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La Jolla Yellowtail, August 3, 2003. Taken on live 10" Pacific Mackerel by Croaker Dave.
Launched at 5:40 am, made bait easily, including one green style, and commenced slow trolling the greenie outside. Lots of bait puddling and jumping everywhere. At about the golden dome, 200 yds off the kelp, the clicker slowly goes off and the 20 lb line heads north. I forced myself to be patient when the fish stopped, then started again, then I put the reel in gear and wound up tight. Next thing I know my kayak is making a wake towards the kelp line and I put my feet down and kicked in a feeble attempt to slow the pace. It felt like a big bull WSB, just rumbling along without making the smoking runs of Mr. Y. Next the fish finds a lonely island of submerged kelp 100 yds off the line and both the fish and me end of down current of the plant with the line wrapped around it. I was stuck there for a while and beginning to think I would lose this fish. I got the plant to the surface and began breaking a dozen branches to free the line. I needed some slack, so a take the reel out of gear, then the fish bolts a few yards and stops on a dime, and I get a nasty birds nest. Now I'm really screwed. I broke off the last few kelp strands and reeled as much line as I could over the nest to prepare for the next run. I got the nest mashed down with a few layers of line and lo and behold the fish starts heading out to sea and away from the kelp line. I get wrapped in another solo kelp plant but quickly tear through it with my hands. Another ten minutes and I see it's a nice fish with a yellow tail. Five more minutes of the fish circling my boat and I made a perfect head shot and had a 43" YT in my lap. I've learned (the hard way) to keep the gaff outside the fish's circle, not inside, and catch him just as he comes out from under the boat. They always circle counter clockwise for me. How about you? I picked up two more greens and trolled back in, running the sea lion slalom and casting the Tady at the bait balls, and got nothing else. Time to fire up the hibachi. ~ Dave Snope ~ |