anyone on here do any saltwater fishing? I tried my hand at it the other day on my kayak, fished the local harbor. Did pretty good, lost count of how many bass I caught. Maybe 8 or so. Good fun. I did loose a couple to their teeth fraying the line, was fishing with 10lbs mono which I figured would be enough. oh yeah, caught these guys with freshwater lures lol!

 

 

 

 

 

The coolest part of this fishing trip was fishing under this giant dock or what not. it looked like this in pretty much all directions, plus shade on a hot day and you found the fish! there were some guys in boats fishing outside, but they couldnt get underneath like me cause i had the kayak. So rad!

 

 

 

 

Those docks look familiar, is that Newport..?

 

And yep, freshwater bass lures catch spotties, sandies, and checkers. Some times color can make a big difference.

 

10 lb mono should be o.k.

2 hours ago, Hammer 4 said:

Those docks look familiar, is that Newport..?

 

And yep, freshwater bass lures catch spotties, sandies, and checkers. Some times color can make a big difference.

 

10 lb mono should be o.k.

 

Long Beach Harbor. So as you taught me regarding using lighter tackle etc. It seems to be the same thing across the board, I caught like 10 fish all together that day, I talked to a few other guys driving their boats by, said they caught nothing....i noticed they were chucking huge swimbaits. I was using 1/4 oz. Had this same conversation with my inlaw who ocean fishes regularly and he said the same thing, most guys dont catch anything cause they are all using lures way too big. Anyways it was really fun, the spotted bay bass fight hard. I am not sure what to do about them cutting the line with their teeth though. I probably had about 3-4 breaks offs because of that. Not sure if I should try heavier mono, braid, or maybe a steel leader or something. Regarding lure colors, what do you recommend? 

1 minute ago, Jonas Staggs said:

 

Long Beach Harbor. So as you taught me regarding using lighter tackle etc. It seems to be the same thing across the board, I caught like 10 fish all together that day, I talked to a few other guys driving their boats by, said they caught nothing....i noticed they were chucking huge swimbaits. I was using 1/4 oz. Had this same conversation with my inlaw who ocean fishes regularly and he said the same thing, most guys dont catch anything cause they are all using lures way too big. Anyways it was really fun, the spotted bay bass fight hard. I am not sure what to do about them cutting the line with their teeth though. I probably had about 3-4 breaks offs because of that. Not sure if I should try heavier mono, braid, or maybe a steel leader or something. Regarding lure colors, what do you recommend? 

Long beach..? You sure it's not Los Alamitos..? Sometime, try a 4" Kalin green flaked grub on a 1/8 oz darter head, keep it just off the bottom..

11 minutes ago, Hammer 4 said:

Long beach..? You sure it's not Los Alamitos..? Sometime, try a 4" Kalin green flaked grub on a 1/8 oz darter head, keep it just off the bottom..

 

No its LB, I was near the queen mary. the LAB is good I hear but havent tried it yet. Sad thing is, state website recommends not eating any fish caught in long beach!!! I plan on going more south for some cleaner water one of these days. Newport kelp bed is tempting, but I feel the open ocean is too dangerous in my kayak, so the plan is to just stick to the harbors. 

12 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

 

No its LB, I was near the queen mary. the LAB is good I hear but havent tried it yet. Sad thing is, state website recommends not eating any fish caught in long beach!!! I plan on going more south for some cleaner water one of these days. Newport kelp bed is tempting, but I feel the open ocean is too dangerous in my kayak, so the plan is to just stick to the harbors. 

Got it. Never fished L.B...The LAB is only good when the tide is either coming in, or it's high tide, most harbors are like this. 

23 minutes ago, Hammer 4 said:

Got it. Never fished L.B...The LAB is only good when the tide is either coming in, or it's high tide, most harbors are like this. 

i lucked out than 1st time out

1 hour ago, Jonas Staggs said:

i lucked out than 1st time out

 

Forgot to tell ya. Grab a green pumpkin, or redish colored finesse jig, and add a baby rage craw trailer, cast, let it bottom, then slowly bounce it about 6" to a foot off the bottom..I found this combo will catch spotties, and sandies when most other baits won't get bit..

Just now, Hammer 4 said:

 

Forgot to tell ya. Grab a green pumpkin, or redish colored finesse jig, and add a baby rage craw trailer, cast, let it bottom, then slowly bounce it about 6" to a foot off the bottom..I found this combo will catch spotties, and sandies when most other baits won't get bit..

