Well, I finally got to take my Yak off the beach and trolled lures 1/2- 1 mile off the beach.... MISSION ACCOMPLISHED Finally landed a Tarpon.... and from a Kayak using a Penn 209 Levelwind that my uncle gave me for my 11th Bday..... 30 years ago. I just took it ouf retirement and cleaned it up and spooled it w/ 20# mono a few weeks ago. Although I think this battle may have put it to rest. Drag was getting smoked. HA
I haven't been fishing much the past few weeks, (worked 2 weeks straight) and when I have, I've been in a funk. Finally had a chance last friday. Just finished two projects and finally had a day off (60+hrs the previous week) so I was pumped to just turn off the phone and go fishing...... fished around Butler Park and honestly had the worst fishing day ever since I've had a kayak I had plans to give it a go yesterday, but wanted to mix it up. I've been wanting to chase some big uns off the beach, but conditions rarely cooperated for me. I still wanted to catch my 1st tarpon, but I'd be happy with any big fish (sans sharks) from my plastic sportfish vessel . I saw the ocean saturday pm, and figured this may be my chance (who knows once fall surf season starts (which I'm ready for) My neighbor was eager to join me (and use my old perception) so we loaded up around 8ish and headed to the beach by matanzas.... Water looked nice but minimal bait. I wasnt too concerned, I had an assortment of larger artificials. Some with wire (kings) and some mono leader for the poons. Surf was prob a foot plus and short period but light NW winds. Tide was about to start turning back in. We launched through the surf. John's timing was better than mine as a wave broke over the bow..... but instantly drained with all those scuppers (Cuda 12) We paddled out to about 25' then put lines out. I had a jointed magnum surface plug, and a yozuri diver. He had smaller rods so I gave him a smaller yozuri, and a 5" storm swim bait (paddletail) the 86ยบ Water looked like South FL as we headed NE in the direction of a pretty stark slick / rip / color change that was about 1/2 mile (maybe more) off the beach. It dropped to 38 ft and I was marking stuff (I snapped a shot to text him so he'd paddle over). He got a quick strike on the paddle tail but nothing. We kept zig zaggin along along that slick. Then he had a solid strike take line but he lost him. He said it looked like a Jack, and the lure wasnt chewed. I saw a bunch of birds on bait further out so we headed east. I got to those birds to see 100s of small Spanish tearin up little glass minnows (43' of water), but I didnt have small enough tackle for them, but hoped someone bigger was below. .... No luck so we headed back to that rip but I switched back to one of those lures that way. We paddled in and out then ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ FISH ON! Of course my smaller rod starts singing (The one with the paddle tail) and what ever it was was off to the races due east. I could see a splash 100' away but didnt jump and was running deep. I thought for sure it was a BIG King. I wasnt gaining ANY line on him but didnt want to tighten the drag. The reel was a Penn 209 Levelwind that I received for my 11th B-day.... 30 years ago It's been sitting in the garage for years and a few weeks ago I cleaned it up and put some new 20# suffix mono) and it was on some old cheap Shakespeare "Sturdy Stik" almost as old. I would "Thumb" the spool to slow down the drag when I needed a little more heat on him so I wouldn't get spooled. Once I knew this guy was hooked solid. I took my left hand and cranked in the other lure as fast as I could...... it was on wire and had trebles, so I didnt want it out floating there. So I cranked it in full speed and it came out of the water and of course swung and wrapped onto the rod I'm fighting the fish..... "SHIT! F%&* $#@#%#$ " My buddy starts laughing "What the hell are you doing?!" To make matters worse, by some infintismal chance my main line somehow slides into the split ring on this lure where the haywire twist was tied..."SHIT! F%&* $#@#%#$ " "I'm gonna lose this fish" (thinking that it would either get stuck or nicked by the wire) ....... "Slow down" I thought..... I eased up on him and some how was able to get the line out of the split ring. "Pheww" "Game On". For a moment the fish may have thought he was free, so I started cranking that handle and gained some line till he felt the tension again.... and off he went. This tug of war went on for awhile but I finally saw the silver flash. "That's a huge King" as i reached back to ready the gaff. I put some more heat on him then SPLASH he finally cleared the surface to our delight. "TAAARRRPON!" At this point the wind was onshore from the NE, the same direction as the current pulling into the inlet, so I was often grabbing my little orange "emergency" paddle to correct my bearing and sometimes to gain ground on him. After and extended fight (and several busted blisters on my fingers), I got him right up to the yak to grab the leader. the Wind on knot got stuck in the guide and the wind bumped my buddy's yak into me as he was trying to snap a photo, "POP"....the fish got the "Palm Beach Release". Never got the classic lip pose, but stoked just the same. After a few high fives I gathered my bearings and paddled our way back against the wind and current (but a bit further out along that rip line..... just in case ) Before we hit the water I said "Well I didnt bring the GoPro, so I'm sure something cool will happen" I guess I was right. some shots my buddy snapped with his phone. I heard him yell "Damn... missed it" after many jumps. ha. Finally got my first Tarpon, and to do it in the yak in the ocean made it that much sweeter.
