Topics

1

Fishing Talk / If I were to target bait stealers at night...

« on: February 17, 2022, 08:42:15 PM »

Trying my darndest to crack the code...

Kid switched clubs and now practices near a different set of beaches later in the evening. I get about a 45 minute window to wet a line. I've now spent the last 3 weeks skunking in the dark... a new personal best. Tried reefs, jetties, sandy beaches, and lagoons. Tossed the usual artificials but can't get a sniff. I know there's fish here because I've had recent success on the same sand during dawn patrol hours.

You guys tossing lures at night between "plinks" with success? Or do I need to give in and soak bait? Would like to tug on something before time change brings out the crowds and makes parking a chore.

2

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / 11/13 La Jolla AM

« on: November 13, 2021, 07:17:40 PM »

Out the door at graylight, on the water at dawn. Clear skies, glassy seas, low 60's SST, small surf but got soaked anyway.

Went toward the bait grounds to load up. Not much on the meter. Didn't see any macks but the micronito and winter coats are still puddling around. As the dawn rose to daylight it revealed streaks of that dreaded red tide. No wonder no bait. Also noticed the lobster guys have moved an overwhelming number of their traps elsewhere.

Poked around and noticed the red tide dissapated out deeper. Outside112ft it was dark green again. Nothing much on the meter still. Birds were out and about but not quite doing their thing. Decided to look deep in the canyon where I scored last time.

On the way there I ran over 2 different marks. Huge single arch. Shark maybe? Tried to entice them but went 0 for 2.

Got to the AO soon after, zoomed in on the bottom, and went to work. Instant bite on the first drop produced and small scorpion fish. By the time I released it I was off the spot. Drift was perpendicular to the particular structure I was working so that meant 1 drop then reset my position again.

Worked the area pulling assorted shorts and keepers. Bit both the jig and squid that I wisely brought along. Reds from 300 to 350ft. Bocaccio from 250 to 300ft. Lots of shrimp getting coughed up. Every now and then schools of candybar macks would cruise through covering the entire middle column. Nabbed a couple just in case.

While fishing the area the big cattle boat came and set up a drift behind myself and another kayaker. The other guy and myself were working the drop off as that's what initially lit up our screens. The cattle boat worked the flat area of nothing, giant deserted no man's land, not even a sanddab to be found area.  All that fish finding equipment and day in and day out knowledge and they set up precisely opposite of where they should. They fired up their engines pretty quick after that to move and right on cue I pull my biggest bocaccio as they drive by. Hidden and out of sight of course. 

Anyway, they dissappear into the horizon. Paddling back to the spot after every drop took up a lot of time. After about 90 minutes the bite all of a sudden stopped. Tried different nearby areas and different depths but it just shut down altogether.

Decided to swing back to the shallows dragging a mack to see if the red tide moved out. Saw some bait marks on the bottom but nothing substantial to pay attention to. Saw more puddlers and occupied myself wrangling a handful of micronito before drifting back into the thick area of the red tide. Went to wind my mack in and had a winter checker coated calico go airborn chasing my mack. Absolutely determined!

Had enough of the stained water and called it quits. Uneventful landing over cruising leopards in the shallows. Loaded up and drove up the hill. Had a good view the contrast between red tide and normal water. Hope it drifts away soon.

3

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / 10/16 La Jolla AM

« on: October 16, 2021, 08:09:10 PM »

Life has kept me off the water for quite some time. Today was an exception.

Launched just before dawn in 1ft surf. Somehow found a way to get soaked. And of course, being a little rusty, forgot my phone was in my pocket. Fortunately my phone survived this one.

Beautiful surface conditions. Under the surface little to no current. Bait had absolute lockjaw. I did snag a french fry sized lizardfish and threw it in the tank just in case.

With little intel to go off of I paddled around to a few go-to spots for a calico here and a calico there on the scampi as well as on the metal. All dinks. Their coats were brown with faded white checkers. I guess I missed the spawn.

Water went from low to mid 60's throughout the morning. Sun blasted my face by reflecting off the glassy surface. Water was clear with a deep green tint but lots of clutter on top, kind of like a light dusting of some sort. Could see schools of macks breezing and also baby halfmoons under a few paddies. Birds would squawk everytime they saw macks puddle but that was it in terms of bird action. On the meter lots of marks spread out but again, absolute lockjaw. Noticed all the marks were down below a certain depth. Hint that there's a thermocline in effect. Decided to switch it up last minute before heading in.

