976-KayakJan October 25th

We (Roland, Frank and I) headed out of Dana Point Harbor at O-dark-30! It was breezy with an air temperature that numbed my hands and feet (somewhere around 54 degrees). The water was 59 degrees with a light chop. It was just breaking dawn when we rounded the point and cast out our Gulp Jerk Shads.

Roland caught a nice calico bass right away. He kept it for fish tacos the next day. I caught a nice sandbass shortly thereafter. I offered it to Roland before I released it and he said he’d take it for his taco dinner. I threw it in my bag.

At 7 a.m. I turned on my wind-up radio and listened to Let’s Talk Hook-Up. Brandon Hayward from Western Outdoor News was on the show. He’s a wealth of information and a great guy too. Towards the end of the show Tim Turis from Atlanta phoned in from Basil Pappas’ home in New Jersey where they were making top shots for our Thanksgiving 16-Day trip. Tim complemented Brandon on his writing and on being a great addition to WON.

There was bait everywhere I looked – sardines and mackerel. I watched the bait boat set its net just outside the buoy at the headlands. I’d never seen the bait boat make a set so close to the harbor. By 9 a.m. the sun was out, the wind had died down and the seas were calm - time to remove the top layer of clothing and put the sunscreen on. On the horizon I could even see Catalina Island. It was beautiful!

Catalina Island on the Horizon

We were fishing close to the big boiler rock when we noticed some big waves coming in. Roland was on a fish and just started his motor. Frank and I peddled and paddled as fast as we could to make it over the wave. When we looked back, we saw a small skiff with a couple guys fishing the inland side of the boiler rock that hadn’t seen the waves coming. When the wave crested, it nearly capsized their boat. We didn’t see them anywhere close to the rock the rest of the day.

Boiler Rock before the waves

Most of the fish we caught were mackerel with a few small calicos mixed in which we released. I bagged my mackerel for lobster bait for my hoop netting buddies. I also caught a small bonito the size of a large mackerel. I bagged him too. After having that sandbass in my bag for an hour or so with the mackerel, I suggested to Roland that he may want it in his bag rather than let it marinate in mackerel juice. He agreed. I lipped the sandbass as I pulled him out of my bag and just as I leaned over to hand him to Roland, that da*^ sandbass took one look at Roland and bit me then flipped right out of may hand and swam straight to the bottom. Guess it takes longer than an hour for some fish to die.

We fished along the outside of the breakwater on our way out to the headlands and on the way back in. We had a strong current pulling northeast in the morning and a strong south current in the afternoon. Current went slack around 11 am and the fish quit biting. After the current picked up again, the only thing caught were some small barracuda and Frank caught those by trolling and casting a small Rapala.

On the way back to the harbor, we saw a couple guys sitting on top of a pontoon boat motoring out to the headlands. It looked like it was made for lakes or calm bodies of water rather than the open ocean.

Pontoon Boat

We pulled the kayaks out around 2 p.m. after traveling a little over 9 miles for the day and I didn't see Frank light up one cigarette. He says he's "smoke free" now. I sure hope he succeeds as I know it helped his fishing.

I started to clean up my kayak at the Dana Point Jet Ski & Kayak Center where I store it and the owner, Tim Boyer asked about my fishing. I said I hoped he could use some lobster bait. He was overjoyed to have the fresh bait since his normal supplier was all out of mackerel including the frozen.

976-KayakJan October 18th

I arrived at Dana Point Jet Ski and Kayak Center around 6 a.m. It was still completely dark. I unlocked the gate and took my kayak off its rack and rolled it next to my truck to load my gear. The sky was getting lighter as I pushed my kayak off the ramp into the harbor. Roland, Frank and Andy were launching at the harbor’s launch ramp directly across from me. I heard Frank’s laugh before I caught site of him. For several years now Roland, Frank and I have enjoyed fishing together on the Spring Braid 8-Day on the Excel. Roland and Frank fish together frequently but this was the first time I was invited to kayak fish with them (even though I’m sure I’d suggested joining them previously.)

