ham and the cooked in olive oil for tonights dinner

OK...now the Calcutta 400 story...

Last Saturday I was fishing the same area for Halibut and rigging a second rod when I snagged something with one of the rigs and it flipped right into the water before I could react...a brand new (well 6 months old is new to me LOL) Shimano Calcutta 400B...Needles to say I was BUMMED...I dragged the bottom for about an hour with weights and metal jigs for no avail...I tried again on Tuesday to snag the pole or line...again No Luck...

Finally after catching the big girl and while working the area, I snagged some spectra that looked like mine...with a snelled trap rig that I had tied...YAHOO...as I pulled on that line up came the rod and reel...

What a day...nice legal Butt and my rod and reel back on the kayak...

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559325980

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559326331

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559324994

No Losses · 05-31-2019, 12:53 PM

awesome. that is crazy to find your setup days later.

side note; I met your nephew while working in Huntington Beach.
I asked if he fished. he said no, my Uncle is a killer fisherman though.

an hour later he mentions you are a kayak fisherman than he really got my interest.
turns out it you, haha.

Flounder · 05-31-2019, 02:53 PM

Great catch you really did it right. I’ve bent several 3x treblehooks and now with Vmc4x even 40lb tends to break before bending even on a size 6! Had a hali hook back onto itself last week and the 40 floro gave out on the stinger and the hook was buried in the face. Retied and g2g! How lucky to get your gear back without snorkeling!

FISH11 · 05-31-2019, 06:46 PM

Great catch, but I would have to say the better one, was the rod and reel. Congrats Jim.

Amish Ed · 05-31-2019, 09:30 PM

WTG, Jim!

tak100 · 05-31-2019, 11:04 PM

That is a pretty lucky day of fishing! Amazing.

farmer · 06-01-2019, 07:23 AM

Time on the water Jim you earned it

Saba Slayer · 06-01-2019, 10:28 AM

This Halibut /Procutto recipe is simple but Delicious....
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559409900
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559409900
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559409900
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559409900
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559409900

blitzburgh · 06-01-2019, 03:31 PM

Nice fish and rad story on the recovered gear!

jbl_91762 · 06-02-2019, 06:20 PM

Congrats on retrieving your rod and reel....the fish also lol but damn those sand flea bites would scare me and I'd toss the fish back. I need to get out on the water on the yak, but damn boat purchase has me sidetracked. The stupid weather is the real bummer as we need a good week of warm weather.

Hunters Pa · 06-03-2019, 06:01 AM

Nice snag! Hope you didn’t keep her on yer lap too long or you might have some splaining to do with the wife with all those fleas.

aftahour · 06-03-2019, 03:43 PM

nice report and great double catch.

JohnMckroidJr · 06-06-2019, 01:15 AM

Congratulations on the nice Halibut! The cooking recipe looks delicious! Cool fish story about retrieving the lost outfit -- valuable catch! Something similar happened to me while fishing on the Freedom on the back side of Catalina. One weekend a guy lost his rod. The next weekend, I snagged it on a jig and squid while fishing winter Calicos. The same guy was on the boat, so I gave it back to him. He was thankful and gave me a finder's reward.

Masyaker · 06-07-2019, 10:08 AM

Way to go on keeping the sea floor uncluttered with rod and reel combos! Yay!!!

05-31-2019, 11:33 AM	#1
Saba Slayer Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Palos Verdes Posts: 1,857	Catching a Halibut and a Calcutta 400 Butt Persistence finally paid off yesterday... After hooking two strong 20" fish in a small area, I really concentrated on working that spot hoping that those smaller guys were males near a big breeder...sure enough... she couldn't resist it and finally ate the Sardine, She swallowed the bait and was a nice runner then stubborn on the up and down...I was Lucky the front hook held as the rear treble had just broken off and I had replaced it with a fresh water treble...the only one that was small enough in the tackle kit. ...I was fishing 15# leader with a trap hook so I couldn't really horse her in. Sometimes I'd rather be lucky than good...LOL... There were so many sand fleas on her that I think she must have been half buried in the bottom. She was 30' and a little chubby...the first fillets will be slit and filled with fresh basil then wrapped in Procutto ham and the cooked in olive oil for tonights dinner OK...now the Calcutta 400 story... Last Saturday I was fishing the same area for Halibut and rigging a second rod when I snagged something with one of the rigs and it flipped right into the water before I could react...a brand new (well 6 months old is new to me LOL) Shimano Calcutta 400B...Needles to say I was BUMMED...I dragged the bottom for about an hour with weights and metal jigs for no avail...I tried again on Tuesday to snag the pole or line...again No Luck... Finally after catching the big girl and while working the area, I snagged some spectra that looked like mine...with a snelled trap rig that I had tied...YAHOO...as I pulled on that line up came the rod and reel... What a day...nice legal Butt and my rod and reel back on the kayak... http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559325980 http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559326331 http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559324994 Attached Images __________________ Jim / Saba Slayer