Took a detour along the Southern edge of the canyon. Paddled over a random spot where the drop off would start around 300ft. Had a Spider Hitch tied with a heavy jig on the long end and a circle hook on the short end. Pinned on the lizardfish on the circle hook and sent it down. As soon as it hit bottom I got slammed instantly. Long fight up to about 150ft then dead weight. Got it aboard and had my fiirst vermillion in the bag.

Lizardfish died, unsurprisingly... sent it back down anyway. Same story but this time a starry hits the deck. 3rd fish, short greenspotted... slabbed it up and back on the reds. Rinse and repeat for about an hour or two. Finished just short of my limit of assorted cod.

Lots of cranking. More reds at around 350ft. More greenspotted passed 400ft. Nothing but bait stealers at 500+. Bigger ones came a couple cranks off the bottom. Sent the shorts back down, only needed to slab a couple.

Really wanted my limit but my face had enough sunburn for the day. Ran thru a school of leopards before landing. Always cool to see them as it's that time of year they hang out at the launch.

Fish and Wildlife survey dude wanted to ask 21 questions. I was in a rush ( to the bathroom ) and if he wanted to talk he'd have to walk with me. Had some questions of my own, usually what his fish counts have been lately. Says he hasn't seen a yellow in a couple months. Guess I missed the fun earlier this year. Oh well, there's always the next one.

4

General Board / Latimeria

« on: May 22, 2021, 08:56:11 AM »

https://www.foxnews.com/science/see-it-420-million-year-old-fish-species-rediscovered-in-indian-ocean



A humongous "fossil fish" with origins that can be traced back 420 million years has resurfaced in the West Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar.

The 6.5-feet, up to 198-pound coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) was believed to have gone extinct at least a century ago. However, a recent study published in the SA Journal of Science revealed that as of May 2020 as many as 334 coelacanth captures had been documented.

The coelacanth species, also known as the "four-legged fish" for its vigorous fins, roams in deep undersea canyons between 350 and 1,600 feet below the surface.

According to the Smithsonian Ocean Portal, the fish were first rediscovered in 1938 using gill-nets.

The species was named for its discoverer, Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, and reportedly described by Rhodes University's Professor J.L.B. Smith in 1939.

5

Food & Recipe / Christmas Rack of Pork

« on: December 25, 2020, 09:27:36 PM »

Big props to Mr. Tim for the influence. Almost didn't find this at Costco until the ole lady spotted an employee rolling out the meat rack for a last minute restock. This one was already stuffed and seasoned. $23 bucks later it's in the cooler headed for home.

Topped off the Traeger with some Bear Mountain pellets. Forgot what flavor but smells good. Left off the drip tray and set on the highest setting to sear both sides directly over the pot. Bottom side seared and went to flip it. As I walked away I got a flare up. Caught it and got it under control but not after scraping a bit of rub off the side and popping off sections of twine. Oops! 



After the unintentional fire I installed the drip tray and smoked on low. 45 minutes later probed it to see where it was at and raised the heat from there. Coated the top with some apple cider vinegar, apple juice, and extra seasoning to keep moist and attract that smokey flavor.

Since this is my first rack of pork I probed every half hour to check internal temps and adjusted heat as needed. Coated every hour with the apple seasoned goodness so it wouldn't dry out and also hopefully add back some flavor to where I scraped some off earlier. About 2.5 hours later hit target temp, or at least in the ballpark area  , then pulled it out to rest 15 minutes.



After resting, moment of truth...



Squeeze test...



Sampled a piece. Wow! Yeah tasted better than it looked. Juicy, tender, and no hint of being scorched. 



Close shot of the rib piece.



Didn't realize the onions stuffed in the middle. Not over powering at all.



Didn't get a dinner shot but served with broccoli, roasted potatoes, and homemade honey butter buiscuts. Dutch apple pie and ice cream for dessert.

Fun piece of meat to bbq even with the early fumble. Already brainstorming how to attack the next rack of pork that comes across the cutting board. Also stashing funds for a fire grill for better searing and general grilling as my propane one died a couple years ago. Been eyeing a simple charcoal burner that I could teach the boys to use.

Thanks for looking and once again hope you enjoyed my follies.

