Kayak fishing in the 1980's

Here's some history----my first trip to Barkley Sound.  I had my rodholder mounted on the deck in front of me. About 10 minutes into the troll, a big (Tyee? Spring? ) fish grabbed the lure and pulled the rod out of my lap (yep, no tether cord) and the whole works shot off forever. No spare rod, but I had a mooching reel, so I made a rod from driftwood and a big Sampo swivel for a tip, a shorty I could stick under the bungees: Here's the result---a nice blackmouth.  Not sure how to post pix in the text, so will close this and see what happens!

Guess there's no way to insert pix in the body of the text???  So, to continue. That was my first kayak, a Chinook rotomolded 15 footer. Next year got a Northwest Cadence, a roomy 17 footer, and kept that for 20 years.  Pix: Trolling in Barkley sound, followed by jigging off Vargas Island in Clayoquot sound.  THen I got lucky in Quartermaster habor a couple years ago and nailed a 30# king.  The guy in the window was fishing with me, but got skunked---can you tell??? Next post, I'll talk about the Hobie Revolution I bought yesterday...thanks Bryce for the recommendation of Hobie Northwest at Magnussen!!

That is awesome!!  OG to the bone.

  OG?? Dunno what that means...Old Guy??  Owl Guts??

  OG?? Dunno what that means...Old Guy??  Owl Guts??

Original Gangsta yo.  It suggests that you were out making it happen before most of us were even considering kayaks as a fishing platform.  Makes your moniker all the more fitting.   

Impressivie stuff.  I really like the fact that you didn't let losing your rod keep you from fishing!  That's a hard core fisherman.

Yeah K, that's great stuff. OG for sure. Nice to see some NW yakfishing roots. So what was your fishing style of choice back them? Jigging, trolling, mooching?

Congrats on the Revolution. That's a great fishing yak! No worries about Hobiecats NorthWest. Dan really knows Hobie kayaks and doesn't just sell them out of the side of their PWC/boat shops like other dealers do. He'll get you on the water and make sure you get the yak that fits you. And that's what it's all about! For anyone else thinking about a Hobie kayak, make sure to visit the Hobie kayak mecca right at Magnusson Park.
www.hobiecatsnorthwest.com

Looking forward to the pics of the Revo and pimping!

Z

LOL.Ya, what spot said.

Cool pics and history. Nice work on the makeshift rod! I have a feeling you would have been hand-lining with some old mono you found on the beach if it came down to it.

I kayak fished off Crystal Springs on Bainbridge Island from an old Easy Rider knockoff, in early '83 thru early 85, after which I moved to Westport. I was renting a waterfront cabin, and had my beater touring yak pulled up on the beach. I sat in the center (cargo) hole, sometimes on a boat cushion up on the deck with my feet in the well. I was sort of a kayak "slob" back then.
 I mainly jigged buzz bombs and plastic worms on jigheads. Caught rockfish, true cod, & blackmouth, and squid,  plus the occasional silver and/or searun cutt if I was flat-lining an anchovie. I never had to buy fish, and always ate most of my catch fresh. 

I had a 5 gal bucket (with my stuff in it) and my net in the rear seat hole, and would jam my paddle into the front one when I hooked up. No leashes anywhere. I'd throw the fish into the front hole and let them slide around on the bottom.

I didn't have to go far...range about 1/4 to 1/2 mile away from the beach and then return. I was on call at work, and carried my beeper with me.

Just now getting back into the double-bladed paddle, 23 years later.

Neat story, Muddler!  I am a computer programmer at the VA in Seattle, and have been figuring a way to get a computer with wireless so I can "work" while paddling around Vashon... sounds like you had it knocked! 
   In the 1980's, I mostly drug Buzz Bombs and a Point Defiance spoon behind an 8 oz sinker for salmon, long before the Arima,downrigger and flasher/hoochie.  For kelp greenling/cabezon, a curlytail jig.   I'm still debating just how to mount the Lowrance X85 on the boat, think I'll use the masthole and make a mount there.  I like the idea of that "liberator"  that lets you swing an orm over the side with the transducer, so no need to drill holes and glue it to the hull.

Will post some more pix of Barkley Sound and Clayoquit Sound  in mid 1980's in separate message, also pix of my first fish---- in 1953!