# Coastal trolling in a yak?



## Kachok (May 1, 2012)

Just a quick question for some of the more experienced yakers out there, do you ever troll nearshore waters in your yak? I know kings, bonita, spanish, and cobia come within a few hundred yards of shore during the warmer months has anyone tried pulling lures for them or is that just an unsafe idea? I have pulled spoons in the backwater for specs before with some success just never in the surf.


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## bbarton13 (May 4, 2009)

Wirelessly posted (Iphone 4s)

Yes sir we troll all around our water. Ive been out off the beach 6 miles before. Kings, spanish, cobia, mahi, black fin tuna, sailfish are just some of the fish that has been caught off our bech and most within 2 miles.


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## pompanopete (Aug 5, 2009)

YUP what Mr Barton sad


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## aquatic argobull (Mar 2, 2009)

Look at the other reports on here. It is on fire right now with big kings and mahi


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

aquatic argobull said:


> Look at the other reports on here. It is on fire right now with big kings and mahi


....and another sailfish report too. A little more time and my Tarpon will be thick again


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## Kachok (May 1, 2012)

Cool, how far out do you have to be to get into those bonita and mahi? I am not expert yaker and would not be comfortable going 6 miles out in a kayak. What kind of luers are you pulling? I have landed sheepshead, and flounder in a kayak but how would you land a 20lbs king with nasty sharp teeth?


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

I caught a Mahi Monday and lost a really nice one as well about a mile off and had a sailfish come right up to my yak today about the same distance. This is year is off to a fantastic start.


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## Kachok (May 1, 2012)

Is a 12 foot Perception Sport Pescador a large enough kayak to fish offshore like that or would I need one of those huge 15 foot ocean kayaks to do that kind of fishing? Are plugs, spoons bucktails or live bait the perferd method of kayak trolling?


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

We were out in a 12' OK Scrambler and a 12' WS tarpon 120, same as the pescador. Youll be fine. They are just a bit slower.


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## DTFuqua (Jan 30, 2012)

Mine was fine, the pescadore 12 footer, but with the waves and trying to fish with more than one rod, I got dumped twice in a very short time and decided it wasn't for me any more. I was OK in flat water or with waves when not trying to do anything but paddle but couldn't fish and chew gum at the same time with the waves. But if you can keep your balance and not have to try to get untangled from rod leashes, anchor lines,tackle box leashes and fishing lines with sharp hooks, it should be great.


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## Kachok (May 1, 2012)

I had a 12 foot ocean kayak years ago (stolen  ) I did ok in 2-4 foot seas the few times I launched from the beach, so I think my ballance is pretty good, how does the Perception Sport Pescador compare to the ocean kayak as far as stability? The Ocean kayaks have gone up in price bigtime, I bought mine for $300 five years ago, now they are $500+


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

The OK scrambler has a really good initial stability. Not very tippy at all. The Pescador will feel more tippy but it has a very good secondary stability. Im not sure if Im using the correct terms but thats how I describe it.

With either one, even in the Gulf I feel like I would really have to try and dump my self. Not sure what the previous poster was doing to dump himself twice.


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## Kachok (May 1, 2012)

Another oddball question, what kind of reels would you use on your yak? I know that in 2-4 foot seas EVERYTHING gets soaked so salt water resistance is a MUST. Do workhorse reels like the penn 4/0 or 309 survive better then others? And has a hard fish strike ever caused you to loose your balance while trolling?


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## bbarton13 (May 4, 2009)

i use a penn 550ssg or a 750 when trolling, keep your drag loosed cuz kings hit hard. king will pull 200 yards of line quick but after the first long fast first run there kinda done. troll a dead cigar minnow on a king stinger rig or duster rig. all tackle stores sell them. conventional reel are great for trolling also, most have clickers so the fish can hit it and take line and then u flip the clicker and engage the drag. make sure u rinse everything off with freshwater when you are done. also leash everything when going threw the surf. you WILL flip one day!


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

You can get by with pretty light gear, even for big kings, cobia and such. I generally use mid sized spinning or conventional gear with anywhere from 12-20lb line (20lb mono is a good starting point). Braid will work too, but if you're inexperienced with it, you will find it unforgiving at first. As long as you have at least 250 yds of whatever line you're using, you will be good to go. The king rigs mentioned above will work fine but I would work at learning how to make the rigs yourself. It will pass the downtime and will be less expensive on you in the long run.


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## Kachok (May 1, 2012)

I am very experienced with braid, all of my shark rigs are loaded with it, but I would probably go 30-40lbs mono if kings and mahi are in the mix, a little bit of stretch helps with fast movers IMHO. I was thinking of getting a pair of 4/0s on short stiff rods, I have a pair of sturdy sticks laying around since I bured out the drags on my XLs. Does that seem like a decent yak setup? Or should I go with a more limber rod and faster reel? I have never pulled in anything over 12lbs on a kayak so I have much to learn. 
Another question, should I go with a hand gaff or get one of those mini harpoons? I have seen fish yank the gaff out of peoples hand trying to one hand them yak side.


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## DTFuqua (Jan 30, 2012)

JD7.62 said:


> The OK scrambler has a really good initial stability. Not very tippy at all. The Pescador will feel more tippy but it has a very good secondary stability. Im not sure if Im using the correct terms but thats how I describe it.
> 
> With either one, even in the Gulf I feel like I would really have to try and dump my self. Not sure what the previous poster was doing to dump himself twice.


I was putting a rod in the holder behind me to re bait the other one both times


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## Razzorduck (Oct 22, 2007)

Kachok said:


> I am very experienced with braid, all of my shark rigs are loaded with it, but I would probably go 30-40lbs mono if kings and mahi are in the mix, a little bit of stretch helps with fast movers IMHO. I was thinking of getting a pair of 4/0s on short stiff rods, I have a pair of sturdy sticks laying around since I bured out the drags on my XLs. Does that seem like a decent yak setup? Or should I go with a more limber rod and faster reel? I have never pulled in anything over 12lbs on a kayak so I have much to learn.
> Another question, should I go with a hand gaff or get one of those mini harpoons? I have seen fish yank the gaff out of peoples hand trying to one hand them yak side.


You will need at least 7' rods so you can follow the fish around the bow of the yak.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Yes, 7' rods. You dont need that heavy mono either. With the kings, capacity is more important then strength because with their speed, even if you have big line and a tight drag, it can pull out of their mouths or body as often they are foul hooked as they come up and swipe at the bait. 

I use seventeen lb suffix. I havnt caught a king bigger then fifteen pounds or so but they didnt even come close to dumping the reel so I think I could handle a decent smoker if given the chance.

I use 706Zs left over from my pier days and they SUCK on a yak. The reel itself is great because they are so tough and cant stand up to the salt water but working the manual while setting out a line to troll is a real PITA. Im currently looking for a good American made SS series or two to replace them.


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## Kachok (May 1, 2012)

I am thinking of going with a couple convectors, I have a 45 that I have worn the paint off of and it still works like a charm on nice sized sharks, it outlasted all my Penn casting sized reels by several seasons, plus they have a nice tight clicker for freelineing/trolling live bait. I will probably get a couple more 8' ugly sticks for rods since my stubby 5'6" sturdy sticks are not long enough. After many years of abuse NONE of my ugly sticks have ever let me down, not too pricey either. How long does the yak trolling season last? I would imagine it would be fishable until the fall turnover but the winds might kill it before that.


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