6

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / 12/20 La Jolla AM

« on: December 20, 2020, 07:56:10 PM »

On the sand before dawn. Surfs down and crowds are back. Didn't bother to wait for the lull and plowed through a couple closeouts. A few grunts later turned North to check out the pier.

59° SST, lite puff from the East, smooth seas with long smooth rollers moving underneath. Zero life at the pier. Checked the bouys just to the West. Couple nibbles but nada on the Sabiki. A few grunts later made a heading for the canyon's edge.

Metered the edge and found some marks down deep. Dropped the metal for nada. Played with the settings to try and get a better picture. Marks looked small and with talk of squirts I tied on the squid jig to the bottom of the sabiki. Nibbles felt like the right kind so I started cranking. Pulled up a chain of juvenile green striped rockfish. A few grunts later continued to zig zag the canyon's edge.

Not much happening after an hour or so working the canyon. It was nursery fishing at best with more dink green stripes. I'm not too far away from a couple of small rockpiles in the middle of nowhere. I haven't visited this spot in awhile and never really see anyone fishing it so I decided to go over and check it out. On my way there, just a couple hundred yards short actually, a skiff works it's way right on the spot. No way! As I start my grunt routine I spy as he slows down over the spot but then decides to gun it and head way the hell away. Hmm... my turn to check it out.

Structure is right where it should be. Meter is showing a little life off the bottom. I make the long drop and get slammed instantly. Decent red coming in hot! Next 2 drops rinse and repeat. All 3 fiesty little buggahs fought all the way up even with the barotrauma. Weird. Reset my drift and get into a slower but steady vermillion bite on the metal. Winds and current were kicking up making it a one drop drift sorta deal. Spent some time to send a few smaller ones back. But was eventually able to top off a limit of verms. Quantity over quality this time. A few grunts later I stuff the lid closed on the RSW.



Went inside the Cove to see if anyone was home. Had a few tugs on the swimbait but missed the hookset. A little while later got pantsed again. Paddled around looking for more but couldn't find anyone else to play. Cleared the deck, headed in, ended the session with a smooth landing.

As I write this report I notice nothing but red and green right before Christmas. There is no such thing as coincidence. Merry Christmas PSoul keep your drinks cold and your bellies warm.

7

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / 12/13 La Jolla AM

« on: December 13, 2020, 10:30:45 PM »

A wall of chilly 45° air temps rushed into the garage as I began loading procedures. No smashed fingers this time. Heater on blast for the quick drive to the launch.

As I stumbled down the boardwalk I studied the leftover 3-4ft surf breaking up and down the beach. Swells from the North. Mostly 4ft height but only 2ft faces and mushy. They came in sets of 6-8 and there was just enough lull between sets to make it through.

The high tide and bigger surf left zero real estate for offloading. There were a couple kayak fishermen on the street waiting in their trucks deciding if it's even worth it. One asked me if I'm going for it. I replied "ah this is nothin'" 

Took the Trident off the cart, broke it down, and stored it inside the front hatch. As I locked the lid I looked up and saw my friend and his buddy leashing up before their dawn patrol session. He usually surfs on the other side, so I'm thinking if he's over here then it really must be good. I went over to say what's up. He's not surprised one bit I'm even attempting to go. We shared a few laughs, they paddle out ahead of me, and I timed my entrance with spectators watching.

Set waves to the North just starting to show a lull. Last couple waves in front wash up on what's left of the beach. I saw my window, jumped on, then powered through. A moment later I reunited with my buddy and his friend out in the line up, dry beard and all. "No sweat" I exclaimed as his friend laughed and shook his head. Double checked to see if everything made it out, mounted the Helix 5, then set out to work some deeper water.

SST was 58° with a slight offshore breeze. Lots of salad churned up from this swell. Water was dark green. Refined the settings a bit and had a much better picture on the screen. Stopped on a few marks on the way out which resulted in a lone calico in winter colors. Bait making was grim to say the least. Thank goodness I didn't forget the squid.

Made it out to 200ft+ depths. Few boats and very spread apart. Cattle boat didn't even bat an eye as it made it's way further North towards TP/DM. Metered bait deep. Couldn't figure out how to zoom in LOL. Had to scoot in closer and squint a little. Slim pickens on dinks for the early morning.

