kayak related....yesterdays cold hotdogs....

[MITCHELL]

Let me see your pelagic photos.....
Beats looking at a kayak yard sale .

[MITCHELL]

With some ball parks...

[MITCHELL]

Was on land....my kayak and the ocean is my therapy.
If you can't be with the one you loved. love the one your with.

[MITCHELL]

Solo......

[MITCHELL]

He was an excellent bird dog, upland water fowl it didn't matter, he retrieved everything ...rip Duke 2007

[Fiskadoro]

Hmmmmm..... where to start.




That's my skiff I built.. It was a 14ft Western skiff that I modded into a 16ft center console for fishing offshore...I take it 40+ miles out both in US. and Mexican waters.

Above it has the original rig with twin 16 Suzuki's I wore out.
Here it is with the radar mount, a single V25 Suzuki Four stroke with a Honda kicker.


I fish tuna Marlin and T-sharks with it..mostly







T-sharks





Backside Catalina grey light


Mothershipping.


SBI morning.


SBI Kayaking


SBI sleigh ride


SBI sunset (headed home)



Sword close up


Marlin trolling East End.



Waves west End.



Trolling for Marlin out towards San Clemente Island


(Edit: It's funny but a few days after posting this I noticed there was a marlin in the trolling pic above. Here's the detail from that pic, and a image capture of another marlin taken from a video for comparison.....

........I not only did I not see that fish at the time but didn't even notice it when I posted the pic originally in a report back in 2014. )



Tuna Fishing South of the Coronado Islands.


Cat Marlin one of several we've caught on Steve's 21 Blackman


98lb YFT Bogarts Wellcraft.


46lb Albi Norms 18 parker


Big T Mikes 23 Hydrosport.


More large albacore caught up North.
A four foot long version on Norms 18 Parker (I've fished with him a lot)


Gang of 35 pound plus albacore that same day, these fish were caught out of the Avila beach hoist.


I've also got a lot of pics from bigger boats like the 56ft Ocean I used to run for Rick, but I prefer fishing the smaller skiffs.

....and really relish these offshore memories. They may be cold but never stale.

[MITCHELL]

I like your boat...

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by MITCHELL

I like your boat...

Thanks!! It's done alright by me.

[MITCHELL]

I had a 1967 20ft seahurter called the lady jane. I kept same name, that was an up grade from a 16ft fiberglass tuna chaser. It was tossed by the purse saners.it was all I could afford, but I liked it it had a cuddly cabbin you could take an afternoon nap and lay down out of the weather. The farthest I ever went was from mission bay to the 43 for zero, from there to the east butterfly for 14 albacore.The deck and box's were refinished in beautiful white fiberglass after this photo

[MITCHELL]

Butterfly

[MITCHELL]

On a kelp paddle

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by MITCHELL

On a kelp paddle

I see sabers and truelines

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by MITCHELL

Butterfly

Did your dog get seasick?

I used to take my German Shepard but she always got really sea sick. One beautiful day I kept going further south. I had caught two big Yellowfin early at gray light, and then followed them around all day trying to get another one to bite. They were line shy, but it was a big school and easy to meter, so I kept on them hitting paddies as they passed them. Lots of Dorodo around and a few Yellows on the paddies so they kept me busy. Glass calm, You could not imagine a nicer day. I finally managed a third Yellowfin about 30 minutes before sunset, then got two more before before it got dark.

Here's a pic of the conditions at sunset.

Nice huh!!

I like coming in in the dark on a flat night. Stowed all my gear cleaned up the boat. I set up a course home. I was 34 miles out on a 194 heading, so 14 degrees right past the nados, almost due North, roughly 4.5 hours to the point running a single outboard to conserve fuel at 8 knots. Half that if I wanted to run both outboards.

