# Night time yaking???



## Jesse (Aug 23, 2005)

I was at the sticks tonight, I work evening shift this week and got out there about 8 ish and was horrified at the thought of even being knee deep in that water after dark. I put my fear aside and went for it using my high beams on my jeep to light the path, only the fog just rolled in. All signs were negitive, I could see bait fish jumping in the light before I started out. As I pass the first sand bar, a fish jumps in my lap. Then I see something about 30 inches long cruise in front of me at good speed. I get out to the middle of the 2nd gut and then my fear becomes a reality as I'm dumped of the yak board into a sea of darkness, I did drop the bait though. The surf wasn't too high, just couldn't see it. I can remember praying "Oh God, help me get out of this!! I'll never smoke another cigerette again! I'll go to church next Sunday!! I'll never drink again! I'll call my grandmother more often!!! Help me Lord!!!!" 


I work day's next week, and I'm sure the conditions will be favorable a few days for getting out past the breakers, so I WILL get the baits out before dark, Lol. I was planning an all nighter tonight out there but think I'll put my other 6/0 on a 12 ugly stick and practice casting it for Bobhall pier useage if the surf gets up as forcasted.


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## Power Fisherman (May 23, 2007)

Kaying at night can be a little scary....no doubts about that. I'm glad you made it in ok. Last time I yaked in the dark was out at SPI. We got a 5'8" blacktip on a bait dropped out just short of the second bar at about 1:00 am.

Before that we kayaked off the Surfside Jetties at night. Missed a nice pickup on a jackfish head. Bullfishin dropped that bait at about 11:00 pm.

Deaver


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## Mustad7731 (May 23, 2004)

*Yaking at Night*

Yaking at night is one of the scariest things you can do.

You cannot carry enough light with you to really make any difference in seeing 
your surroundings. The water CONSUMES all the light you shine on it.
And worse than that, is your partners on the beach cannot see you well enough 
to even try to help you, if you needed their assistance.

The law requires you to have a 360 degree white light on all hand powered
vessels or a white hand held lantern displayed every once and a while.

If you try it again, be sure to wear a PFD with extra reflective material and/or a
light/strobe on it so it will be easier to see you---Work out a signal with you partners
on the beach [I'll turn on the strobe if you need to call the Coast Guard Helo--Or
if I'm not back in 10 minutes] Be sure they have an accurate location (GPS) and
have the CG Phone # on their cell.

These precautions are relatively inexpensive and will give you at least a chance if
things go wrong and you end up with a real problem.

I love to fish the surf. It is Not Worth Dying for...It will foul up a fishing trip really bad,
not just for you, but for you buddies on the beach because 1) They could not save you
when you need their help and 2) It could emotionally screw them up they will never
fish again

My .02 cents

Mustad7731
Jackie


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## rod dawg (Jan 18, 2006)

Night yakking alone...too many dangerous elements involved (even with a pfd)...

Night yakking alone in the fog.....you're asking for a short life.

Paddle w/ others....safety in numbers. Glad you made it out ok.


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## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

Big kahonas ...

My buddy took his kayak out one night. Asked me if I had any glow sticks. I said, nah, I'll keep the car headlites on for you. He responded back, "the glow sticks are for you to seem me."

My comment, "why do I need to see you? If something happens it ain't like I'm going to come get you!."


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## txredneck68 (Aug 15, 2006)

ZenDaddy said:


> Big kahonas ...
> 
> My comment, "why do I need to see you? If something happens it ain't like I'm going to come get you!."


 LOL Ain't that the truth


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## Mustad7731 (May 23, 2004)

LOL...Like I said...The Coast Guard Helo needs something to look for...but 
you need to know when to call the Helicopter and a good GPS location so
they will know where to start lookin....
Mustad7731
Jackie


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## cloudfishing (May 8, 2005)

Glad that you did not become a statistic, glad you are o.k.


