Tie it All Down !
 

Re: Tie it All Down !
 

Read your post and the memories came flooding back. I made my first launch at La Jolla last summer and got hammered by a wave, dumping the yak, fishing gear, and the poor shmuck (me :o ) inside. Just by a strike of luck, my paddle leash became wrapped around the poles and they were saved. I travel light so there wasn't much tackle lost. It was enough to keep me out of the water for the day. Even the pea-shooter waves are more than capable of flipping any yak. Even though the paddle leash save my rods, I later learned that having the paddle leashed in the surf zone can create a dangerous situation. Lesson learned.

Hank

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Jim Sammons of La Jolla Kayak Fishing has an informative article concerning Surf Launchings. Check it out here.

Hank

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That's a good article, Hank.

There have been days when the fishing was slow and I have decided to spend a little time in the waves. I go in and drop my gear, then go back out and try a little of everyhing. It's a great way to get more comfortable with your boat. Take a few waves broadside. Punch through a few going out and even try surfing a few, which doesn't work very well, but it definitely gives you a better idea of what to expect.

I like what the article said about planting your paddle in the base of the wave if you come in broadside. It really helps.

Days when it's been hot out on the water, getting clobbered by a few waves can be a nice way to cool down, too!

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I should have done a few dry runs without gear to better prep myself. Hopefully some other yakers will see posts like this one before heading out in the surf. These forums provide great tips for the novice to the expert!:thumbup

Hank

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FS23,
Welcome to the forums :hello

My first kayak had small hatches on it, so I didn't have the option to stow my rods below deck like I do now. What I used to do was remove the reels and put them below or in a dry bag. Then I would take a small piece of cord and tie the rods down to some deck loops I installed on the deck of the kayak. They're still exposed, but they are laying down instead of standing up at a 90 degree angle. Very good idea with the extra sunglasses. I always carry an extra pair also, but fishing partners have seemed to wear them more when they forget or lose theirs.

The guys are right on about playing in waves with your kayak or whatever watercraft one launches in the surf. It never hurts to have some practice. I took a kayak surf zones class from southwind kayaks down in Irvine,CA. I think they still offer them also if you're interested. It was "Good Stuff" as they say. TC&TL,
Perry

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I had an interesting mishap last weekend I dont want to repeat it but it made for a good story to friends. On my maiden fishing trip with my new kayak, I couldn't retrieve some tackle I wanted under my center hatch it had shifted to the stern. After trying some pelvic thrust type movements to coax the tackle box forward I decided land on the beach inside the bay I was fishing. Got lined up 90 degrees to the small 1 - 2 foot waves waited for the last wave of the set and paddled hard to the sand. when I went to pop out of my boat i found i had trapped my swim trunks in the center hatch. The few seconds it took to open the hatch and free myself I was hit by the next set. The first wave spun 45 degrees the next broke over and I got soaked. lesson learned !

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Mark,

That's a great story and very funny, if you weren't the guy there!

Kayak fishing rule # 100: Always know where your shorts are!

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You never know when you might flip over. I flipped my Tarpon in San Diego Bay
when the water was almost like glass. I hadn't flipped in years and got over confident. I didn't see any need to have leashes on my rods. After all nothing
could possibly happen on flat calm water with almost zero boat traffic, right?
Wrong!:eek: I lost 2 of my favorite spinning setups and a lot of tackle. I have leashes on all of my rods when I go out now. No matter where it is.

Robert

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Robert,

I did the same thing a few months ago. It's the only time I flipped for no particular reason. I blamed myself, but now that I see it happened to you, I think it must be our Tarpons! Maybe we should check for a recall notice?

I guess for all of us, the movements we make in the boats become very deliberate and without thinking about it, you always maintain your center of gravity. Normally!

I was fishing the edge of the kelp beds. I swung my legs around to sit sideways. As I did, I leaned back like you would if you were swinging around on a park bench, or something like that. It all happened in a second. I was wearing a wet suit and sitting in a little water, so maybe it was easier to slide. Anyhow, As I swung around, I leaned back, slid over the gunnel, my feet hit the bottom of the boat and kicked it the rest of the way over.