It was mid October and we had yet to have a good cold front. The forecast was flat seas and and variable wind under ten knots, but the forecast was wrong. I just had everything stowed when the wind kicked up out of the North blowing hard at 15 to 20 knots. the seas built and with thirty minutes I was facing eight foot head seas. By then I had slowed to under 6 knots, but it got worse and eventually I was down under 5 knots getting showered with spray threading my way directly into the big seas in the dark.

My dog baby took it worse then I did. she audibly moaned, vomited on the deck, then shit her guts out, eventually she was just laying on the wet deck sliding around as the waves shifted the boat shivering uncontrollably. I really thought she might go into some kind of systemic shock and die.

At that point I pulled her in the space behind the console, took off my rain gear and wrapped her in it, and I held her between my legs the rest of the trip. I can't describe how cold I was. After eight hours I made it in, through the eight to ten foot seas, but I kept shaking for another hour, even though the first thing I did when I got to the ramp was jump in the truck and put the heater on. When I got to the dock she lifted up her head and gave me this look like: "Is this over" and though I had to lift her over the rail on to the dock but she walked to the truck under her own power. Once I warmed up enough to retrieve the boat I put the trailer in the water, jumped out of the truck and she followed me to the dock. Then amazingly she jumped right back in the boat with me. Such is the loyalty of dogs. For all she knew I was headed right back out there, and she did not care, she just wanted to stay with me.

I never took her on a offshore trip again, and every time I started loading the boat with tuna gear she'd get upset. Not at the prospect of bad weather, but because she knew I was going to leave her behind.

She was pretty hot as dogs go, but got a little too cold that night

[makobob]

Originally Posted by Fiskadoro

Did your dog get seasick?

I used to take my German Shepard but she always got really sea sick. One beautiful day I kept going further south. I had caught two big Yellowfin early at gray light, and then followed them around all day trying to get another one to bite. They were line shy, but it was a big school and easy to meter, so I kept on them hitting paddies as they passed them. Lots of Dorodo around and a few Yellows on the paddies so they kept me busy. Glass calm, You could not imagine a nicer day. I finally managed a third Yellowfin about 30 minutes before sunset, then got two more before before it got dark.

Here's a pic of the conditions at sunset.

Nice huh!!

I like coming in in the dark on a flat night. Stowed all my gear cleaned up the boat. I set up a course home. I was 34 miles out on a 194 heading, so 14 degrees right past the nados, almost due North, roughly 4.5 hours to the point running a single outboard to conserve fuel at 8 knots. Half that if I wanted to run both outboards.

It was mid October and we had yet to have a good cold front. The forecast was flat seas and and variable wind under ten knots, but the forecast was wrong. I just had everything stowed when the wind kicked up out of the North blowing hard at 15 to 20 knots. the seas built and with thirty minutes I was facing eight foot head seas. By then I had slowed to under 6 knots, but it got worse and eventually I was down under 5 knots getting showered with spray threading my way directly into the big seas in the dark.

My dog baby took it worse then I did. she audibly moaned, vomited on the deck, then shit her guts out, eventually she was just laying on the wet deck sliding around as the waves shifted the boat shivering uncontrollably. I really thought she might go into some kind of systemic shock and die.

At that point I pulled her in the space behind the console, took off my rain gear and wrapped her in it, and I held her between my legs the rest of the trip. I can't describe how cold I was. After eight hours I made it in, through the eight to ten foot seas, but I kept shaking for another hour, even though the first thing I did when I got to the ramp was jump in the truck and put the heater on. When I got to the dock she lifted up her head and gave me this look like: "Is this over" and though I had to lift her over the rail on to the dock but she walked to the truck under her own power. Once I warmed up enough to retrieve the boat I put the trailer in the water, jumped out of the truck and she followed me to the dock. Then amazingly she jumped right back in the boat with me. Such is the loyalty of dogs. For all she knew I was headed right back out there, and she did not care, she just wanted to stay with me.

I never took her on a offshore trip again, and every time I started loading the boat with tuna gear she'd get upset. Not at the prospect of bad weather, but because she knew I was going to leave her behind.

