Cuttyhunk Report

[joev]

Cuttyhunk Kayak Fishing Report

Let me first thank my two good fishing buddies DougieV and JimW for a great trip again .
Also for helping lug around my kayak since I happened to wreck my back before this trip.
I would also like to thank the members of Conn.Surfcasters for this was the clubs Annual
trip to the Island and they helped with the logistics of the trip.Logistics of the trip are huge
with no stores or resturants on the Island and no way for you to take a vehicle loade with
your gear.
I would also like to tell you guys that this trip is not for the novice or inexpericened kayak
fisherman.On our calm days it was 5-6 foot waves breaking onto boulders the size of
houses all around you.More about our rough day later in the report.You had to be really on
top of your game here in order not to get into water and this is on a calm day.Its big water
here for sure.
After getting off the ferry and hauling the yaks up to the house we quickly got our gear on
and headed to the water.We launched out into some 3-4 ft surf amongst some boulders.
We headed toward Dougies Hole.Dougie had a some type of reel failure with his braid
and fell behind JimW and I . After getting quite a bit ahead of Dougie we noticed he was
heading back in.Thinking Doug was unable to fish we headed back in picking up a few
mid 30 inch fish.Feeling sorry for Doug Jim and I paddled back to our launch spot and
discovered Dougie had caught a 50 inch 44 pd bass in the first 15 minutes of fishing.Talk
about starting off with a bang.We fished the rest of the afternoon picking away at high 30
low 40 inch bass in the outermost surf zone.Getting 1 triple hookup and a couple of doubles
Like I said before it was a calm day and it was still pretty hairy trolling amongst the white
water and boulders with the waves breaking around you.However its very thrilling.
Friday night was our only chance to get out at night.We really tore them up that night .
With the 3 of us getting about 25 fish in 3 hrs.Dougie and I hooked up at the same time.
My drag was really screaming when all of a sudden it went slackafter a 50 yd run and a 180
degree turn on the yak.Figuring I just lost my biggest bass ever by the way the drag was
peeling off the reel I kept reeling as hard as I could when all of a sudden my line goes
screaming by my yak turning my yak another 180 degrees .I could not believe the power
of this fish .After fighting the fish for a while I was finally able to see this big girl.She was
beuatiful and thick.Dougie had landed his fish right nearby so I hooked the bass to my lip
gripper and towed her over to Dougie .His fish was a nice 45 inch fish.Unable to lift mine to
measure it we rafted up together to try and get a reading on this big girl.With our fish side by
side you could tell there was a big difference in the size of theses fish.My girl was about 2
inches taller and thicker.After a brief struggle to lift the fish Doug and I managed to lift the fish
up on both of our yaks and put the tape on it as straight as possible 48 1/2 inches.My biggest
bass ever.A quick picture and we sent her back on her way.What a night.
Saturday was another day of fishing and we did quite well again with each of getting bass into
the low to mid 40 ich range .With the surf and sea really kicking up we didnt get to fish in the
prime spots .
Sunday what a day.It was Jims day and probably the most thrilling of the weekend. We headed
out early into some big seas.Trying to get out to the hole was quite a challenge.As we passed
the first reef with 8-10 waves from some Hurricane 250 miles offshore.I knew it was going to be
a on the edge day.But we were determined to get out the glory hole.As we are trolling by this
real ugly nasty reef Jim hooks up with a monster .So Dougie and I stay in close to him to watch
for the bigger waves.The fish towed Jim into the reef .After 2 minutes or so and alot of yelling
from Doug and I Jim finally conceed to the fish .He put the rod in his holder and paddled out of the
reef seconds before he would have surly been pummeled by a 8 ft wave.As he was paddling away
the fish busted his main line .So as Jim was rigging up Doug and I got into the hole.Heading in
close to shore .All of a sudde Doug yells at me here comes a good one.Knowing that Jim was out
in front of that same reef tying up his rig and drifting in a 15 mph wind I knew he was close to
the edge again.So I look over my shoulder as Jim is getting swallowed by a 10 foot wave that was
straight up and down.Seeing this monster eat him up was quite dramatic to say the least.I yelled
at Doug and we headed over to help our buddy.Well let me tell ya Jim was totaly rolled and
smashed by the wave that broke on him.In less than 10 seconds he had aquired all his gear and
was back in the yak paddling out of that mess like nothing happened.We wind was picking up
more so we decided to get back in.We were gonna go to the lee side of the Island but the Hole
was calling so we tryed it out again.After getting pouned by a few waves we finally all got out
into the zone.It had looked like it was settling down a bit whwn we launched but as soon as we
got out there it was big.We had a couple of sets of waves that were reaching close to 12-14 feet
Watching Jim and Doug paddle up one monster reminded me of the Prefect Storm movie.After
battling those waves for anothe hour we deciced to call it quits.We manged to all safley land
our yaks and get ready for the trip home .What a great trip.Wish we had more pictures but the
memory of this trip is forever burned into my memory .Totals for the trip were over 70 bass for
3 of us with a dozen fish over 40 inches.However good the fishing was considered by us it was
even better that I was able to do it with my 2 best fishing buds.

