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AndyP
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Registered: 12-8-2009
Location: Eugene, OR
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I need kayak fishing advice
I'm planning a return trip to Baja this spring to kayak from Bahia de Los Angeles to Mulege, and will probably paddle around Isla San Francisco and
Espiritu Santo also.
Two years ago I paddled from Mulege to La Paz and only caught a couple non-keeper fish with the handline I trolled with most days. I used some Rapala
lures recommended by The Baja Catch- they didn't seem to do the trick. I brought a spear that I was much more successful with, but this trip I'm
hoping to get some dinner fish with the trolling line also. I know nothing about fishing except that I like to eat them.
I talked with a guy after the last trip who said the Rapalas are meant to be trolled faster than a kayak travels. He recommended taking a bare hook
and surrounding it with a simple skirt of cut rubber bands; the guy swore by this technique and that it would work well at lower trolling speeds.
I'll try it, but am looking for any additional advice. Simple and cheap is good. Remember this is for trolling behind a kayak with a hand line, I
won't be taking a fishing pole.
Thanks!
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güero
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You might try a plastic, like a scampy or single tail. Use a ledhead of a weight that will get you down at least 2/3 the way to the bottom. The closer
to the bottom the better for getting action but better for the fish to get back to the rocks. I like pearl or white or orange or rootbeer.
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willardguy
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I'd just drag a krocodile.
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captkw
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AndyP
Hola,,I've caught a lot of fish slow trolling broken back rebels which are basicly the same thing....even landed a giant 6 foot needle fish...while
slow trolling..hooked in the eye and ol man "TiTo" in cabo pumo said was the biggest he had seen in his lifetime ...also the meanest,,turned back and
bite the gaff !! yikes !! so.IMO they work at slow speeds !!! K&T
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Pacifico
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Just curious, what pound test line are you using for a handline? If you hook something big, you are gonna wish you had a rod! Sounds fun either way!
"Plan your life as if you are going to live forever. Live your life as if you are going to die tomorrow." - Carlos Fiesta
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AndyP
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Location: Eugene, OR
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I used a bunch of parachute cord followed by 30 feet or so of 40 lb (if I remember correctly) line. I figured I could cut the line or just drop it if
I had to. I have a wire leader I was thinking about using this time.
Advice on the handline setup is also appreciated... seriously I don't know anything about fishing.
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Pacifico
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Andy, I haven't done any hand lining but from what I've seen of locals doing it down there, they use pretty heavy test line. I've seen them use like
80-100 lb. test (or bigger). The problem you might run into is trolling with a limited amount of line and no drag system like what a reel provides. If
you hook something big, there is an excellent chance it will just snap you off. That being said, you can probably just use 40 pound test and you will
get plenty of bass, etc. I agree with Guero...get some rubber swim baits. They slow troll awesome! Storm makes some that are really lifelike looking.
One time we were just drifting while eating lunch and we let one of those swim baits dangle out on a line about 50'. We weren't even moving and it got
eaten by a 30 plus pound yellowtail!
"Plan your life as if you are going to live forever. Live your life as if you are going to die tomorrow." - Carlos Fiesta
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bkbend
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Location: central OR or central baja
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I've caught lots of fish from a kayak using a rapala, you can easily troll fast enough. It's my first choice of trolling lure for a quick dinner. My
guess is you were trolling in water which was too deep. The fish hang out near cover and close to the bottom, a rapala will sink 4-30 feet depending
on the model so you need to be in water of that depth. When you are occasionally bumping the bottom you are at the correct depth. For deeper water,
the Krocs and jigs mentioned above will get you down to the bottom better. When you do catch something, keep a portion and put a chunk on the
krocodile or jig hook for a little more action.
And since you don't know anything about fishing take the time to learn what a bullseye pufferfish looks like and don't eat one. They're easy to
catch. http://www.mexfish.com/fish/beyepuf/beyepuf.htm
Also check out th scorpion fish and release carefully without touching the spines. (good eating if you're careful) http://www.mexfish.com/fish/calscorp/calscorp.htm
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MMc
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I use 4' Krocs, Castmaster, and 3/4 oz swimbait with rootbeer or green and blue with a dash of red. If I am hand lining, use a bungee cord to tie off
to. Tie the line to the yak put about 24 inches of line and tie a loop, Hook a bungee to the boat and hook the loop to the bungee. When the fish hits
the hook the bungee will stretch and set the hook. When I hand line I use 100# mono on a H shaped spool, tied to a swivel to 5 feet of fluorocarbon 20
to 40lb tied to the lure. Use gloves!! If you use more then 40lb and get hooked on the bottem, it's a pain to break the line.
Remember to pull the line when you get close to shore. I run the lure about 30 ft. back of the yak. your mileage may very. As you paddle the lure will
rise and fall with your speed. If you are to far off the bottom many fish will not chase it. I have a cleat just behind me to tie off the hand line
and hook the bungee to. Do not use floating lures, they need you to paddle at the right speed to get to depth.
Hears a link to hand lining.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/t0511e/t0511e01.htm
bkbend offers good advice too.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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captkw
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Tuna chunking !!
If you have a wide stable yak and a good pfd (worn) there are some canyons near shore that you can "chunk" bait for early,,early morning tuna !! like
before false dawn !! make sure your lit like a xmas tree so you don't get ran over...And never,ever assume the other vessel sea's Ya !! I caught a
tuna from shore at Los Fralles before it got light on a nice high tide...small football !!...hope to do it again !! K&T
[Edited on 2-4-2014 by captkw]
[Edited on 2-4-2014 by captkw]
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Cappy
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5 gallon bucket with 4-5 live baits. A simple sabiki bait rig. Every few minutes add water to keep your bait fresh. Nothing like the real thing
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Bob and Susan
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andyp...I read your blog...you don't need any kayaking advice
you are THE experts...
