Leucadia Hoopin'

[gregdale]

So after fishing a 14' aluminum off La Jolla for 30 years, the recent developments at the launch and pressure from a friend finally made me buy a kayak. I loaded 4 hoops up front and took off out the north end of Moonlight Beach. Made my way about a mile north in to the thick kelp and started jigging bait. I made 6 sardines quickly and one little surf perch. Once I cut them up, I stuffed 2 bait tubes, found a ledge, and dropped 2 of 4 hoops down.

I kept trying to get some more bait, but there was none to be found. Waited about a half hour and pulled the first hoop, 1 short. Second hoop, 2 shorts. The bait was still there so back down they went. Caught a couple small bass while waiting which was nice,

As the sun got low, I pulled them again for blanks and decided I shouldn't do my first surf landing in the dark. Closed all the hatches (I thought), secured the hoops and came in. Thanks Jim Sammons for the surf landing tutorial vids or I would have been screwed. Side slid in nicely and relatively dry, but one of the hatches stayed open! Whoops, lesson learned and thankfully my cell phone still works.

Hope to have something more interesting next time, but it was beautiful and peaceful on the water and I got a good taste of why you're all addicted.