Originally Posted by steveooo
(Post 142523)
Those numbers from Rossman are good, and one of a few that I'll always stop and look at if I make the trip up Norte. Rossman has had his butt in a kayak for more hours at Dana point than anyone I know, and caught more fish at Dana point than anyone I know, so I'd pay attention.
No need for GPS coordinates in Dana right now though- Just look around for the lobster buoys and you have all the "spots" that Dana has to offer. Mark them now, so you can have them once the lobster season is over. As with most "spots" in any location, they are a good place to start, but I think success will depend on you learning how to fish those "spots" in different conditions. Pay attention to all the details when you do catch a fish. Which way was the current running? What side of the structure were you on? What were the tides doing? Water temp? Bait situation? Catch enough fish (or get skunked) from one "spot" and you will start to see a pattern. Keep track of conditions in a journal, both when you catch fish and when you don't, and soon enough you will have a little bit of info on how to fish each "spot" ensuring your best chance of catching a fish on each outing.
I think that can probably be transferred to any body of water...
Sometimes the conditions just aren't favorable at a "spot" in Dana Point, even at the numbers above, and you need to abandon one "spot" to go see if the conditions are favorable at another.
Here's my generic tip for Dana Point that has worked for me. Look for a good south flowing current. No water movement = no fish. I've been on and off the water in 30 min if I see the water is not moving. I wish I could pin the water movement at Dana to the tide movement, but it isn't that easy. Sometimes it moves, sometimes it doesn't. If your schedule allows, fish the high tide for Halibut.
I wish I could stress it enough, but success at Dana Point is more about fishing the right conditions more than any place than I have seen.
Regardless, here are a few generic "Spots" for Dana. I don't really look for GPS numbers, just general areas that have structure, recognizable landmarks, or areas I have caught random fish at...
The Pipe- A reef structure that extends from the "rivermouth" at Doheny to the area that it dumps in about 90 ft deep. The area that it dumps in is almost directly west of the tip of the long jetty but for the most part is is just slightly south of the harbor. Right now it is easy to find. Go to the red buoy in front of Doheny, then look south west. It will be littered with lobster Buoys. Those buoys are a good place to start, but make sure you are either directly on the structure, or on the same side of the structure that the fish are on. 30-60 ft has always been the most productive for me. There is a nice section in 40 ft of water, that the reef comes up to about 25 ft that has been good to me, but it is the most snaggy bottom I've ever seen. Be prepared to lose alot of tackle in this area. It can be costly, but worth every penny.
The Headlands- The area just west of the Dana Point Bluff, near the red Buoy. There is lots of hard bottom and kelp. Fish tight to the kelp that is visible on the surface. A few reefs marked by buoys in the area as well. The headlands is a generic area that is pretty big. In regard to how people refer to it, it is the equal to La Jolla's "In front of the Condo". Nothing special needed. Fish the right structure at the right time, you might catch a fish. Conditions rule here.
Doheny- The beach just South of the harbor. Sandy bottom with sporadic kelp. I typically fish this area from 5 - 40 ft deep. Halibut move around so I don't have any GPS coodinates. Pound as much sand near structure as you can in this area and you will scratch a fish or two. There are a few reefs in the area that are visible on a negative low tide. Mark them on that low tide, and fish them on the next high tide. The area in front of the "rivermouth" can be productive if the conditions are good. Keep going south and you will fish the Capo reefs. Capo reefs are directly in front of Capistrano Beach. The wind there usually blows south, so don't get caught south when that turns on.
Salt Creek- A long substantial kelp bed directly in front of Salt Creek beach. It is a long paddle, several miles, but can be productive at times. Generally, fish in 50- 70 feet of water, on the west side of the kelp. The fish like it very tight to the structure there, so if you are getting snagged and losing lots of rigs, you are in the right spot. I'd like to give you GPS numbers, but the reality is that it is about a 1 mile stretch of beach that has kelp. Fish it near the kelp at the right time, you can catch a fish. It is a long paddle to get a skunk from though. The current can go VERY slack there. If there is no current, move to another spot south. North of Salt Creek is the Laguna MPA. I hated to lose that the most.
There are no secret areas, GPS spots, or fish dope required for Dana Point. Spend your time learning one of the areas above, and you will see your success rate increase drastically. Once you have it figured out, then Dana will throw you a curveball skunk outing that will send you back to the drawing board. When you figure out how to avoid those skunk outings, please send me a private message with the details, because those are the ones that keep me coming back to Dana, and I'd really like to spend more time fishing in La Jolla....
Good luck,
Steve
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