Nantucket Sleigh Ride

Hey PolePole. How do you dispatch a huge halibut like that from a kayak? Club and knife to the brain? Those things can be dangerous if dragged into a boat unless they're subdued or killed, first.

Hey PolePole. How do you dispatch a huge halibut like that from a kayak? Club and knife to the brain? Those things can be dangerous if dragged into a boat unless they're subdued or killed, first.

Howard paddled it to shore and jumped it in the shallows ... 8 hours later.   

A harpoon and float would be my suggested method.

-Allen

Please see below for an illustration of the suggested method:

 

This fish was about 100 lbs. less than the above fish and even with the right gear (supplied by the mothership captain) it took almost 45 minutes to gaff at the kayak.  The initial fight was a good ride but after getting it to the kayak for the first time, the rest of the fight was vertical.

Mine was the first of the trip which we kept, but the second one and anything after the first kept fish had to be tail gaffed and released.

The second fish caught was also close to a 45 minute battle, but after a few quick pictures, the fish swam off fine.

 Allen,  too bad there are weren't any tuna like this for the last Alaskan trip!





Danny V

Yeah that guy sure does seem more interested in breaking a record than anything else. I'm not a trophy fisherman, but... what is the record for completely unassisted fish from a kayak? Do I have it at 183#?? Seems like there would be something bigger but I haven't heard.

I used to carry a .22 small stainless rifle with screw on barrel. Just long enough to stick out away from the kayak, but in the end I never once used it, it rusted out in the case, and it just doesn't fit the kayaker mentality. Now I have a saying - 'if I can't land it with a knife and a gaff, I'm not worthy.'

But man I'd sure like to tie into a tuna like that! Awesome!

There was a big tuna caught back east recently.  I think it went 250...

How big was Zee's Puget Sound Dino Monster? 84" so around 175#??

It was estimated around 180#'s with the BC Sturgeon study program's weight calculator. I'm with Howard, seems like there's been something bigger.

tail gaffed and released.

Gaff and release?

Z

The tail gaff we used is basically a wire snare that stays open in a circle and when you put it around the tail and you pull it, it closes.  You can only keep one tuna per trip per boat so anything after that had to be tail gaffed and released.

Danny V

This fish was about 100 lbs. less than the above fish and even with the right gear (supplied by the mothership captain) it took almost 45 minutes to gaff at the kayak.  The initial fight was a good ride but after getting it to the kayak for the first time, the rest of the fight was vertical.

Mine was the first of the trip which we kept, but the second one and anything after the first kept fish had to be tail gaffed and released.

The second fish caught was also close to a 45 minute battle, but after a few quick pictures, the fish swam off fine.

 Allen,  too bad there are weren't any tuna like this for the last Alaskan trip!





Danny V

Not to hijack to much, but is the yak in the top pic an Adventure?

Hey Dan,

Nice fish.  Very nice tuna.  You going to make it to Foggy Bay this year.  I still have it on my list for you to show me how you do the striped bass thing back east.  Maybe this year ...

-Allen

Allen,  the time is now for the stripers.  Well at least it was last week before we just had a huge nor-easter that washed away almost all the beaches in NJ.

Last Monday I had about 30 bass, all in the 26-34 inch range.  I am heading out again tomorrow to see if the storm pushed them all away.  I will let you know.

Foggy Bay is in the cards for sure!!!

The first picture is me with the tuna and the kayak is a Hobie Revolution.

Danny V

Ummm ... errr ... I meant maybe next year.   

-Allen