Maiden Voyage on the New Kayak! Ft. Big Fish, Covid 19 and Sea Sickness

Haven't launched a kayak myself in YEARS! Went out solo today to break in the new kayak. A couple complications for the trip - will work on improving those in the near future!
Will be at West Marine in San Carlos, CA Saturday May 28th 2022 from 11-2pm if you can stop by!
Https://www.fishermans...
bit.ly/OldTown...

[@kaleidofsh2998]

the first fish was 100% a yelloweye. good call on the release, they live to extremely long ages. the faded lateral stripe is almost always a telltale sign at that size

[@gs6810]

Exactly, could tell from the thumbnail it was a yellow eye.

[@skippygirl959]

I recently got into fishing after watching your channel for several years at this point. I still haven't caught anything even after a few outings but I'm going to keep trying! It is so nice to get out in nature and start learning a new hobby. Thank you for all the lessons in all your videos over the years.

[@aabeceedeeeff6076]

Recently got into it (again) myself! Life gets busy and all that. It's a great and soothing hobby for sure. I'm into the mood now that an outing is good enough, catching something is secondary. Keep at it mate! :)

[@FishermansLife]

Good low tides this week. That's a good opportunity to go out and catch something with good odds!

[@TristramSavage]

Stay with it, once you catch one you're hooked for life.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

I remember when I first got into fishing, I went about 3 times a week for several months before I caught my first steelhead. It can be a sort of learning process... for example, it took a while before I first started feeling steelhead bite my spinners. After that, I had to learn how to instantly set the hook (it becomes a reflex action that is triggered, the second you feel a nibble or bite). After that, I had to learn how to tie a strong fishing knot, because when I was able to set the hook and really had a fish on, my lazy knots would break (knots are the weakest point of the fishing line). Then, I had to learn how to set the drag on my spinning reel. Finally... I had a steelhead on, my line didn't break... my drag was set just right... and that fish was whipping through the water at 35 mph, like a torpedo with a broken gyroscope. I say pick a species of fish, in local water that's easy to get to several times a month, and learn everything there is to know about them. Don't buy a lot of expensive gear at first. And mainly enjoy the time in nature, as well as the joy of learning. Be ready to cook that first fish!

[@chrisread6292]

Keep going man I learnt how to fish before youtube was a big thing and had to hike to spots that were free as almost every lake and pond where I lived was pay to fish(gotta hate the uk for that one) and never caught anything for 3 years and now that I'm in Canada I started trout fishing again to no avail for the first year and then one day it just clicked, I realized what I was doing wrong and how to change that now I fish for bass as have had another large learning curve but now have alot of fish under my belt and lots of species now

[@HookShootAndCookWithDada]

I'm a South African fisherman, been following you for many years. My wife and I love your channel and your content. Keep up the fantastic videos ❤️. Just a silly observation I've made over the years, American fishermen prefer the reel bail on the left, irrespective of their hand dominancy, whereas in South Africa it's the other way around.

[@peterconsulter9903]

Great video as usual. Well done releasing the Yelloweye, Matts! You mentioned possibly puncturing the swim bladder to get the fish to go down. Please note that generally rockfish experiencing barotrauma have their stomachs pushed out their mouth by their swim bladder. Puncturing them to decend them is according to the best science on the subject almost always fatal to the fish. There are a number of safe decenders available on the market.

[@desertfairychickres4021]

Good info! Thank you. Blessings

[@zeauz]

you made the right choice letting it go that was a yelloweye for sure! nice catch!

[@nathanmata6450]

Yellow eyes have actual yellow eyes and they are super bright so you will know for sure

[@andrewb5412]

That one was probably 60 years old. Glad it went back

[@DieHardFishing]

Welcome to the kayak gang👍👍👍

[@DMANKILLER707]

We appreciate all the content you still make for us Matt keep it up and thank you!! Tight lines

[@hershisadventuresincalifor9725]

Haha yeah Matt runs one SWEET channel! Think I watch roughly 20 fishing channels, and this is my 2nd favorite.