JoeV

[joev]

Dougs bass

[G-Man]

Wow!
Just incredible.

And so the legend continues of the Isle of Cuttyhunk.

[ruge13]

Nice fish Doug, must have been a sweet tow, great report Joe!

[SamRiley]

Sounds like you guys have really stepped it up a notch. Fantastic report guys. Thanks for the great read :)

[notime]

Great report and I'm glad you make it back in one piece.

[joev]

Another pic

[RIBill]

awesome read. keep it coming (and be safe!). classic cuttyhunk fish and pics... great stuff for guys on kayaks.:-%

[rockfisherman]

Wow!

[SamRiley]

I've been thinking about Jim's lost fish. Can you guys think of a way to have landed it in those conditions? What was the main line rated at? How much drag pressure did you have to work with? Were these all breaking 8'-10'ers or were there some smaller ones or rollers thrown in? Could you have gone over the reef? I didn't see the conditions and don't know the area at all but it sounded epic. Didn't work out this year but that's a paddle I'm going to have to make.

Thanks again for the great read :)

[Punchshot]

great report Joev

[Wes]

I think seas were averaging at least 6-7 feet and standing up straight as they came in over the reef. Few sets of 10 plus would roll in periodically, usually in 3's. The waves broke farther out over the center of the reef and the break worked to both edges as they got closer to shore. Wind was a steady 15 pushing in to the reef. 8 ft heavy action St Croix spin with a Shimano 3500 BR, 50 lb braid/50 lb mono leader. Drag was cranked down pretty good, she had turned away from the reef once we got there and was headed out so I was hoping I could get towed out. Wasn't happening, no way she was pulling me against the wind and up the face of these waves. I was getting back a little here and there but she basicly never stopped taking line. I'd guess drag was 25 lbs anyway, probably more. I hung on to that sucker until I could see the wave I was on breaking abt 20 feet away but the section I was in didn't break until it got a few yds closer to shore. I just jambed it in a rod tube with both hands and hit the gas. Don't know if reducing drag would have helped, or opening bail, but I think she took it down and pinched the line between a couple rocks. Wouldn't have been the first time. When we went out there the second time seas were probably averaging 8-10 for a while with a few 12 plus although I'm not sure if a FF is a legit way to measure swells. We were mostly just paddling around at that point, Doug got one more big smack on an eel but thinking we were landing anything out there was really getting absurd.

I've been thinking too. Never know how big but some smaller fish were really pulling hard. Probably would take the chance of the swim on a re-do if it's another spot with 8-10 ft of water under me and 200 yds from the rocks like this one. Swam eventually for no good reason anyway. Only way I could think of is to have one of yr buddies put a tow line on you to keep you out of the soup. Risk line entanglement but maybe if you use something like a ww pigtail you could pull it off.

[SamRiley]

Originally posted by Wes
Only way I could think of is to have one of yr buddies put a tow line on you to keep you out of the soup. Risk line entanglement but maybe if you use something like a ww pigtail you could pull it off.

Shaun and I have actually tried that a couple times and it can work but is awkward. We wouldn't use a line though but instead would paddle right on up behind the one who is hooked up and grab his stern handle. Paddling both yaks out with one hand would be impossible in those conditions though. If you had a steel d-ring mounted on the stern of your yak, it would probably be easy enough to thread a tow rope through and then your partner could use both hands to paddle the two of you out. If need be, the line could be released and pulled free. Sounds like yet another thing to try on a day we leave our fishing gear at home. Practice should happen before the game not in the middle of it.

Thanks for the detailed explanation Jim. You've got me all fired up now :)

[joev]

Sam
We were talking about it at halftime :D
Went back in the second half with out a real plan.
After watching Jim go over I had a lump in my throat.
Was really happy to see him jump back on.
But Jim has a ton of experinece in that real messy stuff.
He lives for it I think --123-3 Dragging my sorry but out there --124-3 for the fun of it .
But knowing your partners and knowing they will do whatever it takes to help you is a real good feeling.

So as far as towing a guy out maybe we can practice towing Shaun around :D Got to figure out the best way to do it.
Even though every situation is a little different its better to be prepared.Heard on another site that my friend Joey got lumped up in the rocks trying to get some one out.They still are out on Block .Will have to wait to hear the whole story.

JoeV

[ruge13]

Now how did you know it was me that needed the help with a fish and not Sam?:D

[joev]

Shaun from what I hear from you guys I dont even know if Sam brings a pole with him :D But he can still tow us out of the rocks .

JoeV

[SamRiley]

No Joe... I bring lots of rods. It's the hooks that I keep forgetting :D