Mid morning, still overcast, still cold, and the surface conditions were a little bumpy. There's really no one around. My handheld doesn't transmit anymore only receives. Recent talks of hypothermia on another forum got some spooked and double thinking their cold water gear. My back is still healing but it feels better. I was just realizing I haven't practiced a self rescue in a long time. I figured now isn't the best time to jump in the water to brush up on this, IMHO, mandatory skill set. But alas, nature calls so in I went. Boardshorts are a wonderful thing. Easy off easy on. Business done and back on board. Like riding a bike. Apologies if you weren't prepared for that.

Late morning around 11:30 the switch turned on. Bigger reds, school of bocaccio, and the whitefish all came out of their holes. Mixed sizes. Squid and metal got the love. Lots to decending done but every now and then a keeper would make it aboard. Sinking dinks in 280ft is an eternity with only 4oz torpedos. Bring heavier sinkers next time.

Had about an hour and a half until the bite slowed. The current just flat out died and the winds switched. Counted 8 in the bag with a 3 and 4LB vermillion taking up most of the space. Satisfied with that I paddled back in making a few stops here and there to see if any of the shallow water sheephead wanted to play. Of course the whitefish pecked every last piece of squid off the hooks until I was depleted.

Back at the launch. The swell had diminished to mere ankle slappers. Spotted the Warden sitting in his truck. Didn't bother to check just threw up da shakka. Shoots!

Sonar is working out great. Haven't messed with the GPS much. Going to wait until I have the Navionics card. I also need to order a visor because the glare is unbearable. Didn't take any shots of the new rig as the waves were up and didn't want to soak my phone. Hopefully next time.

8

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / 12/6 La Jolla AM

« on: December 06, 2020, 06:42:45 PM »

Took a short 2 week hiatus. Sold the Prowler 13T. Had a minor muscle tear on my left erector which is where I had a major tear last year. Had another back pop during the first rehab session. Then went out of town for Thanksgiving for some much needed rest and relaxation. Came back to welcome home a new reverse hyper machine to the garage gym. Got a couple active recovery work outs in, back felt good... so made the call to get back on the water.

Out the door at graylight after smashing my finger loading up the new Trident 13. Broke a thru fitting for my bait tank when connecting the intake tube. Bypassed the fitting and bungeed the hose to spill over the top. Forecast called for 2-3ft waves. Ended up 2-3 inches at best. I'll take it! On the water at dawn.

Chilly morning. SST 59° but felt like a spa if you know what I mean. Light winds early on building up to a stiff but manageable breeze from the North later on. Water visiblity was amazing. Paddled thru a massive school of halfmoons which had no interest in anything I had tied on. Unfortunately that would be the only fish I saw from the new deck.

Spent most of the morning trying to dial in the new Helix 5. It's only a 2D model with GPS but has way more settings to mess with than my old grayscale unit. Paddled over to a few familiar spots just to see if the image would be similar. I might as well metered Lake Miramar. Guess it will take some getting used to.

As far as metering fish there were plenty. But the lack of current had them lockjawed, at least up shallow where I was working. Seldom birds, zero surface life, quiet radio. No love on the plastic and metal. I did pack squid but the bites were few.

I spied a lobster boat resetting gear. Soon as he left I beelined it to his string. Fresh chum! First fish on the new sleigh... whitefish. Continued knocking on doors and followed up with a few sugar bass, short goats, and more whitefish. Not wide open by any means and the "bite" actually stopped altogether sooner than later.

Made my way in working more familiar spots and pressing more buttons. New seat design is much more comfortable. More lumbar and leg support. Zero back soreness which was nice. Found out I have a clock and a speedometer on this Humminbird unit. Average 3.5-4.1 MPH just cruising and 5.1 on a half assed sprint thru surface texture. Now I'm itching break 6 MPH after more rehab sessions in the garage.

Boring report but they should get better as I familiarize myself with the new rig. Overcome hurdles and set new goals. It's not the fish I'm after... or however the saying goes.

9

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / 11/15 La Jolla AM

« on: November 15, 2020, 09:20:02 PM »

Nitro cold brew and oatmeal for breakfast then on the road at gray light. Electrical gremlins again on the street. Tried the same voodoo as last time but this time failed to get the transducer to connect. Oh well, the ocean awaits.

