SOLO SKIFF PROGRESS THREAD - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

ctfphoto · 04-30-2021, 06:34 AM

Thanks for info on the used Solo.

Wow, that color combo is way ugly.

I want a seafoam color as that stands out the best for safety.

FISH11 · 05-03-2021, 09:04 PM

Just a little late post from 5-1 at LJ. Went on the usual weekly trip to La Jolla on the SOLO SKIFF in search of Yellowtail. Had spent the last 5 trips mostly trolling the Nomad DTX Minnow because of lack of live bait or just to be able to cover more water faster than while trolling a live Mac. Found a good area for bait and Calicos that produced the last three trips. The last trip I had hooked and lost a nice Yellowtail while trolling the Nomad DTX and just failed to maintain tension on the line and it head shook the lure off. Totally Operator Error. So this trip, I spent extra time in that area, but other then a bunch of large Macs and some Calicos there was nothing larger that came out to play. Then as has been the case lately the wind kicked up before noon and most boats headed home for a long rough trip back home. The Solo Skiff just eats up the wind chop.

NICKWORN · 05-04-2021, 11:26 AM

[QUOTE=FISH11;313874]Just a little late post from 5-1 at LJ.

WOW surf was big!!! You did it perfect though by chasing the last wave in. Did you fall out at the very end?

Looked like you went to hop out and face planted.

jruiz · 05-04-2021, 11:52 AM

[QUOTE=NICKWORN;313880]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FISH11

Just a little late post from 5-1 at LJ.

WOW surf was big!!! You did it perfect though by chasing the last wave in. Did you fall out at the very end?

Looked like you went to hop out and face planted.

I imagined that he did a cartwheel into a backflip. But I guess he didn't want to show off so he edited it out.

FISH11 · 05-04-2021, 12:32 PM

Ha Ha Ha, no but I had a wave behind catch up just as I slid down into 2' of water and as my feet slide into the water the wave now makes it almost 2' even deeper and the Solo Skiff I had my hand on the gunnel just took off forward the rest of the way and I got my whole right arm wet as I had to catch myself from doing a total face plant in 2 1/2' of water. That was the only area I even got wet the whole trip, except for a few wave chop splashes while out having fun in the mess.

AlwaysFishing · 05-06-2021, 06:30 AM

I think I finally found a good solution to using the front hatch as a bait tank without having to drill a hole in the hull. I found a small submersible pump that outputs about 130gallon/hour. It comes with small enough nozzles that I put in the drain hole and at the same time put in another hose for drainage. It needs only 4w and can be powered by a USB port off of a power bank. With a 10,000mah Aukey power bank, it was able to run for about 6 hours continuously. I didn't cut enough holes in the drain hose so I was having some over flow. I think a couple more holes in the hose and it should be good. I got about a dozen medium size Mackerels and they seems to be happy in there.

I found out yesterday that with the front hatch filled with water and my fish bag with 20lbs of ice and full of fish, the front sits really low. The bow was digging into the swell on my way back and I couldn't go very fast. Is anyone else have this problem?

FISH11 · 05-09-2021, 10:51 AM

Went out on my weekly trip to LJ as usual in search of Yellowtail. For months now planning what day to go has been more about the surf and wind forecast, as it keeps changing like a roller coaster. Last week while trolling the Nomad I hooked up and fought a nice Yellowtail for a short time and ended up loosing it because i got too careless and allowed slack on the line. Trying to regain line due to shallow (52') water depth and driving the Solo Skiff towards the fish. I looked at the video and realized I was way to relaxed and not just reeling in. The slack allowed the Yellowtail to toss the Nomad with it's head shakes. I still even have a nice reminder on my right thumb, were I tried to thumb the spool when it took off on one of the runs and the Avet drag was already on 3/4 full drag. For the last nine days I have a 3/8" x 1 1/2" strip of my thumb skin that good burned and shrunk. Man it hurt at the instant it happened. Never going to keep my thumb on the spool while fighting a large fish again. This trip unfortunately has no large fish hook up and never found great FF marks to drop a mac on, so while searching for good marks I trolled the Nomad and then drifted a mac later, but no fish other than some Calicos on the troll. Still a great day on the water because the SOLO SKIFF is so much more stable and I stay drier and don't have to spend extra energy fighting the currents or the wind when it comes up. Tight Lines.

