New to the board - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Surf Hunter · 01-13-2010, 10:06 AM

Hey all-
New to this board but a member of Nor-Cal Kayak Anglers.
the wife and I are going to be planning a trip to San Diego in August. We are thinking of staying a week and fishing both La Jolla and Mission Bay during the week days.
I have been reading any article I could find and hope to glean some info from you guys and gals.

Do you think it would be advantageous to hire a guide for one day to do La Jolla or should we just research adn make the run?

We will be bringing our two X-13 kayaks, all our gear etc. Just need to find a cheap hotel (should be easy in that area) and we are set.

Fair warning, please be on the lookout for stoopid rookie questions as we have never fished So-Cal on the kayaks and want to make the most of our trip.

Now, gotta start looking for bait tanks. Ug.

CandyCatcher · 01-13-2010, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surf Hunter

Hey all-
New to this board but a member of Nor-Cal Kayak Anglers.
the wife and I are going to be planning a trip to San Diego in August. We are thinking of staying a week and fishing both La Jolla and Mission Bay during the week days.
I have been reading any article I could find and hope to glean some info from you guys and gals.

Do you think it would be advantageous to hire a guide for one day to do La Jolla or should we just research adn make the run?

We will be bringing our two X-13 kayaks, all our gear etc. Just need to find a cheap hotel (should be easy in that area) and we are set.

Fair warning, please be on the lookout for stoopid rookie questions as we have never fished So-Cal on the kayaks and want to make the most of our trip.

Now, gotta start looking for bait tanks. Ug.

Hey hey!!

LaJolla is the Bomb....cant go wrong!!

Watch out LaJolla....This guy and hios wife make some mean fishing jigs! A+ Top Quality Gear.......Super Impressive!

Welcome!!!! Lets go fish!

Surf Hunter · 01-13-2010, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CandyCatcher

Hey hey!!

LaJolla is the Bomb....cant go wrong!!

Watch out LaJolla....This guy and hios wife make some mean fishing jigs! A+ Top Quality Gear.......Super Impressive!

Welcome!!!! Lets go fish!

Hey hey Randy!
I was going to email you and see when you were going to be heading back down that way.

maybe we can

miguelitro · 01-13-2010, 11:27 AM

I would look into a vacation rental if you are staying for an entire week. There are quite a few in my neighborhood, and one next door. The cheap hotels are still not cheap in the summer and they are far from the beach. IF you were to get a Vaca rental you could wheel from your door step to the water to fish and then have a kitchen to cook it up afterwards

That is my 2 cents.

Mike

Surf Hunter · 01-13-2010, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miguelitro

I would look into a vacation rental if you are staying for an entire week. There are quite a few in my neighborhood, and one next door. The cheap hotels are still not cheap in the summer and they are far from the beach. IF you were to get a Vaca rental you could wheel from your door step to the water to fish and then have a kitchen to cook it up afterwards

That is my 2 cents.

Mike

Do you have a list of agents? Probably something google could help with with, but great idea.

tony · 01-13-2010, 01:40 PM

Miguelitro has some good advice, especially if youre bringing your kayaks down with you. You are taking a big risk if you leave your kayaks on your vehicle (Its not Oakland....but still..) so a vacation rental should have some space for your yaks. You can find a lot of them on Craigslist. Do a vacation rental search with keywords Pacific Beach, Mission Beach or La Jolla on the San Diego Craigslist. The two "cheaper" hotels here in La Jolla that you have a chance of sneaking your yaks into at night on the ground floor are the La Jolla Beach Travelodge and the La Jolla Village Lodge. La Jolla is more expensive but has a nicer coastline than the Mission Bay area. The Mission Bay area, especially Pacific Beach and Mission Beach are party towns with a lot of half naked women running around during the summer......You shouldnt have much of a problem during the week but the weekends are packed and parking is a lot harder to find. Also, there are two well known/respected guides that frequent this site and would knock down the learning curve considerably. If not a guide this is a very friendly site with some great kayak fishermen that surely would share info and show you the ropes.

