Mothership Fishing Trip

Fishing new grounds is always an exciting endeavor. But what about places far beyond your paddling reach? Enter, Kayak Mothership trips. OEX Mission Bay sponsors a San Clemente Island Kayak Mothership trip in partnership with the Islander out of Fisherman's Landing in San Diego, CA. Located 55 miles from San Diego, it is only accessible by boat. The Islander offers a chance for kayak fisherman to take there game to new areas ripe with trophy Calico bass fishing, Halibut, White Seabass, and Yellowtail.

These multi-day kayak fishing trips are like no other. You get to load up with your own kayak and personal gear, without worry of having to borrow or rent equipment. Food and lodging included in the price, the Islander crew takes care of everything for you!

Here is just a small taste of what you can expect from a typical kayak mothership trip at San Clemente!

Look for a video coming soon!

Upgrades for the Kraken

An extremely versatile boat as is, there are some upgrades I like to do that better suits my fishing style. Thankfully, there are a lot of online resources where others have had the same ideas, and have posted step-by-step guides to help modify to your liking. I've put together a list of my top recommended changes to bring your Kraken to the next level.

1. KKrate Livewell Pump

For those of us that fish with live bait, or in need of a livewell, this is my first upgrade that I do. Though, not exactly an upgrade to the Kraken kayak itself, you'll need to modify the Kraken to complete this upgrade. What makes it even easier, is that the Kraken and the KKrate was made for this. Additionally, there is a great online article out from Kayak Fishing Supplies that tells you exactly how to do it.

2. Remove Battery Holder

The Kraken's inner hull is nice and open. Perfect for placing a dry bag of stuff, or your days catch. However, I've found that the internal battery holder just under and above the center hatch can sometimes hinder the openness. What I like to do is remove this box, which gives much more space to place larger game fish. Its as easy as unscrewing the bolts that hold it in place, removing the holder, and putting the screws back in place.

3. RAM Tough Tube Base Rotation

Probably a minor change, but it helps when I want to move my rod holders into different positions. The Kraken comes with 2 RAM Tough Tube bases, however, they are rotated differently from each other. I usually rotate one of them such that the plunger faces the seat. Simply unscrew in place, rotate, and screw back in.

4. Rudder Ready Kit

The Kraken may not come with a rudder stock, but definitely pick one up as this is a must have if you're in areas with fast currents and/or high winds. Check out Jackson Kayaks Store for installation instructions.

5. Fish Finder Installation

Though not necessarily needed, a fish finder is a great tool for every kayak fisherman to have. It'll help you identify structure, and if your plotter has the functionality, record your tracks. What's great about the Kraken is that it has a dedicated transducer scupper, to snuggly fit even the biggest transducers on the market.

Hopefully this gives folks an idea of some of the modifications that I've found most helpful to my style of fishing. The Kraken comes with some awesome features, but also still open for your own upgrades.

4 Tips for Fighting and Landing Large Gamefish

Your bait is getting nervous, as your slowly trolling around some live bait, and then it happens. "ZZZZZzzZZZZzzzz" - as your clicker sings that beautiful tune! What now?!

Hopefully, before the most exciting part of fishing happens, you've set yourself up for greater chances of success. Pre-setting your drag the night before, re-tying all knots and inspecting your line for any knicks or abrasions are all things you should do before fishing. But what happens once you've actually gotten a bite?

Below, are 5 tips that has helped me in fighting and landing many large gamefish out in the ocean!

1. Do not swing to set the hook!

This isn't bass fishing so no need for that Bill Dance hookset! Instead, and this is one of the most crucial parts of fishing live bait, is to wait at least 5 seconds before flipping your reel into gear. And that's it, no swinging to set the hook, rather allow the fish to hook itself while its running away. I know 5 seconds will feel like forever, but allow the bigger gamefish to eat the entire bait before setting the hook.

2. Mark your GPS

Most of my successes has come from understanding why the fish I'm chasing for bites. When you get bit, mark that spot on your GPS, and take mental notes as to the time of day, currents, presence of baitfish, any tidbit of information. All this will help you in seeing patterns for future bites. Additionally, circle around back and drag another bait right through the same area. You may be in for another surprise!

