Your stupidest mistake kayak fishing? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

King Saba · 08-05-2021, 11:39 PM

Made a trip to Newport beach 2 weeks ago. I checked the surf report the night before which seemed fair, 3-4 foot surf with intervals in between sets. When I had arrived in the morning I spent a fair amount of time searching for street parking, I parked, loaded all my gear and dragged them to the sand. Initially, the surf appeared to be the 3-4 foot waves I saw online. I foolishly attempted to launch several times and with each time I hesitated. In the process the surge generated by the short shore break caused my kayak to flip. I had failed to strap all of my gear in tightly resulting in both of my rods snapping in half. And, all this happened even before I made an attempt to punch through the waves due to anxiety, hesitation, stubbornness, and lack of sleep.

The lesson I learned from that experience was to check the surf prior to making a launch attempt, strap everything down and to store what ever I can in the hull. Trust me, cleaning sand out of your reels and mirage drive is a pain.

jorluivil · 08-06-2021, 05:58 AM

Went out hooping during a Small Craft Advisory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P7mWH_Yf3g

YellowYaket · 08-08-2021, 07:31 PM

I was fishing about a mile out of Dana Point harbor with my wife in my Oasis tandem kayak. I had purchased a kayak scoop of bait before heading out. At one point, I dropped a bait and it went under my seat. Rather than just leaving it there, I decided it would be a good idea to stand up, turn around, lift up the seat and rescue the bait. As I should have expected, the act of turning around momentarily placed all of my weight on one side of the yak, which was more than sufficient to quickly roll the kayak, dumping my wife and all of our gear into the drink. Fortunately, my wife and I were wearing PFDs and all of our gear was either leashed or floated. I was able to flip the yak back over quickly enough and I could get back onboard, but my wife wasn't able to get back on. I flagged down a passing power boat and it just so happened to be a crew of retired guys that were part of the volunteer Coast Guard Auxiliary (or something like that) out doing training exercises. They said they would give my wife a ride back to the harbor while I sorted out the tangled mess of leashed gear and started peddling back in. They wouldn't leave me out there alone though and eventually convinced me to just climb onboard with them and they towed in my yak too. The only thing I lost was a tank full of bait (I didn't have the lid latched so the bait all swam for freedom when the yak was momentarily upside down). Now that my wife knows that she can't self-rescue, I won't take her outside of the harbor (she has tried self-rescuing in a controlled environment several times after this event all unsuccessfully). In looking back on this event, I realize it could have ended up a lot worse. Glad the only thing I lost was my pride and a scoop of bait. One other note, even though my kayak is in like-new condition, it still managed to collect several gallons of water in the hull in the very short time (maybe 30 seconds) that it was upside down ... which is a good reason to carry a bilge pump. One final note, my fishfinder/GPS was powered on when I flipped and it was still working when I flipped the yak back over. I immediately turned off the unit and left it off. It still works fine to this day so it must not have ingested any water.

MITCHELL · 09-09-2021, 02:51 AM

Was park south of La Jolla Beach and tennis club, by the narrow walk way because that was the only available parking spot for night fishing.we had to carry the kayaks to the private beach down the narrow walk way to launch. People were staring at us kind of funny. After night fishing with two other guys we all came back to the designated launching area. I flipped coming in I was still a rookie kayak fisherman back then.
With wet waiters full of water and every fishing pole tangled because of the sabiki rig on a fishing pole. After that tangle I went to aluminum tube rod. Getting back to what happened, feeling like a wet rat in waiters and kayak a tangled mess, I was the only one that had to walk down the beach to get my truck. As I was walking around the marine room water was up against the wall alittle bit I had on rubber dive booties and sure enough wham a stingray nailed me right in the heel all the way to the bone fire immediately
I Got to my truck and loaded the kayak mess tangled poles and all and got the hell out of their saying to my self never again will I park there.

King Saba · 08-11-2021, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorluivil

Went out hooping during a Small Craft Advisory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P7mWH_Yf3g

does that guy still fish?

kwest10 · 08-29-2021, 10:19 PM

Going hopping and forgot my seat once. Still went out.
Forgot my paddle once. Didn’t have my spare stowed.
Drinking a tall boy and having to pee and climbing onto a slippery jetty while trying to balance and hold the kayak and pull waders down to pee
Not leashing much paddle and it floated away. Luckily another taker saw and brought it back
I’ve been very lucky so far. No more shenanigans. It’s dangerous enough well planned and well equipped.