[@betzaidavazquez5579]

Matt, I hope you feel better !!! Thanks for taking us out, so glad you had a good and safe day. We appreciate your dedication 💗🎣👍

[@iflanzy]

Cut open a pool noodle to put over the kayak hitch carrier. It'll make the kayak slide onto the roof easier and protect the kayak a bit more from no longer sliding it against a steel post.

[@CoalCoalJames]

I've seen this for many things not just roves, a noodle or bit a split pipe goes a long way to protecting things that take loads/slide thing on regularly.

[@XxlatinoPRxX]

also place a towel on the back end of your kayak so it doesn't get scratched when loading the kayak. love you videos. feel better. 👍✌️

[@AK47_seekndestroy]

damn, it's already a game changer with the kayak but the addition of the floating camera takes your content off the hook (no pun intended). Keep up the great work, Matt!

[@gq12o]

At first I was like what is that thing floating and then the next shot was from the floating camera. Wow.

[@FishermansLife]

😂 looks funny. Gotta dial that thing in

[@ocbeachfishing]

I was thinking , this guy hired a paid fish actor...but then nah its his set up!! haha I should of known! he is the guy that goes up and down a cliff to take the shot!!! love the dedication!

[@hershisadventuresincalifor9725]

Haha yeah I'm with you R B that added floating cam was a GREAT idea! Though it fogged up a few times still was a sweet move on his part. Course I can't get over those STUNNING fish he caught! Man the colors on that last Link Cod! Tight lines boss....

[@jasonlee1457]

Yeah that was a nice yellow eye, you can also tell from that lateral line that goes from the front of the fish to the back. Nice fish for your first time back on a yak. Also I usually put a decent size taller cooler to house the fish in the back of the yak so I don’t have to deal with a seal snatching a fish.

[@f33rnofish]

You’re a trooper for hanging in there with your sea sickness. I don’t get sick but my pops does and found out my girl does too this past weekend (Capitola). She tried to be as strong as you And stay on the water but she was miserable!!! Ended up fishing the pier instead. 👌🏼

[@hershisadventuresincalifor9725]

Haha man I'm so with you there! Like your Pops, your woman and Matt here on the channel I get bad sea sickness. So I'm with you there I stick to the shore fishing Rivers, Delta & Lakes.... LOVE Delta fishing! What do you normally fish for?

[@f33rnofish]

@@hershisadventuresincalifor9725 We fish it all! We camp/fish beaches, lakes, rivers including delta. We’ve kayaked lakes and she did fine there. I haven’t gotten her on a boat in a lake/delta but she says she’s done fine in the past.

[@hershisadventuresincalifor9725]

@@f33rnofish Nice that assortment of fishing locations sounds sweet! Me and my wife surely need to get to the Ocean more. We're like 2 hours from San Fransico. Yeah I think your girl should fair ok in the lakes and Delta on a boat. Much calmer waters. So you enjoy the Delta fishing much? I love fishing there, when the Rivers and Lakes fail Delta often comes through for us.

[@f33rnofish]

@@hershisadventuresincalifor9725 yep grew up in the East bay And would gosh the Bay, Ocean and Delta almost every weekend. Lots of times my family would camp on the river banks all weekend. I’m out in the country now. Next to Camanche res, Amador, etc.

[@diegoruiz7600]

Cheers, looking forward to watching the video right now. While enjoying my coffee!

[@mangoboyfishing3131]

Same!

[@JD..........]

Fishing hobby despite sea sickness is admirable.... Shows you truly love the thing.

[@drc022800]

Once you start catching fish it completely goes away 😂

[@alexanderhuseb6723]

just started watching this channel and videos, such a vibe and haha the ending with puking is gold.

[@4stringmanagmaildcom]

Have a descending device ready. You can make a homemade one cheap. There are good videos. You tie on a barbless hook backwards with a weight to lower them down then jerk the hook out of their lower lip. I give you props for not letting seasickness stop you.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

This is to get fish to deeper water while their swim bladder is inflated?

[@4stringmanagmaildcom]

@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 Yes. Gets them back down where the bladder is compressed, or more compressed than the surface. Increases survival dramatically. That fish he caught could have been 40 to 50 years old and a big spawner. Some species of rockfish are incredibly slow growing and nearly got wiped out by over fishing. That's why those species must be released.