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## 535 (May 23, 2004)

so, how's your Grandmother? How was Church? Are you missing the beer and cigs yet?

just kiddin, be safe out there... lots of guys run baits at night, I'd suggest the usual pfd, knife and only doing it if there is somebody with you to notify authorities if you disappear... same advisory I'd extend in daylight hours... once you're on the backside of the first bar you're pretty much on your own

jc


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## Jesse (Aug 23, 2005)

I had glow sticks on the end handles of the yak, a firefly2 I got off the Enterprise a long time ago on my life jacket, and a light, along with an extensive first aid kit in the jeep. The people on the beach with me were all CPR qualified and I will never go into the water past sunset again. I told my friend that I don't care if Jenna Jameson is out there with a million dollars in folding cash, I ain't getting in that water. 
I'm sticking to my normal operating proceedures from now on- get to beach around 4, 2 lines out by 5-5:15, comming home after 2 sharks (catch, tag, and release) or reeling in around 12:00am.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

with good conditions we will yak baits all night. I perfer full moon nights, but have went many times on pitch black nights as well. 

It can get spooky, but there is nothing new there at night that will not eat you during the day.


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## KINGFISHER71 (Jan 1, 2005)

TJ, gotta disagree. When that surf turns to ink, it just has to be evil! It looks like it's calling to you! Scares the $#I* outta me!


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## artofficial (Oct 3, 2005)

I have only tried it once, but it's an aweful LONELY feeling out there, even when you are with someone.

OH YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Shallow_Sport (Jan 22, 2008)

I can only imagine night kayaking. I've been fishing near the ICW near the causeway to SPI. I was on a boat, it does feel kinda scary. I just ran the boat slow and watched the GPS for channel markers. Kept a bright flashlight forward. It was a fun time though.

On a seperate note I have a Ocean Kayak Frenzy in Orange I want to sell.
I have the Ocean Kayak deluxe seat/backrest, and a Carlisle Magic paddle (orange).
I'm in Brownsville, anyone interested PM me.

The kayak is in excellent condition. Used about a dozen times, once in the bay, and the rest in the surf.


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## oldtrex (Mar 27, 2007)

the scariest night of my life happend at highisland, alone, wading baits at 10 p.m. one last baitup before calling it a night, it was a full moon...walking my last rod back in I saw somthing floating between me and the shore, thought it was a log....nope about a 9 foot gator! me covered in mullet guts, neck high in the water.....boy you should have seen this fat boy run! gave the gator a hell of a fiberglass thrashing..last time I went out alone.


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## Buckett (Jun 8, 2004)

Funny how wading out a bait at night is for some reason, less scary than yaking one out, or at least it is to me. Once at PINS me and some buddies were pulling an all night drinking/fishing trip. It was pretty rough surf and one guy decided he was ready to yak one out. He took off was was immediately invisible. We waited a long, long time and he never returned. Just as we were seriously panicking, he came walking down the beach dragging his yak and had his rod. He said he got dumped from the yak as soon as he was out of sight of us, but the current took him about a 1/4 mile down the beach before he could get out of it. Amazing how sober he became in that 30 minutes.


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## lunkerbrad (Feb 17, 2007)

oldtrex said:


> the scariest night of my life happend at highisland, alone, wading baits at 10 p.m. one last baitup before calling it a night, it was a full moon...walking my last rod back in I saw somthing floating between me and the shore, thought it was a log....nope about a 9 foot gator! me covered in mullet guts, neck high in the water.....boy you should have seen this fat boy run! gave the gator a hell of a fiberglass thrashing..last time I went out alone.


 HELL i bet you left a chum slick getting out of the water


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## 535 (May 23, 2004)

Buckett said:


> Funny how wading out a bait at night is for some reason, less scary than yaking one out, or at least it is to me. Once at PINS me and some buddies were pulling an all night drinking/fishing trip. It was pretty rough surf and one guy decided he was ready to yak one out. He took off was was immediately invisible. We waited a long, long time and he never returned. Just as we were seriously panicking, he came walking down the beach dragging his yak and had his rod. He said he got dumped from the yak as soon as he was out of sight of us, but the current took him about a 1/4 mile down the beach before he could get out of it. Amazing how sober he became in that 30 minutes.


fyi... when the rod stays on shore and is monitered by a fishing partner, you'll know when the paddler is dumped and washed down current

jc


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## Jesse (Aug 23, 2005)

I will never touch the water after dark... ever, ever again. I don't even let the surf touch my feet when casting out at night. Night time yaking/wading is just one of those things you must do at least once though, you can talk about it all the time, but you never can understand the horrible fear until you have done it once. It's kinda like waiting for the pregnancy test to come back from a stripper. Pure horror. Something else you don't want to mess with while intoxicated. lmao. I perform my last bait drop about 15 min before dusk.


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