Surf Hunter · 01-13-2010, 01:44 PM

Cool, thanks all-
I was looking at the vacation rentals but for just my wife and i they seem very very expensive, heck our last two Baja trips were cheaper then a week at most of these places.

My wife is great with fishing vacations, as long as we can get a hot shower and a bed, we are good to go.

I'll keep looking around and good call on Craigslist as well as the guides as that may be a killer option and we are going to look into that.

erinoo · 01-13-2010, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surf Hunter

Hey all-
New to this board but a member of Nor-Cal Kayak Anglers.
the wife and I are going to be planning a trip to San Diego in August. We are thinking of staying a week and fishing both La Jolla and Mission Bay during the week days.
I have been reading any article I could find and hope to glean some info from you guys and gals.

Do you think it would be advantageous to hire a guide for one day to do La Jolla or should we just research adn make the run?

We will be bringing our two X-13 kayaks, all our gear etc. Just need to find a cheap hotel (should be easy in that area) and we are set.

Fair warning, please be on the lookout for stoopid rookie questions as we have never fished So-Cal on the kayaks and want to make the most of our trip.

Now, gotta start looking for bait tanks. Ug.

Call The Darkhorse.......you will be glad you did....

Surf Hunter · 01-13-2010, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erinoo

Call The Darkhorse.......you will be glad you did....

Yup, so I hear. I sent him an email today.

Jason · 01-13-2010, 04:49 PM

Just a thought, but you might want to consider camping as well. Campland on the Bay is on Mission Bay and very close to LJ. San Elijo and Carlsbad campgrounds (State Beaches) are right on the ocean and about 40 minutes North of LJ. If that is something you might consider, I would look into making reservations now. With the money you save on a hotel, you could hire a guide.

Jason

Surf Hunter · 01-13-2010, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason

Just a thought, but you might want to consider camping as well. Campland on the Bay is on Mission Bay and very close to LJ. San Elijo and Carlsbad campgrounds (State Beaches) are right on the ocean and about 40 minutes North of LJ. If that is something you might consider, I would look into making reservations now. With the money you save on a hotel, you could hire a guide.

Jason

i saw that place, do you know if they do tent camping or is it all RV's? I could not really tell by the website.

Jason · 01-13-2010, 05:12 PM

I've never been there, so I couldn't tell you first hand. I do know the other two campgrounds I mentioned allow both.

miguelitro · 01-13-2010, 06:39 PM

^ better advice than mine! The San Elijo campground is no more than 1/2 hour from the LJ launch, 40 to mission bay, and you could still launch right there and hit the kelp beds if you dont want to drive and the surf is smallish.

Lots of good restaurants within 10 minute drive north and south, and bring bicycles if you ride them, easy way to get around that area.

hmmm....might have to make a reservation for myself

dsafety · 01-13-2010, 07:57 PM

A few things about fishing in San Diego. First of all, there are tons of fish, just about everywhere. Unfortunately, they can be tough to catch if you don't know what you are doing.

I have fished all my life. As a kid I fished La Jolla from a small boat all the time and never went home empty handed. As I grew older, I switched to fly fishing for bass and trout for many years and when I came back to the ocean in a kayak, I could not catch a cold.

I have paid my dues for the past two years and am now moderately successful on most trips. This is mostly due to listening to advice from others more experienced than I. This forum and the many friends I have made as a result of hanging around deserve most of the credit for my maturation as a kayak fisher.

As mentioned before earlier in this thread, there are some shortcuts. You can hire a guide. The Darkhorse is a friend of mine and one of my mentors, so I am probably a little prejudiced on his behalf. There are other excellent guides but none better than Josh. If you have the time, (a day with Josh can be sunup to sundown), and the jingle, you will learn more in one day than most of us learn in a year.

The other option is trial and error. This is that path that most of us have taken. There is a part of me that hopes you go this route. Rookie mistakes can be very entertaining to watch. We have all made them, whether we want to admit it or not. It is always nice to have new blood screwing up so we, the "seasoned veterans", can smugly smile at someone else's misfortune.

That said, I can tell you with the utmost certainty that if you find yourself in a tough spot, virtually every one of this region's kayak fishers will immediately come to your aid.

