Fishing Report La Jolla May 9th plus a sonar question - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

DDS · 05-10-2018, 08:52 PM

Haven't seen too many reports lately so I thought I'd add one....

Late start - 7:30 am on water. Parking pretty easy.
Waves were 2-4 feet with close frequency...thought I timed my launch better - then took to bow breakers to the chest...got a bit worried as the PA 14 totally filled with water and started to list to the side...thankfully drained from the footwell and made it out before the next set came in....

Phrase of the day was Tuna Crab...everywhere....

Had a tougher than usually time making bait. Tried to get away from Tuna Crab so went out deeper and a very ambitious sand bass got the only bait I had left after the dogs took a few fly liners.

Headed in and spoke with a few other boaters...couple kayaks were skunked, one power boater had a keeper halibut.

Headed in about 11:30 am having pulled in two Sand Bass that were not keepers. The larger of the two Sand Bass puked up a Tuna Crab while I was trying to get the hook out - so even they were stuffed....

Thank you to the gentleman who extended my day by an hour by giving me a few extra greenbacks before he headed in - extra karma points to you...

Question on Sonar - the first two images - am I reading those right that there is just a blanket of Tuna Crab hanging above the sea floor suspend about 20 feet vertically?

Second sonar question - in the last image on the lower right side...is that a big old white sea bass just taunting me?

Is it worth heading out there trying to fish when the Tuna Crab are this thick?Do the game fish even go for our fly lines or irons if they are stuffed to the gills with Crab?

Hope to head out again tomorrow AM (Friday - La Jolla Shores) after dropping the kids off at school - don't know if any of you fishing masters can share any tips or wisdom on the sonar images or successfully catching game fish when there is tuna crab everywhere....
Thanks for any tips....

YakDout · 05-11-2018, 07:09 AM

That is definitely a nice fish in the third shot. Hard to say what it is.

Caseym · 05-11-2018, 08:45 AM

I would say Yes to the Tuna Crab in the meter. In the past when the water is stuffed through the whole column, i have messed with my gain and found that the higher sensitivity settings pick them up all the way to the bottom, only when i turned it way down (50% or lower) did it eliminate the pesky little critters from the screen.
Theres always give and take with these meters....errr I mean fish finders!

Ggiannig89 · 05-11-2018, 04:25 PM

From your questions and lack of responses I’m led to believe that people are just as inexperienced as me when it comes to reading a fish finder. I would assume the same thing as you with what the pictures look like.

exfactor · 05-11-2018, 07:57 PM

When you learn that the meter only shows you whats there, and doesn't mean that anything will happen from what you see, you'll slowly start piecing together how every day you put your bait down, only sometimes does anything happen when you do! I've learned that if i just use my meter to find bottom, and bait, the rest just takes care of itself

fourtogo · 05-12-2018, 01:38 AM

Entertainment till excitement happens .

seck66 · 05-12-2018, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exfactor

When you learn that the meter only shows you whats there, and doesn't mean that anything will happen from what you see, you'll slowly start piecing together how every day you put your bait down, only sometimes does anything happen when you do! I've learned that if i just use my meter to find bottom, and bait, the rest just takes care of itself

Agreed. I also like it to help me know when I've cleared the kelp. It took a little while to learn the difference between kelp and a bait cloud. The obvious difference is bait isn't attached to the bottom.

vincentek9 · 05-12-2018, 07:30 PM

first 2 pictures definitely look like a big cloud of red crab.
third picture looks like a big something. i might even go as far as to say it looks like a solid seal.
lower part of third image looks like you were trying to bounce a bait and you were working it up.

my FF is used mainly for these reasons
50% find structure (rocks, kelp, wrecks, etc.)
40% find bait
10% actually look for big fish (fishing kelp paddies and under dolphins)

if i had to say the ratio of seeing good marks vs getting the hookup, i'd put it at a pretty low number. as Fourtogo said, entertainment till excitement happens.

Ddwineguy · 05-12-2018, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDS

Haven't seen too many reports lately so I thought I'd add one....

Late start - 7:30 am on water. Parking pretty easy.

Waves were 2-4 feet with close frequency...thought I timed my launch better - then took to bow breakers to the chest...got a bit worried as the PA 14 totally filled with water and started to list to the side...thankfully drained from the footwell and made it out before the next set came in....