[@slacktide_angler]

Good to have enough weight too. Ive had to go up to a 32oz cannonball to get a big yellow eye down.

[@aabeceedeeeff6076]

First fish caught this season was, funnily enough, a Canadian brook trout. And I live in Sweden... They stocked some of em in the 60's or 80's for sport fishing, but today they compete too much with out native trout. So they want to get rid of em. Whatever size we catch it's straight to the frying pan! :D

[@MrAlwaysRight]

Fry dem biches up like sssSsssSSSSsssSSSsSsSsSsSs

[@kayakfishingcouple8866]

The first fish looks like a yelloweye. I caught similar sizes nearby where you are fishing. It might be helpful to carry a descender release them properly. Most of them just floats if you don't send them to the bottom. Always enjoy watching your video. Hope to see you out in the ocean.

[@nukenfoobs6833]

I was gonna say the same thing, yellow eye are a bit bigger and have a yellow ring around their eye

[@Opaleye]

What a monster rockfish!! Thank you for another great viedo!

[@briankepner7569]

Thank you for your videos so I can go fishing vicariously! Glad you're still at it

[@ShenpaiWasTaken]

Love old town kayaks! Glad to see you out in a kayak again! COVID is weird. Some people have no symptoms, other like me can't get out of bed for a bit and then others die... It's a terrible situation.

[@letsgetdoing]

It's not weird at all. It's about obesity but no one is saying it in order to profit from fear. I made a video about it and you can go to the CDC and look up the percentages. It's clear as day.

[@josephsaeteurn9158]

and there are some who keeps getting covid..

[@CoalCoalJames]

KZbin put a misinformation tag on this video just because he said he didn't like the BS restriction. Freaking clowns.

[@stayathome316]

@@letsgetdoing so out all the doctors and scientists working on it, some dude in YT comments solved the problem. It’s obesity. Problem solved, pack it up folks. Just lose weight.

[@jameslidberg445]

Respect the videos you put out are very knowledgeable and the time spent on filming and editing and taking away from the fishing you can be doing we're all very grateful for thanks very much

[@RaynBella]

Yellow Eye, Glad your cautious and cared about the regs.

[@Vanlife707]

Yep yellow eye good thing you released it

[@gregpratt49]

Gotta love that involuntary chumming, sep for the green feeling .

[@cowmancheese]

Congrats on the new kayak! the floating camera was a great touch

[@carlosvillafuerte2160]

The intro with the music is awesome

[@michaelmontano919]

I love your videos. Spent a little time in Santa Cruz, Capitola and Monterey. Rented a little boat in Capitola and fished for cod, caught some but had no idea what I was doing. I really wanted halibut and lingcod but had no idea how to catch them. Your videos are getting me interested in going back to try again. Thank you for what you do.

[@Thewarhorse47]

I ALWAYS get sick in the water so I ALWAYS take meds. Being drowsy is ALWAYS better than being sick. Love your channel bro.

[@fabiancarmona5406]

Nice!!! Good to see your giving kayaks a try again. I appreciate your content. For years this channel has been the option for days when I cant go fishing. I own a hobie compass and a really good friend has an oldtown. I would say the benefits of your drive system is that you can automatically pedal back without having to pull any shifters.

[@michaelpowers9259]

Love that blue water. Relaxing video.

[@matthewpham2437]

Great call on letting the yellow eye go!! It’s an easy mistake 👌👌

[@rrcarman0266]

Watching your videos make me wanna get back into fishing. Coming from an outdoors kind of guy. I really miss it. But bills n family has to come first. Watching you is the closest to fishing right now. Keep it up and thanks for all your uploads

[@merc8460]

See that’s what happens when you live in a coast . Beautiful fishing experience. Love the vids keep them coming . Much love and peace to you and yours .

[@DarrylLicudine]

Get well king .. 🙏🏿👑❤️

[@cristianpereira3705]

Sick gaff on that lingcod! Right on the money! Clean...

[@kwanziididit1420]

Matt's that kayak is so bad ass!

