5/7 - LJ Threshers and Rockfish

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Launched the 16' Adventure kayak Sunday morning at 6:30 at LJ Shores. Saturday I had been reading the abundant threshers and wanted to target them, but I knew it was a very looooong way out there.

Made two greenback macks and a smelt at the pier in 20 minutes - tough - and headed out. Trolling a big rapala and a mack for awhile, my clicker suddenly went off out past the point - ZZZZ - but the bait was quickly dropped. Mr Yellowtail had left his calling card, a mack with a totally smashed head. Took a picture of it, the head was smashed flatter than this looks. Crushed bone.




















So I kept trolling way, way, way out toward the Point LJ Buoy(on my gps)around where I could see 12 boats on the horizon, and eventually passed by a small boat that was hooked up to something big. Shark.

Out past the PLJ Buoy area, I came upon another boat, the "AlbieBac", that had just landed another Mr T. These guys said they were trolling like 20 - 30' deep with those big ol' shark lures - bait o matics.















At this point I knew I was in the right place. It was already 9 AM! One mackerel left. Checked my GPS, I was 5.9 miles from the launch, hmm, that's a long paddle back.

The bottom depth dropped from 350' to like 800'. I added an 8 oz weight, a 200 lb leader, big circle hook with my lone lively mackerel down about 20 -30', and a big rapala on the heavier rod. Trolled and trolled and trolled for over an hour out there with no bites. There were still a dozen boats trolling within a couple miles of my kayak.

Exhausted, I decided to start heading in the right direction - toward land, :roll: upcurrent. My legs were tired, so I did some paddling instead of pedaling. Still trolling the stupid mackerel, which was pretty much dead at this point. About a mile back toward the beach - BAM!!! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, and I was on with mister T - on the bait rod, which, is my 8 foot jig stick with the single speed Avet MXJ.

The fish burned through some massive runs, seemingly toward the bottom, and I thought -- maybe its a stray yellow!? It was heavy, and BIG BIG though. Started seeming more like dead weight as I reeled, and at one point I yelled at a nearby skiff that I was hooked up.

Closer and closer I got to my hook, my arms started burning about 25 minutes into the battle, and I finally see my Spectra/Fluoro connection, but wait - there's my 8 oz weight also. Oh crap! It's all cluster#%#Q@#$%4ed into a big knot , with 5 feet of leader to the fish after that.

I got a good look at the beast from behind in the clear water, it's long tail at the surface next to me. :shock: The thresher was tailwrapped, seemed tired, looked pretty big and my new friends in the skiff pull alongside for a gaff-assist. I only wanted to gaff it if it was 100+.

The shark lunges downward again, and in my exhausted desperate state, I thumbed the spool and the line broke at the big knot (of course) :? . It was over. I was kinda relieved that he got away, as my yak couldn't handle 100 lbs anyway, but my buddies would have liked half I'm sure. Sorry you guys on the Bayliner....


On my way in I nailed this 3 lb 6 oz Red on a meter mark around 160' on the bucktail.












I was forced to land the kayak over at Big Rock in sizeable surf :shock: because the LJ Shores launch was too far north, and, too far upcurrent to make it TODAY. Walked home.