Short interval and high tide combo made for a sporty launch. Timed my entrance good enough to avoid getting swamped. Goal of the day was to herd some goats. I brought squid but have had better luck with fresh dead so the hunt for macks was first on the list. Without a working transducer I had to rely on sight. Found lots of fin bait up on the surface but they were the wrong kind and very skittish. Tried tipping my sabiki with squid for nada.

After an hour of looking I gave up. Dropped squid on some of my old goat spots. Drop after drop it was game on. All the whitefish you wanted and all the whitefish you never wanted. It was an infestation from 50ft to 150ft. Every damn goat spot was littered with whitefish. Tried strips, heads, whole squid. Every damn bite was a whitefish. 

At this point my hopes for goat herding were fading away and all I really wanted now was anything with red. Went over to a rocky ledge with some metal. First drop boom decent size honeycomb. Next drop decent flag fish. 3rd drop, white freakin' fish. You gotta be kidding me. Fair hooked with a 7/0 single?!?! 

Took a break to hydrate and reset. Thought I'd plug in the fish finder for sh!ts n' giggles and somehow the transducer is back in action.  SST temp update 58°. Thought it felt a bit chilly. Metered lots of small bait. Tried to entice them with the sabiki to no avail.

Made a few more drifts which resulted in a few more dinks on the metal. Dropped squid and again absolutely harassed by the fish of the year. Decided to head back into the kelp to see if the whitefish left. Lots of birds starting to get active. Schools of bass doing backflips and feeding on the micro stuff. Pinned on squid for another bucket load of whitefish. Then finally a hook set that didn't wiggle. Got it up to the surface and saw that familiar red and black suit. A sheephead at last! It wasn't the size I was hoping for so back in it went to fight another day.

Saw the current pick up pushing me South at a faster clip. Not wanting to paddle any further I started my way back up the line. Stopped at a few spots where the bass were feeding. Lots of salad in the water made throwing the jig a chore. But I did get to tug on some checkers and even a cuda. June action in Fall. Can't complain.

Cut the corner and followed the shoreline in 30ft. Cool to see the bass give chase the entire shoreline. Then just as I was reentering the reserve I see a ghost cruising the kelp stalk. It disappeared quicker than I could grab a rod. Note: bring squid again.

Low tide and small surf. Rode a fun wave from way outside. Ran over a few leopards in the skinny. 61° SST at Shores. Kid has been asking about bologna sandwiches. Grabbed a pack of Oscar Mayer and some beer to wash the taste out of my mouth afterwards. Last time I had the stuff I was around his age. If his tastes buds are like mine we'll use the rest of the pack for catfishing.

10

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / 11/1 La Jolla AM

« on: November 02, 2020, 09:00:28 AM »

Last week's weather kept me off the water. Also repair parts for the C-tug cart hadn't arrived yet.

This week's out of town Halloween party and time change effected my start time. Out the door at DAWN. No hangover at least. Prepping my kayak streetside and run into transducer connection issues. Fiddled with that for awhile. Somehow had the FF show a diagnostics screen and make noises I've never heard before. Slapped it upside the head after some voodoo with the pins and that did the trick. On the sand and thru the 1ft breakers late enough to put on my Costas.

Shoot over to the pier. Not much bait, or at least sizeable bait. There's was a small school of chovie sized macks with a few mini sized mixed in but were hard to get going. Made only a handful before heading over to the AO.

Smooth easy paddle, light chilly beeeze from the west in areas. Puff of cool air from the east in others. Water temp down to 62° but very clear. Clean skies could see all the way to Dana Point. Chopped salad everywhere. Crowds have dwindled. No cattle boat in sight.

Zero surface action not even a bonito blitz all morning. First 2 greenbacks lost to snags from floating kelp. Had a new jig that I rerigged with homemade assist hooks to try out. Landed a sculpin before losing it to a lobster trap. I was even a good distance away from the bouy when I snagged it's rope. Way too much rope and scope on that one. All other traps had near vertical lines.

Paddled around more saving the last 3 macks to drop down on meter marks. Saw a few here and there but were most likely loose kelp floating around. Ran over a rock that was lit up and boom, easy limit of whitefish   . Left that area and beelined it to the kelp line to see if anyone was home.

