Topics

1

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Off to a Good Start

« on: January 01, 2024, 10:09:46 PM »

Stayed an extra day camping at the beach for a beautiful day and great fishing conditions.  1 to 2 foot sets every couple minutes. Otherwise flat and outgoing tide.

Switched to squid this session and the crockers came to the party starting with this spotfin. Followed by a couple yellow fin friends.

Last but not least a Keychain Leo.

And you've probably already noticed the lucky Goofy shirt. The one day I didn't wear it I got the stripe..

- Keith

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Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Calm Before the Storm

« on: December 30, 2023, 01:19:42 PM »

At the beach camping for the week and got out and fished Thursday morning before the big waves moved in. Mussles were the bait of choice. Outgoing tide and 2 ft shore breaks.

First up was a small bat ray on mussles. Had my other pole set up with mackerel for the bat rays. The hooks came in clean every time except once when a choice center cut of mackeral came in just skin. You can guess a batray did that.
Got quite a few short bites on the mussles. Finally connected with a medium size perch.


Current started ripping south so I walked over the Dana Point Harbor jetty to see what was around.  Found the usual suspects,  lots of Smeltzillas.


Went  back to the jetty the next day. The waves and current were making the beach unfishable. Got there a little later and as the sun set it was smelt city again... at least I had something to pull on.

-Keith

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General Board / Merry Chistmas and a Happy New Year to All

« on: December 24, 2023, 03:32:07 PM »

I just wanted to take a moment and wish a Merry Chistmas and a Happy New Year to All
And a great fishing season next year.
Cheers!

- Keith

4

Fishing Talk / Trying Something New

« on: May 13, 2023, 08:49:32 AM »

I was up at Big Bear Lake on a warm weekend mid April and saw lots of carp swimming along the shores spawning. I've seen people bowfishing before there and thought I'd like to give it a try.
I've only shot a bow and arrow on occasion in the past. I looked online and found a nice compound bow kit with all the bells and whistles. These new bows have sights and string releases with triggers so it takes away a lot of the finesse you needed to shoot an arrow. I took a few shots in my backyard to get it adjusted and sighted and took it up the following weekend.
Unfortunately  it was 10 degrees cooler and the carp weren't as active but I did manage to find a few.

I got about 20 shots and got two. As expected, my side to side aim was right on but up and down was bad due to the refraction. The two I did get were 15 feet from shore and in about a foot of water. You have to shoot 4 inches lower for every 10 ft of distance and 3 inches for every foot depth. I shot 9 inches below and got them spot on.





I'm looking forward to trying again on a warmer weekend. In the meantime, I'll be practicing with pieces of submerged pool float noodles in my pool. 

-Keith

5

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Been putting in the Time on the Sand

« on: February 20, 2023, 08:31:57 PM »

After the last few reports I've seen for this year I'm hesitant to post my few catches. But I figure it's time spent on the sand so it's more info for everyone.
My last report was from a boat and I noticed quite a bit of bait in the water a mile or more out. I spent some time on the sand the last two weekends and found some success there. Saturday 2/11 at Doheny beach found good conditions, small surf and no salad, but couldn't get a bite. I was using mussles which have worked in the past for at least a croaker. Sunday was another day and same conditions and in the morning was the same outcome.
In the afternoon, I moved about 100 yards south out of the campgrounds and setup again for a second round. Got my first bite on mussels and pulled in a medium sized spotfin croaker. I had run out of mussels so I switched to squid. First bite and I pulled in a barred surf perch.    I started to get bites e ery cast missing bait on every reteive for about a half hour. Managed to pull in a 10inch perch. I haven't seen the perch around for quite sometime so I was very pleased to see them back. The bite slowed and the last hookup was a batray. I haven't hooked a batray in close to a year, so I was happy to see them back again too.


Although i had wished it would've been bigger. 

Went Sunday at sunup out to my Goto place on CDM jetty. Lots of bait in the water early. Was hooking up on the usual mackerels, and then pulled in a sardine. I haven't caught one of them for more then 5 years. I guess since the waters cooled down they are back, like the perch and the sand crabs. Also hooked up with another unexpected catch, a halibut.


Again, I wish it would've been bigger.

-Keith

6

Fishing Talk / Lots of Bait in the Water

« on: February 04, 2023, 08:33:42 PM »

I rented a 26 foot Reef Runner to take my Mom's ashes out to sea. And as my Mother would have expected, I took my fishing poles out with me. We went out of LA harbor and headed straight out toward Catalina. About 2 miles out. I started seeing pelicans diving. Next thing we know we are seeing baitfish breaking the surface in big patches all around. Got the ashed out in a white cloud in the clear blue water. So now where are the bait...
Saw some about 100 feet away so got my pole ready to troll a lure. While I'm getting ready they start popping up all around the boat... of course. As soon as I got my line out and started trolling they were gone. The fish finder showed they just sank down to about 15 feet below the surface. I trolled around heading into several schools but didn't get a bite. Didn't really expect to but it was worth a try. Also cruised along shore by Point Fermon and saw several promising mounds holding fish, but only brought limited tackel and no bait. So just made note on the areas to take my Kayak later.
Nice day on the water. A little bit of waves but no white caps.
Honestly, it would've made my day to see a dolphin or a tuna in the baitfish but just getting out there knocks another thing off my wish list.