[@manseraoutdoors]

Great to see you joined the OldTown Crew! Very nice Kayak I got the same one but the blue/black and love it on the ocean! Nice yellow eye and lings

[@yardhostler3728]

Yup used to catch 6lber Vermillion from half-moon Bay all the time. Nice catch!

[@pavellebedev3238]

That was a vermillion. Yellow eyes have ... bright yellow eyes )). Verms have exact same back fins as any other rock fish. this is how I tell them apart.

[@leviburns89]

Been open water trolling on my kayak all spring. Some super sketchy moments, but I've been loving every minute of it!

[@hollywoodundead72]

Very great film work, also nice shoes. Also great video :) @5:05 oh man that was a dam good laugh 🤣

[@getchasome6230]

Idk why but your small boat in the ocean videos are my favorite. Thanks for the amazing content

[@nintendude1988]

Definitely a yelloweye lol. Good call letting it go.

[@paul_yt2254]

I like the floating camera idea 💯 another great vid mate 👍🍻🍻

[@plumpoctave1532]

Awesome video as always. I’ve found the key to seasickness medication is taking a pill the night before and one morning of your trip. So you can load it into your system.

[@limirl]

I've tried that and it was the worst thing I ever did. I was like a zombie out there I was so out of it. At one stage I laid back on the kayak and fell asleep for a couple of minutes, driving home I fell asleep at a stop light. Never again.

[@tho464]

Feel better soon Matts

[@zarcorodriguez7739]

Glad to see you out and about mat take care keep these awesome videos coming bratha

[@k00ey]

Your creativity is what separates you from the other youtubers!! First time I've seen that little gopro floatation device.

[@michaeldejardin1497]

Love that you released that big rockfish!

[@Littlestar41752]

Chill bro😂😂😂 I love this guy

[@Skim_beeble7125]

You and ndyakfisher I think his channel name have conviced me to start saving for a kayak it makes fishing so much more successful from what I've seen just to gave the ability to float shallow water and sneak into different areas

[@stanthefishermaniii5476]

I had to go fishing when I had covid . I had it really bad and my stomach pain was unbearable . I managed to find a spot no one would be at and I caught my best striper of the year .

[@stanthefishermaniii5476]

Fishing was the only thing that could take my pain away .

[@outdoorschoolofthought]

Take care of the last piece of Scotty transducer arm that connects to the transducer. It breaks very easily but a replacement can be 3d printed. If you ever need it, I can print one for you.

[@maxsocalangler]

Awesome video bro! 👍🤙😎

[@joanneganon7157]

Sorry you got the Rona 😝. Be careful alone out there! Nothing keeps you Down 🙌. JO JO IN VT 💕😄

[@zadestone-hinds7966]

first fish was a vermilion and that's actually a small one those fish take hundreds of years to grow to the size they do so great to see you released it.

[@Jett1873]

Bro your camera stands 🤯 so sick Matts you are taking things to a different level.

[@jordanc9351]

Nice yellow eye brother, thing was beautiful

[@DCoak]

Nothing like that feeling you get from that first tug on the line 🥲

[@shaunvalentin5943]

Good for you getting out I have covid too and I've been so damn exhausted I couldn't imagine getting out on a kayak in the ocean ! Nice catch love you channel!

[@socalbass758]

Awesome Vid! Can't wait for more summer camping/fishing in the mountains.

[@michaelb.255]

Excellent content as usual, man! Also, I notice you have new veins on the biceps! New veins new gains! Nice work.

[@bsmith8943]

Living the life!! That floating camera rig you got is nice! Great imagination 👌

[@CaptHappy-xe3yg]

That was a Canary rockfish. Another Over Fished Species. Good you released it.

[@Doodooheadguy-fishing]

Every boat i get on to fish outside sf im puking. Could be the best day of weather ever. Still gunna chum

[@sand2sea]

main main reason inrespect you Matt soo much is you are not meant for the ocean if you get that sea sick everytime you go out… and yet here you are.. mad props.. come to socal lake hemet lets fish

[@AdussFadass]

Yes, a Yellow Eye. The white line that runs along the body.

