Hobie Pedaller's EPIC Day at La Jolla
Friday - September 1, 2006
I launched into LJ Cove from LJ Shores beach
around 10:20 am and landed back at the beach around 5:20 pm.
7 hrs on the water.
Just another day in paradise out there.... (here's the pink Hotel
in downtown La Jolla)
(and here's the white Condo near the La Jolla Point)
Tthe water was packed with almost every variety of water sporter....
dozens of kayak fishermen. More dozens of recreational kayakers
plus many private boaters fishing. The usual suspects of
the commercial sport fishing boats, there were surfers, boogie
boarders, one guy paddle surfing a huge board, sail boaters,
swimmers, scuba divers, snorklers, spear fisherman, and even
2 guys fishing from a canoe. The only thing i didn't see out
there was any jet skis.
As i headed out through the reserve, I met Dave on his way back
in. He had caught 1 YT that was about 15 lbs. He kindly gave
me 7 Spanish Mackerals that he had left over in his bait tank.
THANKS AGAIN Dave !!
This allowed me to pin on 2 of the macks and start slow trolling
2 lines (one high and one low) as soon as i passed the reserve
buoy. I quickly got one short bite on the slider-weighted rig,
but it only resulted in teeth marks in the mack's sides.
I met Jim Sammons out there who was out with a pair of his clients.
The boat traffic while trolling through all of the kayaks and
other vessels in the area around the Condo was like I-8 at rush
hour so I decided to head to the outside areas to get a little
more space. As I got about a mile or so NW off the La Jolla
Point, my slider-weighted rig gets stuck in kelp. I'm trying
to free it and then the fly-lined bait gets bit - immediate bendo.
So I leave the snagged rig out of gear to give line, clicker
on to prevent backlash, and in a rod holder. Tthere was a VERY
strong southerly flowing current that was drifting me away from
the snag and this was quickly pulling line off the reel of the
snagged rig, but my immediate concern is with the FISH on the
other pole.
The fish goes straight down and kelps itself. I'm in about 50
ft of water and fishing with 25 lb mono line. I pump it up and
feel kelp strands breaking free.... then boink.... total slack....
I thought the fish came off.
But NO.... he's still there, he's free from the kelp, and he
is fighting mad.
It's mostly a vertical fight with only a small amount of horizontal
running. As i battle this guy I quickly realize this is a sizeable
fish. Ii'm slowly working him up, and the strong current is VERY
quickly ripping me, and the 'yak, and the fish, downhill towards
the south.
All the while, the slider-weighted rig is still snagged, and
the line is quickly peeling off the reel as the hard current
rips me south. the snagged reel was almost completely spooled,
and I could tell that I wasn't even close to landing the fish
that I was battling on the other pole. I
didn't want to cut the line on the snagged reel, because I only
had 2 live bait rigs with me, and I didn't want to be down to
only 1 rig for the rest of the day.
So I put the pole with the fish on it under one arm, and over the other forearm, with the rod sticking sideways out of the 'yak, so i could hold on to it without using my hands. I then grab the snagged rig in both hands and start winding back towards the snag, as i'm pedalling hard to move the 'yak north against the strong current to create slack in the snagged line. I'm sure this would have been a hilarious site to see.... but there was no one near me out there to witness the free comedy show.
After at least 10 mins of pedalling hard into the current, winding in the line of the snagged rig, and holding on for dear life (with my ARMS) to the pole with fish on.... I FINALLY get back straight on top of the snagged line. I'm able to pull it free, thank goodness. I reel in the now slack line and get that headache resolved. now back to fighting the fish that's hooked up on the other pole.
After another good 15-20 minutes of battle.... with several
hard drag-pulling runs.... I finally get the big brute of a
fish up to the 'yak....
I gaff the fish and pull it aboard.... with my 2/0 circle hook
stuck in the corner of it's mouth....
fortunately, a SD lifeguard boat came by and took this "on the
water" photo for me....
I get the fish bled and tied onto the yak to ride around the
cove with me as I continue to fish....
About this time I'm starting to think of the line from the
first "JAWS" movie when Richard Dreyfuss says: "We need a bigger
boat".
This entire process from hook up of the fish to now had been
at least 45 mins or longer. and the strong current had taken
me at least 2 miles south of the La Jolla Point. I start the
long hard pedal back north against the ripping current. I pedal
hard and fast troll a Krocodile and a Frenzy back to the Point.
Nada on the Frenzy, but i get 2 medium Greenback Mackerals on
the Kroc.
Once I got back to the Point, I make several casts with the Krocodile
and i pick up 2 Bonita around 20" each....
Then I start slow trolling macks again on the high and low rigs
around the Point and past the Condo areas. i lose the remainder
of my live baits to snags in the kelp and short bites. So I cast
the Krocodile some more and I pick up 2 Barracudas around 24" each....
Then, the New Seaforth sportfishing boat comes up to try to get
in on my action....
Bait was hard for me to find in that area, but I finally get
a few Greenbacks and 1 Spanish on the Sabiki rig.
I fly-line one of the Greenies right in front of the Condo
and quickly get hit again. i hook up to something fairly decent,
but after a short fight it comes unbuttoned.
I'm pretty sure I didn't wait long enough for the hook set, and
thus blew my chance at a TWO Yellowtail day.
I pin on my last bait, the Spanish, and get hit again fairly
soon resulting in this fat Calico Bass....
The toad measured out at 18" and 3.25 lbs., it's the biggest
Calico I've ever caught thus far. I then made several more casts
with the Krocodile just east of the Condo, and I picked up 4
more Calico Bass that were around 12" each....
The Dolphin sportfishing boat comes up to try to get in
on my action....
(at least skipper Jason didn't try to run me down with his boat.
)
I decide to head in, and so I troll the Krocodile back towards
the reserve buoy. This produces 1 more medium Greenback Mackeral.
just before reaching the can, I make one last cast with the Kroc,
and I get 1 more willing Barracuda to participate to conclude
my day of fishing. GREAT ending to a GREAT day on the water !!!
Medium waves back at the beach.... but I time a wave just right
and ride it in for a safe & dry landing.
I got a tourist to take this "on the beach" photo for me....
The YT measured out at 48" and 33 lbs.... SWEEEET !!!
After 35 years of fishing.... this is the biggest fish i've ever
caught in my life.
Total Fish Summary:
(14) Total Fish..... i managed to catch 5 different species on
this day.
(1) Yellowtail
(5) Calico Bass
(2) Bonita
(3) Barracuda
(3) Greenback Mackeral
[ALL fish released except for the YT.]