Dana point Sunday 9/11

[DPevin]

Lagged a bit this morning getting underway but we were on the water by 7. Tide was peaking at the high tide around 7:06. Water seems to have cooled off a bit. We headed out of the harbor and fished in front of doheny and capo beach, but out past the red bouy.

I launched first and as I waited for my two buddies I threw a fluke at a bouy just off baby beach and got a spotty first cast.

Made a nice sized mack right off the bat. Not too big. Set myself up on a drift and had the mack on bottom with a dropper loop. Was working the plastics on the bait caster for calicos with no luck. All the sudden rod in the holder has a nice steady bend, turns the kayak 90 degrees and even pulls me a few feet. I was stoked, knew it was something pretty big right away. Fought pretty good until I got it off bottom then went pretty dead weight. Started to hope and dream it was a Halibut, then it went on a nice run as I got it closer to the yak. Then I didn't know what to think it was. 2 more runs and I finally got a glimpse of it. Was surprised to see a Leopard shark. I was a little disappointed as the wife has be giving me a hard time for not bringing home anything to eat lately hah. But it was still cool as I have never caught one bigger than a foot before.

Another drift this time with squid on the dropper loop landed me probably my personal best calico. Had me stuck on something good for almost a minute but kept a steady bend on it and it came off bottom finally.

Hit a small kelp paddy on the way back to the harbor mouth and nabbed another calico on the drop with a fluke.

What started off as a slow day ended up pretty eventful. Was a good time as always. Hope everyone else else got some this weekend.