Basic yt questions - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Phishphood · 10-22-2015, 03:56 PM

After going out today I found a few questions....
How often if at all do you switch out baits? As long as they're alive still good? Will Yt or any other jack/tuna take a dead trolled bait?

Also, if you feel the bait get very skittish, like it knows there's something around what do you do? Stop, keep going, slow down, circle back etc?

When you get hit on bait (or even artificials) it should be a very clear hit right? Not just a tap or short quick pull but the rod really loading up? I've never fished a live bait as big as a mac so I'm having trouble figuring out what is bait and what would a good bite look like.

Once you're out of bait, just troll an artificial? Kroc, megabait, rapala, bighammer etc? Also, I've been trolling somewhat near kelp and or lobster buoys. Should I be heading out to open water more?

Thanks for any help guys and I'm always willing to help people get in to freediving if they ever want to see what it looks like down under. Not a pro, just a hobby.

YakDout · 10-22-2015, 04:16 PM

Sounds like you are fishing the right areas. If anything maybe a little more west. But fish move around and can be in different places every day. If you are trolling in freespool or very light drag (which you should be) believe me you will know when you get bit by something good. Reel wil start screaming and dumping line. If the bait is getting skittish and I think its a fish, I will sometimes put the bait in freespool and give it some more line. Thats more when im drifting vs trolling though. As the water continues to cool now the fish will start hugging the bottom more and more. Flylining is typically most effective in the warmer months. A switch to yoyo jigs and 3 way swivel with 6-8oz weight is what I go to. If youre out of bait and dont want to make more, try to mark fish off rocks and drop yoyos or megbaits down. Flatfall jigs have worked really well for me on the deepwater yellowtail. Just keep putting time on the water and you'll get yours. Dont give up.

Brandon

Geno Machino · 10-22-2015, 04:42 PM

Just keep at it. You were in the right areas. I saw you were where I got bit earlier. After I lost my fish I did circles and I like to peddle a bit and then glide. So stop and go technic to get the bait at different water columns. It just didn't seem like it wanted to go good today.

Geno

kjsdad619 · 10-23-2015, 12:27 PM

Like everyone has been saying, sounds like you are in the right areas. If your bait sounds like something is around I also let out more line then engage the secondary drag..the good bite you will know..its not like a nibble the fish will take it and run with it and your reel will scream...once the fish takes it I let it run for about 8 seconds then click the drag over..I don't set the hooks with the jerking motions, it sets itself once the drag is engaged. I'm still learning everyday, and have found this website to be helpful on setups etc. Good luck!

Harry Hill · 10-23-2015, 12:34 PM

How are you guys pinning the mackerel for trolling? Through the nostrils or the lips?

Deamon · 10-23-2015, 12:38 PM

Hey FyshFuud...

Whoever goes out on a sport boat and says to themselves:

I'm going to grab/use the weakest bait in the tank and that'll allow me to manage and have bait available later in the day?
Let me keep this weak arse upside down swimming bait on my line because, well, it's still alive...

PLENTY of kayakers do!!!

Fish bite the hottest baits. If you KNOW fish are around, get your liveliest bait out. ALL IN!
I always get a chuckle when I see guys casting Macks...HOT BAITS equal more bites...why give them concussions?
ALWAYS have a sabiki rod ready so you can drop on a bait ball and get fresh bait in your tank...

Jim

ctfphoto · 10-23-2015, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deamon

...why give them concussions? Jim

LMAO, nice one Jim.

