Some fish as a hobby. A way to escape the daily grind. A way to spend time outdoors. Others fish to keep themselves sane. Because the water beckons every time they are away from it. Because the thought of big fish keeps them awake at night. And because they are absolutely addicted to putting a serious bend in the rod. Fishing is not just a “hobby” or even just a “sport” to these anglers. Fishing defines them. These people are exceptional in every sense of the word and it’s their stories that bring us here…
I’ve always found inspiration in those that are truly passionate about anything that they do. From the guys you see running a construction crew with a fervor that goes beyond what is required to build a building to the scientific researcher that simply can’t walk away from the test tubes as the next great discovery may be incubating, the people that approach what they do with deep seeded passion are a testament to how we should all live our lives. As a fisherman, I have been particularly intrigued by the stories of my fellow anglers that have spent vast amounts of time on the water, chasing down their finned adversaries, all for the pursuit of something that goes far beyond putting a fish in a net. There is just something extremely special about fishing that makes for incredible stories that traverse cultural and generational gaps to inspire people that may or may not be anglers themselves. I’m not talking about stories of the big ones that were caught and the few that got away (though those are fun too), I’m talking about the personal stories of the anglers that through countless hours on the water baiting hooks, rigging rods, and watching fish come on board, have found themselves. These stories are always remarkable and with From Aaron’s Angle I’ve been granted an amazing opportunity to share some of these stories with you guys in this new series, ”ANGLER SPOTLIGHT”.
As you may have noticed while out at the Lakes, there are a few guys that you can easily recognize as they almost always seem to be out there. They look a little “salty”, grizzled, and most significantly, they seem to be consistently catching a TON of fish! This crew goes by a variety of names. Some will remember the megafish being brought to the scales by various members of “The Dogs”, now people easily recognize the “Inflatable Navy” crew, and other fish slayers are simply known as “regulars”. Whatever their title, these anglers know how to fish and though they may say different, they weren’t born that way. They’ve acquired their knowledge and talents through vast amounts of time on the water. And in addition to their personal stories, with the Angler Spotlight we’ll be able to share you all a little bit of what they have learned.
So sit back, grab yourself your favorite beverage, and prepare yourself for a treat. The anglers highlighted in the Angler Spotlight are the best in the business and they are people that you’ve seen out there catching fish first hand. This isn’t media hype surrounding some guy that is trying to sell a product. This isn’t some angler that was handed a rod and reel and told to “hold it” for a photo-op. These are guys and gals that are truly motivating in both their passion for fishing as well as their amazing ability to catch fish. The lessons they are willing to share with me for the Angler Spotlight in both life and fishing are priceless, and for that I owe them a sincere thanks. With that, let’s dive in and meet our very first spotlighted angler…KIRK YAUCHZEE!!!
In the early hours of yet another gorgeous southern California day, I watch a red float tube escape from the shoreline. A stout man donning an off-white, circle-brimmed hat leans back as his legs flick the fins that propel him in my general direction. As our paths cross, we each offer one another a casual nod and a wave as we proceed with the task at hand…putting blood on the deck. Little did I know that I just met an angler with a truly inspirational story, a wealth of knowledge, and an uncanny ability to put fish on the boat. This was the first time I met Kirk.
Since my first encounter with Kirk I’ve seen him put an insane amount of fish on the boat. And what I find truly amazing is the way he spends his time on the water. To Kirk, being on the water is not simply being at the Lake. Kirk is not a guy that you will see on the shoreline fiddling with his gear. He is not the guy that you will find rummaging through an ice chest for yet another beer. Kirk has a focus when he is fishing that is virtually unbreakable. Because of this focus, he is typically a man of few words while out on the water. That generalization excludes, of course, those numerous times that I’ve seen him rigging up someone’s gear or going through techniques with someone struggling to catch fish. But between these lessons are fish after fish after fish that keep heads turning Kirk’s way…no words required!
While speaking with Kirk for this “Angler Spotlight” special I felt more like a student than an interviewer and it’s a privilege to get to share with you guys what I learned. Lest anyone think that fishing can only teach us about the behavior of fish, Kirk’s story goes far beyond the water and I walked away from our talk feeling that I just learned a bit more about life…how to approach it, how to deal with it, and most importantly, how to live it.
Kirk, in his element.
As the sun just peaked over the eastern hills at Corona Lake, Kirk and I sat down for our “talk” at a small picnic table on JD’s point. Kirk was fully geared up, waders and all, anxious to get on the water but willing to take a few minutes out of his day to speak with me. The first thing I was anxious to hear was how and when Kirk’s interest in fishing began.