I would come a little later in the year
maybe june or july...
the water is much warmer and the winds not so brutal
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AndyP
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Location: Eugene, OR
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bkbend, on our first trip to Baja I made my wife carefully throw back a fish she caught on the pacific side because I swore it was a scorpionfish- if
memory serves when we got back to camp and the fish ID book it was a cow cod...
Bob and Susan, I've spent a summer in Baja before and for me it was too hot for drinking a beer and reading under a shade tarp, much less kayaking.
Love the warm water and settled winds though.
Thanks for the advice everybody, I'll be going better prepared for fishing this time. I'm getting very excited about this trip.
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mcfez
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Lots of great advice above. I do kayak fishing very often.....Sea of Cortez being my favorite place in the world.
captkw advise is so true BTW.
Here's what I used 90% of the time...in any ocean water. It works great:
mcfez
Elite Nomad
******
posted on 4-12-2011 at 02:01 PM
Best bait you'll ever use!
From a post I did last year. Good luck with you and your rod :-)
Here's the secret
Best fish to use in this order:
Spanish mackerel
Sand Crab
Mussel
Claim
Shrimp
Start with a box of kosher salt. Do not use iodized salt. Select a container with a flat bottom suitable for the size bait you want to
cure.....Mayonnaise jar works great too BTW. Place twice the thickness of salt in the bottom as the thickness of the bait to be cured. If your bait is
1 inch thick, put 2 inches of salt in the bottom. Place the bait on the salt followed by another layer of salt over it the same depth as the starting
layer. DONT GO CHEAP ON THE SALT! You can continue building layers a bait and salt until all the bait is covered in salt. Do not seal the container.
If you want to cover it just place a towel over the top. It needs to be exposed to the air to dry out. Seal before you go on your vacation...it be
fine by then. Unseal when vacation is over.
Small pieces of shrimp can cure in a day or so. Whole fish can take several weeks. It all depends on how much of the raw meat is exposed to the salt.
All the moisture has to be drawn out of the bait by the salt before it will be cured. That’s why a whole fish can take so much longer.
The bait stays on the hook....really nicely. It almost tough to get on the hook in matter of fact :-) Less bait being stolen......if any!
It's a knock out - got you boy - yahoooooo bait!
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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Pompano
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mcfez gives good advice on the salt (rock salt). We use the same treatment salmon fishing on the Oregon Coast rivers. Herring pre-treated this way
will stay on the hook much better.
I'd think your success trolling while paddling will be best with a baited hook or lure, rather than a plain lure. You could try a rock cod rig with
multiple baits...but then you may be in for a Nantucket sleigh-ride!
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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RnR
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I have kayak fished the Sea of Cortez hundreds of times over the last twenty years and have connected with food fish, (sufficient for my wife and I),
on practically every outing.
This is what works for me -
Stay close to rocky shores and in shallow water, 10 -20 ft.
I exclusively use floating 4" rapalas in silver/blue and silver/black.
Troll the lure 50-75 ft behind the kayak.
Use light line in the 15 lb test range with a 20lb steel leader, 18" long.
This light setup allows the small lure to work at the slow speeds behind the kayak. And, it does not provide a lot of drag and slow down your boat
speed.
"Handlining" needs heavy line to avoid cutting your hands. I use just the lower half of a 5 ft spinning rod (only one line guide) and a very small
spinning reel. Bring the top half with you, too. Then you can spincast from shore if you feel like it.
Put a bungee around your waist, hook the two bungee hooks around the reel mount of the spinning reel, turn the reel up and the rod underneath, and
point the rod straight back along the deck of the kayak.
The rod and line do not interfere with your paddling and the low angle of the line to the water does not tend to lift the little lure out of the
water.
Occasionally, I'll get spooled by something big, but not often. Big fish do not typically go for the small lure. That being said, I have landed a 20
lb yellowtail and an unbelievable 40" long sierra. (Didn't know that they grew that big)
Remember, I'm fishing for food. Two 12-16" fish will feed the two of us while camping on the beach.
Success rate for a 90 minute outing - better than 80%.
Good luck. Sounds like a great trip.
[Edited on 2-5-2014 by RnR]
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redhilltown
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Small hooks and some bait and you WILL catch Triggers and Spotted Bay Bass along that stretch. As mentioned, tight to shore is the key.
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RnR
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| Quote: | Originally posted by redhilltown
Small hooks and some bait and you WILL catch Triggers and Spotted Bay Bass along that stretch. As mentioned, tight to shore is the key.
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I agree. Bait is better. You can also sit offshore and bottom fish when it's too rough to troll close to the rocks.
Triggers will just HAMMER that small rapala. The problem is, after one good triggerfish, you need to put on a new lure. Those floating rapalas are
made of balsa wood or something equally as weak. The triggers will bite them into two or three pieces.
I use the floating lures for a reason. When kayaking near shore, I always seem to stop or slow down for some reason or other. The floating lures
just float. The other types immediately sink to the bottom and snag when you take off again.
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bkbend
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I once had a balsa rapala last for three triggers. It is more economical to use a hook and bait if they're around.
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AndyP
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bkbend
I once had a balsa rapala last for three triggers. It is more economical to use a hook and bait if they're around. |
Ouch, at $10+ per lure I'm thinking I might bring one or two and go the bait route.
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