Kayak fishing - Taranaki

Get leashed up

Stephen Tapp goes to Taranaki and gets more action than he bargained for!

Recently I had another hot tuna session off Taranaki, successfully boating multiple albacore as reward for the day’s paddling effort.

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To add spice on light tackle, I even managed to entice a few modest-sized kings with trolled lures. At around a metre long they were definitely in a different league, their sheer brute power contrasting with the clicker-screaming speed of the tuna. The end result was a day of non-stop activity – one of the best I’ve had in a long time – and by the time I made the beach I’d earned a collection of blisters and aching arms!

leash system kayak fishing

Given all the fish activity, it was inevitable multiple strikes would occur. Normally these aren’t too much of issue as I troll with the lures positioned in-line astern with good separation (typically the rearmost is positioned at approximately 40–60 paddle strokes behind, with the closer lure set at half the chosen distance). If a multiple hook-up occurs, I find having the closer lure at half the distance to the rearmost allows me to concentrate on the near fish first while the one ‘way out the back’ tends to look after itself. Generally I release the first fish (if it’s in good condition), allowing me to get to the second as fast as possible.

Of course this involves making one assumption: that the multiple hook-ups are made with fish of the same species – in this case albacore. During this day of high activity I had a totally new kayak-trolling experience: an almost simultaneous multiple strike from fish with wildly different fighting styles. Just as an albacore inhaled the rear lure and the ratchet screamed the typical tuna song, a pack of kings mobbed the close lure on 8kg line before I could stop paddling and slow the kayak. In a welter of spray one hooked up and my hour of pandemonium had begun!

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As mentioned, in a multiple hook-up situation I target the close fish first. Fortunately, this meant doing battle with the king; its deep-diving habit would hopefully keep the lines clear as the tuna kept running for the horizon. That said, I did make a silent prayer the albacore would stay on the surface and not plunge into the depths the way the now-angry hoodlum was trying to drag me.

Within a few minutes the ratchet on the second line had gone ominously quiet, so I attempted to hurry things along as much as possible with the kingfish. Of course this served only to make it even more irrate, the ensuing battle seeing the kayak dragged back upwind towards the bait ball where all the fun had begun. Just to make it even more interesting, the big belly of braid from the second outfit was floating and twitching in the water just a few metres away – the tuna was still attached and also heading back to the bait ball!

At this point crossed lines should have been the inevitable, but with the kingfish fighting deep and the tuna staying near the surface with its mates on the baitfish, the floating braid stayed clear and problem free. Or so I thought! With so much slack line hanging off a rod tip and angling back over my head, the one thing I’d forgotten to check was that it hadn’t fouled anything on deck, and this lack of attention nearly cost me – but the first order of business was to release the now tiring king.

kingfish school

This is where hook-out pliers are a godsend to kayak anglers trolling lures rigged with trebles or multiple hooks. As soon as the fish is alongside, light tension on the leader allows me to roll the trebles out without even lifting the fish from the water, offering multiple benefits. First, and most important, by not lifting the fish on board I’m not risking further harm to it (especially critical if releasing tuna). Secondly, leaving the fish in the water for the release also means a considerably lessened risk of being pinned by flailing hooks.

The other big benefit is speed, with a boat-side fish floating submissively on the surface often giving the angler just long enough to roll the hooks out. Lift them bodily from the water, and almost inevitably you have to wrestle them quiet again before getting the hooks out. With tuna I believe this can be the difference between life and death after a battle on light gear. In this multiple hook-up situation, a speedy release allows me to move straight to the second rod.

With the kingfish released seconds after it was brought alongside, I had no time to catch my breath as the albacore made another dash for the horizon – and this is when everything suddenly got very dramatic. There was a loud ‘twang’ as the rod bucked down, then sprang upright again. Out the corner of my eye I saw a very expensive rod and reel set disappear over the side, then lurch back out of the water to be left dangling midair!

Horror of horrors – while battling the kingfish, slack line from the other rod had slipped beneath the reel of my spare outfit sitting in a rear rod holder, catapulting the outfit over the side when it whipped tight. However, though initially saved by the leash attaching it to the kayak, the rod and reel were still at risk as the braid now screamed under the shock cord and threatened to cut it.

This is where an escalation could have created all sorts of very real issues, not just a lost rod and reel. Instinct could so easily have seen an angler make a mad grab for the rod (I nearly did, but managed to reign myself in, just in time – see the picture on page 75). The problem was, with the fish also pulling in the same direction, it would have been incredibly easy to overbalance and end up in the water. Should this have happened, there would have been more issues than just the wet, damaged, or lost gear resulting from a roll-over. There are also all the risks associated with being in the water rather than aboard your kayak, the most significant being losing touch with your kayak as the wind blows it out of reach. Fortunately I managed to reign myself in and didn’t go for a swim, but it did serve as a reminder why I use leashes on paddles and rods.

Leashes aren’t just there to save gear

The first and most obvious reason for a leash is to stop losing important gear – something about the old proverb ‘being up the creek without a paddle’ rings so true when actually sitting on a kayak. Yes, sometimes leashes can be a nuisance when casting, but with most of my rod, reel and line sets costing closer to $1,000 than $100, any losses would bite the back pocket hard!

In addition to saving gear, I also consider rod and paddle leashes part of my safety kit. This is something I find many kayak anglers haven’t realised: if you end up in the water, the leash attaching the rod or paddle in your hands to your kayak is great at stopping you from becoming separated from your kayak. Whether it’s the wind blowing the kayak away or a fish on another rod heading for the horizon and leaving you behind, the leash to whatever is in your hand will stop your kayak getting away!

In some situations it may be appropriate for kayak anglers to use personal tethers, but these aren’t without risk and need to be set up correctly with advice from someone experienced in their use. As anglers though, most of our day on the water is spent with either the paddle or a fishing rod in our hands. If these are leashed to the kayak they become our ‘safety tethers’ (for most inshore recreational anglers personal tethers aren’t necessary).

Consequently, I opt to use rod and paddle leashes all the time – and not just a light piece of cord or mono to keep attached equipment from disappearing into Davey Jones’ locker – they also handle the task of keeping my kayak close at hand if I end up in the water.

   This article is reproduced with permission of   
New Zealand Fishing News

March 2015 - by Stephen Tapp
Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited

 

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