976-KayakJan 5-20-09

I’ve come to the conclusion I must be a terrible in-shore fisherman. Why, because catching mackerel doesn’t count as “fish” in my book. Fortunately, catching isn’t everything – the adventure is more important.

Yesterday I met Jack at Dana Point Kayak Center and we launched our kayaks at 8:00 in the morning. The sun was trying to break through the clouds and the seas were calm with a temp of 66 degrees. We split a $10 scoop of bait. The bait we received was a healthy load of large sardines. Last week it was small anchovies.

We decided to fish the headlands for halibut. Jack had caught a 12 lb. halibut the previous weekend fishing the headlands just north of the red buoy. We rigged our dropper loops, pinned on a sardine and bounced our 3 ounce weights along the bottom while drifting in glassy seas.

The San Mateo sportboat was anchored at the kelp line fishing right next to us. We saw them catch one barracuda and two calico bass for the morning before returning to dock. A large school of porpoise frolicked off-shore a couple hundred yards from us. They must have been chasing bait because seagulls and pelicans began to flock to the porpoise and dive the area. There were large areas of bait jumping in every direction you looked. Several times I watched a school of bait follow my sardine back to my kayak.


San Mateo Sport Boat


Jack Fishing for Halibut


A Sailing Ship passing by.

Bouncing a sardine along the bottom requires patience so I put my rod in the rod holder and fished my Gulp jerk shad while I drifted. I caught a couple mackerel and a short barracuda that popped off just as I got it to the surface. It was frustrating most the time because every time I cast out my Gulp, the sardine on my other rod would hang up on the bottom. I spent most my time untangling my gear that stuck in the kelp and eel grass as I drifted. I even had the tip of one rod break on me when the gear hung up on the bottom. I did have a couple baits that came back scored along the sides indicating the bait had been pulled through the teeth of a fish.

We headed back towards the harbor around 1 pm. Jack headed in a straight line to the harbor entrance while I decided to fish the outside of the breakwater. Fishing the Gulp jerk weedless on a Sledhead, I cast the jerk shad up on the rocks and into the kelp along the wall. There was a 1.5 mph current drifting me along the wall. It was low tide and many starfish and sea cucumbers clung to the exposed rocks. I fished the entire breakwater for one short bite.


Areas Fished in my Kayak May 20, 2009

As I reached the harbor entrance, I watch a splinter group of 3 porpoise heading into the harbor. I followed watching them breach a couple times then stay down for several minutes before breaching again. The last time I saw them they were 10 feet from the sportboats docked at the landing in 14 feet of water.


Porpoise in the Harbor

Nature provided good weather and plenty of visual affects for this day’s adventure even if she didn’t provide biting fish.