Stink, sounds like quite the outing! Glad you got your first Tarpon! I actually got out yesterday for a little RR. Brought my new bottom slayer rig with me and wifey's new Diawa. Both rigged with 30# braid and Floro. Got into a nice LingCod bite and then something large hit my line. It took me immediately into the wreck and just refused to budge. After 15mins, I called the mate over as my crankin arm cramped up! AYFKM!!!! The Mate was a big guy and he couldn't get the Kraken out of the wreck so I said break it. When C ties a knot, they just don't give without some herculean effort. The fish/eel snapped the 30# Floro leader and went on his way... Give that round to the fish.. Around 3hrs later, another big'un hit my line. This time, I set the circle hook hard and raised the rod to keep out of the wreck. I thought I was good to go as slowly but surely I was gaining line. We were fishing in '100+ and with a 8oz sinker, it felt a lot heavier. Then disaster struck in the form of "dead line". Someone had cut their line and let 100yds of dead line, sinker still attached, fall to the bottom. Now I'm fighting both the fish, gravity and dead line. Both arms cramped so I had to call in reinforcement to take the rod for a spell. I always tie a break knot just above the sinker but this time, for whatever reason I forgot. Well, long story short, the fish/eel snapped #40 Floro Leader and escaped. This fight went on almost 1/2hr before my arms cramped up. Right now from what I've been told, there are monster Cod, Blackfish and Conger Eels along with spawning LingCod patrolling the bottom. Its been a long time since I got my ass kicked by fish but it was thrilling to say the least! I might go again this weekend as I'm staying far away from Belmar/Pt. Pleasant for Labor Day weekend. The 26 LingCod wifey and I put in the boat made it all worthwhile!!
Damn. 26 cod?!? that's nice. Someone gave me a gift cert to the local fish monger, so I got some cod (figured I'd get something I cant catch here). Cooked it in a coconut curry...... SON that shit was good I'm not sure how big those fish you were targeting run, but sounds like you brought a knife to a gun fight. When I'm bottom fishing here for snapper / grouper I use 65# braid w/ 80-100# mono leaders. There's no finesse in bottom fishing. Yeah it's overkill when you run up on seabass and triggers, but you dont get smoked by the big uns (well not as much ) When I get "rocked" up, I'll let out a bunch of line to go slack so the fish thinks he's free..... give it a minute or two then crack like hell. Every once in awhile it works
I'll try that next trip. This is going into my favorite time of the year. Between now and December, the big'uns start to patrol and its real easy to hook into something nice. I'll be bringing my Heavy Duty slayer next trip. 50-100# Class Tsunami Jig Rod with a Diawa Lexa 400 baitcaster spooled with 50# PowerPro. Will be tying that to 30# FloroLeader and I won't forget the break knot either.. Not gonna be f'n around this next trip. Might be this weekend since the following weekend is Labor Day and I ain't going near the water. Too many daytrippers out and about for me.
Heavier leader, esp around rocks or feesh with teeth.... you want the leader stronger than your main line or it becomes the weak point.