Kirk began fishing as a child like many of us do, under the supervision of his father. “My dad weaned me on a fly rod that he bought for 50 cents out of an antique store. I can remember being a kid and going out in my uncle’s homemade wooden boat at Big Bear Lake. We would spend half of the day bailing water out of the stupid thing while we were out there. My first big fish was a 7-8 pound trout that I can remember to this day” Kirk stated. He continued, “My personal belief is that something happens in your young YOUNG days that locks you into fishing. For me it was that great big ol’ trout. For my son, it was a great big halibut that got us into Western Outdoors News. These are OUR moments and we carry them with us forever. They are the bait for us anglers that once tasted, we are forever ‘hooked’.”
Kirk made sure to note to me the importance of taking your kids fishing. His vivid recollection of a fish he caught more than six decades ago shows how important those times on the water with your kids can be. They are the special moments with our parents that we all remember eternally, myself included. Those times that we recollect to put a smile on our face when everything else in life may not be so peachy. And incidentally, the smile that crossed his face when he told me about his son’s halibut is testament to how rewarding it can be for parents as well. Take your kids fishing, plant the seed, and watch a tree grow out of it that will NEVER stop bearing fruit.
Kirk (right) with a big marlin caught in local waters. What a fish!! Kirk sparked the “marlin bug” in his son who is now very involved in the southern California billfish scene.
Kirk is an avid float tuber. His red Fish Cat 4 Deluxe has become a staple on the local lakes. For those that haven’t seen his boat, here’s what to look for…
I refuse to say that Kirk is old as I think he has the heart of a man much younger than I, though if you ask him he will gladly tell you, “I’m an old fart.” I will say that he is “experienced” in life. So, as I see men much younger than Kirk scared to take even a small step off of the shoreline, I was curious as to what got him so into float tubing. From this simple question came a remarkable response.
“I’m a three time cancer survivor. I’ll tell you, you better be a tough S.O.B. to survive your golden years! 15 years ago I was told that I had melanoma that had metastasized and that I had 3 months to live. I’ve battled and beat ’em and am since in full remission but after my last bout with chemo, I lost some of the feeling in my hands and feet. After I recovered from treatment, we would make these long motorhome trips to northern California and I could only take looking at historical monuments while passing up numerous bodies of water for so long. So I bought a set of waders and dug out my dad’s fly rod but the slippery shoreline was difficult to negotiate with the loss of feeling in my feet. I had seen people float tubing and had read about it in various places so I decided to take the plunge. I bought a float tube and could not be any more pleased. I fish all of the time and have found ways of coping with the loss of sensitivity in my hands including the foam rod floaters you see wrapped around my rods.” You just can’t keep this guy down. Seated in the water, Kirk was able to explore the lake in a new way that allowed him to fish as hard as he ever had. After overcoming what he called “senile fears” of being in the middle of the water in a set of waders, Kirk found what he thinks is so special about float tubing.
“There is something personal about being out there in a float tube. You’re in contact with the water, when you catch a fish it splashes you…there’s just a closeness to it all that makes it so much more personal than being on a boat or on the shore. That personal element is so special.” He continued, “I think there is also something competitive in me and in fishing from the float tube, I’ve found that I can be remarkably successful. I really enjoy hearing, ‘He’s got another one?!?!’ from nearby anglers. Fishing is not a spectator sport and it feels really good when you figure things out and get dialed in.” And evidently, Kirk has things dialed in…
Kirk’s passion for float tubing goes far beyond the norm. He told me, “My wife and I counted up the other night, I’ve had thirteen boats. We kept upgrading until we got to the 26’ Skipjack that we marlin fished out of, sold that and have since owned a couple of bass boats which is what I have now. But I’ll tell you that if I had to give up either my boat or my float tube, I think I’d have to keep the float tube.”
So it should be fairly obvious with these few short paragraphs and some truly amazing pictures that Kirk knows what he is doing. And as our conversation continued I was able to pry a bit of that knowledge out of him. Kirk is a man with about a million tricks up his sleeve. In those pockets on his float tube are numerous secrets that I am sworn to uphold and several that Kirk STILL won’t fill me in on! But he was willing to spill the beans on a few things that he thinks really makes a difference in his success on the water. Things that you can do right away that WILL help you catch more fish.
I began, “Kirk, I know you have more well-guarded secrets than I could count, but what can you tell the guys that are watching you out there catching fish after fish thinking, ‘what the heck is that guy doing that I am not?’”
“One of the biggest mistakes that I see people making out here [when working the plastic worm for trout] is using a hook that is too heavy for their bait. I’ve found that having a worm floating in the water column can make the difference between wide open and a skunk. This means using an appropriately sized hook. Most of the time I am using a size 8 to 10 hook but to make sure that my bait doesn’t sink, I use thin wire hooks that weigh next to nothing.”
