New to the board

[dsafety]

A few things about fishing in San Diego. First of all, there are tons of fish, just about everywhere. Unfortunately, they can be tough to catch if you don't know what you are doing.

I have fished all my life. As a kid I fished La Jolla from a small boat all the time and never went home empty handed. As I grew older, I switched to fly fishing for bass and trout for many years and when I came back to the ocean in a kayak, I could not catch a cold.

I have paid my dues for the past two years and am now moderately successful on most trips. This is mostly due to listening to advice from others more experienced than I. This forum and the many friends I have made as a result of hanging around deserve most of the credit for my maturation as a kayak fisher.

As mentioned before earlier in this thread, there are some shortcuts. You can hire a guide. The Darkhorse is a friend of mine and one of my mentors, so I am probably a little prejudiced on his behalf. There are other excellent guides but none better than Josh. If you have the time, (a day with Josh can be sunup to sundown), and the jingle, you will learn more in one day than most of us learn in a year.

The other option is trial and error. This is that path that most of us have taken. There is a part of me that hopes you go this route. Rookie mistakes can be very entertaining to watch. We have all made them, whether we want to admit it or not. It is always nice to have new blood screwing up so we, the "seasoned veterans", can smugly smile at someone else's misfortune.

That said, I can tell you with the utmost certainty that if you find yourself in a tough spot, virtually every one of this region's kayak fishers will immediately come to your aid.

I hope that your trip exceeds your expectations. See you on the water.

Bob