A Thrilling Ride - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

BigWaterOmeez · 04-05-2011, 10:07 PM

Hello, my name is Omar, and I'm a rehabilitating lurker.
I've been in deep research mode while I was tied to the house by a young boy; well now he's grown enough for me to peel away and put time on the water. Thanks for all of the knowledge posted now and prior. I haven't really had anything to post because most of my questions have been asked and answered. And lets just say results on my few trips out so far have been barely enough to report back to the wife. Until this past weekend...

I had just launched and the weather was lovely, low clouds with the sun fighting its way through in spots. I was trolling and paused to change some settings on my sonar. I'd been having trouble with incorrect readings and wanted to figure the issue out. I decided to give up and continue to the intended fishing spot and said the words, "Well, this sucks!" No sooner had the sound left my mouth and my trolling rod loads intensely and the clicker starts singing. I thought maybe I'd caught something but there was no mistaking a hookup when I felt how hard and fast this thing was ripping line off the reel. I tightened the drag a bit and thumbed the spool. Long story short, 20 minutes of getting towed at 2 mph for my first sleigh ride (and I'm 250 lbs) I got my first thresher shark yakside. After the long fight I didn't want to stress him out more by pulling him out of the water...I'd already decided on a c&r for this first beast. He was tail hooked so I took the path of least resistance and unhooked my lure and let him go. I held his tail firmly moving him around to get water through his gills until he kicked hard enough to release my grip.
This was an absolute thrill. I have never had a fish pull that hard and run so fast in my life. I'm not sure who got hooked more, the shark or me...

pistolitas 13 · 04-05-2011, 10:13 PM

Sweeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!!!!

perseverance pays off my friend. You motivate guys like me to keep trying ......yakking is hard and it looks like your getting the hang of it. I have ways to go but but eventually ill get there. CONGRATS!!!!!

CalicoCody · 04-05-2011, 10:15 PM

Looks like a thrilling ride indeed... was this out of Long Beach or Seal Beach? The jetties and oil rigs look familiar...

GBF · 04-05-2011, 10:21 PM

Congratulations!!.......Very nicely done................

GBF

Deamon · 04-06-2011, 04:08 AM

Well done Omar! Beautiful set up as well...

Kaijuu · 04-06-2011, 04:12 AM

Great way to start a day, congrats!

Regor · 04-06-2011, 05:28 AM

Congrats on the cherry popping Thresher !

Iceman · 04-06-2011, 07:01 AM

So cool..............harbor long tail congrats!

Holy Mackerel · 04-06-2011, 07:06 AM

Cool bendo pic!

old_rookie · 04-06-2011, 07:14 AM

Very cool!! Congrats!

We need a thresher icon/smiley.

walrus · 04-06-2011, 07:52 AM

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun is to ride a kayak sled today!!

Congrats on the T.

theluckypig · 04-06-2011, 09:37 AM

GregAndrew · 04-06-2011, 04:17 PM

Very nice, and WTG on the release.

JPSURF · 04-06-2011, 04:35 PM

SSHHHHHHH on the spot!!

Nice catch and extra Kudos on the release!!

JP

THE DARKHORSE · 04-06-2011, 04:44 PM

I love watching guys get their a$$ kicked on light rods. That action shot is pretty sick; it tells the story quite well!

BigWaterOmeez · 04-06-2011, 04:53 PM

Thanks all...still walking on clouds from that one and lovin' the soreness in my left arm. Haven't gotten to La Jolla yet but the other reports have me salivatin'.

And gettin my a$$ kicked is exactly what was happenin'! That pic I had just tried to get the pick before getting my lure back and he let me know he wasn't done yet

If you look closely you can see the terror in my eyes at the thought of losing that setup at that exact moment. (Josh- I emailed you a few weeks back...we will talk, just not sure when I can fit it in yet.)

Again thanks all.

StinkyMatt · 04-06-2011, 07:24 PM

Great job Omar, I want an ass kicking please!

Aaron&Julie · 04-13-2011, 12:19 PM

Those Threshers will give a hell of a workout. Congrats.

