Kayak Fishing Dana Point Harbor

Now that I had a brand new kayak, I wanted to get out fishing as quickly as possible but I needed to get the kayak outfitted first. I also needed to build a rack to store my kayak on its side and find a way to lock it down outside. A quick trip to Home Depot and I came home with wood, screws, locks, cable, tarp etc. A day in the garage with my new cordless drill (a gift from hubby) and the rack was ready. I moved it to the side yard and found the perfect anchor – the gas meter. I cabled my kayak to the meter and covered it with a tarp. As Jim commented, thieves will end up blowing up the house stealing my kayak.

I pulled out a milk crate I had here at home then cut up and zip tied some PVC pipe into the corners for rod holders. The next morning (April 7th) I put my rods and tackle in the crate, loaded the kayak on my truck and went back down to the kayak shop in Dana Point. I bought a PFD, leashes for rods, a kayak cover and signed a contract for storage of my kayak. There was nothing else to do but go fishing.

I put the kayak on the kayak dock then launched it in the water and pedaled out towards Wind and Sea Restaurant. I fished plastics on a lead head on light spinning gear. I had my Berkley Gulp red worm bit in half 3 times but no hook ups. After a couple hours drifting, casting, retrieving and talking with Jeff who works the bait receiver, it was time to return home. I stopped at Hogan’s Bait and Tackle to buy a floating gaff and some Berkley Gulp Jerk Shad, the bait Bob Hoose told me was working well on the halibut. I introduced myself to Bill Hogan (the owner) and his daughter, Stephanie. I'm sure I'll shop there frequently as they had everythng a kayaker might need.

The next day (April 8th) I was back in the harbor fishing by 9:50 a.m. Within 45 minutes I had landed 3 spotted bay bass and 1 sculpin. I missed several other bites as well. I was fishing the Gulp Jerk Shad on a Braid Power Play Jig head on 8 pound Berkley mono spooled on a Shimano spinning outfit. It was a dynamite combo. Cast out and let the shad hit bottom then take 3 quick winds and let the jig drop again. My next hookup began to tow me. A couple of young kids in a skiff next to me opined that it was a barracuda. I told them it felt like a halibut. They repeated “barracuda”! I asked if they had caught a barracuda today and they said they had. I said it still felt like a halibut. When my fish surfaced and turned out to be a 23 inch halibut, the kids went silent. I sure was glad I picked up that gaff at Hogan’s the day before.

Now that I had the halibut on a gaff, I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t planning on catching dinner and I sure wasn’t going to release this tasty critter. I pedaled back to the Kayak Shack carrying my gaffed fish out of the water hoping the local sea lion would stay at the bait receiver and not follow. Tim Boyer (Kayak shop owner) was kind enough to bag my fish and put it in his refrigerator so I could continue fishing. I caught 2 more short halibuts and another spottie before the tide went slack and fish quit biting.

What a fabulous day on the water plus I came home with a fresh halibut to make a delicious dinner!