Took the yak out this morning!

[esoxangler]

Nice and calm! finally made it out! Lots of fun too! Anyway those things are not as easy to get in as they look. But once your in they paddle nice. I wonder how far out to go before dropping bait?I looked back after paddling out and the people were looking very small. I assume that is far enough.:do ntknow:


Anyway Ryan and I will be out this evening looking for some pullage. Gonna bring the yak if the wind doesn't get up too much. Be at the very top end of the orv section if anyone wants to come out.

[fish-aholic]

When I've done it I go out a ways past the second bar....But I've seen cool look like a dot on the water before he's dropped before. I guess the read deal is to make sure you have enough line left to handle the runs right? I have found that my first drops were right over the bar the more times I went out, the further out I ended up....Great fun though isn't it

[Steve]

Phil, it just depends how much line you want to wind back in.
I wouldn't take more than 2/3 or 3/4 of the spool out. You need some reserve for the runs. The lighter line, the more you'll need.

Don't think you HAVE TO take out past whatever-wherever. You take it only as far as safety and your endurance will allow. Baby steps.

If you can get it out 200-300 yards you're generally good enough.
Some of us with the 1000 yard spools like to get one or two out past all of the bars. Some days there will be two or even maybe three bars. Other days, just one very wide bar.

When the water gets bluish and clearer, ya got the deeper stuff.
Alas, it's only about 20-30 feet though.

Keep it simple, don't yak out without someone nearby, read the conditions and do what you feel comfortable with. And I don't have to tell you to always wear your PFD!

Enjoy it Phil! Just wait for those night runs out!

[fish-aholic]

Originally Posted by Steve

When the water gets bluish and clearer, ya got the deeper stuff. Alas, it's only about 20-30 feet though.

I had my portable fishfinder with me when I was out last time, however went to power it up and realized that the batteries were dead. I won't be out again until the end of sept, but plan on yakking out baits for Drum, so I'll have it with me then and will attempt to get the water depth one more time.......Then we'll all know....Depth is a question I've heard asked just about everytime we're out there yakking out baits, and no one really seems to have the answer....so I figure I'll just find out once and for all

[Sam]

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I've only really seen one bar off AI. I have seen two sets of breakers at once, the sand bar and the shore break. I have been wrong before, but I'm pretty sure there is only one significant sand bar.

[Steve]

I'll drop line with a sinker at a couple of points out there on Friday.
Phil, I'm thinking, just thinking, guess there might be a difference of maybe 12' off the bar to the bottom of the trough at the outer bar.
Remember, I said thinking, guess and maybe....
It's kind'a hard to get the depth with this method on the bar tough, too busy trying to miss the crasher coming at me.

Phil, how many bars did you pass? Were you between them? Water color? And more importantly, how much line is on the spool you drop off?

[Charkbait]

Sam there is a hump out past the bar of breakers I've seen with my FF. Although it is technically a bar, it's more like a hump. If you notice on the way out you'll hit a slot with bigger 'swell' as you paddle, that's where it is. It just seems like another set coming in but that's where I found the hump most times. Maybe 200 yds past the WALL of water.

As far as the drop zone, at night I think just outside the bar is perfect, during the day I go as far as I can and still leave 200 yards on the spool. Trying to get to the deepest darkest water I can, finding 30' is tough in my experience but I go WTF down.

The answer from me is 20-25' 500 yards out.

[fish-aholic]

one visible bar from the air.....although It wouldn't shock me to find out there was a deep bar out there somewhere...

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...wloc=addr&om=1

[esoxangler]

Good info here, thanks! Heading out tonight for some pullage.

[Coop]

Phil, 300 yards is plenty on AI. I would use floats and try to keep the bait in the middle to upper part of the water column. A couple advantages is it keeps off the crabs and some of the rays. The floats seem to be working well and will continue to use them.

Good luck and have fun!

[trowpa]

Originally Posted by Coop

Phil, 300 yards is plenty on Assateague Island. I would use floats and try to keep the bait in the middle to upper part of the water column. A couple advantages is it keeps off the crabs and some of the rays. The floats seem to be working well and will continue to use them.

Good luck and have fun!

not to pull the thread off topic, but quickly - anyone use floats for casted shark rigs? If so - any details pics? or is this something that is really only practical for yakked baits?

[Coop]

Steve, Ben23 used floats on his casted set up but he said he was having problems with hook ups. Really not sure the floats were a result of his hook up problem but it will at least keep the crabs off and allow for a longer soak time. You could probably just use a fireball float a few inches from the hook on maybe a 15-20" wire/cable leader on a standard ff set up with a heavier shock leader for any rub. A large fireball float can easily float a large head, large hook without any problem, providing current is light. If current is light, it should keep it up at least 10" from the bottom. Maybe someone with some experience with casted shark rigs with floats can chime in. I do know crabs are real bad. Dave must of had 6 crabs tangled on one of his baits last week, they are that bad. It may also hinder casting but I wouldn't worry about the much since many sharks can be extremely close at times, especially at night.

See ya this week, shark catching continues to look good toward the end of the week.

[esoxangler]

I am looking foward to seeing some of these rigs too!!!