1st five reports/dana pt

[sanjuancapokayak]

Hey y'all. Well, I've got a new hobie again. Haven't been seriously since age 19. Now it's 20 yrs. later! But, we moved 2 yrs. ago to San Juan Capistrano...landed a house/townshouse with help from Habitat for Humanity.

Bought a home made kayak from a cool old dude made of plywood and epoxy. Wait, alot of you are from S.D. maybe you know him? When I met him he introduced himself like this... "Hi, My name is Don....IM A FISHERMEN." The Kayak I purchased from him was posted about a month ago on craigslist as The Ultimate Fishing Kayak. Got it for $300. Came with a small humingbird fisher, homemade baittank, homemade gaff and livebait net, and a battery. The Kayak is painted blue and has two Charger bolts (one for each side of the Kayak). I'm a big baseball fan (Angels)... but, I figure I'll keep the bolts on the side- that way I'll have to root for the S.D. Chargers and pay attention to football again. Don was so cool, he even threw in his tool box for the kayak. Don has a hearin' aide...Any of you seen him on the water? He made a boat I almost bought from him for 600.

Maiden Voyage: Was feeling iffy... hoping this kayak would float me. Neighbor was cool enough to help me launch. As we put it in the water...smoke was coming off the wires and I fried the wires (musta touched eachother somehow). Welp, there goes the livebait for today Met another kayaker named Glenn. Very cool dude. We both saw a Blue Whale. Scared the crap outta me, not gonna lie. I've been on my boys Whale watching trip and don't remember the sound of them coming up being so damb loud! Was fifty yards away. Any closer, I probably woulda craped my pants. Got skunked.

2nd Trip (I go once a week either on Monday or Tuesday as I'm a night custodian for 1/2 day in the mornings). Skunked again. Fished large sardines. Lots of bites, was thinking maybe whatever was hitting it...was maybe too small. Highlight of the day. I saw a sea turtle!!! I didn't know we had sea turtles in California??? I have seen them when I was in the service (Navy) in Pearl Harbor. That was totally cool. He wasn't big...maybe 2 ft by 2 ft on the shell. He was in all the Kelp. Did a couple of tours around my kayak and disappeared.

3rd Trip: Was more prepared and motivated not to get skunked. That'da be strike three, right? Went to Hogan's Bait and Tackle. Talked to the counterman and asked what would be good for catching calico's off the kelp. He recommended four plastics one being a grub that was white and he said looked like squid. I did catch a calico off that lure I remember. That day a caught three calicos. A 15" , A 14", and a short...along with two macks. Was just glad I didn't get skunked again. Fished squid this time around too

4th Trip: Launched early again 6 am. In total fog. I gotta get me more that the 99 cent variety that weakly attaches to the front of my yak and Get a headlamp that I see those dorky standup dudes with. Saw Glenn again. He was targeting sheephead fishing shellfish or something for bait. It was SO Foggy it was eirey. Could see about 25 to 50 yards max. Was thinking damb......!!!! Welp, I could follow the lobster traps back to the harbor if all else fails. Fished with Glenn for about an hour then we parted. I landed another decent sized bass and some kinda hugeass rockfish or perch. It was bigger than the bass. I though them in my baittank, so when I got home they were alive and kickin'. My girl was home shortly (early day) and said are they alive or dead? I said alive, I picked up the bass ...one hand under the belly and one hand carefully on the top. It kicked away agressively and scared us both half to death. My girl was so funny...she said, "THAT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!!" and we both laugh as I stuck them alive in a bag and tossed them in the freezer. My wife said, "Your so mean". I smiled.

5th Time out: My calico lures were gone. They are stuck on DP kelp. I don't know what happen to the white squid looking one. I think I here it up in the front of my yak rollin' around. Will have to go headfirst and peek for it...before the next trip. This trip the wind was up when I first came out of the harbor into open water. Was a little hairy, and was tossed about. Reports said it was supposed to die down. It did a bit. Caught about 3 macks and a tiny perch. Was targeting halibut as Glenn said he had caught alot and a dude lobstering told me their were two 30's caught just inside of where I was. Don't know the best spots yet, but I game to learn.

Gotta roll almost 11pm Time to set the school alarm and call it a night. If any of you wanna roll out there with me I have been going once a week on Mon. or Tues.
Warning though. I'm slow in my homemade heavy craft.

I'll get pics up and take our old camera. Would like to go South and try different spots. Maybe put this yak in S.D. again ,,,in her home Charger waters.

Late,
S.J.C.K (san juan capo Kayaker)
Bryan (Whit is my nickname) Hope to see you all on the water.
ps. great site. Love the knowledge here.
p.s. how long should I go with the same fishing line? haven't changed it yet...??? Maybe it's time.