05-03-2021, 09:04 PM	#2
FISH11 Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Pine Valley when not fishing La Jolla Posts: 2,633	Just a little late post from 5-1 at LJ. Went on the usual weekly trip to La Jolla on the SOLO SKIFF in search of Yellowtail. Had spent the last 5 trips mostly trolling the Nomad DTX Minnow because of lack of live bait or just to be able to cover more water faster than while trolling a live Mac. Found a good area for bait and Calicos that produced the last three trips. The last trip I had hooked and lost a nice Yellowtail while trolling the Nomad DTX and just failed to maintain tension on the line and it head shook the lure off. Totally Operator Error. So this trip, I spent extra time in that area, but other then a bunch of large Macs and some Calicos there was nothing larger that came out to play. Then as has been the case lately the wind kicked up before noon and most boats headed home for a long rough trip back home. The Solo Skiff just eats up the wind chop. __________________ MARK ......... 2016 MALIBU X FACTOR, 2020 SOLO SKIFF (Fishing Kayak on Steroids )

05-04-2021, 11:26 AM	#3
NICKWORN Senior Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: SANTUCKET Posts: 629	Big Surf [QUOTE=FISH11;313874]Just a little late post from 5-1 at LJ. WOW surf was big!!! You did it perfect though by chasing the last wave in. Did you fall out at the very end? Looked like you went to hop out and face planted.

05-04-2021, 12:32 PM	#5
FISH11 Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Pine Valley when not fishing La Jolla Posts: 2,633	Ha Ha Ha, no but I had a wave behind catch up just as I slid down into 2' of water and as my feet slide into the water the wave now makes it almost 2' even deeper and the Solo Skiff I had my hand on the gunnel just took off forward the rest of the way and I got my whole right arm wet as I had to catch myself from doing a total face plant in 2 1/2' of water. That was the only area I even got wet the whole trip, except for a few wave chop splashes while out having fun in the mess. __________________ MARK ......... 2016 MALIBU X FACTOR, 2020 SOLO SKIFF (Fishing Kayak on Steroids )

05-06-2021, 06:30 AM	#6
AlwaysFishing Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: On the water Posts: 198	front hatch bait tank solution I think I finally found a good solution to using the front hatch as a bait tank without having to drill a hole in the hull. I found a small submersible pump that outputs about 130gallon/hour. It comes with small enough nozzles that I put in the drain hole and at the same time put in another hose for drainage. It needs only 4w and can be powered by a USB port off of a power bank. With a 10,000mah Aukey power bank, it was able to run for about 6 hours continuously. I didn't cut enough holes in the drain hose so I was having some over flow. I think a couple more holes in the hose and it should be good. I got about a dozen medium size Mackerels and they seems to be happy in there. I found out yesterday that with the front hatch filled with water and my fish bag with 20lbs of ice and full of fish, the front sits really low. The bow was digging into the swell on my way back and I couldn't go very fast. Is anyone else have this problem?

05-09-2021, 10:51 AM	#7
FISH11 Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Pine Valley when not fishing La Jolla Posts: 2,633	LA JOLLA 5-6-2021 Went out on my weekly trip to LJ as usual in search of Yellowtail. For months now planning what day to go has been more about the surf and wind forecast, as it keeps changing like a roller coaster. Last week while trolling the Nomad I hooked up and fought a nice Yellowtail for a short time and ended up loosing it because i got too careless and allowed slack on the line. Trying to regain line due to shallow (52') water depth and driving the Solo Skiff towards the fish. I looked at the video and realized I was way to relaxed and not just reeling in. The slack allowed the Yellowtail to toss the Nomad with it's head shakes. I still even have a nice reminder on my right thumb, were I tried to thumb the spool when it took off on one of the runs and the Avet drag was already on 3/4 full drag. For the last nine days I have a 3/8" x 1 1/2" strip of my thumb skin that good burned and shrunk. Man it hurt at the instant it happened. Never going to keep my thumb on the spool while fighting a large fish again. This trip unfortunately has no large fish hook up and never found great FF marks to drop a mac on, so while searching for good marks I trolled the Nomad and then drifted a mac later, but no fish other than some Calicos on the troll. Still a great day on the water because the SOLO SKIFF is so much more stable and I stay drier and don't have to spend extra energy fighting the currents or the wind when it comes up. Tight Lines. __________________ MARK ......... 2016 MALIBU X FACTOR, 2020 SOLO SKIFF (Fishing Kayak on Steroids ) Last edited by FISH11; 05-09-2021 at 08:05 PM.

04-30-2021, 06:34 AM	#1
ctfphoto Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 901	Thanks for info on the used Solo. Wow, that color combo is way ugly. I want a seafoam color as that stands out the best for safety.