More floating kelp than actual growing kelp. Not much on the meter other than an occasional bait ball swimming by. Threw the iron for a lone bonito, biggest one of the year. Never did see any signs of bonito nor hooked another one. No bass to be seen. Dropped a mack and got smashed by most likely a dink. I slabbed the now crippled mack only to find more whitefish. As I released one it stayed right in the shadow of my kayak. I spanked it with my paddle to get it going. It went right back into hiding. Another moment later a sea lion swam in and slurped it up within arms reach. Well that might of explained it. Cool to see up close but afterwards couldn't shake this sea lion until I paddled over to the closest skiff to pass it along. Dirty trick but fair game in the sport of fishing. Continued working the edge of the kelp for basically a Nadapalooza.

Big slow down in terms of action and little signs of life. At least the waters I was working anyway. Huge fog bank rolled in around noon. Super thick too couldn't see 100 yards at times. So much for that view of Dana Point. Decided I had enough, deployed the compass, and headed east to The Shores. Missed it by 200 yards LOL. Paddled parallel for a bit before landing thru the sea of lost kayak tours and leopard shark snorkel people.

Packed up and left. As I was going up the hill I see the beautiful view of La Jolla Cove. WTF?! Zero signs of fog clear skies to the horizon. At this point I'm still hearing the ringing in my ears from a PB blowing their horn at some idiot in their 1M yacht racing around blind 45 minutes earlier.

Shoyu, sugar, ginger, garlic, chili pepper water. Going to hone in on my smoked pua this week. Maybe try a mac salad. Oh and crack open an Oktoberfest beer I forgot I had in the back of the fridge.

11

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / 10/18 La Jolla AM

« on: October 18, 2020, 09:32:00 PM »

Up and out the door at darkness. Foggy drive and extra thick west of the college. Couldn't see more than 2 car lengths going down the hill.

Cool and misty launch at Lake Pacific. Took advantage and hugged the shoreline as I made my way to the pier. Massive mini mack and sardine schools made for easy pickens and tangled halfbikis. Full tank at graylight and by then the fog ceiling lifted just enough to navigate as normal.

70° SST with a slight breeze to start the hunt. Bonito flurries here and there. Birds circling but staying high. Tested a new battery and harness set up for the fish finder and it was working flawlessly. Satisfied enough I'll be doing the same set up for the newer kayak and sonar.

Conditions looked epic except the fish weren't really on the chew. Saw a smaller whale at the kelp line go completely airborn several times and making a show for the crowd. No signs of yellows, should of been there yesterday kind of deal. Went to test a new jig in deeper waters.

Got to deeper waters and dropped the new jig into the abyss. It never made it back up. Had a quick tug then nothing. Reeled up and saw a clean slice through the braid. So much for that.

Dropped mini macks instead and loaded up on a couple bigger grade rockfish while getting raked from the ambitious dinks. Later on I slabbed up used macks and pulled up some bigger grade whitefish. About time! Topped off the limit with an assortment of bottom dwellers. Bait was the name of the game. They must be keened in on it from all the lobster chum. Had crap luck fishing deep on the metal.

Breeze died as the clouds burned off then it got hot. Screen reading 72° now. I headed in for the Cove bite that's been consistent when it warms up. Like clockwork things started to look more alive. Smaller bonito mixed in with bigger greenbacks. Bass on the chew closer in. Hooked a bigger greenback and as I got it to color saw a rat yellow barely twice the size start charging at it and trying to steal the jig. I let the mack hang and the rat stuck around for about a minute before giving up and leaving. Stayed around looking for mama but it wasn't long before the cattle boat stormed in and brought the circus.

Absolute flat surf landing. Got to the 4Runner and noticed I left my loading straps on the roof. Surprised no one touched them. Same neighborhood someone stole my "feetwater" out of the bed of my old truck while I was out surfing.    Did find out I somehow damaged my kayak cart and was fortunate a wheel didn't slip off. Easy fix.

Dropped the kid off at sportsball and swung by Phil's to try their Oktoberfest Special bratwurst sandwich with bacon kraut. That definitely hit the spot should of ordered 2. Will try to mimic that on the grill one of these days.

12

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / 10/11 La Jolla AM

« on: October 11, 2020, 09:22:18 PM »

Thank goodness a non eventful Sunday morning ritual before heading out the door. On the sand at graylight. Easy launch thru short interval shin slappers. Decided to beeline it to the pier in search of greenbacks.

Deployed the pump and flipped on the bait tank upon arrival. Got the mini macks to swirl around the sabiki swing. It was an all you can cram day with no one else around. Made more than enough and set a heading to the West.