She was pretty hot as dogs go, but got a little too cold that night

GREAT story amigo. Thanks for sharing that evening.

[MITCHELL]

Duke never got seasick,but he took alot of craps as soon as I put him on the bow, not in the parking lot, not on the dock on the bow.I had a big thick sponge rubber pad for him to lay on.one time we were all hooked up on yellowtail and duke jumped into the school of fish and started swimming around we yelled at him to get to the stern and we pulled him over the transom. The worst weather I was ever in was coming home from San Clemente sland in a 24ft skipjack with a flying bridge we were diving and spent the night two boats there. It would have been better to run to Catalina island. But we didn't we headed back to San Diego we never took off our wet suits.just sat down in bottom of boat all day long only the skipper was on the flying bridge. Going down swell felt like we might flip over.Half the time you could not see the other boat. There were beakers going into mission bay.Not sure how big the sea was but it was scary I still thing about it alot after over 40years ago it was around 1972

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by MITCHELL

Duke never got seasick,but he took alot of craps as soon as I put him on the bow, not in the parking lot, not on the dock on the bow.I had a big thick sponge rubber pad for him to lay on.one time we were all hooked up on yellowtail and duke jumped into the school of fish and started swimming around we yelled at him to get to the stern and we pulled him over the transom. The worst weather I was ever in was coming home from San Clemente sland in a 24ft skipjack with a flying bridge we were diving and spent the night two boats there. It would have been better to run to Catalina island. But we didn't we headed back to San Diego we never took off our wet suits.just sat down in bottom of boat all day long only the skipper was on the flying bridge. Going down swell felt like we might flip over.Half the time you could not see the other boat. There were beakers going into mission bay.Not sure how big the sea was but it was scary I still thing about it alot after over 40years ago it was around 1972

I really miss my dog.

Yeah those skippy flys are really top heavy. Bulletproof boat but the older ones do move around a lot. Some of the old Blackman flybridges are even worse. They lean over so far you feel like you are going to fall out of them.

That night with my dog was a grind due to cold and fatigue but I have seen worse. I've been in huge seas off SBI, where the waves looked like mountains but at least where was some space between them. I once got caught in a wind event off Point Magu that was so bad the owner wanted me to drive his boat up on the beach. It took hours but I got his boat back powering up the waves that dropping off at the crests and then angling down the back sides. We were low on fuel so we slugged it out, and I learned a lot, but in hind site I should of run down to Paradise Cove, anchored up, then called for a tow when the wind died.

The worst for me personally was in Cat Channel crossing back at night. I was about half way across and got slammed by one of those sudden Cabrillo/Cat Channel wind events. I really thought I might not make it in. Pitch black, howling wind, confused and huge breaking waves that I could barely make out. I just kept crawling forward because I did not want to loose my boat. At the break wall I saw a flare and found some hoopers that were washing into the rocks. By then I was comfortable enough I went over and threw them a rope and towed them inside. At the dock they saw all my Marlin gear and asked me where I had been, when I told them Catalina they initially didn't believe me. It was like just crazy, like you would never intentionally cross and those conditions but I made it anyway. The thing about rough weather is it's initially scary but then you get used to it. I mean you are there, you can't just wish your way out, so you have to adapt. After a while I get kind of an adrenaline high, you have to learn how to work the boat through the seas. It's like a pattern you have to work out. I'm just glad I don't get seasick in those kinds of conditions.