I hope that your trip exceeds your expectations. See you on the water.

Bob

dorado50 · 01-13-2010, 08:25 PM

Bob, what does it take to become a "seasoned veteran"?. I still make "rookie" mistakes. Maybe you can set me straight someday! Your expertise inspires me to want you to guide me!...see you on the water.

dsafety · 01-13-2010, 09:11 PM

Dorado,

You have to be kidding. I am still a basically a newcomer with two years of mistakes to my credit. On the plus side, I make fewer every time I go out.

If you took my previous post to be some claim of veteran expertise, I apologize for misleading you. I am still a humble trainee.

If you are looking for a "seasoned veteran" to give you advice, you need to look elsewhere. There are quite a few in our little community.

Bob

tony · 01-13-2010, 10:24 PM

Surf Hunter wrote -
"My wife is great with fishing vacations, as long as we can get a hot shower and a bed, we are good to go.

"

If your wife likes to kayak fish you are one of the lucky few.......If its going to be a week long trip.....try to find a cheap vacation rental.......the residual benefits will be well worth it.
I'm sure you know that.........

Surf Hunter · 01-14-2010, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tony

Surf Hunter wrote -
"My wife is great with fishing vacations, as long as we can get a hot shower and a bed, we are good to go.

"

If your wife likes to kayak fish you are one of the lucky few.......If its going to be a week long trip.....try to find a cheap vacation rental.......the residual benefits will be well worth it.
I'm sure you know that.........

you have no idea about my wife. She is the one that taught me how to use a wood lathe to make our own wooden lures. She is the one that during our surf run striped bass season is elbowing me at 3am to wake the hell up to go hit the beach. She kicks all that is ass. Yup, i am one lucky man.

01-13-2010, 10:06 AM	#1
Surf Hunter Junior Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: San Francisco Posts: 9	New to the board Hey all- New to this board but a member of Nor-Cal Kayak Anglers. the wife and I are going to be planning a trip to San Diego in August. We are thinking of staying a week and fishing both La Jolla and Mission Bay during the week days. I have been reading any article I could find and hope to glean some info from you guys and gals. Do you think it would be advantageous to hire a guide for one day to do La Jolla or should we just research adn make the run? We will be bringing our two X-13 kayaks, all our gear etc. Just need to find a cheap hotel (should be easy in that area) and we are set. Fair warning, please be on the lookout for stoopid rookie questions as we have never fished So-Cal on the kayaks and want to make the most of our trip. Now, gotta start looking for bait tanks. Ug.

01-13-2010, 07:57 PM	#14
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,121	A few things about fishing in San Diego. First of all, there are tons of fish, just about everywhere. Unfortunately, they can be tough to catch if you don't know what you are doing. I have fished all my life. As a kid I fished La Jolla from a small boat all the time and never went home empty handed. As I grew older, I switched to fly fishing for bass and trout for many years and when I came back to the ocean in a kayak, I could not catch a cold. I have paid my dues for the past two years and am now moderately successful on most trips. This is mostly due to listening to advice from others more experienced than I. This forum and the many friends I have made as a result of hanging around deserve most of the credit for my maturation as a kayak fisher. As mentioned before earlier in this thread, there are some shortcuts. You can hire a guide. The Darkhorse is a friend of mine and one of my mentors, so I am probably a little prejudiced on his behalf. There are other excellent guides but none better than Josh. If you have the time, (a day with Josh can be sunup to sundown), and the jingle, you will learn more in one day than most of us learn in a year. The other option is trial and error. This is that path that most of us have taken. There is a part of me that hopes you go this route. Rookie mistakes can be very entertaining to watch. We have all made them, whether we want to admit it or not. It is always nice to have new blood screwing up so we, the "seasoned veterans", can smugly smile at someone else's misfortune. That said, I can tell you with the utmost certainty that if you find yourself in a tough spot, virtually every one of this region's kayak fishers will immediately come to your aid. I hope that your trip exceeds your expectations. See you on the water. Bob Last edited by dsafety; 01-13-2010 at 09:50 PM.

