Against my better judgement, Dana Point today - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

kayakfisherman · 07-10-2014, 06:00 PM

Alan W, :"I'm not sure how familiar you are with DP"??

I know you're not familiar with Dana Pt this time of year. Sending people
to the left into Doho when the waves are crashing over the marina's
jetty is just plain wrong.

It's true, there's good fishing there, but, the waves are not sheltered there.
Since Doho faces south and the waves are coming in from the south.
On top of that, the place is crawling with surfers.

The lifeguards won't let kayakfisherman anywhere near the surfers.
Plus the surfers are sitting on top of the fishing holes.

If people are worried about the waves, this time of year, send them north
to the west facing beaches.

This is just a lesson. Don't take offense. Lots of newbies will see you're
from Dana and you've got a ton of posts, so they'll take you at your word.

Spend more time learning about the seasonal changes in your area before
guiding others.

chxh8me · 07-10-2014, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayakfisherman

Alan W, :"I'm not sure how familiar you are with DP"??

I know you're not familiar with Dana Pt this time of year. Sending people
to the left into Doho when the waves are crashing over the marina's
jetty is just plain wrong.

It's true, there's good fishing there, but, the waves are not sheltered there.
Since Doho faces south and the waves are coming in from the south.
On top of that, the place is crawling with surfers.

The lifeguards won't let kayakfisherman anywhere near the surfers.
Plus the surfers are sitting on top of the fishing holes.

If people are worried about the waves, this time of year, send them north
to the west facing beaches.

This is just a lesson. Don't take offense. Lots of newbies will see you're
from Dana and you've got a ton of posts, so they'll take you at your word.

Spend more time learning about the seasonal changes in your area before
guiding others.

I'll vouch for that. I went to doho on a south swell against my better judgement even though wave and wind predictions were low. Unfortunately if was one of the only days I had time to get down there, so I took my chances. Turned out to be fairly hefty south swells and solid wind. It sucked b-holes, and the waves weren't even crashing over the jetty.

alanw · 07-10-2014, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayakfisherman

Alan W, :"I'm not sure how familiar you are with DP"??

I know you're not familiar with Dana Pt this time of year. Sending people
to the left into Doho when the waves are crashing over the marina's
jetty is just plain wrong.

It's true, there's good fishing there, but, the waves are not sheltered there.
Since Doho faces south and the waves are coming in from the south.
On top of that, the place is crawling with surfers.

The lifeguards won't let kayakfisherman anywhere near the surfers.
Plus the surfers are sitting on top of the fishing holes.

If people are worried about the waves, this time of year, send them north
to the west facing beaches.

This is just a lesson. Don't take offense. Lots of newbies will see you're
from Dana and you've got a ton of posts, so they'll take you at your word.

Spend more time learning about the seasonal changes in your area before
guiding others.

No offense taken, and good advice given. I haven't been out recently but was out just about every other weekend from August till December and then again from January till about six weeks ago, and south to Doheny has been relatively calm the most of the time. That's why I said he could "try" going south to see how it is. I should have looked at the swell charts before posting. Going miles north when there are rough conditions is just not an option for me nor would I recommend it to anyone.

Also I'm aware of the surfers at Doho.. kayaks are not permitted to be within 1000 feet of the high tide mark at any time of year at Doheny, but south of Thor's Hammer (SUP launch area) is ok as long as you maintain minimum 100 feet distance from swimmers/surfers. Violations could cost you up to a $450.00 fine.

DanaPT · 07-11-2014, 07:06 AM

Doho can be a tricky place during these south swells and during tide changes. I've seen/been caught by outside sneaker waves during the day and at night, which can seriously mess-up your fishing/hooping session. Generally, you won't worry about boats buzzing you in this near shore area, your head needs to be on a swivel for these outside waves. Your also have to mindful of the wind, having to paddle back to the harbor against the wind could be more than you bargained for.

So to first-timers, if your visiting a new area... do your homework. watch for winds, swells, tides and overall conditions.

07-10-2014, 06:00 PM	#1
kayakfisherman Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 715	Alan W, :"I'm not sure how familiar you are with DP"?? I know you're not familiar with Dana Pt this time of year. Sending people to the left into Doho when the waves are crashing over the marina's jetty is just plain wrong. It's true, there's good fishing there, but, the waves are not sheltered there. Since Doho faces south and the waves are coming in from the south. On top of that, the place is crawling with surfers. The lifeguards won't let kayakfisherman anywhere near the surfers. Plus the surfers are sitting on top of the fishing holes. If people are worried about the waves, this time of year, send them north to the west facing beaches. This is just a lesson. Don't take offense. Lots of newbies will see you're from Dana and you've got a ton of posts, so they'll take you at your word. Spend more time learning about the seasonal changes in your area before guiding others.

07-11-2014, 07:06 AM	#4
DanaPT Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: South OC Posts: 1,606	Doho can be a tricky place during these south swells and during tide changes. I've seen/been caught by outside sneaker waves during the day and at night, which can seriously mess-up your fishing/hooping session. Generally, you won't worry about boats buzzing you in this near shore area, your head needs to be on a swivel for these outside waves. Your also have to mindful of the wind, having to paddle back to the harbor against the wind could be more than you bargained for. So to first-timers, if your visiting a new area... do your homework. watch for winds, swells, tides and overall conditions.