Homecoming ... and living up to my namesake (9/6/11) - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Hamachijohn · 09-11-2011, 11:36 PM

Other than taking the kids to Legoland and Seaworld, I haven't been back to the San Diego area since college some 19 years ago. Sure wish I had taken up yakfishing back then. So after spending Labor day weekend with family in Mexico, I dropped off the wife and kid @ SD airport and wished them a happy flight back to San Francisco.

I checked into a hotel and dreamed of yellowtail. My handle on Norcalkayakanglers is Hamachijohn. I love to eat it - and while I love fishing norcal for lings, cabezon, halibut, salmon and sturgeon (OK, I actually don't enjoy fishing for sturgeon) - yakfishing for YT so far had been only a dream. Damn it, if my handle is "Hamachijohn", by golly I sure was determined to catch me one. Back to dreaming of YT... zzz.

I arrive @ the hallowed grounds and take in the scenery as I sip my coffee. I talk to a few locals getting ready to launch- very friendly folks. Maybe they saw me in my 3mm farmer john wetsuit, and decided to show some kindness to a tourist who didn’t have a chance. I have come to the end of the pilgrimage, with the only remaining task at hand- catching a YT. I unload my Adventure and realize that I left my paddle @ home 500 miles away. I went thru my checklist 4 times for this epic journey, and I still forget gear ?? But nothing was going to ruin this dream trip to Yellowtail-Land. I was determined to stay until I had caught one, and didn’t want to leave room for any excuses for not catching any, so I arranged for guide service from “The Kid”. How can you go wrong with a name like that?

Symphonies have pre-concert talks by the composer, and I got one right on the beach. I tried to remember everything being said and soak up any and all YT wisdom. It was early enough that there weren't bikini-clad folks to be distracted by.

Got on the water and had a blast, fishing with a grin on my face the whole day. I was living the dream, yakfishing for YT in La Jolla. I learned a lot from Kevin while on the water, and he was a professional the way he went about things. Now I want the season pass to YT-land. Thanks again to The Kid, and hope to be back in October, now that I’ve got yellow fever.

bellcon · 09-12-2011, 06:31 AM

Awesome John
glad it all came together for you!

Handymansd · 09-12-2011, 08:08 AM

Awesome job John, and Congrats on a Beautiful fish! Kevin works even better than a paddle when it comes to fishing!

Ed · 09-12-2011, 08:28 AM

Congrats John. Sweet Yellow

DanaPT · 09-12-2011, 08:30 AM

That's a nice fish.

Dan · 09-12-2011, 10:52 AM

Living the dream, indeed. Congrats!

Limits · 09-13-2011, 07:46 AM

Congrats on living up to your name.

deepdvr · 09-13-2011, 08:10 AM

Very impressive for a first

yakrider · 09-13-2011, 12:19 PM

very cool story!
thanks for sharing...

lamb · 09-13-2011, 02:39 PM

Nice fish!

Hamachijohn · 09-13-2011, 04:24 PM

thx everyone for your kind words. Now that I'm back in SF, I'm still dreaming YT.
I remember it like it was yeterday. The Kid sights some YT that I can't see for the life of me, and the next thing we're both rocked by yellowtail. Hope to revisit in October.

Jonathan

09-11-2011, 11:36 PM	#1
Hamachijohn Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: San Francisco Posts: 74	Homecoming ... and living up to my namesake (9/6/11) Other than taking the kids to Legoland and Seaworld, I haven't been back to the San Diego area since college some 19 years ago. Sure wish I had taken up yakfishing back then. So after spending Labor day weekend with family in Mexico, I dropped off the wife and kid @ SD airport and wished them a happy flight back to San Francisco. I checked into a hotel and dreamed of yellowtail. My handle on Norcalkayakanglers is Hamachijohn. I love to eat it - and while I love fishing norcal for lings, cabezon, halibut, salmon and sturgeon (OK, I actually don't enjoy fishing for sturgeon) - yakfishing for YT so far had been only a dream. Damn it, if my handle is "Hamachijohn", by golly I sure was determined to catch me one. Back to dreaming of YT... zzz. I arrive @ the hallowed grounds and take in the scenery as I sip my coffee. I talk to a few locals getting ready to launch- very friendly folks. Maybe they saw me in my 3mm farmer john wetsuit, and decided to show some kindness to a tourist who didn’t have a chance. I have come to the end of the pilgrimage, with the only remaining task at hand- catching a YT. I unload my Adventure and realize that I left my paddle @ home 500 miles away. I went thru my checklist 4 times for this epic journey, and I still forget gear ?? But nothing was going to ruin this dream trip to Yellowtail-Land. I was determined to stay until I had caught one, and didn’t want to leave room for any excuses for not catching any, so I arranged for guide service from “The Kid”. How can you go wrong with a name like that? Symphonies have pre-concert talks by the composer, and I got one right on the beach. I tried to remember everything being said and soak up any and all YT wisdom. It was early enough that there weren't bikini-clad folks to be distracted by. Got on the water and had a blast, fishing with a grin on my face the whole day. I was living the dream, yakfishing for YT in La Jolla. I learned a lot from Kevin while on the water, and he was a professional the way he went about things. Now I want the season pass to YT-land. Thanks again to The Kid, and hope to be back in October, now that I’ve got yellow fever. Attached Images

09-12-2011, 06:31 AM	#2
bellcon Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: San Pedro Posts: 999	Awesome John glad it all came together for you! __________________

09-12-2011, 08:08 AM	#3
Handymansd Ancient Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: On The Water Posts: 935	Awesome job John, and Congrats on a Beautiful fish! Kevin works even better than a paddle when it comes to fishing! __________________ All men are equal before fish. -Herbert Hoover

09-12-2011, 08:28 AM	#4
Ed Fringe Head Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Drippin Chicken Water Ranch Posts: 140	Congrats John. Sweet Yellow __________________ "If cabbage was good for you, rabbits would be big as bears" (Adi)

09-12-2011, 08:30 AM	#5
DanaPT Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: South OC Posts: 1,606	Love those ringing endorsements. . . That's a nice fish.

09-12-2011, 10:52 AM	#6
Dan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,053	Living the dream, indeed. Congrats!

09-13-2011, 07:46 AM	#7
Limits Kayak Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cypress, CA Posts: 200	Congrats on living up to your name. __________________ When the going gets tough, the tough go "pedaling"

09-13-2011, 08:10 AM	#8
deepdvr Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Carlsbad Posts: 591	Very impressive for a first

09-13-2011, 12:19 PM	#9
yakrider Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 611	very cool story! thanks for sharing...

09-13-2011, 02:39 PM	#10
lamb Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,563	Nice fish! __________________ [------------------------ <)))< ....b-a-a-a-a

09-13-2011, 04:24 PM	#11
Hamachijohn Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: San Francisco Posts: 74	thx everyone for your kind words. Now that I'm back in SF, I'm still dreaming YT. I remember it like it was yeterday. The Kid sights some YT that I can't see for the life of me, and the next thing we're both rocked by yellowtail. Hope to revisit in October. Jonathan