7/17 Windanglass - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Dan · 07-17-2006, 10:49 AM

Got up and checked the winds....5 MPH from the south...Decided to hit it anyway. Skipped the pier because a roll through the parking lot looked like the lights were off again.

Weeded my way through the thick Shovel Nose G fish in the surf and launched dry in tiny surf. Scratched up some spanish in the pitch darkness and bolted for the deep. As soon as I round the point, the bane of La Jolla shows up --- stiff south wind and eel grass and kelp all over the surface. ugg. The wind speed increased to white cap levels and I was going backwards. Totally unfishable :cry:

Came back inside the point and re-rigged for halibuts. And wouldn't you know it....the wind dies and it gets glassy. Kept a flyline going which kept busy with the bonies (nice big ones too) and calicos. Not motivated to paddle back out deep, I spent the rest of the morning fishing the the bottom. One raked bait and a few calicos deep.

Very little current, water was back up, around 68/69 Degrees, mucho loose grass on the surface. Those who launched after 7 were stoked with zero wind and steamy weather.

Aaron&Julie · 07-17-2006, 04:54 PM

Too bad the right kind never showed for you Dan, or us

.
We launched soon after he did. It took a little while to make bait at the point. One time, Aaron must've had 4 or 5 boneheads hit his sabiki at once. One hook cut off, one broke, one straightened and one bonito landed, all on the same cast/drop.
Like Dan said, lots of grass and kelp floating around. The water didn't feel very cold or warm.
Your tarpoon obviously cuts through the water better than our FNDs. Either that or we found the Mississippi River flowing to the north out there. For almost 2 hours we tried to paddle south paralleling the shore and we made very little headway. And though there was some wind, it was the current kicking our asses.
Unlike last Friday, didn't see any yellows puddling around. Ended up with a couple of bass and bonito. Otherwise, kinda slow. Landed about noon.

Fishin Phil · 07-17-2006, 07:30 PM

Because two Sundays ago the current was wicked out of the North along with the wind. And last Sunday it was just the opposite. So, does that mean that next week no current and wind? :?

Dean Machine · 07-17-2006, 08:09 PM

Lets see, Last twelve months no big fishy for me. Does that mean the next twelve months big fishy? :? :lol: I was out too and had the same thoughts about the current and wind. Real tough out there for awhile last sunday. My friend got picked up and landed a bonito on a mack straight out from the pier a little while after daylight. He kind of toyed with it and we were thinking the fishing would be better than it was. It was like glass for a couple hours. That was our only action for the day. Seemed to be schools of bait hanging around the pier as I picked up a full sabiki of deans and then one of greenies and didn't mark any bait on the inside for the rest of the day til 11:00. Probably should have dragged the bottom to the north for something where all the bait was hanging out. Not many birds working from what I could see and the water was about 68 degrees and warmed up to about 72 towards the outside in spots. I really wanted to get outside to the south but the current and wind were ferocious plus it seemed to be getting worked pretty well by everyone else for nada. Maybe next time.

Will B. · 07-18-2006, 01:16 AM

When I used to fish for yellows on the 1/2 day boats they told me that the current has to be running south for good yellowtail fishing at La Jolla. If its running north you should just cancel out. Is not that true?

madscientist · 07-18-2006, 08:22 AM

While there are exceptions to every rule, downhill current seems to be the best for the fishing. I think uphill is better than none, probably just need to fish different spots.

Will B. · 07-18-2006, 10:20 AM

Would the explanation for downhill current being better-- be that nutrient rich phytoplanton filled water would plume up from the depths of the canyon against the edge of the kelp shelf attracting bait fish and thus bigger fish?

Another interesting idea--I was talking to the owner of Star Marlin and Tuna lures and he said that the angle that the tide flows in daily varies in a predictable manner. If you can plot out and be at that point of the kelp that first intersects the incoming tide flow you should be able to catch fish. He said there are charts that predict this angle of flow in a book called COAST PILOT?

Anyone heard of or used this concept?

nmbrinkman · 07-18-2006, 11:08 AM

I woner what would happen if we dropped kelp paddies outside a mile or two and leftemt overnight or for a day or so? I know it would be hard to pull one off the beach and drag it out there...I guess it would wash ashore like the rest of em do....maybe a stupid idea...I know some PBers do it when they go lookin for paddies....they fill a trash can with top kelp and toss em overboard....leave em overnight and hit em the next day....Sounds pretty stupid, so I expect the insulting responses...Just wondering though? :?

