Dana Point 5/16

[Salty]

Saturday 5/16:
Launched at the ramp a little after sunrise and made my way to the buoy off the point. Marked lots of fish and dropped sardines down for a few calico and sandy hookups. After a while I switched to flylining sardines because the calico were schooling at the surface. It was awesome watching these guys chase the bait around on the surface like a mini foamer! Lost count after about a dozen or so. Most were under size, but there were a handful around 16-18". Every once in a while I sent down the dropshot to change it up and got 2 decent sculpin. Once live bait was running low I went inshore towards the rocks. Used a double dropper setup with frozen shrimp on the treble hook and got a larger sculpin just over 14", a little surf perch and a couple more calico.
Totals
Calico: 15-20
Sand Bass: 3
Sculpin: 3
Surf Perch: 1
Everything released

[daperrin]

Nice! Is the bait barge selling or did you catch your own?

[Udine219]

Looks great!

[Salty]

Originally Posted by daperrin

Nice! Is the bait barge selling or did you catch your own?

Barge is open and bait is healthy!

[DanaYakAngler]

We fished the same areas yesterday with live bait/plastics around the buoy and close to the rocks with only 6 calicos between the two of us! Man, sometimes you just go out on the wrong day it seems. Maybe you are just a better angler than I am? Anyways, that sounds like a great day. Can't beat calico crashin bait at the surface. We didn't see any surface action. Caught two around the buoy, the other 4 were tight to the san juan rocks. You really have to pay attention in there as the swells came in about 5 minute intervals. The waves were refracting off the jetty and combining with the original swells to form A frame waves that were sneaky.

[daperrin]

Originally Posted by DanaYakAngler

We fished the same areas yesterday with live bait/plastics around the buoy and close to the rocks with only 6 calicos between the two of us! Man, sometimes you just go out on the wrong day it seems. Maybe you are just a better angler than I am? Anyways, that sounds like a great day. Can't beat calico crashin bait at the surface. We didn't see any surface action. Caught two around the buoy, the other 4 were tight to the san juan rocks. You really have to pay attention in there as the swells came in about 5 minute intervals. The waves were refracting off the jetty and combining with the original swells to form A frame waves that were sneaky.

Ya I hate passing through that rough zone.

[Salty]

Originally Posted by DanaYakAngler

...Maybe you are just a better angler than I am?

I wouldn't say that! 90% of it is just being in the right spot. I cruised around with my buddy for a while until we marked fish then dropped on them. When I drifted off that spot: nothing. So I'd go back and there they were again! I only went to that exact spot because the day before I was out on a friend's boat and we anchored up right there and caught bass for 3 hours straight. Easily caught 50 each. Every sardine was a hookup within seconds, live, dead, chewed up, whatever. Frozen squid got demolished. My buddy reused a single squid to get 5 calico. It was crazy! Tons of fun. Again, didn't keep a single one even if they were big enough. Basically we just just handed out free meals to bass all day. All that to say I don't know how much skill was involved, we were just in the right place at the right time out of luck mostly lol
Now I'd love to have a day like that with YT instead of calico!! Might keep a couple of THOSE!

[Salty]

Originally Posted by daperrin

Ya I hate passing through that rough zone.

Also, the biggest sculpin I caught was when I was maybe 10-15' from the front of the San Juan rocks. It's definitely sketchy. Timed the swells, angled away from the rocks (I don't have a 180 drive...), chucked the double dropper with shrimp behind me and let it sink. Thought I was snagged at first but was pleasantly surprised when it started fighting

[JohnMckroidJr]

Great photos, Nice!

[daperrin]

Originally Posted by Salty

I wouldn't say that! 90% of it is just being in the right spot. I cruised around with my buddy for a while until we marked fish then dropped on them. When I drifted off that spot: nothing. So I'd go back and there they were again! I only went to that exact spot because the day before I was out on a friend's boat and we anchored up right there and caught bass for 3 hours straight. Easily caught 50 each. Every sardine was a hookup within seconds, live, dead, chewed up, whatever. Frozen squid got demolished. My buddy reused a single squid to get 5 calico. It was crazy! Tons of fun. Again, didn't keep a single one even if they were big enough. Basically we just just handed out free meals to bass all day. All that to say I don't know how much skill was involved, we were just in the right place at the right time out of luck mostly lol
Now I'd love to have a day like that with YT instead of calico!! Might keep a couple of THOSE!

When you caught those many fish with the squid were you just using squid on a hook or plastics with a strip of squid?

[Salty]

Originally Posted by daperrin

When you caught those many fish with the squid were you just using squid on a hook or plastics with a strip of squid?

Just flylining full frozen squid on a circle hook and letting it float off in the drift. It was usually getting bit in less than 6 feet of water about 20 feet away.