Beware Fri. the 13th! - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Vikingj · 05-14-2011, 03:18 PM

It started out a typical LJ morning – calm, slight fog, overcast skies, 1-2 ft waves, water temp 62*F, easy bait, slow fishing, etc. It was a sleepy morning where I did not expect the calamity that was soon to develop. I was drifting through the kelp wondering if my introduction to La Jolla 4 ½ yrs ago by Greenjeans & Yani was a curse or a blessing. After getting bit that 1^st day (and having the granny knot to my hook fail!) I was inoculated with an infectious contagion (aka the “LJ Bug”). Here it was 25 trips later with a trophy fish tally of 0-25. Just as I left the kelp, deep in thought, the reel sent out its musical zzzzzzzzzzzz. Whoa! This was definitely not the aggressive kelp snag I was so accustom to hearing. My brain jumped into overdrive- wait or don’t wait to set hook?, 3 sec. or 10 sec. wait? , too much drag or not enough? , pull hard or medium/fast or slow?, Pedal toward running fish or away? T-shark or wsb or..? The monster took off on a straight run near the surface toward my buddy, JB. John quickly tried to reel in his line to prevent a tangle, but it he wasn’t going to make it in time. Our lines crossed and his bait/sinker caught on mine. After frantically throwing off the tangle, my line went slack – another fish lost! Oh, well, isn’t it better to get bit and lose than to never get bit at all? I started to reel in my slack line when it came back to life! After 10min of runs, dives, short kelp tangle, and JB’s helpful coaching & encouragement, my 1^st wsb came to color. Now a whole new set of questions arose- where to gaff?, bleed or not to bleed?, how to get this monster aboard without tipping? Where to grab it (Thanks, John for the warning about the sharp teeth & gill rakers!)?, how to load it and tie it down on the yak? How to pose for that otw photo!?, why is my leg twitching up and down like a sewing machine afterwards? Finally sorted all out and headed in.
Passed a couple kayakers just going out and heard a “Hey, nice fish!”. Looked up and saw Josh and his buddy- asked them how much they thought it weighed. Josh came over and took a closer look – “45 lbs” and his buddy nodded in agreement (right on-after bleeding the scale recorded 45 lbs 1 oz at 52").
OK, enough babbling. Pics can say it all.
PS – Damien: sorry I couldn’t wait!
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mrJB · 05-14-2011, 03:42 PM

Wayne -

OUTSTANDING job and INCREDIBLE fish! You deserved it and many more!

:luxhell o:

:notwo rthy:

:lu xhello:

John

telewka · 05-14-2011, 03:45 PM

Wayne you sure payed the price for that nice WSB after all those trips not many people would have hung in there like you did.

Iceman · 05-14-2011, 04:04 PM

very nice

Friday the 13th was not so unlucky for some!

Aaron&Julie · 05-14-2011, 04:08 PM

Awesome, great persevance, nice catch. Good seeing the Mafia score. Congrats!

undrH2Ohntr · 05-14-2011, 04:16 PM

Congrat's....beautiful fish.

Dennis · 05-14-2011, 04:42 PM

.. Good on ya! Congrats on the nice fish. And the report... wave, wind, sky, and water temp.. That's a report. Oh, and "look what I got" is a nice bonus also. Thanks..

Is that the Liberator Mini?

bigbarrels · 05-14-2011, 04:42 PM

Congrats on your first WSB

Podaker · 05-14-2011, 04:53 PM

nice fish, saw you at the launch that morning and heard you came in early with that monster. congrats.....!

GregAndrew · 05-14-2011, 05:02 PM

Well done!! Having a coach right there with you can be priceless.

flydigital · 05-14-2011, 06:00 PM

Wayne, congrats buddy!!!!!

I had a feeling it would happen while I was away! You were definitely due. All those no-fish LJ trips suddenly become all worth it eh?

Great pics and story... I will finally get a chance to get back out there for more LJ humiliation this Thursday. In other words, anyone who wants a decent chance at a nice fish should avoid Thursday at all costs.

premo · 05-14-2011, 06:46 PM

congratulation Wayne.

bellcon · 05-14-2011, 06:56 PM

Congrats on a great catch

Bummer
I thought the Damien comment might have been a hint that he scored too

It will come Damien

It will come

GBF · 05-14-2011, 07:08 PM

Killer fish.......very nice going

GBF

roadx · 05-14-2011, 07:40 PM

nice fish

your going to eating good this weekend

theluckypig · 05-14-2011, 08:00 PM

suddenly 0-7 isn't so bad...

roby · 05-14-2011, 08:55 PM

One helluva fish...congrats!!

05-14-2011, 09:04 PM

Wow Wayne!! What a fish!! Nice job on keeping your cool.
I hope this is the beginning of many more to come!!

Flyfisher70 · 05-14-2011, 09:25 PM

It took quite bit of time on the water, it's definitely a very well earned fish, congrats on an excellent catch.

Amish Ed · 05-14-2011, 10:31 PM

Talk about patience, but what a sweet payoff. I'm guessing you'll be back?

