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Fishing for dinner... Tips and tricks

Best and simplest hand line I've seen is a coke bottle; commonly used by deck hands and kids in Baja for catching bait and Sierra. The neck is the handle, and the "hour glass" shape holds the line, allowing it to slip off for easy casting. Cost: free, if you drink soda, plus line and hooks. By the way, old sailor, the Sierra is of the croaker family, the Pacific version of the atlantic weakfish, and the fish of choice for ceviche. I also use a 4', one piece rod for saltwater that will handle 20# line easily, with lots of spring to it- you don't power a fish around to the front of a sea kayak, you have to finess it.... hand rolling with a fish on is problematical...
 
The fishing "reel" of choice in Rio de Janeiro (when I lived there) was a tin can with the line wrapped onto it. The kids would fish from t he rocks that separate the beaches (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon and the long stretch down to Barra da Tijuca). Pretty interesting to watch them perched on a rocky ledge and toss their lure (and weight) like throwing a bolo and letting the line spool off the end of the can.

And Sierra make wonderful ceviche... I have to agree with Stumpy. I've eaten more than my share of that, too. :)

Craig
 
yum!!


2 lbs of firm, fresh red snapper fillets, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, completely deboned
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 purple onion, finely diced
1 cup of fresh peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
1 serrano chili, seeded and finely diced
2 teaspoons of salt
dash of ground oregano
dash of Tabasco or a few grains of cayenne pepper

Cilantro
Avocado
Tortillas or tortilla chips
Method

1 In a non-reactive casserole dish, either Pyrex or ceramic, place the fish, onion, tomatoes, chili, salt, Tabasco, and oregano. Cover with lime and lemon juice. Let sit covered in the refrigerator for an hour, then stir, making sure more of the fish gets exposed to the acidic lime and lemon juices. Let sit for several hours, giving time for the flavors to blend.

2 Serve with chopped cilantro and slices of avocado with heated tortillas for ceviche tacos or with tortilla chips.
 
This is how we do it.

Pole on front deck ready to go.
27_1676793_IMG_2.jpg


For Salmon trolling, rig the pole with a 5 oz wt., flasher and a hoochie.
27_1121267_IMGcrp_1.jpg


Throw one of these green monsters on your line and bounce it off the bottom and you never know what you'll pull up.

27_Bella_bella_2007_137rsz_1.jpg
 
The smile in the second photos says it all. Very cool.

dvfrggr said:
This is how we do it.

For Salmon trolling, rig the pole with a 5 oz wt., flasher and a hoochie.
27_1121267_IMGcrp_1.jpg
Click to expand...

How long does it take typically to bring one of those big guys in? Any tips that you could offer for someone just getting into kayak fishing?

*****
 
Is that second shot a springer or a coho?
Dave I always thought Keith caught a Spring but I looked at a web site for salmon id and now I'm thinking it's a Coho?

How long does it take typically to bring one of those big guys in?
I'm thinking 15 minutes, When they get above 20lbs you need help from a buddy with a net and the challenge begins!

Any tips that you could offer for someone just getting into kayak fishing?
As far as catching Salmon on the Central Coast we drop our lines where the $300.00 a day fly-in customers are fishing (you can get that info on-line from where the fishing lodges are set up all up and down the coast) and use the same slow 1 kt. trolling speed and line set up except for the live bait (thats where the hoochie comes in). If their catching fish, were catching fish!
Fishing out of a touring Kayak is a challenge so I don't fish alone, I use a paddle leash for the pole and have a comfortable system for securing the paddle when the fish is on. We troll with the reel and pole base between the legs and the pole runs under the arm so a normal paddle posture is used, you'll know when a fish is on! With some practice you will get comfortable gilling salmon with your hand but the big ones need a net. A set of pliers handy with a plastic gabage bag between the legs works well for storing the catch without making too much of a fishy mess of yourself.
 