[MITCHELL]

Those are some big thresher you caught that one looks close to three hundred. Im still going on my first, but I have lost a bunch. The first one I lost was in my 16ft tuna chaser. I had a home made downrigger, made with a boat wench and a big cannon ball.i was using steel leader.but it didn't stay on, I could see it's tail in my wake.
Another one I lost i was in my kayak, in la Jolla. I had a top shot of mono on my reel because I just finished tuna fishing on a sport boat, big mistake. Anyway it picked up a a slow trolled mackerel and started to peel line off I adjusted my drag accordingly to the sled ride.I think it said no f......way am I pulling some dude around that weights 265lb because it doubled back under my kayak, I could see it bigger than Dallas, silver purple and that long tail 10 feet under my kayak, and circled around in front of me, tail bitch slapping me until the line broke.i no I hooked more but can't remember. I have caught hammerheads Makos and soup fins from my yak.and that is plural in all three , but only keeping one Mako.
I don't no why but this kind of feels like im writing my own eulogy must be the cancer thing live like your dying

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by MITCHELL

Those are some big thresher you caught that one looks close to three hundred. Im still going on my first, but I have lost a bunch. The first one I lost was in my 16ft tuna chaser. I had a home made downrigger, made with a boat wench and a big cannon ball.i was using steel leader.but it didn't stay on, I could see it's tail in my wake.
Another one I lost i was in my kayak, in la Jolla. I had a top shot of mono on my reel because I just finished tuna fishing on a sport boat, big mistake. Anyway it picked up a a slow trolled mackerel and started to peel line off I adjusted my drag accordingly to the sled ride.I think it said no f......way am I pulling some dude around that weights 265lb because it doubled back under my kayak, I could see it bigger than Dallas, silver purple and that long tail 10 feet under my kayak, and circled around in front of me, tail bitch slapping me until the line broke.i no I hooked more but can't remember. I have caught hammerheads Makos and soup fins from my yak.and that is plural in all three , but only keeping one Mako.
I don't no why but this kind of feels like im writing my own eulogy must be the cancer thing live like your dying

Good eye..

The ones on the skiff are smaller ones around 12' 6" 200lb, the big female on the dock was significantly larger, 14' 8" and it bottomed out a 300lb scale. I'd say 350+ It was as big around as a trash can.

I've caught more Mako's then I could count, but that large T was my first one. I caught it while trolling a home made jig that I made for makos, on a 30-50 hand wrapped Calstar I'd just built with a TLD25 filled with straight 40 pound mono. I kid you not it was my first fish on that rod and reel. When I hooked it I was just outside the 270 spot, in the middle of the shipping channel, and it sounded all the line off the reel straight down as soon as it hooked up.

I'd heard they could empty reels like that, but I'd never seen anything like it. I locked up the reel with a few wraps left and my buddy grabbed another heavier rig, the idea being we'd attach it's line to my reel and just toss my rig overboard. While he was setting that up the line kept stretching on mine like a huge 450 yard rubber band, but by the time he was ready the fish had turned and we noticed that the line was no longer pointing straight down. I gained maybe half the line back but the line was still down at maybe at a 45 degree angle when it jumped the first time maybe 50 yards right in front of us.

It was our first look at the fish. It was broadside to us, mouth hooked fish, and it came up and out then back in again in a huge perfect arc, as clean as a porpoise, traveling maybe three body full lengths through the air and landing back in head first. It was moving so fast and so big I could not even comprehend that it was actually on my line.

Epic fish battle, like hard to believe. It took almost an hour to get it to the boat on 40. Most of the time I was on the bow while we chased it. At one point it passed right under me while I was on our bow sprit just a few feet down. My buddy yelled: "How big is it?" The span across the pecs from tip to tip was over seven feet, I just told him" "It's too BIG!!", "We'll never get it!!", but it kept circling around us, and finally Mike just powered up the boat and ran us right on top of it and he manged to stick it with our fly gaff. We could not even get it in the boat but had to tie it along side and tow it in.

In total we probably followed it at least five miles. They say swords fight harder but it really worked me on that gear. I'll never forget it.

[MITCHELL]

Sings a sad sad song 🎵

[MITCHELL]

Originally Posted by MITCHELL

Sings a sad sad song 🎵

Don't buy a cheap Amazon guitar backpack case without padding stupid me . All it takes is one drop 3ft and one bump of the neck on a hollow no framing guitar 2 different accidents 🎸.
Probably try to replace the neck myself.
Taylor wants $400 to fix.