first time kayaking - MacDill - 11/27/2010

[jbdba01]

Executive Summary
Winds were 10-15; partly cloudy (more cloudy than sun that was for sure). Temps were cool and the water temp was about 70. Used 4" mirrolure soft shad - root beer. Caught some reds, trout, flounder.

Details
We started on the back side of the base and my buddy hooked a small red within 10 min. Sweet. Looks like a good day.

Meanwhile I'm trying to figure out how to get to my tackle, rig a rod, don't fall out of the boat, winds blowing me around...After a while I get my bearings but manage to foul my lines on the rods - how the hell did that happen - the rigs were secure. I figure I'm drifting a bit fast for my liking so I figure I'll use the scupper hole to hold the kayak in place (how bad can it be - I'm in 1-2ft of water). So put the anchor pin through the scupper hole. Not a bad idea, just not a good one; I wasn't quite ready for the winds and water to really get me as "tippy" as I ended up. OK - finally I'm secure enough to get the lines straightened out.

Splash one reel - wth? I had that on the stern. Rod in boat - reel in water - bad - just bad. Dang... OK - get the reel out of the water - splash - wow - a lots of mullet around here - wth? splash reel #2; rod on boat reel in water. Dang...this kayaking thing is really hosing my gear. Clear knots, rigged up, start fishing...wow - I'm "relaxing".

Hmmm - let me move out of this area. Paddle, paddle...left foot rudder...wth - turning left? should go right. No? ok - use right pedal. Cool... going straight now. More "relaxing". Damn - where's my CAB (cold adult beverages). All the way back there - I'll get it later. Next time CAB in front, tackle in back...(gotta have priorities right).

Paddle, paddle...fish, fish, wind knot, fish, fish, fish, wind knot wth? fish faster, fish faster, less rod twitch - ok no wind knots - damn weeds, fish, more weeds, fish even more weeds - make plastic bait weedless, fish fish, paddle paddle, fish HIT!!, lose fish, fish - HIT!! lose fish - wth?? fish, HIT - plastic bait cut clean in half - how the hell did it take the upper part and not get hooked?? all I have is the end half a lure hanging on a bare hook? wth - never seen that?? relaxing - no? pissed - yes. What sort of fish did that...screw the weeds - fish even faster, fish with hook exposed - bring it...fish fish fish...nothing nothing nothing - anger management - "there's no place like home, there's no place like home"

Gotta whiz...no problem - I'll stand up. Damn...bad idea. Swamp butt from water from anchor pin episode...dang I'm gonna have swamp crotch too unless I whiz. paddle, paddle paddle - get out...hey what's that big shiny brown thing with a long tail - OK don't step on it. paddle paddle - all clear - get out. whiz. very relaxed now. Where's that beer? Twist off...better be - I don't have an opener...whew - relaxing...cool look at all the birds, fish...hey - there's that ray - wonder how close I can get to it. sting ray shuffle, shuffle shufle...ray moves - 24" dang that's close and I was moving really slow - much slower than I normally walk...mental note - shuffle REALLY slow. More CABs...now relaxed - screw fishing - take in the scenery , awesome - now I'm relaxed

Back in boat - fish, hit, red, release,fish fish fish, hit, trout release,fish fish fish wind knot, fish fish wind knot, more trout, wind knot...fish faster no fish; where's my camera - awww, screw it; wind knot done.

Considering it was my first time out on the kayak on new water I thought we did pretty good. Several trout, buddy caught flounder, and more reds. Not much size, but we did just fine.

In conclusion - used 4" mirror shad, caught some, lost some, learned bunch, for the most part stayed dry, fished like hell...now to make up some lies.

[DoubleM]

An anchor trolley will help hold your position in windy conditions. Also it sounds like you need a crate with rod holders. I notched the top of pvc for the reels and put some notches mid way down so I could secure them w/ zipties to the milk crate. Good thing you caught some fish I fished close to that area last pfts and saw some big rays too!

