Please help me find the hot spots in Dana Point. - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

BrokeLoser · 12-25-2012, 10:01 AM

I must be an idiot...I've asked this here before...but...I've fished Dana many times and still haven't found the 'spots' / 'holes'.
I've had some of you try to tell me how to get to 'the pipe' but I haven't been able to locate it on my finder. I've even had trouble finding the sweet spot for halibut along Doheny. People talk about the Headlands and Salt Flats which I believe are north of the point / big boiler.
My question:
Does anyone have coordinates for these hot spots?
How about very specific directions?

I love fishing Dana as it is relatively close for me....plus I normally fish with my 68 year old father-in-law so the launch ramp works well for us too. Now....if we could just find the right places to drop a line..haha

Any help will be greatly appreciated....PM me if necessary.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

DanaPT · 12-25-2012, 10:28 AM

Sorry those dumb fish aren't playing along.

It's been tough fishing for me too! (water is cold and the fish are harder to come by).

If I had GPS coordinates with fish guaranteed to be in the spot, I would give them to you. send me a PM, leave a # and I'd be happy to share what I know.

BrokeLoser · 12-25-2012, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanaPT

Sorry those dumb fish aren't playing along.

It's been tough fishing for me too! (water is cold and the fish are harder to come by).

If I had GPS coordinates with fish guaranteed to be in the spot, I would give them to you. send me a PM, leave a # and I'd be happy to share what I know.

haha...I wish someone could give me a guarantee...for now I'll settle for instructions on finding the general location (say, within 25yd's) of the few hot spots we all hear referred to along DP.
Thanks DanaPT...I'll pm you and talk to you about it...(I know X-mas day is probably a bad day to do so...haha)

BrokeLoser · 12-25-2012, 10:40 AM

With all of our fish finders out there on the Pacific surely someone has marked the locations mentioned and has coordinates?

bus kid · 12-25-2012, 10:42 AM

pm amish ed hes out there a lot.

BrokeLoser · 12-25-2012, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bus kid

pm amish ed hes out there a lot.

Will do...thanks bus

ful-rac · 12-25-2012, 10:58 AM

Yes the headlands and salt creek are toward the north. As far as hot spots...things change out there from day to day, week to week...it wont neccesarily bite in the same spot the next day or even the next 5 minutes. Its your job to find the areas that have fish, thats part of the fun. The only way to know that is to get out there and fish. Heres a tip, halibut like areas that are sandy next to structure, rocks, kelp, baitfish etc...So you ask how do you find these areas? Learn to read your fish finder.

BrokeLoser · 12-25-2012, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ful-rac

Yes the headlands and salt creek are toward the north. As far as hot spots...things change out there from day to day, week to week...it wont neccesarily bite in the same spot the next day or even the next 5 minutes. Its your job to find the areas that have fish, thats part of the fun. The only way to know that is to get out there and fish. Heres a tip, halibut like areas that are sandy next to structure, rocks, kelp, baitfish etc...So you ask how do you find these areas? Learn to read your fish finder.

While I appreciate the lesson in philosophy...I should note; I've been out on hundred's of sport fishing boats over the years...all of them have had a sh!t load of GPS coordinates that they use to locate various things under water that they know may hold fish....while we all know that simply having the coordinates to these locations does not guarantee a catch it certainly helps as a base point. Imagine this: You peddle out to the known structures that you have the coordinates to and that are often known to hold fish. You fish those X number of spots first...if you have no luck you then get creative and aimlessly peddle around while watching your finder for structures that may induce a fish habitat...crazy concept?
Further; while some may totally get off on paddling and peddling all over the Pacific chasing fish and reading their finders I tend to prefer to have a 'starting point' or points...At the end of the day...after all the time and money spent, the only thing I really find rewarding is a catch of fish...Frankly, I never brag about the fact that I can read a fish finder or the fact that I know where different species of fish live...but I do brag about catching fish...To each his own...I suppose

dc1983 · 12-25-2012, 12:30 PM

Ill be out at DP in the morning if you want to rag along. I got a new ff and will be trying to mark some new spots

rossman · 12-25-2012, 12:49 PM

In the spirit of the season here a a great starting point. It's a fairly large rock pile which will be easy to spot now because of the lobster buoys. In a hundred yard swath from this point to the red buoy, are 4 other large rock piles and 8 or 10 other ones that I've marked, Some have buoys on them and most don't. Go find them. This area has yielded to me 7 legal halibut, one 31" ling, and countless clico and sand bass in the last month. All but one halibut and the ling were released.

N 33 27.091
W 117 43.065

I'll be out tomorrow for another try.

