San Diego Skunk

[Harry Hill]

Launched from Tidewater Park about 7am to a falling tide, headed north with the tide and spent the morning not catching fish, except for some greenbacks. I had a dolphin spend about half an hour with me which probably didn't help the bite but was entertaining. Buddha was fishing with me and never got a bite all morning. I managed to snag some guys line from the fishing dock and mess his morning up, that guy could really cast because I was quite a ways out trolling a mackerel off a dropper. I cut my line and sent his rig back to him whole but I imagine he was upset. Anyway, it was really nice on the water, t-shirt weather. Coronado is a lot busier than Chula Vista, navy seals running back and forth in gunboats, lots of boats on the water but we were the only kayak fisherman I saw and I only saw a couple of skiffs out fishing, I guess everyone else knew what I didn't, the fish weren't biting in the bay today. Then again, who else in the US was out fishing today in a kayak?

[Stuck20]

I went out in the rain on Saturday morning and I thought I was crazy at first, but it turned out to be pretty fun. Managed a little wsb (my first ever) so it was totally worth it, even though he was a shorty. Found tons of greenbacks for lobster bait, too.
Time on the water is time well spent, even on those slow days!

[Daiwadude]

The fish are there, you just have to fish it right..

[wolfman]

Diawadude could you elaborate on that?

[Natural_one]

What were you targeting? If you're just trolling a live mac around I cant say Im surprised you weren't bit.

If you're looking for just anything, Id suggest curl tails tipped with squid strips, on 3/4oz lead heads. Fish the drop off transitions down to the channel. Pitch the same to structure, moored boats etc. Also drop shot gulp anything with 1oz weights. You'll get bit.

[Harry Hill]

Originally Posted by Natural_one

What were you targeting? If you're just trolling a live mac around I cant say Im surprised you weren't bit.

If you're looking for just anything, Id suggest curl tails tipped with squid strips, on 3/4oz lead heads. Fish the drop off transitions down to the channel. Pitch the same to structure, moored boats etc. Also drop shot gulp anything with 1oz weights. You'll get bit.

I thought I was targeting halibut but maybe I was wrong.

[Natural_one]

Originally Posted by Harry Hill

I thought I was targeting halibut but maybe I was wrong.

Totally possible. What rig were you using on the mack? Weighted/three way I assume right? I've only caught hali's on a three way swivel weight on the bottom. Trolling, slow crank, or just drifting on a good tidal swing.

[Harry Hill]

Originally Posted by Natural_one

Totally possible. What rig were you using on the mack? Weighted/three way I assume right? I've only caught hali's on a three way swivel weight on the bottom. Trolling, slow crank, or just drifting on a good tidal swing.

Three way, one ounce on the bottom, slow trolled the sandy bottoms, then across the channel to the boat channel and back and forth over the drop off. I don't know halibut fishing so I was just doing what seemed right to me. I need to get with a halibut fisherman to get some instruction on the right way to do it. I hooked the mackerel through the gill plate and it was a lively swimmer.

[Natural_one]

Originally Posted by Harry Hill

Three way, one ounce on the bottom, slow trolled the sandy bottoms, then across the channel to the boat channel and back and forth over the drop off. I don't know halibut fishing so I was just doing what seemed right to me. I need to get with a halibut fisherman to get some instruction on the right way to do it. I hooked the mackerel through the gill plate and it was a lively swimmer.

You gave it a good run with good chances I'd say.
I've caught halibut all over sd bay, but majority have been off north island by the heli pads. Naval security seems more lax lately, so I usually get up with 50' of the shore, drop the bait, and head to deeper water while in free spool. Once out 150-200 feet, I'll start the slow retrieve back, continuing the slow retrieve through anything that feels like a but. Halibut will typically drop the bait if you stop.
I guess they call it fishing and not catching for the reason you experienced. Keep on and tight lines!

[Harry Hill]

Originally Posted by Natural_one

You gave it a good run with good chances I'd say.
I've caught halibut all over sd bay, but majority have been off north island by the heli pads. Naval security seems more lax lately, so I usually get up with 50' of the shore, drop the bait, and head to deeper water while in free spool. Once out 150-200 feet, I'll start the slow retrieve back, continuing the slow retrieve through anything that feels like a but. Halibut will typically drop the bait if you stop.
I guess they call it fishing and not catching for the reason you experienced. Keep on and tight lines!

thanks, I will figure out the pattern eventually. In Mission Bay I've had a couple of squid cut in half and I thought that was halibut but since I never saw what was biting I can't say for sure. I don't know where the naval island is but I'll figure it out. is that where the aircraft carrier is parked north of the Coronado Bridge? I didn't get up to the carrier last week but I'll try that next time I get down there. Probably next week if things work out right.