The water was muddy, to muddy for togs to see any baits dangling. But we Lee and I managed to find a few 25 to 26" reds. They were fight'en hard in the cooling water temp and were real fun. The big news that comes from a reliable source, Chris from Chris's bait and tackle so it ain't no lie, 40-plus inch striper were caught at the high rise this week. Hopefully these are the forward scouts of the big ones and it's just the beginning to a great session to GET ON'EM!kev
2ND WEEK OF NOV Hawaii
I got a call from an ad agency BSSP representing Columbia sportswear on Friday. They chose me for a new fisherman add campaign and they're pioneer ad's (columbia pioneers) I flew out on Tuesday morning heading for Hawaii. I landed in Honolulu, Oahu late Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday was my work day. We did the photo shoot first with award winning photographer Mark Holthusen. After the photos we set up for the video shoot/interview for the commercial and the Columbia site. By the time the shoot was over it was blowing. Hobie pro David Eglas, aka Boogie-D. We used one of his Ocean Kayaks for the shoot. We were going to fish until the winds kept us off the water. We hung out later and I learned allot about the island the culture and the fishery. David has been living on the island for 20 years after coming over from California to surf the big north shore waves. He owns and operates a guide service on the island (coastal kayak tours). Dave has a fast wealth of knowledge about the area and fishery. Not to mention he's is a very cool dude. On Thursday, I was free to explore the island, Boogie had a on the water class and a seminar that evening where I joined him. I drove around the north shore, mesmerized by the big, big waves. I stopped off at sunset beach and got some good video footage of pro surfers ripp'en up the 10 foot + breakers. Friday was blowing again, so Boogie showed me two amazing spots on the east side. One was Laie point, where huge waves broke on massive rock outcroppings spraying white water 40 feet in the air, absolutely awesome. Then to Pounders beach where head high waves break on the beach, hence the name "Pounders". I had to be at the airport at 5pm so I drove the east side of the islands hitting all the tourist spots along the way. I'm very thankful to Columbia Sportswear, Bonnie from BSSP, Mary from Crew You productions, Eddie and the film crew, and Photographer Mark website for this once in a lifetime opportunity to be on an Hawaii'en island, somewhere I had never thought I would be able to go. And a huge thanks to David 'Boogie-D' Eglas for hanging out with me and the hospitality. Sorry for the late report, I caught a cold when I got back and have been out of it. I will have the video up in a few days. There is no kayaking but a ton of good footage of the sick waves. It will be a postcard of the trip. Hopefully ill get over this cold and we can GET ON'EM!kev
The shoot location
The view from my room at Turtle Bay resort
The east side (windward) mountains
Pupukea beach
Laie point
Kualoa park and
the chinamans hat
1ST WEEK OF NOV Slow togs and schoolie striper surprise
We got out once to the island this week. Lee and I paddled into the wind that took us two hours to get out there. We found a few at first then the action really slowed down, just picking up a one or two for the rest of the morning. Lee had to head in for work as Damien paddled out for the afternoon shift. We couldn't find a bite in the afternoon, and we hit some good spots at the slack current. We were on our way in, close to the 1st small boat channel and I saw some gulls sweep down onto a striper splash. We found small stripers from 22 to 24 inches on nearly every cast behind the pilings. Sorry I don't have a video again this week. Next weeks should be something to see, here is a hint. columbia coastalkayaktours.aquahunters I hope I can GET ON'EM!kev
4TH WEEK OF OCT Small togs
We couldn't get out to the 1st island this week so we headed for the shore. Damien and I had a good day although most were very small tog, we caught quite a few of 'em. The biggest ones were 15" with the majority of them in the 10 to 12 inch range. The water was clear and calm until the incoming current which brought in a swell, and made it dangerous to fish. The next day, I headed over. The water was milky colored and the swell was still rolling in. I tog'ed in the morning then headed for the creeks for the afternoon to look for some reds. I got to the area were I have seen them before. The water clarity was not going to let me see them until I run them over. I stood up hoping to run one over. Once I saw the mud boil I knew they were around. On my first cast, I hooked up. I sat-casted for the rest of the evening landing a few 18 to 24" reds, two 19" specks and a 20" striper. Nothing spectacular just a nice day to GET ON'EM!kev
3RD WEEK OF OCT Tog's!!