-Keith

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Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Doheny Catch and a Surprise

« on: October 04, 2022, 02:58:52 PM »

Was at Doheny beach on Monday, playing hooky from work. Fished fresh frozen mussels which I collected in Ventura. Got a few little bumps on my line and came back with cleaned off hooks, except for the thread. Finally got a solid bite. Picked up my pole felt it still on and started to reel it in. Didn't feel like anything for a while and finally saw a spot fin croaker slide up on the sand. Nice 12" one. Just didn't put up much of a fight. At least I shook the stripe.

A little later I was looking out toward the mouth of the Dana Point Harbor and I see a splash. First I think dolphins. Then I see a 6 ft plus shark jumping full length out of the water. Then again. I told my wife to look and it proceeded to jump 3 more times fully out of the water, straight up. What a surprise. My wife got a good look at it too. Which made me feel better than when I just tell her about it and get the usual look.
My guess was juvenile GW. Dark on top and white on the bottom. Saw a paddle boarder go around the same area later and was able to compare sizes. Definitely longer than the paddle boarder was tall.

In Monterey this week with my wife for our anniversary. Staying in Big Sur. Hoping to hit a couple beaches while we're here.

-Keith

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Fishing Talk / OC Oil Spill Closures Lifted

« on: December 02, 2021, 05:03:36 AM »

I just went to the CFG site and it didn't show any oil spill closures in OC this time. I am assuming they were lifted.
You know where I'll be this weekend.

-Keith

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Fishing Talk / San Onofre Fishing Tips?

« on: May 29, 2021, 06:21:00 PM »

At San Onofre at the campgrounds.  Going to soak some bait tonight. Anyone have any tips? I have macs and squid. I'm planning to do one pole each to start.

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Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Bats out during the day, again!

« on: February 16, 2021, 05:22:07 AM »

My wife took me to the beach for Valentine's day. We got there about 7:30 with our pop up trailer. It was cold and windy. By the time I made breakfast and we ventured out again the wind had stopped and it was starting to warm up.
I set up our chairs and umbrella, and then got to fishing. I used mackerel and squid to see what worked. Tide was coming in until  10:45 or so. Got one slack line bite which returned a smashed piece of mackerel.  Between 9:30 and 10:30 was when the fish seemed to become active.  First up was a clicker screaming bite. Started hauling it in and seemed like a small batray.  Once I got it towards the beach it made several more drag screaming runs up the beach. About 100 feet down the beach later, I got good size batray to shore.

That one was followed by another bite in which the line went completely slack. I ran over and started cracking in the slack only to crank 5 or 6 times before I felt anything. It finally loaded up with a smaller model batray.  Funny thing was when I threw it back into the wash it kept swimming back up and beaching itself. Must have been confused from the start when it headed for the beach when it got hooked.
Later in the day managed a nice perch on a piece of mackerel. 

At the end of the day while my wife and I watched the sunset I thanked my wife for the great Valentine's day present. 

-Keith

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Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / 8/10 Another use for Mackerel

« on: August 10, 2020, 04:17:26 PM »

Vacationing at Lake Cachuma so I did the best I could to get some fishing in.

Got a spot right by the lake. Here's my little A frame trailer.

Mornings we were greeted by quail, turkeys, and a View!


-Keith

12

Fishing Talk / Anybody out Sharken yet?

« on: May 23, 2020, 03:51:54 PM »

It's been quiet on the board.
I've been able to go out once just before the red tide and have caught more bait since so I'm ready to go again.
I've found a small cove in OC which has good reefs around it which I'm planning on trying again. There is a small sandy beach which gives me a place to pull anything ashore. Looking forward to giving it a try again.

-Keith

13

Fishing Talk / Red tide

« on: April 24, 2020, 09:13:08 AM »

So my uncle told me when I was a kid that when there is a red tide the fishing isn't as good and not to eat the fish because of toxins in fish during the red tide. How much of it is true?
I venture out and aside from the glow in the waves I seemed to be getting bites still. Didn't actually catch anything but at least felt the tugs.

-Keith

14

Fishing Talk / Ready for some Sharking

« on: April 19, 2020, 10:37:15 AM »

Went out and made bait this morning. Ready for some sharking. 

15

Fishing Talk / Galveston Fishing?

« on: May 11, 2019, 09:01:57 AM »

Going to Houston next week and am going into Galveston for a day, maybe more. Does anyone know where are good places to fish there? I’ve been there once before and saw the nice jettys and the pier on the one side of the peninsula. Talked to one fellow who said you can get King Mackerel off the jetty or the pier. I also remember seeing a post of someone catching big rays. Any ideas or info will be appreciated.

-Keith