69° SST, morning gray, smooth seas, and a slight breeze. Picture perfect Fall conditions IMHO. Saw plenty birds sitting on the water. A couple in the air dipping thier wings out in the distance. I wanted to check out a certain area in deeper water that caught my interests. Got to the spot, dropped a mini mack down 220 feet, and got nailed. Big sand bass on a piece of rock in the middle of no man's land  . Tried another drift after releasing the turd roller but no love after that.

Set out to a more familiar area while towing a mack up top. No signs of yellows on the way there. An occasional bonito blitz. Got to the spot, sent a mini mack to the bottom, and invited aboard a couple of Taco Tuesday candidates. While working the bottom I had a first for me hit the hi rig. Nabbed my first pelagic ray.



Snagged would be a better term. Photo and release, sent another mini mack out on the same rig and bam... pelagic ray number 2. Smaller model. But hooked it fair and square this time.



They fight like a flooded beer can. Cool customers though both came in downside up for an easy release.

Weeded thru a few more dinks fishing the bottom rig. Smaller rockfish would absolutely rake and destroy baits. Then a bigger contender wanted to play. Made quick work and landed a legal ling cod. Taco Tuesday just got even better! By now the current and wind started pushing South fast so I made way back towards the barn.

On the way in whales, dolphin, birds, and sea lions galore. The morning mini macks turned into mondo macks and everything wanted to eat them. I think I might have caught my personal best greenback slinging the iron. Couldn't stay into the PM. The wind, current, and added commercial traps in the area were making things a little more cumbersome anyway. But plenty of lobster/shark bait if anyone needs it.

Another week another successful trip dodging the whitefish. Also no yellows but decent consolation prize. I did find a phone in knee deep water upon landing. Found it's owner soon after. Hope they can recover the data. Smoking 2 racks tomorrow. Beer to be determined.

13

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / 10/4 La Jolla AM

« on: October 04, 2020, 10:16:07 PM »

With the sun rising later and later I thought I could take my time and savor my breakfast this morning. Wrong. Had to eliminate an ant invasion in the kitchen. Cleared that out, poured my coffee, loaded up and left with a head start on the death toll.

On the sand at graylight. Easy launch. 67° SST on the screen. Minimal surface texture. Barely a breeze. Like last week the current wasn't quite sure which way it wanted to push. Must be all the new bouys in the water blocking the flow.

Slow pickens on spanish macks. Couldn't find a greenback that wanted to play. After making bait the sun lit up the horizon and the water went grease calm. You could see bonito puddling a mile away. Unforunately they were few and far between and nothing of size to be excited about.

Worked inside the NW Corner all morning making note of all the newly marked structure. Had one small take down on the bait rod all morning. Weak run and dropped it. No idea what it was.

Around noon ventured out to deeper water to get away from the bass harassment. Out deep the bigger bonito were spread out and on the move. Dink reds on the bottom. A couple scuplin fell for the homemade skirted jig. Zero signs of yellows. Current picked up and started pushing South in a hurry. Decided to drag my offerings back to the Cove

Back in front of the Condo. Conditions looking more favorable. SST now 72° and the current isn't so bad. Stuck around and made a few drifts. Greenbacks everywhere. Bass left me alone for once. Had the bait rod make a screaming run. Got the hook set, went for a short sleigh ride, then got rocked. Retie and sent one more down but got snagged shortly after. Oh well. I was already short on time but now defintely out of time. Looked like it might have been building up to be a decent evening bite as the bird action was just about starting up.

Broke a streak today. No whitefish. About dang time. I did catch one of those kids water blaster toys out in the middle of nowhere. It makes a great "deck hose" as I learned today. Found at least 2 new ant colonies I get to destroy this week. This summer has been bad for ants. A lot of neighbors sharing the same battle. Maybe all the new yard projects shaking up the ground?

Smokin' pork belly burnt ends tomorrow and I'm not trimming any fat. Extra butter and brown sugar.

14

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / 9/27 La Jolla AM

« on: September 27, 2020, 08:59:20 PM »

On the sand, or should I say seaweed, at 0 dark 45. Launched thru knee high breakers and met graylight at the bait grounds.

68° SST West of the line. Light breeze and minimal surface texture. Eel grass and chopped kelp plagued the Cove. Barely any surface life, not much on the meter, and an eerie silence among the crowd. The slack high tide at the 8 o'clock hour made things even more lifeless. Took an eternity to make a few pieces of bait... for me at least.

