5/30 : Fiirst slime on the new Kayak

[TwinBeachsBum]

Well,

For the last few years I've been fishing out of a sit-in tandem. No permanent rod holders, sometimes with a kid, mostly solo. Well the kid got too big, so i bought myself an Ocean Trident 13. Had it out for the first time fishing yesterday. Went out of Rose Haven, dropped lures over the shipwreck, and trolled parrallel to the short just inside the line of crab pots (5-8 ft of water.) 6 rockfish, 4 definitely too small, one that was arguably legal, and one that was more than 21", but flopped right back off the kayak as soon as I got the lure off. Many more pulldowns that didn't take.

Everything was hitting 6" gulps, white early, changing to green as the day went on.

It's a nice change to not have to watch waves too much, and to have built-in rod holders and a place to mount the fish finder so I get consistent readings. (Still not seeing the fish, even when they are biting.

Question for everyone:
On a sit-in when you get the fish in, it's in. Not many of them can jump out again.
On a sit-on, how to you keep a 2' long fish from flopping off?

[mweber02]

Glad you were on the fish.

I use Fish Grips. http://www.austinkayak.com/products/...Fish-Grip.html

There are more expensive grippers but those do a great job. A net works well too, but only when the fish will fit in it. Carrying a net that will take a large fish is not practical in a yak.

[On the fly]

Bass Pro carrys them in stock

[john from md]

+1 on the pink, floating fishgrips. They are easy to see, float if you drop them over board and work as good as the $50 ones. I just clip mine to either my seat or my PFD.

John

[Cowpokey]

I have the orange one, thought about the more expensive version(s) like Boga and Rapala...glad I went with "The Fish Grip".

Congrats on the first fish with the new yak! As for them flopping "off", I don't think that would happen with my Outback, its got pretty high sides for a SOT. If I tried putting a fish in the side tray it wouldn't take much for it to get over the side.

[kevinfry]

I use the crotch-trap method, then get the fish grip on while I get the hook out. Definitely harder to do on my stealth than my Malibu2 which had somewhat of a well. As you can tell from his videos, comeonfish always uses a net....which is probably why he gets so many in the boat.

[clm]

I use a mix of all the above. The fish grips are great. Depending on the size. Large catfish get netted, swung in to the Hobie well, then gripped with the grippers before I remove the hook. Some fish can be gripped before lifting from the water. The stubborn mouth clamped ones get netted, or lifted by the gill, but they all get the grippers attached. Easier to manuever them around if I put them on a stringer or release them.

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[MetroMan]

Congrats on the new ride and the new slime. If its a fish I know I'm gonna keep, I knock the heck out of it. It stuns them, and you no longer have a flopping fish to deal with.

[Fish]

+1, That's the best idea i've ever heard. I am doing that next time.

Congrats on the new ride and the new slime. If its a fish I know I'm gonna keep, I knock the heck out of it. It stuns them, and you no longer have a flopping fish to deal with.

[TwinBeachsBum]

Crotch-trap + hooks + (Dorsal spines of rockfish or Teeth of bluefish) = no, thanks....

[Frogsauce]

Yeah I do the same, bop'em in the head with the blunt end of the dive knife and they stop squirming so much. Then I can get them on the grippers.

[MetroMan]

On fish I intend to release...if they are flopping around, a damp towel covering their eyes helps to calm them down as well.