01-13-2010, 11:27 AM	#4
miguelitro Team Bad Habits Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Pacific Beach Posts: 119	I would look into a vacation rental if you are staying for an entire week. There are quite a few in my neighborhood, and one next door. The cheap hotels are still not cheap in the summer and they are far from the beach. IF you were to get a Vaca rental you could wheel from your door step to the water to fish and then have a kitchen to cook it up afterwards That is my 2 cents. Mike

01-13-2010, 01:40 PM	#6
tony Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: La Jolla Posts: 130	Miguelitro has some good advice, especially if youre bringing your kayaks down with you. You are taking a big risk if you leave your kayaks on your vehicle (Its not Oakland....but still..) so a vacation rental should have some space for your yaks. You can find a lot of them on Craigslist. Do a vacation rental search with keywords Pacific Beach, Mission Beach or La Jolla on the San Diego Craigslist. The two "cheaper" hotels here in La Jolla that you have a chance of sneaking your yaks into at night on the ground floor are the La Jolla Beach Travelodge and the La Jolla Village Lodge. La Jolla is more expensive but has a nicer coastline than the Mission Bay area. The Mission Bay area, especially Pacific Beach and Mission Beach are party towns with a lot of half naked women running around during the summer......You shouldnt have much of a problem during the week but the weekends are packed and parking is a lot harder to find. Also, there are two well known/respected guides that frequent this site and would knock down the learning curve considerably. If not a guide this is a very friendly site with some great kayak fishermen that surely would share info and show you the ropes.

01-13-2010, 01:44 PM	#7
Surf Hunter Junior Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: San Francisco Posts: 9	Cool, thanks all- I was looking at the vacation rentals but for just my wife and i they seem very very expensive, heck our last two Baja trips were cheaper then a week at most of these places. My wife is great with fishing vacations, as long as we can get a hot shower and a bed, we are good to go. I'll keep looking around and good call on Craigslist as well as the guides as that may be a killer option and we are going to look into that.

01-13-2010, 04:49 PM	#10
Jason Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Carlsbad Posts: 80	Just a thought, but you might want to consider camping as well. Campland on the Bay is on Mission Bay and very close to LJ. San Elijo and Carlsbad campgrounds (State Beaches) are right on the ocean and about 40 minutes North of LJ. If that is something you might consider, I would look into making reservations now. With the money you save on a hotel, you could hire a guide. Jason

01-13-2010, 05:12 PM	#12
Jason Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Carlsbad Posts: 80	I've never been there, so I couldn't tell you first hand. I do know the other two campgrounds I mentioned allow both.

01-13-2010, 06:39 PM	#13
miguelitro Team Bad Habits Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Pacific Beach Posts: 119	^ better advice than mine! The San Elijo campground is no more than 1/2 hour from the LJ launch, 40 to mission bay, and you could still launch right there and hit the kelp beds if you dont want to drive and the surf is smallish. Lots of good restaurants within 10 minute drive north and south, and bring bicycles if you ride them, easy way to get around that area. hmmm....might have to make a reservation for myself

01-13-2010, 08:25 PM	#15
dorado50 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: La Jolla Shores Posts: 1,626	Bob, what does it take to become a "seasoned veteran"?. I still make "rookie" mistakes. Maybe you can set me straight someday! Your expertise inspires me to want you to guide me!...see you on the water.

01-13-2010, 09:11 PM	#16
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,121	Dorado, You have to be kidding. I am still a basically a newcomer with two years of mistakes to my credit. On the plus side, I make fewer every time I go out. If you took my previous post to be some claim of veteran expertise, I apologize for misleading you. I am still a humble trainee. If you are looking for a "seasoned veteran" to give you advice, you need to look elsewhere. There are quite a few in our little community. Bob

01-13-2010, 10:24 PM	#17
tony Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: La Jolla Posts: 130	Surf Hunter wrote - "My wife is great with fishing vacations, as long as we can get a hot shower and a bed, we are good to go. " If your wife likes to kayak fish you are one of the lucky few.......If its going to be a week long trip.....try to find a cheap vacation rental.......the residual benefits will be well worth it. I'm sure you know that.........