Phrase of the day was Tuna Crab...everywhere....

Had a tougher than usually time making bait. Tried to get away from Tuna Crab so went out deeper and a very ambitious sand bass got the only bait I had left after the dogs took a few fly liners.

Headed in and spoke with a few other boaters...couple kayaks were skunked, one power boater had a keeper halibut.

Headed in about 11:30 am having pulled in two Sand Bass that were not keepers. The larger of the two Sand Bass puked up a Tuna Crab while I was trying to get the hook out - so even they were stuffed....

Thank you to the gentleman who extended my day by an hour by giving me a few extra greenbacks before he headed in - extra karma points to you...

Question on Sonar - the first two images - am I reading those right that there is just a blanket of Tuna Crab hanging above the sea floor suspend about 20 feet vertically?

Second sonar question - in the last image on the lower right side...is that a big old white sea bass just taunting me?

Is it worth heading out there trying to fish when the Tuna Crab are this thick?Do the game fish even go for our fly lines or irons if they are stuffed to the gills with Crab?

Hope to head out again tomorrow AM (Friday - La Jolla Shores) after dropping the kids off at school - don't know if any of you fishing masters can share any tips or wisdom on the sonar images or successfully catching game fish when there is tuna crab everywhere....

Thanks for any tips....

Hi, I’m the guy in the hobie compass that gave you my bait on the way in. Sounds exactly like my day out there.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

TJones · 05-13-2018, 01:51 AM

Of it being a shark. Possibly a thresher. White Sea bass will appear distinctively because of there large air bladder and have a worm like shape. What kind of unit are you running ? Transducer? Your structure scan is pretty kool. Thanks for report.

DDS · 05-13-2018, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ddwineguy

Hi, I’m the guy in the hobie compass that gave you my bait on the way in. Sounds exactly like my day out there.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Again!
Appreciate the bait on the tips on the regs....

Went back out on Friday - no bueno - white caps, swells, easier bait, no fish.

DDS · 05-13-2018, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJones

Of it being a shark. Possibly a thresher. White Sea bass will appear distinctively because of there large air bladder and have a worm like shape. What kind of unit are you running ? Transducer? Your structure scan is pretty kool. Thanks for report.

Thank you very much for the insight...just getting used to the new unit and trying to learn as much as possible about how to read the results...I hadn't thought of shark as a possibility....Good to learn the differences on the sonar of the different larger animals down below...

Unit is a RayMarine Axiom with RV-100 All in One transducer on a berleypro mount. So far so good. Learning the 3d scan...definitely gives me something interesting to look at while waiting for a hook up.

DDS · 05-13-2018, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seck66

Agreed. I also like it to help me know when I've cleared the kelp. It took a little while to learn the difference between kelp and a bait cloud. The obvious difference is bait isn't attached to the bottom.

That has been the best use of my sonar so far...nice to be able to drop a bait near the bottom without worrying about it continually getting fouled in the kelp.

DDS · 05-13-2018, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exfactor

When you learn that the meter only shows you whats there, and doesn't mean that anything will happen from what you see, you'll slowly start piecing together how every day you put your bait down, only sometimes does anything happen when you do! I've learned that if i just use my meter to find bottom, and bait, the rest just takes care of itself

Very Zen Wisdom...always good to keep perspective...gets difficult when the sabiki rig is tangled, the lures get snapped off in kelp and the only thing making my reel sing is the sea dogs poaching my bait...but with time and experience I'm sure the fish will come easier...
Still learning the new sonar (only 2nd day on the water)...so very much in the early phases of learning still. Have not yet achieved much success on the water besides some great exercise and a big money vacuum....but having a great time learning.

JohnMckroidJr · 05-14-2018, 08:13 AM

Thanks for the report. If you have an older PA, I have found that some window insulation from home depo works wonders to keep water out of the front hatch.
Nice Fishfinder - is that a lowrance carbon unit ? Does the sidescan transducer slowed you down much ? I took my Garmin Echomap 9sv off cause the sidescan transducer was costing me .3-.4kts, and I am already a slow boat PA14.