On the bright side, it was the first time I really tested my PFD and wet suit. I was warm and bobbed back up like a cork. When I went to right the boat, it turned about half way and stopped. I thought, "Man, this is weird!" Then I looked to the stern and saw that one of my rods was hung in the kelp. I cleard the rod and it was very easy to flip the yak and get back on board. I lost one rod and reel. Happily, it was some of my less expensive gear, so I think it was a cheap lesson learned.:o

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I'm glad I started this thread. Thank's Hank for sharing Jim Sammons story. It would have saved me from flipping. When I was a kid going to Santa Monica rafting and boogie boarding (aging myself) I knew to always roll into the wave and stay down until the board passes. This saved my ass from getting hit by the Yak. Jim Sammons story is also in the latest edition of WON and I read it the day before I read your post. Perry C thanks for the input and if I had tied my rods down horizontal and not had them at 90 degrees they would be OK today. My Ocean Kayak Malibu 11 has one small hatch cover. From now on I'm taking the reels down and put them in dry bag. Crookies on glasses is always a good idea. I looked for mine that morning but could not find it. Now I'm paying for it. This is a great site and anxious to gain more insight from everyone.

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Can we get some comments and perhaps photos in the kayak rigging section (or here) about exactly how to set up and use leashes. I keep looking at the problem and cannot find a way that will not hamstring me using the rods.

I know many of you sit sideways on the kayak comfortably. I can do it in flat calm water but even there am not comfortable with it. Besides, my rod holders and fish finder are too close to get my feet around without difficulty.

It would be virtually impossible to leash the rods behind my back, find the rod, unclip the leash and pull the rod forward when they are also behind my bait tank. Flexible I am NOT.

It would be even more difficult to get past my Hobie pedals and my front rod holder to open the large hatch and insert/remove a rod from there.

Best I can come up with now is not take anything out that I am not willing to lose. (better gear than me).

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Tarpon Guy,
It was the weirdest thing when that happened. One minute I was sitting there
and the next minute I was in the water testing my pfd. It worked fine by the way.:brews

Sea Slug,
Here are the leashes that I use now.

http://www.allkayakfishing.com/photo.../leash_002.jpg

http://www.allkayakfishing.com/photo.../leash_001.jpg

They have a quick disconnect buckle. The small end stays on the rod. I unhook the quick disconnect when I fish with each rod and hook it back up when I'm not fishing with it or when I'm trolling with the rod. I use these for all of my rods. The ones in my rod holders behind my seat no trouble to get
to at all. Just about any kayak shop should have these.

Robert

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SS,
I know what you're saying about the leashes themselves being in the way. I found something I'm planning to try soon over at basspro.com . They're made by blakemore I believe it is. Right now, I have a small "O" ring on my baitcasting rods just above the handle. Then I have a few of the coiled rod leashes with clips on both ends. One end get clipped to a padeye or seat ring etc.. and the other clip attaches onto the ring on the rod. When I use the rod, it detach the clip on the rod and I'm good to go. The downside is if you flip over, you'll usually let go of the rod you have in hand. That's where these floats come into play. I'm still going to use the leashes on the rod that are out of the way, and just rely on the floats for the rod I'm actively using. I'll let you know how they work after I get a set and try them out.

Hope this helps
Perry

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That's a great product! I've seen pool noodles used to keep the rods floating.
Here's the link for Blackmore's Rod Floater:
http://www.blakemorelure.com/accessories_rodkits.html

Hank

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Just one more reason to hit BPS later this month :brews


Perry

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Roger that! I can't wait!

Robert

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All I need is to know how to make the connection behind my back without looking with one hand.

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SS make sure your leash is long enough to reach in front of you so you can manage it from the seat. Hook the end of the leash to a point about halfway between the crate holder and forward of the seat so you don't have to mess with it behind you. I hook mine just behind the seat forward of the tank well.

