Many kayak anglers, including myself, are parents. Our kids have been out of school for a couple of weeks and are very likely already bored with this annual abundance of time once again on their hands. This is the perfect time to instill the wonder that all who are kayak anglers know so well. To slowly and near silently glide across still waters in search of hungry gamefish is too good not to share with the ones you love.

PHOTOS:
Andrew Allen Photo
Bendo – Hooked up in the most perfect conditions, Cody Allen does battle with his first kayak yellowtail.
Andrew Allen Photo
Yellowtail Success – Cody Allen proudly hoists up his first yellowtail from the kayak

It was a dark Wednesday morning around 5 a.m. An unexpected awakening brought me out of bed when my dad got me up to go fishing. I was determined to get my first yellowtail this morning. I hurried up and got ready, ate quickly and we were off to La Jolla. Once there, the night sky soon began to lighten and the sea and sky looked like one.

We parked and took out the double kayak and supplies. My dad slid the kayak into the middle of the surf. By this time I was starting to get quite nervous thinking about how I have never fished on a kayak in the ocean. Previously, I had only fished in the bay. We waited for smaller waves and then went for it. The journey soon unfolded in front of us.

We paddled as hard as we could to get out of the waves and into the open. We paddled and paddled to keep from tipping. It was like a liquefied ambush, we would head directly into the battle and go straight through the center of a big wave and the water would splash my entire lap and where I was sitting. We had successfully gotten through the battle, but we were yet to win the war.

We were now paddling through the glassy smooth sea and were ready to search for the little beauties that were going to get us a big one – mackerel. My dad caught us a few. Then he had me get some and I brought up the nicest mackerel. When I gave it to my dad, he accidentally let it escape through the foot holes. Oh well, that wouldn’t stop us from catching a good fish.

We then saw a big school of sparkling, diamond-like ripples on the water about a yard or so in front of us. The way they were moving so fast you would instantly think a humongous fish was chasing the baitfish. No luck with this group of bait, but we already had enough. This is when the real adventure began.

We then started paddling farther out while fly-lining a Spanish mackerel. Just a short while later, the reel spun around quicker then you could say, “yellowtail!” My dad handed it over to me and I realized that I could really get a big one! He was a fighter, I put the rod under my left arm and pulled up as hard as I could and reeled in as fast as I could as the rod tugged down.

I repeated this method for about five minutes and then it happened – the fish snuck into the deep kelp. This is when I got frantic. The fish wasn’t coming out of the wet plant like forest below. The adrenaline was pumping as I grasped the whole reel and started slowly twisting it around like a crank. It seemed to be working a little as I somehow got it out of the kelp. By this time, I wasn’t sure who was more tired, the fish or me. Now was the tricky part, not losing the fish.

I started to slowly reel in, which was as fast as I could anyway. Then all of a sudden my dad got a bite. This sort of distracted me for a second and I almost let some slack in the line, but I reeled in fast enough to save it. Then my dad lost his fish, but I still had mine on the line. If I would have had slack on the line any longer I would have lost the fish for sure.

He was coming closer and closer to the surface and my arms were feeling sore and numb. I was getting impatient, but I just kept reeling. This fish wasn’t getting away. I continued to use all my energy reeling in the fish. That is when we made a break through. My dad said he saw the fish. I looked downward and I saw it – a beautiful 15-lb. yellowtail and I was amazed.

With some help, I got this feisty fighter aboard. After that, my dad took a few pictures and put away the fish. That’s when I tried to take a short nap as getting up early and catching big fish is hard work. He didn’t catch anything, but he was proud of me, so we paddled in with my catch – my first yellowtail.

Pick a lake, bay or even the ocean on a milder day and make some memories that will stay with you both forever. Catching can be an exciting part of the experience, but other variables can play an equally important role, such as choosing a day with favorable weather, knowing their limitations, not getting them up as early as you would like, and most importantly, making it fun.