04-05-2011, 10:07 PM	#1
BigWaterOmeez Junior Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 11	A Thrilling Ride Hello, my name is Omar, and I'm a rehabilitating lurker. I've been in deep research mode while I was tied to the house by a young boy; well now he's grown enough for me to peel away and put time on the water. Thanks for all of the knowledge posted now and prior. I haven't really had anything to post because most of my questions have been asked and answered. And lets just say results on my few trips out so far have been barely enough to report back to the wife. Until this past weekend... I had just launched and the weather was lovely, low clouds with the sun fighting its way through in spots. I was trolling and paused to change some settings on my sonar. I'd been having trouble with incorrect readings and wanted to figure the issue out. I decided to give up and continue to the intended fishing spot and said the words, "Well, this sucks!" No sooner had the sound left my mouth and my trolling rod loads intensely and the clicker starts singing. I thought maybe I'd caught something but there was no mistaking a hookup when I felt how hard and fast this thing was ripping line off the reel. I tightened the drag a bit and thumbed the spool. Long story short, 20 minutes of getting towed at 2 mph for my first sleigh ride (and I'm 250 lbs) I got my first thresher shark yakside. After the long fight I didn't want to stress him out more by pulling him out of the water...I'd already decided on a c&r for this first beast. He was tail hooked so I took the path of least resistance and unhooked my lure and let him go. I held his tail firmly moving him around to get water through his gills until he kicked hard enough to release my grip. This was an absolute thrill. I have never had a fish pull that hard and run so fast in my life. I'm not sure who got hooked more, the shark or me...

04-05-2011, 10:21 PM	#4
GBF Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Huntington Beach CA Posts: 323	Congratulations!!.......Very nicely done................ GBF __________________ "Just keep going out....it's better than staying Home"

04-06-2011, 04:12 AM	#6
Kaijuu "Floater" Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: so cal Posts: 164	Nice T shark Great way to start a day, congrats!

04-06-2011, 07:01 AM	#8
Iceman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 1-2 miles off the point Posts: 6,943	So cool..............harbor long tail congrats! __________________

04-06-2011, 04:44 PM	#15
THE DARKHORSE Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Seven minutes from the launch! Posts: 987	Poor man's Marlin... I love watching guys get their a$$ kicked on light rods. That action shot is pretty sick; it tells the story quite well! __________________

04-05-2011, 10:13 PM	#2
pistolitas 13 Junior Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Santa Ana Posts: 15	Sweeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!!!! perseverance pays off my friend. You motivate guys like me to keep trying ......yakking is hard and it looks like your getting the hang of it. I have ways to go but but eventually ill get there. CONGRATS!!!!!

04-05-2011, 10:15 PM	#3
CalicoCody Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Lakewood, California Posts: 46	Looks like a thrilling ride indeed... was this out of Long Beach or Seal Beach? The jetties and oil rigs look familiar...

04-06-2011, 04:08 AM	#5
Deamon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 1,972	Well done Omar! Beautiful set up as well...

04-06-2011, 05:28 AM	#7
Regor Greg Join Date: May 2010 Location: Chula Vista, ca Posts: 509	Congrats on the cherry popping Thresher !

04-06-2011, 07:06 AM	#9
Holy Mackerel Señor member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,627	Cool bendo pic!

04-06-2011, 07:14 AM	#10
old_rookie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Santee Posts: 904	Very cool!! Congrats! We need a thresher icon/smiley.

04-06-2011, 07:52 AM	#11
walrus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Baja fish camp Posts: 478	Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun is to ride a kayak sled today!! Congrats on the T.

04-06-2011, 09:37 AM	#12
theluckypig Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: San Pedro Posts: 694

04-06-2011, 04:17 PM	#13
GregAndrew Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,384	Very nice, and WTG on the release.

04-06-2011, 04:35 PM	#14
JPSURF Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 86	SSHHHHHHH on the spot!! Nice catch and extra Kudos on the release!! JP

04-06-2011, 04:53 PM	#16
BigWaterOmeez Junior Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 11	Thanks all...still walking on clouds from that one and lovin' the soreness in my left arm. Haven't gotten to La Jolla yet but the other reports have me salivatin'. And gettin my a$$ kicked is exactly what was happenin'! That pic I had just tried to get the pick before getting my lure back and he let me know he wasn't done yet If you look closely you can see the terror in my eyes at the thought of losing that setup at that exact moment. (Josh- I emailed you a few weeks back...we will talk, just not sure when I can fit it in yet.) Again thanks all.

04-06-2011, 07:24 PM	#17
StinkyMatt Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Under a bridge Posts: 2,168	Great job Omar, I want an ass kicking please!

04-13-2011, 12:19 PM	#18
Aaron&Julie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Spring Valley Posts: 1,400	Those Threshers will give a hell of a workout. Congrats. __________________ "Never say die"