Ha! you guys were day tripping weren't you? Nice catches, a salmon that big would present a seriously fun challenge in a yak or canoe!
 
Darren, nice recipe, though I like to throw in a habanero or two for a bit of kick. Perfect camp food... just make it up, put it in a freezer bag, and dangle it in the water. every 20 minutes or so, pull it out and knead the bag instead of stirring. Tip: use name- brand, expensive freezer bags; a leak here and your lunch becomes chum.
 
Good Lord :shock:

I've got fantasies of catching goldfish-sized pike for pan frying, and you guys are landing salmon the size of aircraft carriers...

I tend to paddle alone and I'm understanding the potential chaos if I hooked anything of any size. It might be prudent to mount a rod holder on the deck so I could continue to brace and paddle if need arises.
 
fishing for pan-fryers in the Broken Group some years ago (full-size rod and reel) i got into it with one of those "aircraft carriers". dragged me half way to Uclulet before i got him close enough to see how big he was. i cut him loose and paddled back to camp on Benson. it was fun.

Daren.....
 
Oh, you mean you don't have a rod holder mounted yet? I thought that was an essential kayak accessory... :wink: mine also double as light beacon holders for night paddling(I use flush mounts behind the cockpit), 1-1/2" pvc fits nice and snug into most of them, so I riged a beacon into an 18" piece of pvc. If you're into serious fishing, you can rig your paddle across the cockpit or in front of it, with a paddle float on each end, and forget about bracing. One kayak I built with a freind of mine has provision for pontoons, as his primary goal is fishing, paddling merely being the means to get there.
613_pontoons_004_1.jpg

He also has about 65 wrecks programed into his GPS, and a fish finder mounted. I don't get that serious about the fishing part.
 
Stumpy said:
just make it up, put it in a freezer bag, and dangle it in the water. every 20 minutes or so, pull it out and knead the bag instead of stirring. Tip: use name- brand, expensive freezer bags; a leak here and your lunch becomes chum.
Click to expand...

Good idea! Im going to try this 8)
 
RobertB said:
It might be prudent to mount a rod holder on the deck so I could continue to brace and paddle if need arises.
Click to expand...
Robert, there is no way I can technically describe the effect on pole, paddler and boat with a big salmon on but I'm comfortably stable bringing the fish in and I would think throwing the pole in a holder would make bracing with a paddle a necessity. My comfort level with fishing has more to do with the sea state. Swell is not bad, it's the wind waves and shoreline clapitos that get me to put the rod away.
 
Daren... the picture of you being dragged around the Broken Group had me laughing all afternoon... too funny :D

dvfrggr... I put the hole saw kit away. I'll hold off on the pole holder for now... deal with it down the road.

I carry a couple of tarp poles that are about 3 feet long when collapsed. The three foot ice rod sounds like the best compromise. I can pack them all together in some kind of rig.
 
RobertB said:
Daren... the picture of you being dragged around the Broken Group had me laughing all afternoon... too funny :D
Click to expand...

i had a big grin on the whole time, so it's ok to laugh. :lol:

Daren.......
 
Astoriadave said:
Nice ling cod. Is that second shot a springer or a coho?
Click to expand...

I think I can see black lips which would make it a springer (blackmouth) salmon. Pretty big though.

Nice fish though.

Craig
 
Monster said:
Ha! you guys were day tripping weren't you?
Click to expand...

That year we put in at Bella Bella and took out at Shearwater.We headed west down Seaforth channel hitting prime salmon grounds at Idol Pt., St. Johns Harbor, Goose Is. and Superstiton Pt. then north up Hunter channel to Shearwater.
Keith caught that salmon off the west side of Athone Is on our way to a campsite at St Johns Harbor. I gained 5 lbs that trip, we ate Salmon for breakfast , lunch and dinner( too much for me!). On a trip the following year(different route) I lost 5 lbs, the fishing was not so good, in fact we were almost out of food and were looking at heading back 3 days early until we found Salmon on the west side of Spider Is.
 
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