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ltorna1 · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Posts: 3240

I hit the beach with my bud Josh and stxoutdoors at 6:30 AM. I ran into Clint (fishinclint?) from San Antonio, Professor Salt and company, about 3 others in front of the mayan princess. Busy day out there.

We were the first to push off. The water color change was about half a mile off the beach, slightly brown on the shore, then green all the way, about 15 feet visibility or better. Weed was scattered, some areas heavy, others empty. We hit the first rig and I got a king trolling a ribbonfish. There was also a school of over 100 HUGE spades out there right at the surface. Stxoutdoors was catching a few small snapper and a small cobia. The rest of the kayakers started showing up, so we moved on to the next rig.

I dropped bottom with some squid and started catching undersized snapper. Then I had a ribbon fish on the bottom get picked up and ran for about 200 feet. I fought this fish around the rig for over an hour. It stayed on the bottom, never came up, never shook its head, just ran, then stopped and stayed put, then ran again, etc. I couldn't pull it off the bottom - maybe a foul hooked shark or a huge ray. The fish felt heavy, every bit of 100 lbs, probably more. Eventually,trying to pull it off the bottom, it made a sudden dash and snapped my rod in half and then my 20 #braid. Never saw what it was, but I was definitely underpowered for it.

My bud Josh caught a few small cobia as well, one of them followed him back in until he hit the color change. I think Prof Salt and compnay got into some kings as well. I am sure he will post up his report - they stayed out longer than us and I saw a go-pro camera out and about, so I'm sure he has picks. For me, no pics, just a broken heavy spinning rod and fish tale of the one that got away. After fighting the fish for over an hour, I was tired and wanted to start my paddle back.

At one point there were over 8 kayaks around the nearest rig. I guess that is how weekends are. Clint, I hope you got into some fish on your first BTB trip!

lil-red-hunter14 · Guest

Nice report! You thinking it may have been a shark or what???

txscrambler · Horse Mullet Joined: 12 May 2012 Posts: 144

Most likely a huge ray. We used to hook up to fish like that on our boat that would act the same way. If we were lucky we would get them to the surface and they were almost always huge rays. Now I drop down with my Avet 30 wide just for them and have caught some rays up to five feet across out there. Easy shark bait if you have the right gear with you. But I can't imagine trying to land one from the yak.

ltorna1 · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Posts: 3240

Yeah, of course when I was out there my adrenaline was pumping and I was thinking huge shark, maybe fowl hooked and thats why I didn't feel head shaking and such, but now that I have thought about it, the behavior was definitely ray like. The weight though was just massive. The best way I have been able to describe it is that its like a cow was roaming around the bottom of the ocean with my ribbonfish in his mouth.

Prof. Salt · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 5:53 pm Post subject:

I'm glad you got a King, Ltorna! I think you and I might have been the only ones to score on them today from the group. When I got to the first rig (last to arrive because I was making sure one of the first-timers was alright) I immediately got a double hookup on Kings. One was 36", the other 45". I got another shortly after that, and lost three more on a new lure.

I also lost a heavy fish (grouper or snapper most likely) at the big rig. After 10 minutes of pulling him up and him ripping drag back to the bottom, he broke off.

Here's my video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjmO2E_AiuU&feature=plcp

Bigrock · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:25 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the reports. Lots of fishin' going on down there. Not so much up here. Sad

Gib · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:59 pm Post subject: Same experience

Same experience Itorna - and for me, always a ray. I will say the wings of those big ones out there are like briskests and very good tasting. It would be hard from a yak, but I always filled down backbone to bottom of wing and then turn my knife toward the tip or outside. It would leave me with a lot of pounds of meat, throw it on ice, and then fillet top of wing off at home. Some say crazy, but then cut into fry size and fry up. It frys into a very white and moist meat.

jebsays · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:19 pm Post subject:

Great comparison to the cow wandering around with your ribbonfish! And great report - sounds like an awesome time was had by you guys!

I've heard that they taste remarkably similar to scallops, so much so, that they are often used in place of scallops in some restaurants? Any truth to that?

stxoutdoors · Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:01 am Post subject:

Had a good time out on the blue liquid with a bunch of good guys !!! The 10-12 mile paddle was at least 9-11 miles farther then my farthest paddle.... Lol ... Caught plenty of throw backs ... Fishing in 41' of water....No keepers but learned some new stuff and looking fwd to next time ...
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DONT MESS WITH TEXAS AND YOU WILL CATCH MORE FISH!!!

FishLady · Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 11:45 am Post subject:

I enjoyed the read!
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FishLady

rabbit · Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 5:01 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the report. Very Happy

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Fishing and Kayaking its a rough life but somebody has to do it.

FishinClint · Horse Mullet Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 151

Howdy!

I had fun out there and it was nice meeting everyone. No keepers for me though. Sad

But caught a few throwbacks using pink shrimp fishnstrips and some cut pinfish. I will buy squid and ribbonfish for the next trip. Learned some new things while I was out.

Sorry to hold you up Prof. Salt and thanks for keeping an eye on me. I ended up getting back on the beach at around 4:10 so I sure gave it a good effort. My arse is still sore from sitting in that yak so long. I was to chicken to hop out for a swim ... or pee.

I look forward to the next trip out and will hopefully be more prepared. BTW, I turtled on the way in. I came in perpendicular to the waves. When I caught one it turned me to the left despite trying to correct it and I got dumped to my left. Ended up losing the handle to my reel when first starting the trip and then my fish lippers and pliers after turtling. Oh well...always next time.

ltorna1 · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Posts: 3240

Don't feel bad Clint - I turtled too, and I came straight in. The nose of my kayak went under and that was all she wrote Smile

Sometimes I wish I had a 12' for BTB instead of 14'. It happens to everyone at some point - just part of the experience. I lost pliers and bag of sinkers that I forgot to put in the hold. Josh and Stxoutdoors just barely kept themselves upright but did better than me.
It definitely is a learning experience every single time. For example, this trip taught me to next time bring an anchor and anchor-ball, more water, and some bucktails.

SharkBait · Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 8:42 am Post subject:

careful with the whole getting in the water to pee thing...
i went in a cut off water bottle and dumped it overboard, 10 seconds later this 150 pound blacktip goes 5 feet below my yak...

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jsb91010 · Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:57 pm Post subject:

yes, i took a powerade bottle and pee in that and dump overboard... also when coming into the surf go in backwards and when the wave is approaching your yak paddle INTO it... 99% success rate! on friday when we went out my buddy always goes in backwards and i said "ahhh hell, imma try going in forward" lol I came so close to turtleing... backwards it's alot easier and you can see the waves coming