taggermike · 10-25-2015, 09:08 AM

Good replies already. Id say in our fishery YT will not eat a dead bait. Like Deamon said, don't fish a weak bait when you've got good ones in the tank. Give yourself the best chance. That said tho, macks can stay frisky on the hook for a long time. When I'm trolling and see the rod tip twitchy steadily I know the bait is swimming. If when you wind in the bait to check for weeds or foul hooking the bait has good color and swims away strongly its good to stay on.
When i have a bait get nervous i usually take the rod out of the holder and put it in free spool. If nothing happens i put the clicker back on and keep trolling.
YT are not subtle biters and you'll know your bit cause your clicker will sound like a howler monkey.
YT can be deep or on the surface, right in the kelp or out in open water. Keep looking a moving. Mike

taggermike · 10-25-2015, 09:54 AM

Heres some thing well worth studying. Especially in summer surface focussed fishing birds are your greatest friends and best fish finders. Birds are out there for one purpose, to find food. They're professionals, with millions of years of evolution perfecting them. Let them work for you. Every one knows a big flock of diving birds is great but most bird behavior is much more subtle. Species, calls, flight speed, distance off the water, and direction can all give information. Even birds doing nothing or their absence from an area can be informative. A yak is so quiet I often hear birds. And that can be very informative. Terms are the best indicators. They hunt in loose flocks that spread out to cover an area. They call constantly to keep contact with surrounding terns. When one finds or sees some thing its calls change. "Im here I'm here", "I'm looking I'm looking", "I see some thing I see some thing", "Food! Food!". That's my translation any way. When one tern finds fish and makes the call it pulls in the nearest circle of birds, the next circle of birds sees those and turns, and out the call spreads. Amazing yo see one tern diving and within a minutes there's a hundred. Its a great comunal hunting technique. If you see a few turns flying slowly and usually zig zaging in an area making contact calls, even if they're not actively diving, you're in the right place. Terms are best, but gulls, pelis, shearwaters, and even comorrants all have a story to tell. I got to rambling. Im a bird watcher. Hope this helped. Mike

YakDout · 10-25-2015, 10:59 AM

Used to do the nostril hook, but too many hook spins. Especially with circles. Up and out through the top jaw now. No more spun hooks.

Phishphood · 10-27-2015, 04:52 PM

Wow guys. Way to show up with the help. Thanks a lot for all the tips and hopefully other new converts will get something out of this thread too. I know nothing replaces time on the water but good to clear up a few basic questions. Thanks again and tight lines!

10-22-2015, 03:56 PM	#1
Phishphood Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 345	Basic yt questions After going out today I found a few questions.... How often if at all do you switch out baits? As long as they're alive still good? Will Yt or any other jack/tuna take a dead trolled bait? Also, if you feel the bait get very skittish, like it knows there's something around what do you do? Stop, keep going, slow down, circle back etc? When you get hit on bait (or even artificials) it should be a very clear hit right? Not just a tap or short quick pull but the rod really loading up? I've never fished a live bait as big as a mac so I'm having trouble figuring out what is bait and what would a good bite look like. Once you're out of bait, just troll an artificial? Kroc, megabait, rapala, bighammer etc? Also, I've been trolling somewhat near kelp and or lobster buoys. Should I be heading out to open water more? Thanks for any help guys and I'm always willing to help people get in to freediving if they ever want to see what it looks like down under. Not a pro, just a hobby.

10-22-2015, 04:42 PM	#3
Geno Machino "Relax" Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: O'side Posts: 553	Just keep at it. You were in the right areas. I saw you were where I got bit earlier. After I lost my fish I did circles and I like to peddle a bit and then glide. So stop and go technic to get the bait at different water columns. It just didn't seem like it wanted to go good today. Geno __________________

10-23-2015, 12:27 PM	#4
kjsdad619 Just a Salty Sailor Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 193	Like everyone has been saying, sounds like you are in the right areas. If your bait sounds like something is around I also let out more line then engage the secondary drag..the good bite you will know..its not like a nibble the fish will take it and run with it and your reel will scream...once the fish takes it I let it run for about 8 seconds then click the drag over..I don't set the hooks with the jerking motions, it sets itself once the drag is engaged. I'm still learning everyday, and have found this website to be helpful on setups etc. Good luck! __________________ So there I was..

