Easy catches in the La Jolla kelp?

[jbm]

I'm a total beginner with ocean fishing and kayaking. All my prior experience has been lake fishing, though I started doing some surf fishing prior to getting my kayak. That said, I've been out on my kayak in the La Jolla kelp beds three times now. The only thing I've caught has been bait, but even that felt like an accomplishment.

Can anyone suggest some species to target and methods for a relatively easy catch out there? I know the most popular targets are yellowtail and WSB, but I get the feeling that those species may be a bit more challenging than some others. I'd like to bring up at least one fish on something other than the sabiki next time out.

And yes, I know it's called fishing and not catching for a reason, I'm just looking to maximize my chances.

[Willy]

The way I got started, and getting my comfort out in LJ was to bring out large mouth bass weight equipment, and fish for Calico bass in the kelp.

Pound for pound, a Calico can be one of the best fighting fish out there, especially when caught on lighter equipment.

You can fish the kelp line, or inside the kelp in the sunrooms for them, using live mait or lures. I've had especially good luck using soft plastics.

If you hit up the edges of the kelpline, you can still let out a live bait on flyline in case that hungry yellow swims by.

Willy

[jbm]

Originally Posted by Willy

The way I got started, and getting my comfort out in LJ was to bring out large mouth bass weight equipment, and fish for Calico bass in the kelp.

Pound for pound, a Calico can be one of the best fighting fish out there, especially when caught on lighter equipment.

You can fish the kelp line, or inside the kelp in the sunrooms for them, using live mait or lures. I've had especially good luck using soft plastics.

If you hit up the edges of the kelpline, you can still let out a live bait on flyline in case that hungry yellow swims by.

Willy

By soft plastics, do you mean something like Big Hammer swimbaits? I have those. Do you fish the bottom for Calicos? If you're fishing the bottom with a swimbait, how do you handle the retrieve?


I went out yesterday, it was pretty exciting seeing the bait jumping all around me. I actually saw a pair of yellowtail swim under my boat. Then the sea lions started coming to surface, and I think they were the ones scaring the bait.

The beach got pretty interesting once it hit high tide and the swell increased. It was a shore pound giving all the renters a wet sandy return to shore.

[Willy]

Yep, start with swimbaits, like the big hammer. I like the fluke style too, the weedless setup of the fluke style bait, or any weedless bait, is really helpful in the kelp.

Fish the whole water column. I've pulled Calico's from the top to the seabed.

Most hits seem to be on the drop, at around 20 feet, but that's really dependent on water temp, clarity, season etc.

Use a heavy leadhead if you're going to fish the swimbait, an ounce or more, to defeat the current and to sink the lure to the bottom.
When fishing around the bottom, you might be surprised what will hit your lure.
I've pulled up all kinds of goodies from the rocky, kelpy depths.

Expect to snag kelp a lot, it's part of fishing in there, if you know it's going to happen, it's less frustrating.

When you do hook into a Calico, keep pressure on them, as they are masters of using the stringers as de-hookers if they can get back into a mess of kelp.

Good luck out there.

Willy

[bubblehide]

Get yourself some weedless swim baits, so you can fish um right in the kelp.

[Jzo]

Originally Posted by bubblehide

Get yourself some weedless swim baits, so you can fish um right in the kelp.

Armory Slayer Heads w/ big hammer works for me.

[fishinkid2010]

I second the recommendation of weedless swimbaits.
Get some 3/4oz WAR slayer heads, and pair it up with a 3" to 4" Big Hammer or MC swimbait. Sexy Smelt is a pretty good color, along with anything that has some brown and orange in it. Find the thickest kelp canopy you can, as well as the small pot holes, and drop down you swimbait there. Also look for long channels in the kelp, and fish it along the stringers. I have never lost a WAR head to getting snagged in the kelp, so I don't expect you'll lose to many.

If you're simply looking to pull on anything, a double dropper loop with a 4oz torpedo sinker and cut squid strips will always produce something!