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PostPosted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 4:38 pm 
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Location: Jaco, Costa Rica
From the experienced AI fisherman here, much appreciate any advice in differences with fishing on an AI as opposed to my out front Pacific experiences on a Hobie Revolution 13.
Have one question in particular. On a fully assembled and loaded AI, what is the maximum amount of drag that can be applied to a large fish safely for a fairly strong 170lb man?

Thanks
Mark 8)

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Tandem Island- 2013
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 8:31 pm 
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Location: Jaco, Costa Rica
Answered on another forum.
30 lb drag max on the AI, short pumps over the front side bow. Use the mirage peddels in reverse if necessary to apply additional pressure. Skys the limit.
Pumped to try out my new AI come October.
8) Mark

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:01 pm 
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CR Yaker wrote:
Answered on another forum.
30 lb drag max on the AI, short pumps over the front side bow. Use the mirage peddels in reverse if necessary to apply additional pressure. Skys the limit.
Pumped to try out my new AI come October.
8) Mark

PLease tell me more about using the mirage drive in reverse?


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:07 pm 
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Location: Jaco, Costa Rica
ppicker wrote:
PLease tell me more about using the mirage drive in reverse?


Have you ever during launch accidentally inserted your mirage drive in reverse and when you got in went backwards. Yeah, just turn the drive 180 degrees and insert. While fighting the fish off the bow, peddal backwards if more pressure is needed and you got the drag to handle it.

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PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 10:28 pm 
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Location: Hawaii, Big Island
Pop the rudder up. You won't need it until fish poops out per below.
Fight the fish off the stern. Should be back there when you hookup anyway.

Adjust your drag so line is not being peeled off, but tight enough so fish drags yak.

If he's a big one, say a small marlin, you can adjust distance you want between yak and to fish.

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PostPosted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 7:17 pm 
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Location: Jaco, Costa Rica
AlohaDan wrote:
Pop the rudder up. You won't need it until fish poops out per below.
Fight the fish off the stern. Should be back there when you hookup anyway.

Adjust your drag so line is not being peeled off, but tight enough so fish drags yak.

If he's a big one, say a small marlin, you can adjust distance you want between yak and to fish.


Hi, Dan, thanks for the reply. Question, why the stern and not the bow? Because of the mast in the way? Can't you control the kayak to turn with the rod against the yak (choose the side) bow? I would think fighting the fish from your seat from the stern would be a bit awkward after a while, especially on a long fight. On an AI at about what drag pressure do you find that a fish will be able to pull the AI backwards (forwards?) without peeling off any line?

Mark

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PostPosted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 2:55 am 
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Location: Fairfax, CA USA
I do the same as Dan. I basically kneel on the seat facing backward rod tip low, short pumps. In the AI you have a lot more freedom to move around. For gaffing I slide them in between the ama and hull, nail 'em with a headshot. When netting, like our salmon here, I actually kneel on the haka or tamp facing the Ama, and net them just outside the ama.
Only takes a few #s to start moving a loaded AI. Even the little 5# striped bass here move the boat forward, not fast, but they can. They can't drag it backward or to the side.


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PostPosted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:44 am 
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I would think kneeling in your seat would get real old fast. 8)

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Last edited by CR Yaker on Mon Oct 14, 2013 6:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 3:50 pm 
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Location: Hawaii, Big Island
You don't need a very high reel drag. Most of my maximum settings are 18lb or under.

My first setup was a Penn 330 with 30# line max drag set at 7-8 lbs.

You can sit facing aft. Don't have to kneel. My Pelagic yak design has a rotating seat. Got the idea from a guy here that mounted a cross piece aft of the seat for foot braces.

With a 100# fish your probably going to leave the rod in it's holder until things settle down.

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 6:28 pm 
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Thanks Dan, Stevo. Definitely food for thought. Makes sense to fight the fish from the AI position having the most drag resistance. Not like a normal yak where you have to be concerned about rolling over. 8)

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 9:43 pm 
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Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
This is the first time I have read of people fighting fish facing backwards in an Island, and it sounds counter-intuitive to me. I have long admired the fishing efforts of Josh Holmes (www.modernkayakfishing.com) and note that he always fishes from the normal seating position.

Confused (although I am not mobile enough to switch positions out on the water anyway)

I would like so see a technical explanation of the benefits please.

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PostPosted: Tue Oct 15, 2013 5:25 am 
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Location: Fairfax, CA USA
For me, it just feels natural.
If i am fishing on the troll, then the strike is back behind me anyway.
There's no mast in the way.
There's less stuff in the way between me and the water (no amas, hakas, long bow, etc)
Once i have the sail furled, and grab the rod the fish is still back there somewhere. I usually start kneeling on the seat, but sometimes kneel or sit on the haka as well. There's more resistance trying to pull an AI backwards, so i get that added drag benefit. Plus if i am gaffing i do it off the back and between the hull and ama.

In winter for sturgeon, we anchor up bow downhill. Here I fight most fish from the seat, but if I have to drop anchor on an over-sized, then i try to maneuver the fish to the stern, and fight 'em facing backwards.

Longest fight i've had this way on the AI is with over sized sturgeon, and in baja- but probably only about 45 min or so.
I've fought fish the "normal way" on a regular yak 90 min facing forward, not sure i like that any better....
seems odd, i know, but just feels easy for me.


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 15, 2013 7:08 am 
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I only catch small fish (ca 5# or less). Always fight them from the stern, usually seated facing forward. I bring them up along side the hull & net them. I do turn sideways in the seat to see the action better. I suppose, if I had a bigger fish, I would get out on the hakas, but fight the fish facing to the stern--just less stuff in the way.

Now, I have occasionally had larger fish on, such as sharks & tarpon. With my light gear, they dictate where the fight occurs; although, if possible, I orient the fight to the bow so I can watch the action while still seated normally and comfortably as possible--usually sharks and tarpon are not on too long.

A little aside here: I have no interest in catching sharks. In the Everglades, sharks are everywhere and extremely easy to catch. But why bother? Their numbers are declining, which is not good. They are a nuisance fish to me. Sharks can be dangerous, so you need to keep your hands well away from their mouths. Most have sharp teeth, and they know how to use them. They will snap at their tormentor and will even launch themselves in their tormentor's direction.

BTW, I have had 100# tarpon and bigger sharks on while paddling a sea kayak (21" wide, 19' long), and never felt in danger of capsizing. After catching a few fish from a kayak, you realize that capsizing is not really a danger as long as your drag is set moderately.

Keith

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 5:37 am 
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Biggest fish I've caught on my island is a 23 lb chinook salmon. I fight fish sitting facing forward after furling the sail and turning the yak to follow the fish( I have the drag set loose enough that it can peel line.) Once I get the fish within reasonable distance from the yak, I swing my port side pontoon in tight to the boat, making it easy to gaff or net the salmon on that side.
T2

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 12:49 am 
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this is how you catch fish off an AI...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz085AeGHNs[/youtube]


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