3. Clear the deck

Give your self some space and clear that clutter off your kayak. I like to place my paddle under the bungees on my Kraken, so I won't have to worry about it getting in the way or floating off into the distance. Clearing the deck will also help to prevent any tangles with other rods from happening.

4. Keep constant pressure

Often times, you don't even notice that you're doing it but you're rod tip is just too high and your line goes slack, and now you've lost your possible once-in-a-lifetime fish. Don't make that mistake, and keep that rod tip low and maintain constant pressure! This is where trusting your preset drags and knots come into play.

Hopefully, these 4 tips will help you in fighting and landing that next trophy gamefish!

L J Hot Bite, Late May

Work has been keeping me quite busy for April and May, but I was able to get out after things settled down. With word from a friend that the bite out in La Jolla was turning on, fellow Jackson Kayak team member Jarrod McGehee and couple of our friends headed out.

With some swells, and some wind, we made it out through the surf without a hitch. My Jackson Kayak Kraken handled easily through the surf, and we paddled out a couple miles to make some bait. After loading up my KKrate with some Pacific Greenback and Spanish Mackerel, we dropped in our lines in search of some pelagics.

Didn't take all too long as the yellowtail were stacked! I was able to hook into 9 that day, but lost 6 of those to a seal, some bad knots, and line breaks.

Went out another day with the crowds and hooked up a couple times, pulling in a BSB and a shark! Lost some others to bad knots and breaks...always learning! All in all, a very good weekend, but definitely a learning experience. Always check your lines and knots, and if you must, retie after hooking up!

 

Mission Bay Classic in the Kraken

The 2nd annual Mission Bay Classic, a Heroes on the Water fundraising event, was a huge success! With over 70 signed entries, the saltwater bass division was full of competition. Fellow Jackson Kayak Team Members Jarrod McGehee and Richard Penny were also in attendance.

Though the fishing was great, it was extremely tough being able to weigh fish, with having regulations set at 14" minimum. No matter the case, it was a great event helping out a great cause.

I took out my Jackson Kayak Kraken, for some easy Bay fishing. Having my Kraken plumbed with the KKrate as a livewell, made for easy catch and release with no fishes harmed (besides being hooked!).

Here's a quick video showcasing the Kraken out in San Diego's Mission Bay!

Early summer in Southern California!

With early indications pointing to an El Nino season, conditions were impeccable for this time of year. Sunny weather, 80+ degree weather, and near 70 degree water temps made for some awesome fishing! Here's a video of some yellowtail fishing down here in sunny Southern California! Enjoy!

Photo featured on San Diego Reader

Well, what do you know! The Jackson Kayak Kraken getting some well deserved publication in the San Diego Reader!

Presidents day weekend (actually valentines day) yellow

So for the past few weeks i've been hearing that the yellows have been chewin' hard. red crabs, warm weather, clear viz, lots of yo-yo catches, all that. haven't really had the time to get out as much as I wanted to, but I got the chance on valentines day. now usually during this time of year, i'm packing light and only bringing my yo-yo setup. tho night before I figured with all the warm water, surface actions bound to be happen. so i tie together a light sliding egg rig, bring along my sabiki and bait tank with the yo-yo setup. arrive at the launch to 1ft "waves", and head out to make some quick bait. put together maybe a handful a nice candy bar greenies with one spanish. nose hook a greenie and we start to make our way out to some pots. stop at a few places to drop the yo-yo on some marks but nada for quite some time. flat calm water with no wind and seals abound. water temp slowly crept up to 66 degrees, fricken warm for this time of year. seals kept snatching my bait and I was down to my spanish. tied that on and let it down deep. made the slow troll back to some friends and hooked up to a beast! went straight down to 185' and fought it back up to meet my gaff.

30+lbs bled. nice fish for my 1st yellow of 2015!

Review: Bending Branches Angler Pro and New Navigator Wood Paddle

The most important tool in every kayak angler's toolbox is his paddle. The paddle is the engine of a kayak, and can either aide or hinder you while out fishing. As such, great care should be taken in choosing the right one. For those looking for a great kayak fishing paddle, look no further. Several great paddles coming out of Bending Branches provide anglers with some great features that are essential for a great experience on the water.