08-05-2021, 11:39 PM	#1
King Saba Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: SGV Posts: 849	Made a trip to Newport beach 2 weeks ago. I checked the surf report the night before which seemed fair, 3-4 foot surf with intervals in between sets. When I had arrived in the morning I spent a fair amount of time searching for street parking, I parked, loaded all my gear and dragged them to the sand. Initially, the surf appeared to be the 3-4 foot waves I saw online. I foolishly attempted to launch several times and with each time I hesitated. In the process the surge generated by the short shore break caused my kayak to flip. I had failed to strap all of my gear in tightly resulting in both of my rods snapping in half. And, all this happened even before I made an attempt to punch through the waves due to anxiety, hesitation, stubbornness, and lack of sleep. The lesson I learned from that experience was to check the surf prior to making a launch attempt, strap everything down and to store what ever I can in the hull. Trust me, cleaning sand out of your reels and mirage drive is a pain. __________________ Baitfish catcher extraordinaire

08-06-2021, 05:58 AM	#2
jorluivil Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6,856	Went out hooping during a Small Craft Advisory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P7mWH_Yf3g __________________ www.facebook.com/Teamsewer

09-09-2021, 02:51 AM	#4
MITCHELL Sea Hunter Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Where ever I may roam where I lay my head I call home. Posts: 2,304	One of the stupid things I ever did..... Was park south of La Jolla Beach and tennis club, by the narrow walk way because that was the only available parking spot for night fishing.we had to carry the kayaks to the private beach down the narrow walk way to launch. People were staring at us kind of funny. After night fishing with two other guys we all came back to the designated launching area. I flipped coming in I was still a rookie kayak fisherman back then. With wet waiters full of water and every fishing pole tangled because of the sabiki rig on a fishing pole. After that tangle I went to aluminum tube rod. Getting back to what happened, feeling like a wet rat in waiters and kayak a tangled mess, I was the only one that had to walk down the beach to get my truck. As I was walking around the marine room water was up against the wall alittle bit I had on rubber dive booties and sure enough wham a stingray nailed me right in the heel all the way to the bone fire immediately I Got to my truck and loaded the kayak mess tangled poles and all and got the hell out of their saying to my self never again will I park there. __________________ Duke Mitchell Last edited by MITCHELL; 09-09-2021 at 06:58 AM.

08-08-2021, 07:31 PM	#3
YellowYaket Member Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 43	I was fishing about a mile out of Dana Point harbor with my wife in my Oasis tandem kayak. I had purchased a kayak scoop of bait before heading out. At one point, I dropped a bait and it went under my seat. Rather than just leaving it there, I decided it would be a good idea to stand up, turn around, lift up the seat and rescue the bait. As I should have expected, the act of turning around momentarily placed all of my weight on one side of the yak, which was more than sufficient to quickly roll the kayak, dumping my wife and all of our gear into the drink. Fortunately, my wife and I were wearing PFDs and all of our gear was either leashed or floated. I was able to flip the yak back over quickly enough and I could get back onboard, but my wife wasn't able to get back on. I flagged down a passing power boat and it just so happened to be a crew of retired guys that were part of the volunteer Coast Guard Auxiliary (or something like that) out doing training exercises. They said they would give my wife a ride back to the harbor while I sorted out the tangled mess of leashed gear and started peddling back in. They wouldn't leave me out there alone though and eventually convinced me to just climb onboard with them and they towed in my yak too. The only thing I lost was a tank full of bait (I didn't have the lid latched so the bait all swam for freedom when the yak was momentarily upside down). Now that my wife knows that she can't self-rescue, I won't take her outside of the harbor (she has tried self-rescuing in a controlled environment several times after this event all unsuccessfully). In looking back on this event, I realize it could have ended up a lot worse. Glad the only thing I lost was my pride and a scoop of bait. One other note, even though my kayak is in like-new condition, it still managed to collect several gallons of water in the hull in the very short time (maybe 30 seconds) that it was upside down ... which is a good reason to carry a bilge pump. One final note, my fishfinder/GPS was powered on when I flipped and it was still working when I flipped the yak back over. I immediately turned off the unit and left it off. It still works fine to this day so it must not have ingested any water.

08-29-2021, 10:19 PM	#6
kwest10 Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Lost Angeles Posts: 37	Going hopping and forgot my seat once. Still went out. Forgot my paddle once. Didn’t have my spare stowed. Drinking a tall boy and having to pee and climbing onto a slippery jetty while trying to balance and hold the kayak and pull waders down to pee Not leashing much paddle and it floated away. Luckily another taker saw and brought it back I’ve been very lucky so far. No more shenanigans. It’s dangerous enough well planned and well equipped.