10-23-2015, 12:38 PM	#6
Deamon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 1,972	Hey FyshFuud... Whoever goes out on a sport boat and says to themselves: I'm going to grab/use the weakest bait in the tank and that'll allow me to manage and have bait available later in the day? Let me keep this weak arse upside down swimming bait on my line because, well, it's still alive... PLENTY of kayakers do!!! Fish bite the hottest baits. If you KNOW fish are around, get your liveliest bait out. ALL IN! I always get a chuckle when I see guys casting Macks...HOT BAITS equal more bites...why give them concussions? ALWAYS have a sabiki rod ready so you can drop on a bait ball and get fresh bait in your tank... Jim

10-22-2015, 04:16 PM	#2
YakDout Brandon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,345	Sounds like you are fishing the right areas. If anything maybe a little more west. But fish move around and can be in different places every day. If you are trolling in freespool or very light drag (which you should be) believe me you will know when you get bit by something good. Reel wil start screaming and dumping line. If the bait is getting skittish and I think its a fish, I will sometimes put the bait in freespool and give it some more line. Thats more when im drifting vs trolling though. As the water continues to cool now the fish will start hugging the bottom more and more. Flylining is typically most effective in the warmer months. A switch to yoyo jigs and 3 way swivel with 6-8oz weight is what I go to. If youre out of bait and dont want to make more, try to mark fish off rocks and drop yoyos or megbaits down. Flatfall jigs have worked really well for me on the deepwater yellowtail. Just keep putting time on the water and you'll get yours. Dont give up. Brandon

10-23-2015, 12:34 PM	#5
Harry Hill Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Yucaipa, CA Posts: 1,136	How are you guys pinning the mackerel for trolling? Through the nostrils or the lips?

10-25-2015, 09:08 AM	#8
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	Good replies already. Id say in our fishery YT will not eat a dead bait. Like Deamon said, don't fish a weak bait when you've got good ones in the tank. Give yourself the best chance. That said tho, macks can stay frisky on the hook for a long time. When I'm trolling and see the rod tip twitchy steadily I know the bait is swimming. If when you wind in the bait to check for weeds or foul hooking the bait has good color and swims away strongly its good to stay on. When i have a bait get nervous i usually take the rod out of the holder and put it in free spool. If nothing happens i put the clicker back on and keep trolling. YT are not subtle biters and you'll know your bit cause your clicker will sound like a howler monkey. YT can be deep or on the surface, right in the kelp or out in open water. Keep looking a moving. Mike

10-25-2015, 09:54 AM	#9
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	Heres some thing well worth studying. Especially in summer surface focussed fishing birds are your greatest friends and best fish finders. Birds are out there for one purpose, to find food. They're professionals, with millions of years of evolution perfecting them. Let them work for you. Every one knows a big flock of diving birds is great but most bird behavior is much more subtle. Species, calls, flight speed, distance off the water, and direction can all give information. Even birds doing nothing or their absence from an area can be informative. A yak is so quiet I often hear birds. And that can be very informative. Terms are the best indicators. They hunt in loose flocks that spread out to cover an area. They call constantly to keep contact with surrounding terns. When one finds or sees some thing its calls change. "Im here I'm here", "I'm looking I'm looking", "I see some thing I see some thing", "Food! Food!". That's my translation any way. When one tern finds fish and makes the call it pulls in the nearest circle of birds, the next circle of birds sees those and turns, and out the call spreads. Amazing yo see one tern diving and within a minutes there's a hundred. Its a great comunal hunting technique. If you see a few turns flying slowly and usually zig zaging in an area making contact calls, even if they're not actively diving, you're in the right place. Terms are best, but gulls, pelis, shearwaters, and even comorrants all have a story to tell. I got to rambling. Im a bird watcher. Hope this helped. Mike

10-25-2015, 10:59 AM	#10
YakDout Brandon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,345	Used to do the nostril hook, but too many hook spins. Especially with circles. Up and out through the top jaw now. No more spun hooks.

10-27-2015, 04:52 PM	#11
Phishphood Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 345	Wow guys. Way to show up with the help. Thanks a lot for all the tips and hopefully other new converts will get something out of this thread too. I know nothing replaces time on the water but good to clear up a few basic questions. Thanks again and tight lines!