Bait Supply vs. Fishing Action

[dsafety]

As anyone who has be out at LJ recently knows, the area is currently overloaded with bait. More than I have ever seen. Right now the place is thick with macs but a couple months ago squid were everywhere. With that in mind, I have a question for all the experts out there.

When bait is so plentiful, do the fish we are targeting take advantage of the bounty and gorge themselves to the point that they are less likely to hit our lures or trolled bait?

I don't know the answer about the fish but the abundance of bait seems to have affected the sea lions. Several times the other day, I trolled a fat greenie past a couple dogs who showed no interest at all.

If you have an opinion, or even better, some facts to share, please jump in.

Bob

[Jimmyz123]

Originally Posted by dsafety

As anyone who has be out at LJ recently knows, the area is currently overloaded with bait. More than I have ever seen. Right now the place is thick with macs but a couple months ago squid were everywhere. With that in mind, I have a question for all the experts out there.

When bait is so plentiful, do the fish we are targeting take advantage of the bounty and gorge themselves to the point that they are less likely to hit our lures or trolled bait?

I don't know the answer about the fish but the abundance of bait seems to have affected the sea lions. Several times the other day, I trolled a fat greenie past a couple dogs who showed no interest at all.

If you have an opinion, or even better, some facts to share, please jump in.

Bob

Actually you answered your question. Yes, with all this bait in the water it is cutting some chances for us to hook up. Instinctively fish will go for the weaker or injured fish first, easy dinner, but you also have to add all the dolphin, sealions, and other creatures that may be hunting the same fish we are. Now add the 50 plus kayaker, and boaters to the mix and you now have added pressure to the fish.

Yesterday I was sitting in the middle of the biggest bait surge I have ever seen. It was easily a 30' diameter circle of bait. I had a flylined mac, and a surface jig going. No love. There's a Johnny Ceviche video on YouTube where he's paddling with tons of bait around, I felt like I was in that video yesterday.

Still, it was a lot of fun.

[Regor]

The bait didn't just show up yesterday, it's been out there for a while. Yesterday, Friday, etc ...

See the last few fishing reports, the WSB/YT are still there for the taking, maybe it's just a matter of putting something in their face that stands out from the boils that they are seeing. A bigger Mac? A slow trolled Mac, higher/lower, a lowly squid in the middle of all that... I don't have the answer for you, but they are still hungry for the "right" lure/bait.

Friday, I sat in the middle of probably an acre of dines, birds diving, dolphins, etc... I had video going, and sat there for 15 minutes just enjoying the site ... but yet, onshore,there "were" fish caught.

Greg

[bubblehide]

Bob, to try and answer your question, sure a bite will turn on if bait shows up when the waters were previously lacking bait but held the fish we target. But as you already indicated, if the bait has been around awhile, sure the fish have gorged, and subsequently with so much bait around, they can afford to be very selective about eating. But with that said, IMHO you'd be better off paying attention to things like, times of high tide, low tide, slack tide, water temp, time of day the bite is on, and the corresponding tide, where the fish are being caught (in the kelp, the canyon, out tot he west...) and trying to build some patterns of how and when the fish feed. Some fish like to feed when the current is flowing, others are rather lazy and feed during a slack tide...

[deepdvr]

Originally Posted by dsafety

When bait is so plentiful, do the fish we are targeting take advantage of the bounty and gorge themselves ?
Bob

Bob............just fish. You have first hand knowledge that fish were caught. Maybe spend more time focusing on your fishing effort vs. documenting/taking photos of other people who are bendo????

Maybe a day like this is in your future?

[THE DARKHORSE]

Both Gary (Bubblehide) and Eric (deepdvr) bring up great points!


Also, anyone who's been in La Jolla the past few months would tell you there's less bait here now. Since the Krill moved on, the miles and miles of bait have spread out. And it's April; every damn year there's rafts of Sardines that move in. So, let's not act like this is something so special and out of the ordinary. It's clearly not to anyone who goes fishing this time of year.

I'd put up the typical X2 here, but I'm still not sure you're going to drop it. Gary brought up what "should be going through your head" while watching guys who are bendo (ya know while you're taking pictures instead of fishing?). Perhaps, pay attention to the times fish were caught and look at a tide chart. Since you're taking pictures, I would have to guess you've got the location part of the equation answered?

And Eric is simply reiterating, well, the obvious. I would think with the long-winded post you wrote (yes, this is the pot calling the kettle black here )---of "other guys fish", with plenty of detail to boot, you'd just go fishing.

Clearly I was wrong.