Two Days at DP

[rossman]

Went out of DP on Tues and Wed this week. Tues there was an abundance of bait of every shape and description. From the jetty to the point there was a solid 20 feet of chovies and deeper water was plugged with greenies and Jack macs. As far as you could see there were birds working bait in every direction. As far as fishing goes, it was thresher city. Every trolled maceral was hit. I hooked 4 before 8 am and broke them off when I realized what they were. I had one hook up that did not feel the same. Sort of hugged the bottom until I got over top of him. Then he started coming up fairly easily. Suddenly this 200+ lb thresher breaches directly in front of my yak and came within a few inches of landing on my bow. He made one more jump and came unbuttoned but then continued to greyhound a few more times. That was the one time I wished I had a GoPro mounted behind me.
Managed a few bass and a ling cod after that.

Headed out on Wed and the bait situation was quite different. I could find it but not nearly as easy. Caught one nice ling of 30 inches and one of about 12 inches. Not much bigger than the bait I was using. Both released.

Managed to stick this guy mid morning. 39 inches and just shy of 25




On a greenie in 70 ft of water. My son (Zed) tangled with a big Thresher and was able to get him to the yak and release him. He also caught a porker Calico. Probably the largest I have seen in local waters.

[YakHanded]

Awesome report and nice flatty!

[YakDout]

Thanks for the report. Headed out on Thursday, but definitely not trying to threshers. Looks like by-catch will be a good possibility

[alanhighhand]

Nice thanks for sharing

[Zed]

23". Ate a jackmack, carolina rigged.

[blitzburgh]

Nice!

[paddle man]

nice flatty I landed one that size in the surf zone doheny a few years ago great job

[Bert Vega]

I am interested in catching a thresher. Never really fished for them. And have only been to DP twice. Any tips on technique and location would be more then helpful.

[alanw]

Nice catch. I was out Sunday and there was tons of bait outside the jetty with lots of birds crashing around sunset. I couldn't keep the macks off my Waxwing! Not sure how they think they can eat something that big but they sure tried. On the south side of the pipe I was pulling up 3-6 lizards at a time on the sabiki. No luck for me on the butts that day but DP is looking pretty good right now.

[SLYACKER]

Sounds like an awesome couple days of fishing. Nice catch

[YakDout]

Try adding a 1-3 oz slide sinker all the way down to the hook. No need for swivel. You can also hook them in their back to help them swim down.

[crazywakeboarder]

Originally Posted by YakDout

Try adding a 1-3 oz slide sinker all the way down to the hook. No need for swivel. You can also hook them in their back to help them swim down.

Thanks! How far down from the dorsal are you inserting the hook

What lb test would you suggest to prevent them biting off

[Zed]

If youre going to troll hook across the nose. My last few hookups have been flylined. I think my dad has been hooking up on carolina'd recently.

I dont like having the slider right up against the bait personally. The egg can hinder the hookset and the bait doesnt swim naturally.

I was using straight 40 on a tld20 successfully. I dont recommend trolling a rapala because it adds problems but no denying it works. The rate of tail snagging goes way up and the successful release goes down. Plus w the rapala in the tail the natural "handle" now has trebles in it flying around. They fight way better hooked in the mouth.

[MrM]

Originally Posted by Zed

I dont like having the slider right up against the bait personally. The egg can hinder the hookset and the bait doesnt swim naturally.

Have you seen carolina keepers? I love those things.

[YakDout]

[YakDout]

The reason I don't like adding a swivel is 3 more fail points. Two extra knots plus the swivel itself

[Zed]

No different than any other fishing. Spectra to mono to flouro catches many cow tuna. Tie good knots.

Hooking a bait in the shoulder is for drift fishing not trolling.

edit then again you could troll a hotdog right now. So do what you want and it will prob work.

[crazywakeboarder]

Originally Posted by Zed

No different than any other fishing. Spectra to mono to flouro catches many cow tuna. Tie good knots.

Hooking a bait in the shoulder is for drift fishing not trolling.

edit then again you could troll a hotdog right now. So do what you want and it will prob work.

Thanks for chiming in guys

The flouro will hold up against the thresher sharks out there also, ive got 40lb mono to 65lb braid to 30lb flouro right now

[Aaron&Julie]

Very nice halibut. Congratulations. Sounds like a couple of really good days of fishing.

[Vikingj]

You are the man! I have been fishing DP at least once a week and haven't got a legal hali for 4-5 months. I've tried north, south, deep, shallow, macs, squid, anchovy, sardine, smelt, lizardfish and been skunked every time. For the past 5 years I usually get an average of 1-2 legal hali every month throughout the year but this year they are as scarce as hens teeth.
Went out Wed and Sat and the T-sharks were everywhere - what a beautiful fish to watch- we hooked up both days. Sat. my buddy hooked a larger T and fought it for 50 minutes and ended up in the middle of 50+ outrigger racers and their chase boats! If you zoom the pic below you may see a kayaker w/ white hat about 1/4 of the frame from left.
My suggestions added to the many excellent ones above: Use a small (1 oz) sliding egg sinker behind carolina stopper or swivel about 3 feet from hook, nose hook big sardine or medium mac, use circle hook with floro or mono leaders to prevent biting through line and use wire leader if using a J-hook. Above all, use extreme caution and wear them out - its really dangerous wrestling with a "green" T-shark! Please consider C&R?
Thanks for the report.

Wayne