05-31-2019, 06:46 PM	#4
FISH11 Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Pine Valley when not fishing La Jolla Posts: 2,643	Great catch, but I would have to say the better one, was the rod and reel. Congrats Jim. __________________ MARK ......... 2016 MALIBU X FACTOR, 2020 SOLO SKIFF (Fishing Kayak on Steroids )

05-31-2019, 09:30 PM	#5
Amish Ed Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Grants Pass, OR Posts: 1,906	WTG, Jim! __________________ Amish Ed You can't catch it again if it's dead!

06-01-2019, 10:28 AM	#8
Saba Slayer Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Palos Verdes Posts: 1,857	After... This Halibut /Procutto recipe is simple but Delicious.... http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559409900 http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559409900 http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559409900 http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559409900 http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...1&d=1559409900 Attached Images __________________ Jim / Saba Slayer

06-01-2019, 03:31 PM	#9
blitzburgh Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Menifee Posts: 2,509	Nice fish and rad story on the recovered gear! __________________ ”The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it.” ~Thomas Jefferson.........maybe

05-31-2019, 12:53 PM	#2
No Losses Junior Join Date: Sep 2018 Posts: 13	awesome. that is crazy to find your setup days later. side note; I met your nephew while working in Huntington Beach. I asked if he fished. he said no, my Uncle is a killer fisherman though. an hour later he mentions you are a kayak fisherman than he really got my interest. turns out it you, haha.

05-31-2019, 02:53 PM	#3
Flounder Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 101	Great catch you really did it right. I’ve bent several 3x treblehooks and now with Vmc4x even 40lb tends to break before bending even on a size 6! Had a hali hook back onto itself last week and the 40 floro gave out on the stinger and the hook was buried in the face. Retied and g2g! How lucky to get your gear back without snorkeling!

05-31-2019, 11:04 PM	#6
tak100 Recruit Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 153	That is a pretty lucky day of fishing! Amazing.

06-01-2019, 07:23 AM	#7
farmer Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Torrance Posts: 63	Time on the water Jim you earned it

06-02-2019, 06:20 PM	#10
jbl_91762 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 347	Congrats on retrieving your rod and reel....the fish also lol but damn those sand flea bites would scare me and I'd toss the fish back. I need to get out on the water on the yak, but damn boat purchase has me sidetracked. The stupid weather is the real bummer as we need a good week of warm weather.

06-03-2019, 06:01 AM	#11
Hunters Pa Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Fullerton Posts: 1,360	Nice snag! Hope you didn’t keep her on yer lap too long or you might have some splaining to do with the wife with all those fleas.

06-03-2019, 03:43 PM	#12
aftahour Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: torrance Posts: 155	nice report and great double catch.

06-06-2019, 01:15 AM	#13
JohnMckroidJr Senior Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Fort Lauderdale Posts: 1,945	Congratulations on the nice Halibut! The cooking recipe looks delicious! Cool fish story about retrieving the lost outfit -- valuable catch! Something similar happened to me while fishing on the Freedom on the back side of Catalina. One weekend a guy lost his rod. The next weekend, I snagged it on a jig and squid while fishing winter Calicos. The same guy was on the boat, so I gave it back to him. He was thankful and gave me a finder's reward.

06-07-2019, 10:08 AM	#14
Masyaker Junior Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: La crescenta, CA Posts: 21	Way to go on keeping the sea floor uncluttered with rod and reel combos! Yay!!!