Hard to say, as I'm not familiar with the fish you're targeting, but if you're going with 50# mainline, then I'd go 80# leader, esp if you're trying to yank fish off structure. 50# would work on your 30# rod. Yes the benefit of a lighter leader is more stealth presentation to picky fish, but losing them caan be that trade off Sometimes on braid, I'll tie a fairly long MONO "shock leader" as that braid doesnt stretch so there's less chance of "pullin' hooks" (but then again, I'm just yankin em up with a locked down drag). Also in regards to leader, fluro is nice as it's clear and more abrasion resistant, but once I go that heavy I just use mono. I don't think the benefit meets the $$ for that type of fishing. I'll just use the heavier fluro leaders as wind-ons for trolling rods (clear surface water, fish that hunt by sight, etc) when using "Hi-vis" lines. but if you can afford 80# fluro have at it Like I said, there's not alot of finesse in bottom fishing (aside from a few species...some snappers) so I opt for the heavy line and just reel. I would think more so when on a headboat with the possibility of googans getting in the way. But for surface swimming fish I use much lighter light but still a stout leader (teeth, gill plates, tail whips by big fish) I caught that Tarpon on 20# mono, but I was using a 60# mono leader (tied on with a double uni knot... The only real good one I know ) EVERYONE gets broken off sometimes. That day last summer when I caught that nice snapper, I got busted off THREE times..... and was using 80#braid 100# mono leader on a Penn 114H 6/0. There's some sea monstahs down there. I'm pretty sure it was a jewfish though as I even broke a rod that day Now go get that hoss and maybe you'll find your rig still in his mouth
It would be pretty awesome. True story: A few years back we were bottom fishing on a nearshore spot about 57'. Held a lot of snapper, albeit not big ones. I Hook into a BIG one, fight for a bit and got broke off.... a few minutes later my friend gets doubled over on the way up and up comes a 6' Tiger shark with my dropper rig in his lips and my buddy hooked up on that. We cut the rigs and let him cruise on......Pretty classic, impressive fish too
Yanno What? I'm reading reports out of Belmar saying that there are black tip sharks being caught while Bluefishing using Mackeral as bait. Yessir, they're up north too now. Stink, I have no idea what that was down deep but I'm really thinking about this weekend going back at it. With my much heavier gear, and some sage advice from a fishing bud, I want a rematch!
I believe it, early summer they're all up in the surf here. You can catch em rt off the beach. They just followed the bait and warm water north. Speaking of, our surf temp is all time warm..... 87! and unusually clear. There's prob some 30# cod hiding out in those rocks......Go get em champ! one other thing. I'm assuming you're using bank sinkers. You mentioned a "break off knot". If using a 1 hook large/live bait rig some friends use a 3 way swivel with the lead attached with much lighter mono than the leader or a lt loop attached to a standard swivel before the leader in case it gets snagged, the lead breaks free. Sucks to lose a pound of lead, but better than losing everything. (Hooks and powerpro get expensive)
Yeah it does get pricey Stink. I'll be going on Sunday for Rd. 2 loaded for bear. Finesse Rod will be 30/50, Jig Rod will be 50/50 both tied w/break knot. I'll be using a hi/lo rig but I am considering a single hook. I Just read the Big Blues are finally starting to show up again too so that's another option for Sept thru Nov. Its slowly but surely coming up on my time of the year when the daytrippers stay home, the barely short fish become legal and SeaBass are back in play.
Another great trip! Between wifey and me we got: 4 winter flounder, 1 Monk fish (ugly bastard but we filleted him anyway) and 40 LingCod. Couldn't ask for better weather either. Seas almost flat with a nice SW breeze at about 10kts just to keep everyone nice and cool. Only lost 2 large fish both to getting tangled with Lobster and Crab trap lines. Sadly Lobster and Crab evidently hang out where the large Cod live. 10# Cod won the pool.
Just finished packing and vacuumbagging the haul. 11.5lbs of fillets. Just about got my winter's quota filled. I have them all in 1/2 lb bags to be frozen until needed.
HA... did you actually weigh it? Nice haul, and that cod is some TASTY stuff. Now go catch some bluefish for the shortterm/smoker, and save those for the freezer (blues & mackerel dont freeze worth a - imo)...... isn't big striper season coming up? just ran down to the backside of the inlet for some early lowtide shorebank lure chucking...... 2 blowups on the topwater plug, but no hookups. Saw a Tarpon so I ran down to get him, but he was a bit out of range. Played for an hour, & Back home by 9 to start "work" Gonna be a fiesta filled weekend here in the Oldest City. MAAAAAYBE some tarpon chasin off the beach monday (If I'm not too hungover), as the ICW is going to be filled with every dickhead that owns a boat in NE FL.
