Kayak angler hooks marlin, ends up miles offshore

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BY KEI VANG

DANA POINT— Each August has been the candy month out at Dana Level. That is the fourth 12 months we’ve made the trek on the market. Colleges of marlin are displaying up there, and tuna has been noticed foaming as shut as a pair miles, however the one drawback Is the water temp is slightly bit chilly. Get on the market on the suitable day with the suitable water temperature and also you may get into some tuna motion.

On August 3, just a few of us kayakers launched out of Dana Level looking for tuna. We pedaled 6.5 miles to the canyon the place I’ve caught tuna just a few years in the past. As soon as we bought to the realm we trolled round with reside sardines, however there was no signal of life. No birds or fish exercise in any respect. We continued to seek for fish trolling with our heavy gear with no luck.

We have been about 8 miles out at about 10 a.m., and by this time and I made a decision to modify out one of many rod setups to a lighter one. It was a Moon’s Customized Rod constructed with a Rainshadow RCLB79ML paired with a Daiwa Saltiga 20HA. It was a smaller reel, so I had on 50-pound J-Braid and a 30-pound J-Fluorocarbon chief.

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Inside 10 minutes my rod went bendo and I heard a splash about 150 toes away. It was a marlin leaping and making an attempt to shake the hook! I had a marlin on! The marlin jumped about 8x occasions and nearly spooled me. I needed to button down my drag and chase it down making an attempt to achieve line again, peddling as quick as I might, I used to be capable of get most again. The struggle was on.

The marlin was towing me straight out. Minutes go, then hours. The entire time, two of my good pals Tommy and Nasko by no means left my aspect. They pedaled out and adopted me ensuring I used to be gonna be OK. It by no means stopped till it was 5.5 hours later and 11 miles from the place I hooked it.

We have been now about 20 miles out, not removed from the 209. The marlin bought drained and was simply circling round whereas I used to be preventing it. I used to be capable of get it close to the kayak a number of occasions and eventually noticed how huge this fish was. It was so long as my Hobie Outback, and there was no means we have been gonna gaff that factor and haul it again 20 miles dwelling.

I requested Tommy and Nasko to get some pictures and movies of the struggle. By then it was about 4:15 p.m. and we made the choice to simply lower the road and free it as a substitute of killing such a powerful fish. Time was working out because it was 4:30 p.m. We have been peddling again as quick as we might because the GPS was telling us it should take us 10 hours to get again to land.

We have been ready for this journey, and I had additional battery for my fish finder for navigation, extra VHF radio and a flare gun, however two of us forgot our lights within the truck. We made a name to good friend of mine, and he dropped every thing and headed all the way down to Dana Level from Backyard Grove. As soon as he bought to the harbor, we despatched him the GPS coordinates and he bought out to us in an hour at full velocity. By then we have been 10 miles in, he bought to us and assisted us the remainder of the way in which. Despite the fact that we didn’t gaff the fish for a photograph, this was a visit to recollect for the three of us kayakers.

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