Bait, Barracuda and Beaked Dolphins, Oh My! (LJ) - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Gflann · 07-16-2021, 06:38 PM

An eventful day at LJ. No YT or WSB but a few interesting moments.

Launched at dawn and stayed inshore searching for bait. Impatience got the best of me and I couldn’t resist chasing birds offshore. I brought my rockfish set up so I knew I’d be able to make the offshore sprint worth it. Got to the diving birds about 2 miles off shore and bait was boiling everywhere. Unfortunately it wasn’t YT but a bunch of Barracuda. It was awesome watching the breach while occasionally getting spooked by a pelican crashing after bait 20 ft away.

I decided to have fun with the Cudas and put on what I know is irresistible...a Yo Zuri diving minnow with a rattle. I trolled that around for 3 Cudas with the biggest at 30’’. All released. I was able to quickly pickup a few nice green backs and continued further offshore to a few rockpiles I had marked.

Then I was amazed by the biggest pod of Dolphins I have ever seen. I got to see some of them charge bait in a line pushing up a ton of water and then what looked like them slapping them with their tail. It felt like planet earth until my fly lined mack made a couple short clicker spurts and then the clicker goes off. I put the reel in gear and WHAT A FREIGHT TRAIN. For a second I thought it was a YT but not even the homeguard I caught in April ran this hard. I even put it the drag on full (28 pounds) and it looked like I was going to get spooled. With the dolphins all around me I just assumed that’s what it was and quickly put my thumb on the spool and the line broke. It was 30# mono.

Since I was offshore I put my rockfish set up to use with a couple strips of squid. Released 4 medium size Red’s and kept two. Broke my PB for Vermillion’s at 5.9 pounds. Alot of work in 250’ to land those and descend several so I called it a day and started the long trek in.

Once again LJ gives out another amazing day....tight lines.

FISH11 · 07-16-2021, 07:47 PM

Sounds like a great day a La Jolla. It's awesome when there's a big show put on by the local wildlife. The Dolphin are magical, they always bring a smile to my face. After a great day, you still got to bring home some dinner. Tight Lines!

Pocoloco · 07-19-2021, 08:49 AM

Thanks for the kayak report. Looks fun. I have never seen a dolphin take a bait, just the big fish or seals that swim with them.

tcsdallas · 07-19-2021, 11:44 AM

Great job

JohnMckroidJr · 07-19-2021, 01:09 PM

Interesting report -- and nice rockfish! When I worked on Headboats in SoCal, it was rare to see a dolphin get hooked. Tunas are known to feed with dolphins -- ya never know?

NiksYak · 07-19-2021, 05:13 PM

Sounds like a great day OTW. Well done.

Gflann · 07-20-2021, 08:49 AM

The dolphin thing is a total hypothesis...no other mammals I could see. Wasily could have been a sea dog below the surface. Perhaps it was a mermaid!

PapaDave · 07-21-2021, 06:24 AM

I've actually hooked a dolphin twice on the kayak, accidently, once in LJ on a mackerel and once at Dana Point on a sardine. I was fly lining a sardine in a open spot in a kelp bed when a missive school of sardines rushed under the kayak, followed by a frantic pod of dolphins chasing them. Got picked up and trust me, you don't want to hook those, there's no stopping them.

07-16-2021, 06:38 PM	#1
Gflann Member Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: San Diego Posts: 59	Bait, Barracuda and Beaked Dolphins, Oh My! (LJ) An eventful day at LJ. No YT or WSB but a few interesting moments. Launched at dawn and stayed inshore searching for bait. Impatience got the best of me and I couldn’t resist chasing birds offshore. I brought my rockfish set up so I knew I’d be able to make the offshore sprint worth it. Got to the diving birds about 2 miles off shore and bait was boiling everywhere. Unfortunately it wasn’t YT but a bunch of Barracuda. It was awesome watching the breach while occasionally getting spooked by a pelican crashing after bait 20 ft away. I decided to have fun with the Cudas and put on what I know is irresistible...a Yo Zuri diving minnow with a rattle. I trolled that around for 3 Cudas with the biggest at 30’’. All released. I was able to quickly pickup a few nice green backs and continued further offshore to a few rockpiles I had marked. Then I was amazed by the biggest pod of Dolphins I have ever seen. I got to see some of them charge bait in a line pushing up a ton of water and then what looked like them slapping them with their tail. It felt like planet earth until my fly lined mack made a couple short clicker spurts and then the clicker goes off. I put the reel in gear and WHAT A FREIGHT TRAIN. For a second I thought it was a YT but not even the homeguard I caught in April ran this hard. I even put it the drag on full (28 pounds) and it looked like I was going to get spooled. With the dolphins all around me I just assumed that’s what it was and quickly put my thumb on the spool and the line broke. It was 30# mono. Since I was offshore I put my rockfish set up to use with a couple strips of squid. Released 4 medium size Red’s and kept two. Broke my PB for Vermillion’s at 5.9 pounds. Alot of work in 250’ to land those and descend several so I called it a day and started the long trek in. Once again LJ gives out another amazing day....tight lines. Attached Images __________________ Vibe Shearwater 125 (Tsunami Red)

07-16-2021, 07:47 PM	#2
FISH11 Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Pine Valley when not fishing La Jolla Posts: 2,642	Sounds like a great day a La Jolla. It's awesome when there's a big show put on by the local wildlife. The Dolphin are magical, they always bring a smile to my face. After a great day, you still got to bring home some dinner. Tight Lines! __________________ MARK ......... 2016 MALIBU X FACTOR, 2020 SOLO SKIFF (Fishing Kayak on Steroids )

07-20-2021, 08:49 AM	#7
Gflann Member Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: San Diego Posts: 59	The dolphin thing is a total hypothesis...no other mammals I could see. Wasily could have been a sea dog below the surface. Perhaps it was a mermaid! __________________ Vibe Shearwater 125 (Tsunami Red)

07-21-2021, 06:24 AM	#8
PapaDave Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Menifee, CA Posts: 1,473	I've actually hooked a dolphin twice on the kayak, accidently, once in LJ on a mackerel and once at Dana Point on a sardine. I was fly lining a sardine in a open spot in a kelp bed when a missive school of sardines rushed under the kayak, followed by a frantic pod of dolphins chasing them. Got picked up and trust me, you don't want to hook those, there's no stopping them. __________________ So long and thanks for all the fish...

07-19-2021, 08:49 AM	#3
Pocoloco Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: el cajon Posts: 239	Thanks for the kayak report. Looks fun. I have never seen a dolphin take a bait, just the big fish or seals that swim with them.

07-19-2021, 11:44 AM	#4
tcsdallas Junior Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Dallas Posts: 9	Great job

07-19-2021, 01:09 PM	#5
JohnMckroidJr Senior Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Fort Lauderdale Posts: 1,932	Interesting report -- and nice rockfish! When I worked on Headboats in SoCal, it was rare to see a dolphin get hooked. Tunas are known to feed with dolphins -- ya never know?

07-19-2021, 05:13 PM	#6
NiksYak Junior Join Date: May 2019 Location: Arizona, relocated from N. CA Posts: 16	Sounds like a great day OTW. Well done.