Below are the spechs of two great paddles I own:  The Bending Branches Angler Pro and New Navigator Wood paddles.

The Bending Branches "Angler Pro" paddle, has won "Paddle of the Year" in YakAngler.com's Kayak Anger's Choice Awards for 2-years in a row. It's safe to say that a paddle designed by kayak anglers, is preferred by kayak anglers. 

The Bending Branches new "Navigator Wood" paddle boasts a new slick look from from its predecessor. The blade is now made out of rich-looking red adler and roasted basswood, compared to the previous black willow wood. Aside from the blade material, the spechs remain and gives the same smooth pull through the water.

Similarities

Looking at the spechs, you can see that both paddles provide many of the same great features. 

Drip Rings:  They both provide the same heavy-duty black drip rings that help to prevent water from dripping down onto ones arms and lap, keeping you nice and dry.

Shaft:  Another great feature for both is the straight shaft made from T-700 Carbon fiber material, giving this paddle a nice solid and light-weight feel with a nice smooth look.

Ferrule:  Both paddles come with the option of a snap-button ferrule, that provides 0° and 60° left or right ferrule angles. An even better option that I highly recommend getting the paddles with is the PLUS or telescoping feature.

The PLUS ferrules gives the ability to extend the paddle within a range of 15 cm. For those with kayaks that have different seat heights, this gives the added benefit of changing the paddle lengths, instead of using a different paddle. Additionally, the PLUS ferrule can lock into place in any angle you want, with a simple twist-locking feature. Just make sure to not go beyond the recommended telescoping length, or damage could occur.

Differences

Aside from the similarities above, there are some differences between both of these paddles, that make the experience of paddling quite different from each other.

Blade:  The Angler Pro has a blade surface area of about 104 sq in, while the Navigator comes in around 96 sq in. With the extra surface area, the Angler Pro can push much more water, helping anglers out when digging deep to punch through surf, or paddle through some rough and choppy waters. Though, bigger blades don't necessarily mean greater efficiency. Even though both paddles are great for long paddles, without much fatigue on shoulders, I've found the Navigator to be a better paddle when it comes to longer distances. 

Both paddle blades' are rigid, that can move quite a bit of water, but the Navigator felt much better at slicing through the water and gave a much more efficient feel than the Angler Pro. You can see that the Angler Pro has a much wider and scooped blade while the Navigator has a more narrow and flat blade. For paddlers with a more mid to high stroke, the Angler Pro is exceptional at everyday use, while the Navigator shines for longer paddling excursions.

Weight:  Weighing in at only 30 oz, the Angler Pro paddle is very light. Having a light-weight paddle helps reduce fatigue while paddling, and can make or break longer fishing sessions. The Navigator only weighs 28 oz, and being only a 2 oz variance, I couldn't really tell that much of a difference while paddling. However, some may find that 2 oz difference advantageous for longer distance paddling.

Rockgard®:  One great feature that comes with the Navigator is Bending Branches proprietary technology Rockgard, which has been applied to the paddle to help protect the blades edges from any nicks, cracks, or chips that could occur when using the paddle as a push-pole while in "skinny water". For those that sight fish in shallow waters, your paddle can be used as an extension of your arm to slowly move yourself through the shallows. The Rockgard helps to protect your blade edges from hard bottoms such as rocks or oyster beds, and can help to extend the life of the blades. 

Final Conclusions

The Angler Pro and the New Navigator Wood paddle are exceptional paddles from Bending Branches that provide many unique features that more than fit the bill for every kayakers needs. I personally have enjoyed using both, but they each have their strengths and weaknesses in certain situations. I highly recommend getting the Navigator if you're looking for a paddle that gives you that edge in longer paddles. For a more every day use kind of paddle, you can't go wrong with the Angler Pro. And definitely as a must, the PLUS ferrule is a great option to take your paddling experience to the next level. Though these are my opinions, a must for everyone is to demo demo demo any paddle before you purchase. These paddles come out at MSRP $299.95 (Navigator w/o PLUS) and $329.95 (Angler Pro w/o PLUS), so they're definitely on the higher-end spectrum of paddles, but your paddle should be thought of as an investment. Besides your kayak, your paddle plays a very important role while kayaking, so why not get the best?