[jbdba01]

Yeah...I had planned on getting things fully rigged on Mon (took the day off) when my stomach decided it would be a good idea to spend sometime outside my body for a day or two - think hooked sailfish. I was sick as a dog. Haven't been that since I caught some weird tropical crap in Panama. So I just fished my rig as a I had it. I ended up cramming what I needed into a backpack. Figuring if I manage to go overboard at least everything is secure. Rigged as photo shows below (click on image for large photo).

The crate is certainly on the list as a to do.

The reels splashed because the lines tangled at the tips - so I had one reel on the bow, the other on the stern. Work on one other goes over. Work on other one - other one goes over. It was a three stooges moment. After the second splash I just cut the line.

I had a trolley (which I ended up using), but the first time I didn't.

Chalk it all up to inexperience. Perhaps I should have called the thread - "confessions of a power boater kayaking".

Couple other lessons learned:

- need a float on my anchor stick
- don't use scuppers with anchor pins in heavy winds/water - actually water was pretty calm; use trolly
- look for rays when getting out; I was REALLY surprised that I got so close for it to move on (I approached from the rear so it would swim forward)
- less is more - too much crap complicates the whole scene
- a net would have been beneficial for a big fish
- ain't no way I'm standing up (thought I could); not looking forward to a wake broadside
- put on sunscreen before going out; just one more thing to do
- the sea anchor is money for windy days; don't store it in the forward compartment; bad idea to open that up while tippy

Next time it'll be easier. First trip for anything is just working out the kinks. Oh did I mention I manged to catch a nice blue crab on the 4" plastic shad - that was my first catch in the boat. WTH?? Hope it's not an omen. Perhaps I'll call the boat "USS Crab Pot". I'm trying to figure out how to get the damn thing off, when it let's go. All the sudden it's another 3 stooges moment. Wooo wooo wooo wooo...Perhaps "USS Vasectomy Clinic" would be better.

[CooKnFish]

Rookie! Who the hell doesn't know if their beer has a twist off cap or not?

Sounds like quite a learning experience. It get's a lot easier after you work out the kinks.

[Chadryan]

One thing that you can do to reduce the wind knots is to close your bail by hand instead of just turning the handle to close it. Just close it by hand as your lure hits the water and take time to look at the line on your reel to make sure it isn't looped over the top. Also, you will find that you get more wind knots if you have too much line on your reel. Don't fill it all the way to the outside of the spool.

[Blue Magic]

At least you did'nt flip and go in the drink like I did my first time out.

[jbdba01]

Rookie! Who the hell doesn't know if their beer has a twist off cap or not?

Sounds like quite a learning experience. It get's a lot easier after you work out the kinks.

Yeah...It was a brief panic; I couldn't recall if I brought Sam Adams or Yuengling.

Good thing I didn't go out for poon on the first trip. Then again that crab would have caught a MONSTER poon

Truthfully I had a great time...may do the Apollo Beach routine for Cobia on the next cool/cold snap. Lots of sharks though.

Clean up was a breeze compared to cleaning up the power boat. Kayaking is sooooo much simpler - even simpler than canoeing (IMHO).

[CooKnFish]

One thing that you can do to reduce the wind knots is to close your bail by hand instead of just turning the handle to close it. Just close it by hand as your lure hits the water and take time to look at the line on your reel to make sure it isn't looped over the top. Also, you will find that you get more wind knots if you have too much line on your reel. Don't fill it all the way to the outside of the spool.

Actually, the loop in the spool is rarely cured by "closing the bail by hand."
Loops are caused by a combination of rod/reel combo, bait of choice and the way you work it. But, commercially speaking, it is a whole lot easier to explain to people how to close the bail by hand.

[Chadryan]

One thing that you can do to reduce the wind knots is to close your bail by hand instead of just turning the handle to close it. Just close it by hand as your lure hits the water and take time to look at the line on your reel to make sure it isn't looped over the top. Also, you will find that you get more wind knots if you have too much line on your reel. Don't fill it all the way to the outside of the spool.

Actually, the loop in the spool is rarely cured by "closing the bail by hand."
Loops are caused by a combination of rod/reel combo, bait of choice and the way you work it. But, commercially speaking, it is a whole lot easier to explain to people how to close the bail by hand.

You're the expert...

Just add "In my experience" to the front of my comment. Does that make it better? I was just trying to help the guy out.