05-14-2011, 03:18 PM	#1
Vikingj Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Dana Point area Posts: 438	Beware Fri. the 13th! It started out a typical LJ morning – calm, slight fog, overcast skies, 1-2 ft waves, water temp 62F, easy bait, slow fishing, etc. It was a sleepy morning where I did not expect the calamity that was soon to develop. I was drifting through the kelp wondering if my introduction to La Jolla 4 ½ yrs ago by Greenjeans & Yani was a curse or a blessing. After getting bit that 1^st day (and having the granny knot to my hook fail!) I was inoculated with an infectious contagion (aka the “LJ Bug”). Here it was 25 trips later with a trophy fish tally of 0-25. Just as I left the kelp, deep in thought, the reel sent out its musical zzzzzzzzzzzz. Whoa! This was definitely not the aggressive kelp snag I was so accustom to hearing. My brain jumped into overdrive- wait or don’t wait to set hook?, 3 sec. or 10 sec. wait? , too much drag or not enough? , pull hard or medium/fast or slow?, Pedal toward running fish or away? T-shark or wsb or..? The monster took off on a straight run near the surface toward my buddy, JB. John quickly tried to reel in his line to prevent a tangle, but it he wasn’t going to make it in time. Our lines crossed and his bait/sinker caught on mine. After frantically throwing off the tangle, my line went slack – another fish lost! Oh, well, isn’t it better to get bit and lose than to never get bit at all? I started to reel in my slack line when it came back to life! After 10min of runs, dives, short kelp tangle, and JB’s helpful coaching & encouragement, my 1^st wsb came to color. Now a whole new set of questions arose- where to gaff?, bleed or not to bleed?, how to get this monster aboard without tipping? Where to grab it (Thanks, John for the warning about the sharp teeth & gill rakers!)?, how to load it and tie it down on the yak? How to pose for that otw photo!?, why is my leg twitching up and down like a sewing machine afterwards? Finally sorted all out and headed in. Passed a couple kayakers just going out and heard a “Hey, nice fish!”. Looked up and saw Josh and his buddy- asked them how much they thought it weighed. Josh came over and took a closer look – “45 lbs” and his buddy nodded in agreement (right on-after bleeding the scale recorded 45 lbs 1 oz at 52"). OK, enough babbling. Pics can say it all. PS – Damien: sorry I couldn’t wait! . . . . . . . . . . . . Attached Images Last edited by Vikingj; 05-14-2011 at 03:19 PM. Reason: fine tuning*

05-14-2011, 03:42 PM	#2
mrJB Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: O.C. Posts: 352	Wayne - OUTSTANDING job and INCREDIBLE fish! You deserved it and many more! :luxhell o::notwo rthy::lu xhello: John __________________ "I Brake for Halibut"

05-14-2011, 03:45 PM	#3
telewka Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 38	Nice Fish Wayne you sure payed the price for that nice WSB after all those trips not many people would have hung in there like you did.

05-14-2011, 04:04 PM	#4
Iceman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 1-2 miles off the point Posts: 6,948	very nice Friday the 13th was not so unlucky for some! __________________

05-14-2011, 04:08 PM	#5
Aaron&Julie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Spring Valley Posts: 1,400	Awesome, great persevance, nice catch. Good seeing the Mafia score. Congrats! __________________ "Never say die"

05-14-2011, 04:16 PM	#6
undrH2Ohntr Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: San Diego Posts: 115	Congrat's....beautiful fish.

05-14-2011, 04:42 PM	#7
Dennis Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: South of La Jolla... Posts: 1,193	.. Good on ya! Congrats on the nice fish. And the report... wave, wind, sky, and water temp.. That's a report. Oh, and "look what I got" is a nice bonus also. Thanks.. Is that the Liberator Mini? __________________ Hmmmm.....

05-14-2011, 04:42 PM	#8
bigbarrels Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Vista Posts: 1,111	Congrats on your first WSB __________________ The shorter you are, the bigger your fish appear

05-14-2011, 04:53 PM	#9
Podaker Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: la jolla shores Posts: 86	nice fish, saw you at the launch that morning and heard you came in early with that monster. congrats.....!

05-14-2011, 05:02 PM	#10
GregAndrew Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,384	Well done!! Having a coach right there with you can be priceless.

05-14-2011, 06:00 PM	#11
flydigital Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 192	Wayne, congrats buddy!!!!! I had a feeling it would happen while I was away! You were definitely due. All those no-fish LJ trips suddenly become all worth it eh? Great pics and story... I will finally get a chance to get back out there for more LJ humiliation this Thursday. In other words, anyone who wants a decent chance at a nice fish should avoid Thursday at all costs.

05-14-2011, 06:46 PM	#12
premo Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: costa mesa Posts: 124	congratulation Wayne.

05-14-2011, 06:56 PM	#13
bellcon Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: San Pedro Posts: 999	Congrats on a great catch Bummer I thought the Damien comment might have been a hint that he scored too It will come Damien It will come __________________

05-14-2011, 07:08 PM	#14
GBF Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Huntington Beach CA Posts: 323	Killer fish.......very nice going GBF __________________ "Just keep going out....it's better than staying Home"

05-14-2011, 07:40 PM	#15
roadx . Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,155	nice fish your going to eating good this weekend __________________

05-14-2011, 08:00 PM	#16
theluckypig Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: San Pedro Posts: 694	suddenly 0-7 isn't so bad...

05-14-2011, 08:55 PM	#17
roby CEO of Team Roby Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 905	One helluva fish...congrats!!

05-14-2011, 09:04 PM	#18
yani Guest Posts: n/a	Wow Wayne!! What a fish!! Nice job on keeping your cool. I hope this is the beginning of many more to come!!

05-14-2011, 09:25 PM	#19
Flyfisher70 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 69	It took quite bit of time on the water, it's definitely a very well earned fish, congrats on an excellent catch.

05-14-2011, 10:31 PM	#20
Amish Ed Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Grants Pass, OR Posts: 1,906	Talk about patience, but what a sweet payoff. I'm guessing you'll be back? __________________ Amish Ed You can't catch it again if it's dead!