Kayak Fishing Adventure in La Jolla, San Diego, CA

Down in sunny Southern California, just off the coast of San Diego lies one of the top fisheries with great access for Kayak Fisherman. Within close proximity after launching from the beach, one can paddle half a mile direct to the kelp beds that hold many aquatic game life such as Calico Bass, California Sheepshead, Barred Sand Bass, California Halibut, California Yellowtail, and White Seabass. With also direct access to much deeper water (a deep underwater canyon flows right through the area) one can also fish for an assortment of Rockfish and Lingcod.


As a kayak fisherman, La Jolla has a lot to offer. It seems that the quietness and stealth of being on a kayak, allows for us kayak fisherman to sneak up on fish much easier than boats that begrudgingly motor around spooking everything in its way.

So with my Jackson Kayak Cuda 14 in tow, I can launch through the surf in hopes of catching the many different species of fish the ocean has to offer. The surf can be tricky at times, but having a boat that can punch through the surf is a great tool to have! With just a short paddle to some prime fishing spots, kayak fishing never looked so easy.


If you're looking for bigger game, most fisherman jig for live bait, usually picking up Pacific or Jack Mackerel. These are usually fished on a "fly-line" and towed behind your boat as you slowly troll around hoping for a bite. If live bait is not your choice, surface iron's or jigs are used to entice these big game to bite some metal!

While some say El Nino is here, or on its way, the water is warm and the fishing is hot! I've been able to pick up my first California Yellowtail, that gave up quite a fight! When the conditions are right, La Jolla may just be your next fishing adventure!

New beginnings.

What started as a small project to log my fish outings, has evolved into something much bigger, and has given me many opportunities that I'd never thought otherwise possible. With the New Year upon us, I thought it be prudent to revamp this blog, and start with a fresh new look. Look to new types of content coming through! Thanks for reading.

LJ - Early part of August, 1st Yellow!

If you hadn't seen or heard, there was a really good bite going on for YT in the early part of August. I made 2 trips during that time, and got lucky to say the least!

The first day I launched before sunrise. Picked up some nice greenies, about 8 of them and started my troll at the NW corner. Dogs seemed to be out in force that day, actually they seemed to only be following me, and stole every bit of bait I had in my live well. With no bait and the time reading past noon, I debated on either staying out or just heading in defeated, again. But, I decided to stick it out, and made a little more bait. 

This time, made a bunch of spanish macks in the live well. Restarted my trolling as I made my way back to the launch. At this time, there was no one else around. I guess no one else was having any luck, but I was determined to finally hook one. Kept paddling along, until my bait was getting nervous. Took the rod out of the holder, and thumbed the spool as I slowly counted down, and then flipped the reel in gear. Limp goes the line, as I retrieve back my naked hook. Made a big u-turn and sent out another mack. Same thing happens again right around the same spot! Frustrated, I made another u-turn and circled back. Let out another spanish, and began my paddle back to the spot. Nothing hit this time, until maybe 20 yards past my previous spots. Again, thumbed the spool, let it take much more line than I needed to, and flipped it into gear. BAM, fish on!

This guy felt like a brute! Well, this was definitely the biggest fish I've hooked into as of late, and it towed me around a good bit. Last time this happened I got kelped, so I was determined to bring this one to color. Had my drag set previously and horsed it in. After a couple missed gaffed attempts, I got her! Bled it and called it a day. 

Went 22.8#, and my first yellowtail!

Next outing, I had a late start. Paddled out at 7, made some bait (all spanish macks for me) and at the spot around 800. Trolled for maybe 20 minutes and my baits getting nervous. Let it take a bit, and flipped the reel into gear. Limp again. Instead of busting a U, I threw the surface iron in the direction of my bait. After a couple cranks, line goes heavy, and I've got a biter! Reeled it in and up comes a nice yellow! Sweet, first yellow of the day and on the surface iron! At this time, I'm now seeing a school of about 50 yellows just cruising under my kayak. I'm furiously throwing the iron again and again, but no takers this time.

