how many fish the ocean alone?

It's not always as fun to fish alone but it seems like you catch more and bigger fish when nobody is around to see it. 

I fish alone sometimes but I don't push the limits like I might if someone was fishing with me.
As far as a float plan goes...I just tell my girlfriend where I'm going to be. I'll go as far as to show her on a map just to give her a good idea of where I plan to fish.

If you're comfortable going after it alone then by all means...
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Maybe you get a quick limit? You won't know unless you try!
If the conditions don't show any red flags and you feel prepared enough to take on a disaster...huli, gear malfunction etc then go for it!
Don't be a dummy though. A few fish aren't worth your life...but playing it too safe makes life kind of boring.
Just know limits Bro Montana!

I fish and freedive the ocean alone most of the time.  You want some pucker factor, try sliding off and swimming away from your yak solo to spearfish on a reef 1/2 mile offshore.  Acknowledge the risks, prepare for them, then just GO!  (though baby steps are never a bad idea when just starting out )

Sit down and list all the risks you can think of big and small.  Address ways to minimize or remove each risk.  Once you have addressed each risk to a level you feel comfortable with then I believe there is no longer a reason not to fish the big pond alone.... "the greatest thing to fear is fear itself" 

Dear god guys! I leave the phone on the table for one night while rigging a new kayak and I come back to all this expectation and pressure.

Sorry no rape whistle comments tonight. Just some words to share from an old salt and one hell of an experienced saltwater kayak fisherman.

This story pretty much sums up my feelings on kayaking solo in the salt:

We were both fishing out of one of my favorite launches on a particularly adventurous day. We found ourselves about 4 miles off shore and I look over and he us hooked up big time. He battles the fish for a solid 10 mins. Finally it is along side the boat and I holler over asking if he wants help. He reports back with a simple no. So I just sit back and watch it unfold.
The boat side rodeo was well worth the price of admission as this fish proceeded to kick his ass. Finally the fish is subdued and secured. We fish the rest of the day with no more love.
On the trip back in weather kicks up and the grind home was 2.5 hours of brutal suckage.

Back on shore I asked him why he didn't want help and his answer was simple and for me sums up what it is I love about kayak fishing. He said:

"Kayak fishing is meant to be a solo activity. The boats hold one person. If you catch a fish you must be able to handle it on your own. The whole point is to be self reliant and if you helped me land that fish I would still be wondering if I could have done it on my own."

Fishing with friends is great ... Relying on friends as your safety net is unsafe. If you don't think you can handle yourself solo then you need to rethink your approach.
Learning should happen in an environment you feel safe and confident.

Oh and if you don't have your mom write you name inside your underpants then you may need a buddy to watch your back.

AJ ... If Lee says he'll watch your back be afraid.... Be very afraid. He'll be watching but that about all. Unless you count what he is doing for himself at the same time.

Stay classy San Diego.

Sent from my Motorola Flip phone.

The farthest away I have gone away from the Puget Sound was Deception Pass. Apparently I picked the worst day to go, and I got 6 foot swells, super bad wind, and I was pulling crab pots. Then the stupid clipper turned right into me and all of the people on it wave and smile at me, while I get rocked like hell by their wake

I almost always go solo though.

I fish/kayak/boat alone fairly often and have for the last 20+ years.  I started solo boating about 50+ years ago when I was 10 or 12.

Be smart, be humble, be prepared.  Dress for the conditions, have a spare paddle in rough seas, practice self-rescues when you don't need to.  Constantly work on improving both your fishing and kayak skills. 

Read Deep Trouble http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Kayakers-Deep-Trouble-Magazine/dp/0070084998 which has accounts of people that got into trouble by underestimating the dangers of being out on the water. 

Make sure somebody knows where you went and when you are coming back.