[@holusion]

Hard choice but the correct one to let the fish go. For sure yellow eye, dark underside fin tips if a sure sign. Excellent fish though. Keep charging and glad you are recovering from your surgery. Aloha

[@st-gb9lx]

Love that sea cam lol ingenuity at its best

[@michael22414]

Yelloweye have the rounded tail fin as opposed to straight edge of a vermillion or a straight edge with a slight fork on a Canary. Good call. I wouldn't have even though yelloweye until you brought it up just thought it was a behemoth.

[@hookandcook]

You can put the transducer in the yak(through the hull)in a plastic container,filled with water using duct seal,bomb idea on the you tube check it out if you get tired of the arm✌

[@Followmazzi]

Hell yeah can’t wait to see you there!

[@diver4029]

Love the kayak video

[@lifeofeels8271]

Nice Matts! Haha cracking me up with the waves and the yee hee. Got to have fun when you're on the water fishing. If I had Covid and had to quarantine myself, this is the way to do it. Get well soon.

[@FRAIH11]

I’ve seen all your videos and I wanna thank so much for your efforts and knowledge, I am from the middle east (Bahrain) I want to tray sweet potato with any fish you catch it’s woooow 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼

[@Fishingwithdaboys]

Matt with the biceps 💪🏽!! Ok I see you bro 😎

[@Adventurewithnhia]

that's the first yelloweye i've seen from kayak distance and man was it huge, nice kayak also.

[@brandenolsen5241]

I always feel bad seeing your sea sickness kick in, but its also motivating that you dont let it impact you as best you can, Also looking a bit jacked out on the kayak Matt!

[@LeadFarmer813]

lol.. 15:30 Chumming done right! .. no messy hands or bags to deal with!

[@zudosmg]

My first Kayak and still use it today is the Topwater 120 PDL. Go out all the time on this thing to fish. Great kayak

[@halfwatt7905]

You a soldier, respek 👏👏👏👏👏

[@foreverevolving5759]

Great way to start the afternoon.

[@MistaRiceMan]

I’m looking forward to seeing new kayak footage from you. That floating GoPro setup to film yourself is awesome

[@briandonnell8801]

Love that spot used to go there for abs. I miss the big ab dinners in the campground good times.

[@cashnoutdoors7037]

I have a big water too and I LOVE it!! Granted it was my upgrade from a cheaper paddle kayak and man, I’m going to have it for a while

[@motofishinph4138]

Missin that catch n cook with avocado and butter style. Shout out from Philippines! :)

[@alexchang1878]

You da man matt! Love the range of your videos and I love em all. Keep it up

[@fishwrld3982]

When you come to Canada, i’ll go to a meet an greet or a meet greet and fish haha.

[@alexisfarelo]

Good judgement buddy it was a "yellow eye"! great day out there on that kayak!

[@kaosaechao2659]

That Fish is Yellow Eyes Rock Fish good Things You Released Brother good Jobs 😁👍👍👌

[@rickylee6129]

AWESOME VIDEO 📹 👏 👌 👍. I primarily fish for Steelhead and Salmon on the Klickitat River plus the Snake River below Ice Harbor Dam. However, I do miss crabbing and bottom fishing by Whidbey/Fidalgo Island/Deception Pass out of Cornet Bay. Good times. 👍

[@FitBaylorRob]

I don't like fishing but I like watching! Thanks!

[@lakesnluresoutdoors9017]

I like that floating camera rig. Good idea.

[@johnfree2833]

Nice floating cam rig,......

[@tysonc78]

The eye ridge was very prominent on that fish so definetly yelloweye if the throat was smooth. Nice one too.

[@VISUAL-LY]

Broke in the kayak (or how we say on the east coast… “slimed the kayak”) properly on your first trip bro!! Hell yeah🦾 Looking forward to more kayak fishing videos!!🙌

[@crabbingclammingboatcampin4962]

Yelloweye have a very RASPY ridge above their eyes. Run your finger over "eyebrow" of the fish. It will feel like the blade of a hacksaw, if a Yelloweye. Also, they have bright yellow eyes and a prominant, light lateral line along the top fin, just like the one you caught.

[@grayhat1019]

thanks for another great video matt!, get well soon!

[@Jd-fors]

Awesome video