Kayaks Albies and the Run and Gun

[mdrew9]

I would like to get out a little later this summer and get some albies on the fly from my kayak. Last year I really remember fishing the Gut and the Run and Gun techniques. I would think that being in a kayak with some of the "psycho" boaters motoring around could be dangerous. This is my first season to get out there in the yak. From some of you experienced with the crazy boaters and their rage (#$119) . How easy is it to kayak and fish in this mess?
Mike

[Ray]

Mike,

Sometimes it's just not worth the risk. It's tough enough to manouver away from some boaters, and let's be fare, hard for them to see us sometimes. Try drifting State Beach and Lobstervill about an hour after sunrise, usually pretty good.

[SamRiley]

You can run-n-gun in a yak and I actually think it's more effective than doing it in a motor boat. The problem comes when you are in tight quarters and a motor boat isn't respecting your presence. For me, the tunoid fishery in Menemsha is much too concentrated to be any fun from a yak. Between fifty guys on the jetties slinging lead and flotilla covering the mouth, there isn't much room for the yakers to safely stalk, cast to and fight a fish. If you do want to fish this spot, I'd stick to the eddy that forms on the inside of the northern jetty. Some better yak alternatives include the OB ferry dock and the West Chop area.

[joev]

You can run-n-gun in a yak

Sam Did you get a yak with a motor ? :D

I think your better concentrating on a area than trying to chase fish.
Unless you like to do alot of paddling .

JoeV

[mdrew9]

Yeah I think I would just sit around in an area and let the fish come to me.

[peterzasa]

There is something special about taking an albie from a cheap kayak, right under the nose of a bunch of run and gunners, with $10,000 rigs! Start you first outings at a distance and then get into the frey once you have got your drill and skill down.

Pete

[uncle4]

While I agree with a lot of what Sam said, I don't
think the OB Ferry Terminal is the albie/bone spot
it used to be. I also think that anyone running
and gunning (unless you're on a pod ALL BY
YOURSELF) you're an inferior fisherman, a poor
mariner and a threat to the mental health and
safety of reasonable people like me <hehehe>.

PLEASE, if you work your noggin about half as
hard as you work your motor/paddle/whatever,
you'll catch just as many fish.... really.

Elsewhere......

I remember 4+ years ago I'd go anchor up at
the OB Ferry Terminal (and along the Inkwell),
at first light I could see and gossip with "Bonito Ed."
Every 5-10 minutes a pod of fish would bust along
the terminal/dolphins, and we'd cast into 'em and
(usually) catch one or two.

There hasn't been (consistant) good action at the
OB Ferry Terminal for about 3 years.

A relatively new spot that has been pretty good,
but still inconsistant, has been Drunkards Cove
on Chappy.... if you've got 4 wheel drive its easy
to get to, if not its QUITE a paddle. And still that
spot has been very hit-or-miss.

Also, since about Tuesday (yes, 08/03/04) there've
been bonito outside of Edgartown Harbor.
While its not happened for a couple of years, we'd
anchor up on the west side of the channel coming
into the harbor, say 100-200 yards off the Fuller
Street beach. There you'll find a roll off from 4 feet
to about 16 feet, and the bonito/albies would
use that structure to 'pin' the bait and go charging
through.

Best thing to do is stop into Coop's or Larry's, buy
a Bonito Ed green "Rocket Fly" and get the latest
scoop: The guys in both shops WILL steer you in
the right direction.

Hope this helps,

Uncle 4

[FishHawk]

Albies do funny things to boaters. I was in the middle of the RedBone Tournament a couple of years ago and anyone in a yak would be dead. Even the so called professional guides cut people off. I would pick my area carefully. Just my .02

[mdrew9]

I am going to have to start packing heat to intimidate the boaters when fishing for Albies this summer. Uncle 4 once again nice post great advice. Thanks

Mike
PS. I try to pick up that stupid Bonito Ed Rocket Fly every year and it seems Steve is always out! I am going to have to call him up and have him save me a couple.

[ruge13]

There is another aspect to kayak hard tail fishing that boaters often forget. You don't need to run and gun. Blasphemy I know, but all of them feed in predictable patterns. Sit and watch the run and gun croud for a while, you will see the patterns. It may mean sitting in one spot waiting for 20 minutes while painfully watching the other boats race up and down the shore line, but it will put you in better position. Boats can't keep that kind of stealth and patience because they have a motor.

Having said that I usually run and gun most of the time because its fun for me in a yak. I like playing with the boats. When I get exhausted or frustrated enough to not want to do it, I stay in the sit and wait game. In close quarters, a kayak will out run a boat every time. And will never put fish down.

I can clearly remember several instances in several locations where Albies, Bonito or Skipjack all were feeding over a stretch of shore line. While I mostly run and gun, on these three days if I chased I couldn't keep up. They moved too fast but in the same pattern. With the bonito and skipjack it was like clockwork. 10 am on the dot they would show up in the same spots, in the same pattern, and I had a decent shot every 20 minutes in front of the same rock and house. I hooked up on all three by being patient and waiting in the feeding lane trusting that they would come back. All three times I had boats come in, lose interest and move off when there were feeding fish in the area the whole time. Boaters have no patience, kayakers can wn every time. Worth a try if the run and gun crowd gets to you.

[Wes]

That's exactly my plan although I have landed only exactly one albie and one bonito from the yak. Think you can never catch them if you try to chase them in a yak. It's enough work sometimes just trying to hold your position while you wait for them to pop up again. I tend to wait and watch the bait, basicly squat on it in a place they've shown. If you can spot some nervous water you can get in position to get a good crack at them.