Tman · 07-18-2006, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nmbrinkman

I woner what would happen if we dropped kelp paddies outside a mile or two and leftemt overnight or for a day or so? I know it would be hard to pull one off the beach and drag it out there...I guess it would wash ashore like the rest of em do....maybe a stupid idea...I know some PBers do it when they go lookin for paddies....they fill a trash can with top kelp and toss em overboard....leave em overnight and hit em the next day....Sounds pretty stupid, so I expect the insulting responses...Just wondering though? :?

Wow....no one responded....dang hard to pass this up... :shock:
Paddies offshore move constantly, I know you know that, know what I mean?
And said paddies are holding more than YT typically, and tend to be in much warmer water. And they follow the current....have yet to come across a paddy in LJ holding....
But stranger things have happened.

I personally would not exhaust too many resources in making this come to fruition, don't think you'd get much response other than the stray BFT...

Sorry, had to throw something in there.... :lol:

nmbrinkman · 07-19-2006, 09:37 AM

I wasn't planning on catching any tuna or dorado off it really....More along the lines of a place that might attract the YT in and around LJ....Sounds pretty stupid now though.... :roll: At this point I'll try anything....maybe my luck will change tonight in the PM.... :?

Lit-up1 · 07-19-2006, 12:02 PM

Don't think that just kelp holds fish-anything floating in the water has the potential to hold fish-boards, logs, balloons, floats,pallats boat hulls etc. can all hold fish if setting in the water long enough and there is bait around. Pelagic fish may be "on" the paddie and circling 1/4 mile away.
If there is a bird on the paddie they almost always have fish underneath.
The paddies off the coast often do hold Yellowtail.
Note the fish counts in todays paper-Lots of dorado in the count all of a sudden-I believe recently pushed north with warm water from the storms off Baja-Sur-
Give them some time to keep coming north 2-3 weeks and I predict the nine-mile bank will hold dodos and hopefully someone will score of La Jolla.
I want to do an off-shore paddle with a group-make bait at the pier and head north/west a few miles then hope on-shore winds push us back-shooting for sometime mid-August-lets see what those paddies hold 8)

Dave

nmbrinkman · 07-19-2006, 04:27 PM

Some of us were bs ing about doing the same on LKF.....If there is a few of us, it would be sweet....

07-17-2006, 10:49 AM	#1
Dan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,053	7/17 Windanglass Got up and checked the winds....5 MPH from the south...Decided to hit it anyway. Skipped the pier because a roll through the parking lot looked like the lights were off again. Weeded my way through the thick Shovel Nose G fish in the surf and launched dry in tiny surf. Scratched up some spanish in the pitch darkness and bolted for the deep. As soon as I round the point, the bane of La Jolla shows up --- stiff south wind and eel grass and kelp all over the surface. ugg. The wind speed increased to white cap levels and I was going backwards. Totally unfishable :cry: Came back inside the point and re-rigged for halibuts. And wouldn't you know it....the wind dies and it gets glassy. Kept a flyline going which kept busy with the bonies (nice big ones too) and calicos. Not motivated to paddle back out deep, I spent the rest of the morning fishing the the bottom. One raked bait and a few calicos deep. Very little current, water was back up, around 68/69 Degrees, mucho loose grass on the surface. Those who launched after 7 were stoked with zero wind and steamy weather.

07-17-2006, 04:54 PM	#2
Aaron&Julie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Spring Valley Posts: 1,400	Too bad the right kind never showed for you Dan, or us . We launched soon after he did. It took a little while to make bait at the point. One time, Aaron must've had 4 or 5 boneheads hit his sabiki at once. One hook cut off, one broke, one straightened and one bonito landed, all on the same cast/drop. Like Dan said, lots of grass and kelp floating around. The water didn't feel very cold or warm. Your tarpoon obviously cuts through the water better than our FNDs. Either that or we found the Mississippi River flowing to the north out there. For almost 2 hours we tried to paddle south paralleling the shore and we made very little headway. And though there was some wind, it was the current kicking our asses. Unlike last Friday, didn't see any yellows puddling around. Ended up with a couple of bass and bonito. Otherwise, kinda slow. Landed about noon. __________________ "Never say die"

07-17-2006, 07:30 PM	#3
Fishin Phil Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 288	That's Funny Because two Sundays ago the current was wicked out of the North along with the wind. And last Sunday it was just the opposite. So, does that mean that next week no current and wind? :?

