Landing Fish on a Kayak

[SAR]

I'm new to the sport and I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I start fishing from my kayak. Right now I'm in the phase of taking my kayak out on the ocean and getting comfortable with the conditions, I'm also talking with as many fishermen as I can. My question for you is what is the process for safely landing larger fish from the kayak? I've seen people with gaffs and nets but I haven't actually seen a fish landed yet. Also I read a post here over the weekend where someone talked about bleeding and cleaning his yt on the water. Is that common and what are the advantages/disadvantages of doing that? Thanks!

[lamb]

You may have been the guy riding Tarpon 140 I talked to?

Great that you’re taking your kayak out first to make sure you’re comfortable before you start fishing. I admit, I'm guilty of skipping that part. Reading up these boards and talking to yak fisherman is great way to get ins and outs of the sport… Taking kayak safety / surf class with the local kayak guide is highly beneficial as well.

You bleed YT to get the blood out – meat ends up with better texture, cleaner fillets, supposedly it even tastes better. It also helps to cut the fish out of its misery. I pull their gills right after I secure the fish. Sounds pretty savage, but their beating hart will help pump the blood out. I found YTs calm down pretty quickly after that, no flapping on the deck. Then I drink their blood in excitement… Ok, I’m just kidding on that part. :lol:

As far as landing with the fish, I keep ‘em in my lap. I have the rope tied and make sure it goes under my leg, to minimize chance of tangling if and when I roll in the surf. It goes back to individual preference and comfort level with landing. I always stash everything inside of my eX, simply because I still don’t have the comfort level that I won’t roll. Doing it with a couple of tails on the deck makes it quite a challenge. I keep the fish in my lap as I know I don’t want to stash it in the bow – making it heavy would sure help dig your nose into the wave and roll upon re-entry. There’s really no other place to put them – I tried to dump them in my milk crate in the back, and found out that YT bigger than 12# will keep falling out…

Stay safe and good luck out there!

[Dennis]

Just be patient... The fish will tire out, and do death circles... Unless it's a white sea bass... It'll pop up, out of the water. Once it get's close enough gaff the F- out of it. :lol: . I usually hold it tight, like someone's trying to take my milk money. Once I feel that it's settle down a bit, I stick my game clip through it's mouth. Then, I'll bleed it out. I believe bleeding it right away makes it good for sushi... Biggest disadvantage with bleeding it on the water, is Mr. Smiley... :shock: :lol:

[SAR]

lamb, I am the guy in the Tarpon 140 you spoke with on the water Sunday morning. I decided to take your advice to heart and become active on these sites to learn as much as possible, thanks for the help. As far as landing a fish I misspoke, I was talking about getting the fish safely on the kayak and storing it rather than landing the kayak on the beach, any advice?

[lamb]

Good meeting you. Now that I re-read your post, I don't think you miss-spoke. I got the landing part all wrong - sorry about that… :lol:

Ditto on what Dennis says... I find the big game clip to be pretty handy - I keep it attached to the 10 - 15ft rope and tied to my yak. Always keep your gaff at your reach, make sure you're ready. Bring the fish to the surface, stick it, clip it/tie it, pull the gills. Piece of cake. :lol: Be careful with big butts as they can get nasty (I heard, have never caught halibut from the yak myself).

[ski]

I dont worry about cleaning my fish while otw. Less possible injury to oneself, plus if you decide to fillet, there are certain size limits of the fillet that must be adhered to. I echo what the others say about bleeding. You can also take a couple of frozen water bottles and shove one down the throat of that yellar to help keep it cool One other thing that I do is cover my catch with a wet mesh sack (the kind you get for the cattle boats).
As far as gaffing, I have yet to gaff a yellow. I just grab the tail, and hang on tight! I wear gloves, so I am able to get a really good grip. That is just my preferred method. I did gaff my hali, and the only thing that I can think of as far as advice would be to gaff with the point of the gaff away from the yak. The reason for this is because after you stick it, the fish will most likely be pissed and you will probably use the side of your yak for leverage for the gaff. If the point is against your yak, you might risk a puncture! I knew there was a reason why I carry a small roll of duct tape with me!
Mark

[kareem korn]

You need to keep a 1"x1" piece of skin attached to the fillet in case DFG wants to check your catch.

-Tim-

[madscientist]

Here's my suggestions in a nutshell.

Try to bring the fish up on whichever side you like to gaff. I prefer to gaff with my right hand so I try to bring the fish up on the right.

Pull the gaff into the fish, don't swing. You want to stick it, not club it. Practice with a watermelon.:lol:

I like to have two connections with the fish until secured, so I gaff, stringer, remove hook, secure stringer, remove gaff. Then bleed by ripping/cutting the gills. With a halibut, beat the living crap out of its head with whatever makes the best club. Not really necessary with a YT or WSB unless they have a bad attitude.

Preparation is great but don't over think things. Nothing beats experience and that can't be found on the computer.

As for cleaning, I fillet rockfish, bonita, and calicos on the boat but leave the skin on. Bigger fish are more trouble than its worth, so those I do as the other guys said, paddle in with it in my lap and attached to the boat by the stringer.