The Rossman

ful-rac · 12-25-2012, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrokeLoser

At the end of the day...after all the time and money spent, the only thing I really find rewarding is a catch of fish...Frankly, I never brag about the fact that I can read a fish finder or the fact that I know where different species of fish live...but I do brag about catching fish...To each his own...I suppose

Well if thats all you find rewarding....then you are going to be dissapointed...alot.

You dont need to brag about knowing how to read your fish finder, in fact i dont know anybody who does...but learning how to interpret your fishfinder, will have you bragging about how much fish you caught alot more.

So your looking for a starting point? What do you want to catch? If its halibut or bass, the headlands and salt creek are great starting points. You already know where that is right?

rossman · 03-21-2016, 08:07 AM

I can't do that Steve but I will tell you that if you line yourself up with the Laguna Beach Hospital in 85 ft of water and work up the coast, you will have a lot of action.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

theluckypig · 03-21-2016, 04:33 PM

fished it today... plenty of bait... but not a single bite... nada... and i was everywhere!!!

12-25-2012, 10:01 AM	#1
BrokeLoser Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Corona, CA Posts: 472	Please help me find the hot spots in Dana Point. I must be an idiot...I've asked this here before...but...I've fished Dana many times and still haven't found the 'spots' / 'holes'. I've had some of you try to tell me how to get to 'the pipe' but I haven't been able to locate it on my finder. I've even had trouble finding the sweet spot for halibut along Doheny. People talk about the Headlands and Salt Flats which I believe are north of the point / big boiler. My question: Does anyone have coordinates for these hot spots? How about very specific directions? I love fishing Dana as it is relatively close for me....plus I normally fish with my 68 year old father-in-law so the launch ramp works well for us too. Now....if we could just find the right places to drop a line..haha Any help will be greatly appreciated....PM me if necessary. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

12-25-2012, 10:42 AM	#5
bus kid Team Keine Zugehörigkeit Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Way out there Posts: 2,854	pm amish ed hes out there a lot. __________________ Não alimente os trolls------------Don't feed the trolls---------------インタネット荒らしを無視しろ

12-25-2012, 10:58 AM	#7
ful-rac Emperor Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buena Park Posts: 3,649	Yes the headlands and salt creek are toward the north. As far as hot spots...things change out there from day to day, week to week...it wont neccesarily bite in the same spot the next day or even the next 5 minutes. Its your job to find the areas that have fish, thats part of the fun. The only way to know that is to get out there and fish. Heres a tip, halibut like areas that are sandy next to structure, rocks, kelp, baitfish etc...So you ask how do you find these areas? Learn to read your fish finder. __________________ There's nothing colder than yesterday's hotdog.

12-25-2012, 12:49 PM	#10
rossman Marginally Irrelevant Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bahia Asuncion Posts: 936	Start Here In the spirit of the season here a a great starting point. It's a fairly large rock pile which will be easy to spot now because of the lobster buoys. In a hundred yard swath from this point to the red buoy, are 4 other large rock piles and 8 or 10 other ones that I've marked, Some have buoys on them and most don't. Go find them. This area has yielded to me 7 legal halibut, one 31" ling, and countless clico and sand bass in the last month. All but one halibut and the ling were released. N 33 27.091 W 117 43.065 I'll be out tomorrow for another try. The Rossman __________________ "When beholding the tranquil beauty and brilliancy of the ocean’s skin, one forgets the tiger heart that pants beneath it; and would not willingly remember that this velvet paw but conceals a remorseless fang. " — Herman Melville Y'all come see me now, hear!

03-21-2016, 08:07 AM	#12
rossman Marginally Irrelevant Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bahia Asuncion Posts: 936	I can't do that Steve but I will tell you that if you line yourself up with the Laguna Beach Hospital in 85 ft of water and work up the coast, you will have a lot of action. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk __________________ "When beholding the tranquil beauty and brilliancy of the ocean’s skin, one forgets the tiger heart that pants beneath it; and would not willingly remember that this velvet paw but conceals a remorseless fang. " — Herman Melville Y'all come see me now, hear!

12-25-2012, 10:28 AM	#2
DanaPT Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: South OC Posts: 1,606	Sorry those dumb fish aren't playing along. It's been tough fishing for me too! (water is cold and the fish are harder to come by). If I had GPS coordinates with fish guaranteed to be in the spot, I would give them to you. send me a PM, leave a # and I'd be happy to share what I know.

12-25-2012, 10:40 AM	#4
BrokeLoser Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Corona, CA Posts: 472	With all of our fish finders out there on the Pacific surely someone has marked the locations mentioned and has coordinates?

12-25-2012, 12:30 PM	#9
dc1983 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Laguna Hills, Ca Posts: 309	Ill be out at DP in the morning if you want to rag along. I got a new ff and will be trying to mark some new spots

03-21-2016, 04:33 PM	#13
theluckypig Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: San Pedro Posts: 694	fished it today... plenty of bait... but not a single bite... nada... and i was everywhere!!!