Sounds like you may be a renter?

If so, check with your renters insurance. A few years back I sank an X FActor and lost a ton of stuff......my renters insurance covered 100% of it and I didn't have to provide receipts for anything that cost under 500.00......if you have renters insurance you may be in business......sorry this happened to you

Good advice #2 from Ed. When I have to reach behind me, I swing my legs sidesaddle and make sure I have my butt planted firmly back in the seat. Very stable. When I have to reach really far behind, to untangle the spectra that got wrapped up in the rudder, I sit facing backwards in the seat. Again, very stable.

Sorry about your gear loss. I think many on the board (me included) would fess up to making a donation to the ocean at one time or another.

Jorluivil, I noticed your ring setup on the trip last weekend. Very nice. Great minds think alike.

Thank you. I'm now just renting a room in a relative's house :) But it's good info to know.

Thats a nice way to set up the leash, simple and convenient. I've never thought of that. Thanks the "great minds" for enlightening me LOL :)
How about when you reach back to catch a bait in the bait tank? Does it neccessary to do this steps? I'm kinda nervous getting flipped again knowing its so easy to get flipped LOL so any advice helps. Thanks

First time ever on the ocean in a yak, and me a buddy decided to launch at San Onofre beach on a 4-5 foot day. Got rolled to many times to count lost about 500 worth of stuff and a rod my father in law had given me. I feel your pain. At least you live to tell the story.

Thank you bro. I'm sorry to hear you were in the same situation. I thought I was ready, but now I realized I still have so much to learn :).

yikes that sucks to hear. you must have turned and leaned a bit exactly when the wake hit you. scramblers are very sturdy for ocean fishing. maybe the next time i head out i could try to drag a few trebles with some heavy lead to see if i could snag your gear. my 60# trolling setups dont get much action until august anyways.

Thanks ahead bro. :) Hopefully the rods would still be usable. The reels would probably be messed up being in the sea that long though

I remember my first flip on my Hobie Outback. It was my 3rd or 4th time out in the SD Bay and I got cocky. It was a calm/hot day and I decided to remove my life vest as there was obviously no danger... A few casts later I hooked into a decent spotty. I got her to the side of the yak and tried to reach back behind me to lip her and next thing all I see is green. Luckily I held onto my rod through this and was able to grab my yak and kick to an anchored sail boat. I ended up using their rope ladder as leverage to flip my yak back over. Through this whole process that spotty was still on my line. Fortunately I leashed all my rods, unfortunately my backpack and tackle worked it's way out of the buggy cords and I lost all of it. Lessoned learned, never remove that life vest. If that sail boat wasn't so close I could have been in a real bad situation. The other lesson I learned was to minimize what I bring. I lost a ton of tackle that I was never planning to use in the bay but since it was all in one box it was all lost. The second you take the ocean for granted is the second she kicks you in the ass. I hope you're able to get back out there soon, it truly is a live and learn based hobby.

Yup. That's exactly what I got. I've got some experience kayaking in the past without any problem so I thought I would handle it this time just fine. Only difference this time is I got gears, and a bucket of water sitting high behind me :) and it didn't take much to get flipped :).

I usually use one hand and reach behind me for a bait but when I'm down to one that doesn't want to be grabbed, then I go side saddle and use both hands to corral him.

Sorry for your loss. It's not a matter of "if" you flip it is "when" My first was on an Islader trip, I had put my bait tank on with the drain astern so I had to reach waaaay back to pull the plug. Rolled & most stuff was leashed but sent a Graphite USA I had built with a Penn GTI to the bottom in 105 feet. The divemaster recovered it though, due to reflection off the silver thread I had used. I leash EVERYTHING I want to keep. In addition to teh phone-cord ones I have made I use nylon lanyards - the kind you wear around your neck to hold a badge - that have a plastis snap buckle. The small part is zip tied to a gaff, net, etc. That way I can quickly unclip when needed and resecure once used.

Minimizing gear
 

I've only been into it for a year, but after a few trips out I realized I was bringing too much gear.

I've given up on fishing two rigs same time for example.

Instead of four poles I will just bring two.

Fish finder and battery can be considered optional (at least for your next trip getting back in the saddle)

Grab some plastics or frozen squid and consider leaving the bait tank at home too next time.

With no tank and two rods tied down, flipping is not such a big deal.

My outback 11 is not terribly stable. First thing I did when it was delivered was throw it in the pool I remember sitting in it thinking how the hell could you fight a fish in this tipsy thing.

I've wiped out launching and landing plenty (I now stow my reels in dry bag and lose 20 minutes getting rigged but it saves hours of cleaning sand out of my gear)

I've never flipped otherwise, but I've come close many times, just looking over my shoulder to grab a rod or get in the bait tank. Haven't had the chance to gaff a big fish yet I can see that going terribly wrong :P

Bummer about your gear. Occasions like that you just have to look at the bright side which is that nobody was hurt. I lost my go pro couple months back in a surf launch that went bad. It was just scary enough that I didn't fret about the expensive but replaceable toy.

Get back out quick and replace the memory of that bad day otherwise you will keep dwelling on it!

Sorry about your loss I also have contributed to the newport harbor bottom god. I was in a 2007 Hank Parker outback and rolled it the first time, I got home sold it and bough a Hobie PA 14 now I can load it with anything I want and still stand up in it if I wanted to.:icon_bs:

I thought the outbacks were supposed to be pretty stable, good to know.

Bummer dude! If you purchased any of your gear with a credit card, some have 90 day accidental damage or loss.

The longer I do this the less gear I bring. As you start to pick your spots to fish on the regular, you will target certain species. The challenge is most of us come from party boats or situations we can't control what we target. We wind up bringing everything but the long range gear. With Kayak fishing your range is somewhat limited and you will have a tendency to target certain fish with a few techniques during certain times of the year. Then you will only need a few plastics, Lead heads, and hooks.

When you learn to tie rigs on the water, you can bring fewer rod/reel combos. Before you know it, you will have it down to a science with minimum gear. Have fun, be safe and catch plenty of fish.

Thanks guys. There's something I'm curious about. When you hook to a big fish and fighting it, is there any technique? Is there any chance the fish will pull you over or while leaning back against the fish pulling, you'll flip?

Mike: these were purchases way over that 90 days period :)

I have hooked up with huge Threshers 10 foot plus, caught yt and wsb that have provided fun sleigh rides. I have not been pulled overboard. I don't know anyone who has been pulled overboard. Having a properly set drag is help you avoid being pulled over. Now, the trick is to maintain your balance when fighting fish or surf launches. The next thing is to make sure your work space/cockpit are organized and it is easy to grab your stuff (gaff, bogo grips) when needed. Next when fighting the fish, keep the rod on the side of the boat the fish is on. Learn how to use leverage to move the boat into position. It is easier to spin the yak when you have a fish on. It will surprise you how easy it is to get the yak in the right position.

Have fun, be safe and catch fish.