Be ready and able to help someone who wants to help you.  If you need a tow do you have  a bow-line that someone could attach a tow rope to?  Are you practiced and ready to tow someone else?  My ocean-going PFD setup has a towline attached to it.  Practice rescues alone and with friends.  When my wife and I were starting to kayak a decade ago we used to spend the last 30-40 minutes of a paddle capsizing and then doing solo or assisted rescues.  We practiced towing each other, etc.  Start practices in nice warm weather and minimal seas, workup to nastier realistic conditions.  Practice paddle braces (low and high) as well as other paddle skills.

Listen to your weather radio.  If you are going into the big ocean (not Puget Sound) it would be smart to have both your cell phone and a VHS with weather channels.  Learn about local tides and currents.  Always know what the tides are going to do on the day you go out.  Learn about tide rips.  With help nearby, practice crossing tide rips. 

Have fun, catch lots of fish...  have adventures and learn from them.  Learn from other people's adventures.  You don't have to make all the mistakes by yourself.  Don't be afraid to ask for help or tell someone in a nearby boat that you are starting to feel uncomfortable. 

Be ready to not go out when it seems to be a stupid thing to do.  Listen to that inner voice at least some of the time. 

Push yourself beyond what your comfort level is from time to time, but pick those times carefully.  I'm pretty good at getting a crab pot full of starfish and a crab or two into my kayak now, but I didn't get there in a weekend.  First time I tried I stopped before I capsized and asked for help from a friend in a nearby boat.  Don't need that help now, but I did that day.

In the end it is hard to beat a nice day fishing out by yourself.

bummer - no rape whistle comment.  But we did get the "name in your underpants" comment.  That is enough to get me by for now.

 Good advice Pinecone.
T2

its all good advice, thanks! am going to depoe Thursday nite and plan on fishing fri/sat. will be launching at around 5 each morning and plan on heading to boiler bay. am confident enuf to solo but would feel more comfortable if had some company so with that if you can make it see u at the launch at 5.

Fishing alone on the ocean is one of the great joys of kayak fishing. Coming back to camp and being able to have a couple of beers around a fire and being able to boast to someone about being as hard as a woodpeckers lips. That's the cherry on top.

Fishing alone on the ocean is one of the great joys of kayak fishing. Coming back to camp and being able to have a couple of beers around a fire and being able to boast to someone about being as hard as a woodpeckers lips. That's the cherry on top.

He he   I like the " woodpeckers lips " part....lol

I love this thread so much. Some great words of wisdom here.

I have only fished the salt in my tandem with my wife and once with my buddy. For me it's when, not if, I'll go it alone. As others have said much more thoroughly and eloquently, understand the risks, mitigate them as far as possible, and then decide if it's something you want to do.

This thread is great timing for me.  I'm just getting into kayak fishing and was previously under the impression that most on this site frowned upon solo trips (maybe I need to read more).

Many of my outdoor activities are solo because I like to push myself harder and farther than most people I know are willing to go.  I'm glad to see that I am not the only one on here.

I do of course listen to my body and admit when I should call it quits.  I also let people know where I am going and have appropriate gear to survive in case of an emergency.

Pelagic:
Your freediving story gives me the willies but it does sound like an awesome experience.

This thread is great timing for me.  I'm just getting into kayak fishing and was previously under the impression that most on this site frowned upon solo trips (maybe I need to read more).

People tend to be louder about safety than about being risky.

Truth is, anyone who is willing to go kayak fishing in the open ocean is a much higher risk taker than the average couch potato. 

Risk = Fun

Sent from my GD300

I fish it alone pretty often. I always try to have a buddy but that's hard to work out sometimes.

Where I fish mostly is kind of unique and some what safe. There really is only one way to get out to open ocean as I fish in an inlet. Cell phone service is outstanding, my radio reaches the coast guard which is about 50 miles away.

I rarely stray more than a 35-60  minute peddle back to the beach.

And I usually plan my trips to at least have the current pushing me towards the end of the inlet towards shore as opposed to out towards the ocean

My concerns are probably stupid ones like getting eaten by a killer whale or a sea lion.

I fish and hunt alone all the time.  I just let somebody know where I'm going and a time for return.