07-17-2006, 08:09 PM	#4
Dean Machine Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: San Clemente Posts: 162	Lets see, Last twelve months no big fishy for me. Does that mean the next twelve months big fishy? :? :lol: I was out too and had the same thoughts about the current and wind. Real tough out there for awhile last sunday. My friend got picked up and landed a bonito on a mack straight out from the pier a little while after daylight. He kind of toyed with it and we were thinking the fishing would be better than it was. It was like glass for a couple hours. That was our only action for the day. Seemed to be schools of bait hanging around the pier as I picked up a full sabiki of deans and then one of greenies and didn't mark any bait on the inside for the rest of the day til 11:00. Probably should have dragged the bottom to the north for something where all the bait was hanging out. Not many birds working from what I could see and the water was about 68 degrees and warmed up to about 72 towards the outside in spots. I really wanted to get outside to the south but the current and wind were ferocious plus it seemed to be getting worked pretty well by everyone else for nada. Maybe next time. __________________ "Good luck and tight lines!"

07-18-2006, 08:22 AM	#6
madscientist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,906	While there are exceptions to every rule, downhill current seems to be the best for the fishing. I think uphill is better than none, probably just need to fish different spots. __________________

07-18-2006, 01:16 AM	#5
Will B. Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: La Jolla Posts: 96	When I used to fish for yellows on the 1/2 day boats they told me that the current has to be running south for good yellowtail fishing at La Jolla. If its running north you should just cancel out. Is not that true?

07-18-2006, 10:20 AM	#7
Will B. Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: La Jolla Posts: 96	Would the explanation for downhill current being better-- be that nutrient rich phytoplanton filled water would plume up from the depths of the canyon against the edge of the kelp shelf attracting bait fish and thus bigger fish? Another interesting idea--I was talking to the owner of Star Marlin and Tuna lures and he said that the angle that the tide flows in daily varies in a predictable manner. If you can plot out and be at that point of the kelp that first intersects the incoming tide flow you should be able to catch fish. He said there are charts that predict this angle of flow in a book called COAST PILOT? Anyone heard of or used this concept?

07-18-2006, 11:08 AM	#8
nmbrinkman Work Sucks! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 559	I woner what would happen if we dropped kelp paddies outside a mile or two and leftemt overnight or for a day or so? I know it would be hard to pull one off the beach and drag it out there...I guess it would wash ashore like the rest of em do....maybe a stupid idea...I know some PBers do it when they go lookin for paddies....they fill a trash can with top kelp and toss em overboard....leave em overnight and hit em the next day....Sounds pretty stupid, so I expect the insulting responses...Just wondering though? :?

07-19-2006, 09:37 AM	#10
nmbrinkman Work Sucks! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 559	I wasn't planning on catching any tuna or dorado off it really....More along the lines of a place that might attract the YT in and around LJ....Sounds pretty stupid now though.... :roll: At this point I'll try anything....maybe my luck will change tonight in the PM.... :?

07-19-2006, 12:02 PM	#11
Lit-up1 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Point Loma Posts: 384	Paddies Don't think that just kelp holds fish-anything floating in the water has the potential to hold fish-boards, logs, balloons, floats,pallats boat hulls etc. can all hold fish if setting in the water long enough and there is bait around. Pelagic fish may be "on" the paddie and circling 1/4 mile away. If there is a bird on the paddie they almost always have fish underneath. The paddies off the coast often do hold Yellowtail. Note the fish counts in todays paper-Lots of dorado in the count all of a sudden-I believe recently pushed north with warm water from the storms off Baja-Sur- Give them some time to keep coming north 2-3 weeks and I predict the nine-mile bank will hold dodos and hopefully someone will score of La Jolla. I want to do an off-shore paddle with a group-make bait at the pier and head north/west a few miles then hope on-shore winds push us back-shooting for sometime mid-August-lets see what those paddies hold 8) Dave

07-19-2006, 04:27 PM	#12
nmbrinkman Work Sucks! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 559	Some of us were bs ing about doing the same on LKF.....If there is a few of us, it would be sweet....