05-10-2018, 08:52 PM	#1
DDS Finally landed one Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 35	Fishing Report La Jolla May 9th plus a sonar question Haven't seen too many reports lately so I thought I'd add one.... Late start - 7:30 am on water. Parking pretty easy. Waves were 2-4 feet with close frequency...thought I timed my launch better - then took to bow breakers to the chest...got a bit worried as the PA 14 totally filled with water and started to list to the side...thankfully drained from the footwell and made it out before the next set came in.... Phrase of the day was Tuna Crab...everywhere.... Had a tougher than usually time making bait. Tried to get away from Tuna Crab so went out deeper and a very ambitious sand bass got the only bait I had left after the dogs took a few fly liners. Headed in and spoke with a few other boaters...couple kayaks were skunked, one power boater had a keeper halibut. Headed in about 11:30 am having pulled in two Sand Bass that were not keepers. The larger of the two Sand Bass puked up a Tuna Crab while I was trying to get the hook out - so even they were stuffed.... Thank you to the gentleman who extended my day by an hour by giving me a few extra greenbacks before he headed in - extra karma points to you... Question on Sonar - the first two images - am I reading those right that there is just a blanket of Tuna Crab hanging above the sea floor suspend about 20 feet vertically? Second sonar question - in the last image on the lower right side...is that a big old white sea bass just taunting me? Is it worth heading out there trying to fish when the Tuna Crab are this thick?Do the game fish even go for our fly lines or irons if they are stuffed to the gills with Crab? Hope to head out again tomorrow AM (Friday - La Jolla Shores) after dropping the kids off at school - don't know if any of you fishing masters can share any tips or wisdom on the sonar images or successfully catching game fish when there is tuna crab everywhere.... Thanks for any tips.... Attached Images __________________ 2014 Hobie Tandem Island (to fish with the kids) 2017 Hobie Pro Angler 14 (for solo missions)

05-12-2018, 01:38 AM	#6
fourtogo Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Posts: 140	Fish finder meter Entertainment till excitement happens .

05-12-2018, 07:30 PM	#8
vincentek9 MAYNEE-YAK Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: So Cal Posts: 533	first 2 pictures definitely look like a big cloud of red crab. third picture looks like a big something. i might even go as far as to say it looks like a solid seal. lower part of third image looks like you were trying to bounce a bait and you were working it up. my FF is used mainly for these reasons 50% find structure (rocks, kelp, wrecks, etc.) 40% find bait 10% actually look for big fish (fishing kelp paddies and under dolphins) if i had to say the ratio of seeing good marks vs getting the hookup, i'd put it at a pretty low number. as Fourtogo said, entertainment till excitement happens. __________________

05-13-2018, 01:51 AM	#10
TJones Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 2,526	Dont eliminate the possibility Of it being a shark. Possibly a thresher. White Sea bass will appear distinctively because of there large air bladder and have a worm like shape. What kind of unit are you running ? Transducer? Your structure scan is pretty kool. Thanks for report.

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05-11-2018, 07:09 AM	#2
YakDout Brandon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,345	That is definitely a nice fish in the third shot. Hard to say what it is.

05-11-2018, 08:45 AM	#3
Caseym Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Temecula Posts: 194	I would say Yes to the Tuna Crab in the meter. In the past when the water is stuffed through the whole column, i have messed with my gain and found that the higher sensitivity settings pick them up all the way to the bottom, only when i turned it way down (50% or lower) did it eliminate the pesky little critters from the screen. Theres always give and take with these meters....errr I mean fish finders!

05-11-2018, 04:25 PM	#4
Ggiannig89 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: El Cajon Posts: 512	From your questions and lack of responses I’m led to believe that people are just as inexperienced as me when it comes to reading a fish finder. I would assume the same thing as you with what the pictures look like.

05-11-2018, 07:57 PM	#5
exfactor Junior Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 20	When you learn that the meter only shows you whats there, and doesn't mean that anything will happen from what you see, you'll slowly start piecing together how every day you put your bait down, only sometimes does anything happen when you do! I've learned that if i just use my meter to find bottom, and bait, the rest just takes care of itself

05-14-2018, 08:13 AM	#15
JohnMckroidJr Senior Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Fort Lauderdale Posts: 1,945	Thanks for the report. If you have an older PA, I have found that some window insulation from home depo works wonders to keep water out of the front hatch. Nice Fishfinder - is that a lowrance carbon unit ? Does the sidescan transducer slowed you down much ? I took my Garmin Echomap 9sv off cause the sidescan transducer was costing me .3-.4kts, and I am already a slow boat PA14.