First post/ Islander 1.5 day review
 

Hello all! I'm Jay Barcia, 30 sd local who is still pretty new to kayak fishing, last october. I started with a 10' lifetime kayak from big 5 for 300 as I was un-sure if kayak fishing was for me. Well got hooked and sold it for what I paid and picked up a malibu stealth 12 demo from Oex. I've been trolling the Site for the last couple months and figured it's time to sign up already. I met some nice people and put faces to the screen names at the HOW fund raiser last month. It was a great event and I look forward to helping out at the next one at tide lands park next month. I also did my first (of many) mother ship trips on the Islander last weekend. Great captain, crew, food and they run the loading /un-loading of the kayaks super fast and orderly, very top notch! Lots of big mean calico bass hitting the 5" big hammer calico killer color on war bait 1/2 jig heads(orange, red, skirted) got a couple hard fighting bonito on the plastic and light tackle. The topper was landing my first yellowtail on my kayak off a fly lined sardine, the stoke is real! Look forward to meeting more of you out on the water. I'm in a mango stealth 12 say what's up I usually have a spare craft beer, water, and some good greens to share.

Welcome to the addiction, I'm assuming you already have the YT fever and it will only get better from here. I'll see ya on the water. Tight lines:reeling:

I was also on the Islander trip last weekend so I probably saw you out there. I was one of the 'old guys' and was out in my Malibu Stealth 12. Great kayak for that kind of a trip, very stable.

I also caught my first yellowtail on the kayak and now I'm hooked! What a rush to catch one and get towed around while fighting it!

Welcome to BWE!

Did you have the Lifetime Tamarack? Thats the one I use. I got it last year for the same price. It's basic, but deffinetly gets the job done.

Yeah it was nice meeting you on the Islander Fishin' magician, I remember you telling me about your first yellowtail on the yak, good times. Yeah the lifetime Tamarack did just fine in the bays but once I got more into kayak fishing I maxed the weight compasity and storage wasn't enough. Have you had yours out through the surf or ocean at all?

Yaa I've fished yellowtail in La Jolla out of it. I was probably about 3-4 miles offshore. I didn't catch any YT though because I didn't have a fish finder on it and couldn't really find a good place to fish. It handled fine though. I got my boat back so I fish yellowtail in la jolla with that now.

I actually just took a trip to the central coast for lingcod and used the yak there. Again, it did great. (I'll post a picture thread tomorrow or the next day). I love that yak.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to have a 12ft+ angling kayak or a hobbie with more storage space that is all around bigger, but when you're on a buget, you gotta do what you gotta do. It's not like it effects the way you fish, unless of course you're fishing yellowtail without a fishfinder. On my central coast trip, I limited on lings before everyone else out there.