The guys had decided to fish plastics instead of bait so I decided to do the same. Just as well since there were several boats lined up for bait as we passed by the receiver on our way out of the harbor. Roland had the Mercedes kayak of the group as his kayak was powered with a trolling motor. Frank and Andy were paddle powered and I was peddle powered with my Hobie Sport Fish (which was quickly named the Mini-Cooper because of its small size - 9 feet total length).

The sun was just coming up over the hills as we passed around the point of the breakwater.




I tuned in Let’s Talk Hook-Up on my wind-up radio and peddled away. I was just happy to be back out on the water and I was enjoying the reasonably calm seas and comfortable weather. I had been grumpy of late since I had to miss the Braid 10-Day trip on the Excel this year and our efforts to get out kayak fishing last weekend had been foiled by strong winds. Having such beautiful weather to start the day was a blessing for me (and for Mike since he’s had to listen to my grumbling).


Roland in his Kayak


Frank in his Kayak

Andy and Frank seemed to be catching fish right away. I was just enjoying my time on the water when I noticed I was the only one not catching fish. I figured I better try something different so I switched from my Torium 12 with 15# to my Shimano spinning reel with 8# mono. I was using a red ½ oz. leadhead and considered changing it but decided to fish it a while longer so I just switched to lighter line. I cast out my jerk shad and let it hit bottom before cranking 3 times then letting it fall again and repeating the action until it reached the surface. Fish usually hit on the drop with these jerk shad. I caught a couple small calicos and a nice sandbass then I got slammed right on the surface. This fish spun me around several times and I wasn’t gaining any line. Every time I wound a couple cranks the fish took off straight down again. On 8# test, I was sure this fish would break free but I was enjoying the fight. Then I noticed the fish was fighting like a tuna.

Andy came closer and asked what I had. I said I thought it was a bonito by the way it was fighting but Andy suggested “barracuda.” We were so close to the breakwater that I thought a bonito was unlikely too but it was acting like a tuna. Since it was acting like a tuna, I decided to fight it as if it were a tuna. I pinched the line against the rod to lift (since the drags were too weak to help), then wound down when I let up. This worked like a charm and soon my bonito was on the surface and I bagged him. This fish is going to be lobster bait for my other kayak buddy, Tim, who goes hoop netting for lobster from his kayak.




We fished all along the breakwater on our way out to the headlands. Surprisingly we were all fishing the Berkley Gulp Jerk Shad but in different colors or flavors. Roland was fishing the Copper Penny Jerk Shad and doing quite well with it. I think Frank and Andy (Frank’s son) were fishing the Sardine Jerk Shad and I fished both the Smelt and Nuclear Chicken Jerk Shad.


That's a Berkley Gulp Jerk Shad hanging in the top of the photo.

The seas were so calm that we fished in close to the boiler rock in the middle of the kelp beds between the beach and the Red Buoy. This was the first time I was able to fish close to the boiler rock. I noticed the kelp had thinned considerably since spring when it was so thick on the surface it was impossible to peddle into it.


The Boiler Rock with lobster traps all around it - buoys mark the traps.

Andy and Roland seemed on fire. Every time I looked up they were releasing fish. Frank was catching fish too and I’m sure Frank would have kept up with Roland and Andy if he hadn’t stopped frequently to light his cigarettes. Frank – hopefully someday you’ll quit smoking. We want to keep you around as long a possible plus you’ll be healthier. If my two sons, and niece could quit smoking this year (congratulations Rick, Chris and Michelle) so can you Frank.



There were plenty of short calicos to go around and some large sandbass caught by everyone as well but Roland had the biggest calico of the day. A real beauty of a calico too that he pulled right off the rocks fishing tight to the breakwater. A quick photo and Roland put him back in the water.


Roland's Big Calico

I didn’t catch as many fish as the rest of the group but I had the variety pack which included small calicos, a couple nice sandbass, a bonito, small mackerel, a mystery fish (probably a silversides of some type) and a nice sculpin just as we were returning to the harbor. I released everything except the lobster bait.



It was a perfect day on the water. It had everything – beautiful weather, calm seas, biting fish, and good friends with which to share the day.