near citation 22.5" tautog
Ric and I hit the HRBT lightline one night this week. We hunted along the entire line and only saw a dozen striper between us. They were slow, barely making an effort to attack our lures. Ric caught one, I couldn't connect with one when they would pop up from the deep. Earlier in the week Lee and Zack hit the 1st island and got into the tog's, the biggest one was lee's 22 incher, and as usual lee didn't have his camera. I got lucky and had a morning wind window on my day off. The paddle back was forecasted to suck with hard SE winds. The only time the paddle back from the 1st doesn't suck is when you've landed a citation tog, and it's a possibility this time of year. Lee as usual caught three 18 to 20 inchers before I had a bite. I moved and my first tog of the day was a near citation 22.5 incher, half inch away from my 20th citation toward master angler. The bite was on an hour and off an hour for the rest of the morning. We both landed a dozen with most in the 16 to 18 inch range. Got some decent DVD footage but my mounted GoPro camera ran out of batteries when I thought as I was filming fights. Halfway through the two hour paddle back, we ran into Rob Choi paddling out. He got on'em too....POLlink Winds are always blowing this time of year you gota get out when you get a chance at some calm seas, or tough it out like rob choi and GET ON'EM!kev
1ST WEEK OF OCT. To windy for the big'ens
The reds are off sandbridge, some were caught off the pier this week. For us, getting on'em is just a matter of being able to get out. This week paddling in the ocean was impossible. Hard easterly winds for days made a chest high swell and the sloppy chop on top of that was a no go for launching on our days off. We couldn't go after the big ones so we stayed in sheltered water. Lee got two small slams in two consecutive days. My highlight this week was landing a burley fight'en, 30 spot hav'en 21" red. So far, looking forward to next week the winds don't look any better. The reds are moving and we really don't know how long they will hang around close to shore. Togs are biting in the bay if we can't get to the ocean and GET ON"EM!kev
Half of a 30 spot, 21" red
4TH WEEK OF SEPT TKAA tourny
Damien, and I headed for the shore for some red sightings and standing fights. The water was at the top of the high tide with three foot visibility. I headed into a creek mouth and saw a red sitting on a sandy hump. As I quietly squatted to put down my paddle and pick up my rod, the red saw me and slowly passed in front of me heading to the deeper water. I pitched from my squatted position twice before he disappeared into the deep channel. I stood and made a few vicinity cast into the area he headed and hooked the 24" red. The rest of the day was just like that, we would run up on'em, they would scurry off, we made a few vicinity cast and get'em. There are two ways we can scare them when we run them over; one is we really frighten them, this is when we make a loud noise, move suddenly or pop them on the head with our jig. They really take off during those scenarios and won't bite anything. Two is where we don't move and they are just getting way from a large floating object, they only go about 10 to 15 feet away and stop. Here is where the vicinity cast will nail them. This weekend was the 5th annual TKAA tournament and Shantes first tourney. It was windy, and that is an understatement. We went to an area not so comfortable in a wind like it was that day. A week earlier I landed a 20" flounder, 23" red and a 18 speck. On tourney day, I quickly ran out of patience in the open wind and gave up on the three fish slam. The water was rising enough to fish the marsh grass so we headed in and out of the wind.. Before we paddled in facing defeat I saw a spot that I haven't hooked a red in, but looked good and out of the wind We worked our usual spot with no bites. I paddled into the grass and took a nap as . We gave it a shot. My first cast next to a piling I hooked up and he really wanted to stay under that pier. I thumbed my spool and used my leg to rudder myself and the 22" red away from the pier. My next was my 23"er which put me at 3rd place in the redfish division. I pulled 5 from 15-23"ers and lost one to the pilings. The TKAA tourney is an awesome kayak fishing tournament. A big thank you to Wayne Bradby for all the intense work that goes into organizing a tourney of this caliber. check out the results at TKAA.org. the photos from David Schwartz,and the great organizations of Project Healing Waters and Heroes On the Water. If you didn't fish this year's tourney, enter next year and GET ON'EM!kev
Damien with a multi-spotted red
Wayne Bradby TKAA Charity Tournament Director
215 kayak anglers this year
3RD WEEK OF SEPT Silver drum
16" Silver drum
My main target this week was the silver drum. Like reds are separated into size classes; puppy drum (up to 30"), yearling (30" to 40") and bull red's (40"+) and blue's are separated into tailor, snapper and chomper's blues. I like to call croaker 16" and over silver drum. This time of year they are heading down from the rivers and full of roe. They are real powerful fighters on a light rod. I always hunt for the very hard-to-get croaker citation this time of year, 3lb kill or 20" release. The TKAA tournament is next week, info at: tkaa.orgIts always a great tournament with a huge raffle and incredible prizes. I hope to see ya'll at the captains meeting Fri night, Sat we GET ON'EM!kev