I set out another bait, and begin the slow troll around the vicinity. Decide to check if my baits still alive, and start reeling it in. Then it gets hit, and starts peeling line! sweet! Fought it to the yak, and gaffed into it. 2nd yellow of the day, and it wasn't even 9 yet! Decided to call it a day, and back at home by 10.

Its been quite an exciting bite, and hope this trend continues! So get out there, and get bit!

"KAYAK FOR THE KIDS" 7/26

A fellow kayaker, Captain Wade from Team Hobie, put's on a benefit kayak tournament called Kayak for the Kids, where all entry and donations go towards Rady's Children Hospital. I made time on my schedule to firstly donate my time and money to a great foundation, as well as testing my fishing skills since my first tournament.

I signed up for biggest Halibut and Bass divisions, and without being able to pre-fish this tournament, I relied solely on past experiences on this location. Loaded up my Cuda 14, with my bait tank and fully loaded poles. I'm always impressed at how well the Cuda performs under weight, as I smoothly moved along the bay waters, silently looking for fish.

Fellow Jackson Kayak member Jarrod McGehee joined in as well, with his fully rigged Cuda 14.

We were greeted with some fairly calm weather out in San Diego Bay at Tidelands park. About 20 other kayakers would comprise the tournaments entries. I was able to make quick work on some nice fish, but not until mid-morning, after dragging along some dead bait and swimbaits, was I able to bring in a nice halibut and toad spottie for measuring!

Finished out the day with 1 legal spottie to be measured and sweet halibut in hopes of being in the running. Surprisingly, I was able to win the halibut division, and took 2nd runner up for the bass division! Not bad for my 2nd tournament entry ever! 

It was definitely a great event, and look forward to fishing this again next year!

7/6 - LJ

0-1 ft waves at the launch in the morning, with little to no wind. pretty much lake-like conditions for most of the day. greenbacks were out in force, made about 10 before heading out to troll around. while trolling, saw a big mark coming through on my ff. was about to drop down, when it only got BIGGER! took a look under my yak, and what do you know, a HUGE whale just cruising along right under me! kept paddling along, throwing the surface iron at some puddles here and there. tossed the iron until it popped off and went bye-bye :(.  lots of other yakkers out, so I tried to paddle away from the crowds. got sliced through twice on 40lb test, think the sharks were out in force. stolen bait by dogs many a times as well :mad:. on one bait, as it was getting nervous, it was hit hard. reeled in the slack and it popped off. as i was reeling in my hook and line, a mack hooked itself. then another bigger fish started chasing it! looked like a barracuda (or a small yeller), but then then a dog came and stole the show...made a little more bait but then got slammed by a calico taking my sabiki with him. left around 4pm, as boat traffic picked up. all in all a pretty busy day, but fun to be on the water.

Memorial Day weekend on the Central Coast of California

Long weekends are known to bring out the "weekend warriors", so I decided to take a trek up north to my college town of San Luis Obispo. The Central Coast of California is known for its dramatic coastlines. Because of its rocky coastline vistas, fishing pressure is not much of a concern. With access to very shallow water rockfish fishing, I hit up fellow Jackson Kayak member Tom Reilly to show me the ropes.

Arriving to our destination, I realized this was a very different landscape then what we're used to down in Southern California. With steep cliffs surrounding small beaches, we carried our kayaks down steep embankments to reach the water. Tom with the Cruise12, and myself with the Cuda 14. Beforehand, I prepared all my outfits for rockfish fishing. This included many swimbait combinations, and double rigs, in hopes for double hookups!

Swell was a bit up, but we managed to get out unscathed. The Cuda 14 performed extremely well in those rocky beaches, and sliced through the swell with ease!

First drops down yielded no results, so we moved on to some patches of kelp. These new places yielded us with some nice fishes and my first Central Coast rockfishes!

During one of my drops with some big swimbaits, I get slammed hard! My pole goes full bendo, and I tug hard to set the hook when all of a sudden SNAP! Broke my pole in half!

But, it wasn't all heartache out there. I was able to catch my first lingcod and it was of legal size!

As we made our way back, the surf was up since we headed out, but the Cuda 14 and Cruise 12 handled extremely well in the rough landing. Had a blast fishing new grounds with Tom, as we pulled in a nice stringer of rockfish for dinner. Can't wait to get back up north to fish again!