Blues from the Yak

 | By Seamus on 7/27/2020 12:22:05 AM | Views (602) It's been several years since I have fished from a kayak, but I used to do it regularly.  An arthritic shoulder put and end to it until this week.  Funny thing about arthritic shoulders...they sometimes feel pretty good in warm weather.  So, I decided to get back into it and go out with my son Jon looking for stripers and bluefish in Gansett Bay.
We found a Mother Lode of blues.  I almost forgot how wild it can be to battle with a feisty blue from the yak.  But, I was reminded in quick order.  The fight of a big one can bring you on a Nantucket Sleigh ride, but even the smaller ones can be a challenge. While getting them to the kayak is tough enough, getting them unhooked can be the biggest challenge. I like to fight the blue until its "slowing down".  Then, I get them near the kayak and try to grab them with my Boga Grip (not easy with a thrashing blue).  Finally, once on the grip, I use the pliers to finish the job and release the fish. Take a look at the short video below that I shot with an action cam attached to a chest harness.
It all works if all goes well, but with unpredictable blues, you never know.  My son Jon had one fish that he got aside his kayak.  The fish suddenly took a high leap into the air, landed on the front side of the yak and landed in the water on the other side. That's what I call a close call.  You can only imagine the mess if the fish would have landed inside the kayak on his lap!