On equipment Kirk says, “Buy the best the first time. Find out what your wife and/or your bank account will let you spend on a rod, reel, float tube, whatever…Find out how long your leash is and consider that your price point. Don’t go to WalMart and buy a $20 combo. I’m not sponsored by anybody and I highly recommend G-Loomis, Phenix and Shimano. I’ve given friends that were below average fisherman some higher quality equipment to use and watched them almost immediately become more productive. There are days where it’s wide open and they are knocking ‘em out of the rod holder and it don’t matter. You could string up a piece of bamboo and it just wouldn’t matter. But those days when it’s not wide open and you’re looking for the smallest indication of a strike, you gotta have some good equipment.”
Kirk hit the nail on the head. It’s hard to turn someone away from a $15-$20 combo at Walmart to something that ends up costing $300+ with a promise that they’ll catch more fish. But it’s true. Nothing beats a quality fishing rod and reel that will allow you to see that strike because it has a nice soft tip, will allow you to pull in that big fish because it has a nice strong backbone, and will allow you to fight said fish on light test because it has a super smooth drag. Not that everyone needs to run out and spend a fortune on their first rig, Kirk’s point that quality gear makes a difference is a great one that a lot of people miss out on because of large price tags. There is no reason why a rod and reel should not last you a lifetime. Spending a little bit up front can make a real difference in the memories that eventually make up your fishing career.
Kirk with a fantastic roosterfish caught down south. Top quality gear can make the difference between catching fish like this and going home empty handed.
As Kirk kept glancing at his float tube, then the water, then his tube, then people on the water, then back at me, I knew my time chatting with Kirk was drawing to a close. I asked him one last thing. “In closing Kirk, what is the take home message that you would like to give to people reading this?” His response was epic.
“Every person has to develop a system that works for them. If you want to use surf rods out here and that works for you, then use surf rods. You have to develop your methods, your game plan, what suits you and makes you comfortable and happy. If you don’t enjoy doing what someone teaches ya, then don’t do it! Do what you want to do, develop it, and make that work. But you have to believe. If you’re throwing a bait, you HAVE to believe it’s going to get bit. Ya know, there are three things that define a good fisherman: 1) intensity, 2) attention to detail, and 3) the “x-factor”. That “x-factor” is the total of the first two plus something extra. Some people just catch more fish than other people. Maybe they have a fish brain, think like a fish, I don’t know what it is, maybe they just have fish charisma. But if you can increase your intensity and your attention to detail, anybody can become a good fisherman. That x-factor is something I work on every time I am out here.” And it shows Kirk, boy oh boy does it show.
Kirk at the Inflatable Navy Prefish Event, showing us all how it is done.
After I finished speaking to Kirk, I had about 15 minutes before I had to leave for work. Knowing this was a small window, I still decided to hop on a boat to see if I could get any pictures of Kirk in action. The guy is just incredible. As I pulled away from the dock, I see Kirk ALREADY bent on a fish! Turns out it’s a small crappie but I still wanted to take some pictures. Kirk was having none of it. “I can do better,” he informed me as I glanced at my watch. My window was shortening and with what I thought to be an unlikely scenario of finding another fish willing to go in the next few minutes I wanted to tell Kirk to forget it and just hold up the stupid crappie. But again, this is Kirk we are dealing with here. No more than 5 minutes later…
Just amazing. It’s too bad for Kirk that you can’t bottle that “something else”, that “fish charisma” that he had mentioned earlier, because if you could, the guy would be a zillionaire!
Kirk is an ambassador for the fishing community in every sense of the word. Since our talk I’ve shared a number of amazing days fishing with him out at Corona and more laughs than I can count while we’ve been out there. Kirk is dedicated to his craft and it shows in every way. In fact, Kirk is so keen on seeing the float tubing community thrive, especially with the youngsters, that he’s volunteered his time in the past with an open invitation for the future for people that want to see how to really put fish on the boat out there, all free of charge.
Kirk putting people on fish!
I can’t say enough how thankful I am to Kirk for taking time out of his day to share his story. I walked away from our talk feeling inspired and as I write this I am once again reminded of how great of a time we had. His story is one of overcoming anything that life throws at you and walking away from it not only unscathed, but a better person because of it. In his own words, Kirk has the “x-factor” not only in fishing, but in life. And as is readily apparent, fishing has undoubtedly played a key part in Kirk living his life. While slamming fish after fish is something he does, fishing is an important part of who he is. Kirk is one of the fishing afflicted. And what he’s done with this infectious disease is remarkable in what he’s accomplished over the years and in how he’s gotten to where he is. When you see Kirk out there, be sure to send him a “Hello!” while you watch the “lesson” unfold. Welcome to the Spotlight Kirk!! We feel incredibly lucky to have you.