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I use a 99 cent nylon dog collar cable tied to my rods. It snaps open and I pass it thru a 5' nylon dog leash, also from the 99 cent store. The leash is snapped onto a brass clip I bought(a bunch!) from Perry and I just fasten that clip to a padeye in front of my big feet! My leashes run under $4 a pop! And they're stronger than you'll ever need! I tried the curly phone cable ones and they were a disaster! They constantly tangled in everything! Piranha:brews

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BTW Perry, Looks like a Shimano Curado 300DSV in the pic you posted. I love mine! It's a castin mother!

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Robert, I like the looks of the leashes you posted. I like the idea of easy snap off. The coils are covered do you still get them tangled? Who is the maker? How much do they run?
Fishslayer23

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I went to Xstreamline yesterday & was looking for some like Robert has. They didn't have them, so I picked up some of the ones pictured. They have sort of a velcro sandwich and swivels. Too expensive at $16, but I think they'll work out ok.

Fishslayer, that's a nice fish in your photo. Mind sharing the story?

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Here are some pics of my very cheap, very simple rod leashes! They are constructed from a 5' dog leash(99 cent store), a small dog collar with a release(99 cent store), and a brass clip I bought from Perry, now available elsewhere, but Perry may still have some! They were under $2 each, I think! Tied to rods with cable ties! The rod on the right, with the Shimano Corvalus, has a trigger grip! The leash is fastened to allow use of the trigger grip! They work great!

http://momentoffame.com/photopost/da.../P10100253.JPG


http://momentoffame.com/photopost/da.../P10100236.JPG


http://momentoffame.com/photopost/da.../P10100211.JPG


Hope these images help give you some ideas on how to save money and solve the problem! Piranha!:brews :worthy

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Jerry,
Glad to see those brass clips are still working out for you. For a few bucks, they're hard to beat. I don't have any hardware left, so I'm back to buying them from kayak shops myself. I do like my Shimano 300 ALOT also. They are pricey, but IMHO an excellent reel that I'm looking forward to using for many years to come. Good Luck on the fishing,
Perry

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Tarpon Guy,
The leashes Robert displayed are made by C.O.D. Paddlesport Accessories I believe it is. Kayak shops that carry C.O.D. products may have them. If you still want some, give Andy at OEX in Sunset Beach a call. They are at 16910 Pacific Coast Hwy, Sunset Beach, CA 90742 (562)592-0800. OEX carries a line of C.O.D. products and would probably have them on the shelf. Hope this helps,
Perry

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Perry, I got mine new for $150 + shipping($7.50) on ebay. That's a good price, I think! Retail= $249.99! That reel is a casting mother! I can cast a lil grub on a 3/8 oz. lead head, a very respectable distance. I'm throwing 20 lb. spectra on that baby! I love it! You have to let out line around 1/2 the length of the rod, but when you get used to it, TA DA! That mother flies! IT may be better casting than my Newell 220s and you know how they cast! Jerry/ Piranha:brews

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Yea. What Perry said.:brews

Robert

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Tarpon Guy the pic is of a WSB caught around Santa Cruz Island. My friend was a deck hand on the Seabiscuit out of Channel Islands Sportfishing. Went out last year around this time. Was standing at the bow talking about the WSB bite and what it should feel like and as we were talking and I was flylining a dine on a 3/0 ring hook letting out line towards a paddie he said you should feel a tap tap tap and as he actually said it I felt the tap tap tap let him run for 5 seconds and set the hook. Bam the fight was on. Pulling him out of the paddie was fun. The fish was good enough that day for the JP.

The real WSB story was last year at Castros Fishing Village in Erendea Baja. Went out on a Panga and helped the skipper bring in a 72 LB 4 OZ WSB. This was the largest caught down there in 20 years. I'll attach a picture. This is just a couple LBS shy of the Callifornia record.

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Fishslayer,

Thanks for the story and great pic! Boy, I I'd like to get one or two of those, myself! If I get two, I could lash them to the sides of the yak and use them for power :D

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Awesome, just awesome. Thanks for sharing :thumbup

Perry