A couple flurries of bonito made a showing as the sun started breaking thru the clouds. I chucked the iron at a few boilers but couldnt get one to stick to save my life. On the other hand reeling up clumps of weeds were no problem. Having had enough I made a beeline over to deeper waters in search of a whitefish or 10.

Worked a few rockpiles out in cleaner waters for nothing but dinks. Current would push North one drift then East the next. Then the wind would push North or East every now and then. Kind of frustrating but comical at the same time.

Paddled over to a bigger rocky area and started my drift right smack dab in the middle. Set out my sliding sinker rig with an injured greenback and set it in the rod holder. As I was harassing the local whitefish nursery with the bass rod my sliding sinker rig makes a run for it. I let the circle hook do it's thing, clear the other line, then get to work.

Killer fight this time. Strong runs, heavy kicks, and it did it's best bluefin impression 50ft down. Absolute stubborness. Played tug of war right at that depth for a few rounds. Glanced at the meter for a sec... followers everywhere! There were times I felt my line get bumped and this might of explained it.

Being careful I finally wore it down and worked it to the surface. Neck shot with the gaff ( failed head shot ) and dragged it aboard. Complete cooperation this time no fighting back. Just layed still before bleeding and placing below decks. Ran the leader thru my fingers and yup not so smooth or slick. Fluoro, gotta love it's strength even with a few bumps and bruises.

First Fall 2020 mossback at the top of the first right after the first Summer 2020 mossback in the bottom of the ninth. Was frustrating but now comical. Total surprise after such a dead morning. This one went exactly 3 pounds heavier than last week's bounty but 3 times the fight. Of course no kelp paddy to muffle it's motor.

More sashimi and smoked collars this week. Maybe a pork butt if there's any shoyu left.

15

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / 9/20 La Jolla AM

« on: September 20, 2020, 04:24:42 PM »

Cat's out the bag. On the sand at the low tide hour. Plenty of parking with plenty of plastic lining up and down the beach. Caught up with familair faces and met new ones. Sporty launch but was prepared for it. Shot through the breakers, mounted electronics, and off to the bait grounds.

Tons of bait. Tons of lockjaw. Bait would just pop up everywhere but very few takers. Took awhile to find a school that would actually bite. And when they bit they were gone just like that but not before making a workable haul. Pinned one on and went searching for gold.

Lots of skiffs out in the distance. Birds working bait schools popping up along the kelp. I stopped on some surface bait action, tangled my sabiki, and decided to retire it. As I was packing it away the bait rod doubles over.

Circle hook stuck for once, game on! As my ears hear the long forgotten sound of drag singing I settle in for that first run. Short sleigh ride later I feel nothing buy heavy weight. Backed off the drag and let the braid do it's thing. Run, pop, run, pop, run, pop... like riding a bike. Small gains here and there until it breaks free from the kelp stringers. Fought it about 20ft then it runs into the loose kelp that popped and floated up during the start of the fight. Get it into gaff range, I think... all I see is a kelp paddy with a tail pushing it. I try sticking it but only gaff vegetation. Swing a little harder to penetrate through the salad and stick it. I don't know where, but who cares it's on board now. School size jack with adult size salad. Dry spell over.

Clean off the deck and reset. Another skiff is hootin and hollerin not too far away as they put one on the scoreboard. A few paddle strokes later my line takes a run. Doesn't stick so I let out some line. Another tug and that's it. Missed another chance.

As I rebait here comes the half day boat throwing chum 100 yards away and bringing all the dogs. I set a heading as fast as I could and get the hell out of there. As I'm scramming a skiff is working on a triple. I believe they got all 3. Nice!

Paddled around looking for more but by this time the circus is in full effect and shutting down the bite. A bone here a bone there. Snag a couple whitefish on a random rockpile. Bird activity mostly dead by now so back to the barn I go.

Sporty landing conditions at the high tide hour with a packed beach. Timed my landing perfectly and came in with a dry beard. Not the same story for everyone else. Times like this I appreciate the surfabiity of the Trident. That and years of actual surfing LOL. Talked story real quick with more new faces, played photographer, then back on the road.

Smoked YT collars tomorrow with pulled pork on the side. Or is it pulled pork with YT collars on the side? Either way just stoked to finally break the streak.