 

thanks dude, ill give it a go perhaps this coming weekend. I was thinking craws may work. they gotta look similar enough to any kind of crab, lobster, shrimp or what not.

Just now, Jonas Staggs said:

 

thanks dude, ill give it a go perhaps this coming weekend. I was thinking craws may work. they gotta look similar enough to any kind of crab, lobster, shrimp or what not.

Yup...Won a couple club tourney's using that bait..Even had a octopus grab one at the LAB..lol

1 minute ago, Hammer 4 said:

Yup...Won a couple club tourney's using that bait..Even had a octopus grab one at the LAB..lol

nice! I actually have never caught anything on a craw yet. But from all the reading I have done etc. they are supposed to be great. I just grabbed some yum crawbugs as well. Havent caught anything yet but well see what happens. I heard of people catching huge batrays at the LAB as well. 

I hooked about a 25 lb ray on the ocean side of 72nd st on 8 lb hybrid, with a 4" big hammer swimbait, in my float tube. After about 15 mins, I cut the line..was not much fun..I never targeted ray or flatties, just bass.

Back in the late 80's early 90's I would slay spotties in the lagoons in Carlsbad, scrounger with a hot pink curly tail couldn't be beat.

Nice I might join you sometime in future. I used to live in Los Al but only fish on jetty by seal beach and some time queen marry  for those huge mackerel.

Just now, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

Nice I might join you sometime in future. I used to live in Los Al but only fish on jetty by seal beach and some time queen marry  for those huge mackerel.

was just thinking to invite you dude! 

Too bad I moved too far out and sold most of my ocean gears. Targeting fish in the bay should be good and safe enough. 

1 minute ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

Too bad I moved too far out and sold most of my ocean gears. Targeting fish in the bay should be good and safe enough. 

I just used my cheapy freshwater rod reel combo. works fine...yes I think harbors are safe from a kayak. I hooked into about 10 fish that day. I cannot wait to go back, but better prepared next trip.

On 5/3/2020 at 5:57 PM, Jonas Staggs said:

Anyways it was really fun, the spotted bay bass fight hard. I am not sure what to do about them cutting the line with their teeth though. I probably had about 3-4 breaks offs because of that. Not sure if I should try heavier mono, braid, or maybe a steel leader or something.

Do you like braid? If yes, try a good abrasion-resistant fluorocarbon for a leader. You can get a small spool of 20-25yds so you don't have to spend too much. I fish for spotties around rocks so I go with 20# sunline fc leader, but I'm sure 10# is fine for this. Still i never found spotties to be line shy.

 

You could probably get away with just sizing up your line a little and checking it frequently for nicks. But switching to fluoro should make a big difference. Only thing is then you have to remember you're not fishing mono and you have to be careful not to yank the hooks out of their mouths before they take it all the way 

4 hours ago, VinnyR said:

Do you like braid? If yes, try a good abrasion-resistant fluorocarbon for a leader. You can get a small spool of 20-25yds so you don't have to spend too much. I fish for spotties around rocks so I go with 20# sunline fc leader, but I'm sure 10# is fine for this. Still i never found spotties to be line shy.

 

You could probably get away with just sizing up your line a little and checking it frequently for nicks. But switching to fluoro should make a big difference. Only thing is then you have to remember you're not fishing mono and you have to be careful not to yank the hooks out of their mouths before they take it all the way 

 

i actually fished with braid for my first time the other day......on my spinning rod.....i guess its a learning process. I ended up making the leader way too long when I used a swivel........so I tied my leader directly to the braid........this was better, but I ended up getting quite a few tangles in my braid.........got fed up with hassling with it, and just fished the rest of the day with my braid tied directly to the bait. I think the knots were possibly due to me using lighter weight lures......as once I switched to heavier lures, the tangles stopped.......it was also windy so go figure..........but I like that the braid is way stronger and same diamter, and I got great casting distance.

 

For my saltwater rod.........I just grabbed myself some 20 lbs mono..........I was planning to use the braid for saltwater, but after a google search......it seems that braid is not very abrasion resistant. So i figure Ill just go straight mono on the saltwater rod. 

 

Its probably going to take a handful of trips and some screwing around to get a good setup going.

 

1st time out I used a ML Rod with 10lbs  mono..........worked great except for loosing 4 fish due to their teeth fraying the line.........I dunno how this 20 lbs mono is gonna go on my ML Rod.....but I got a larger reel designed to accomodate that weight mono I plan to put on the ML rod....I figure Ill do some fiddling with it this week before I head out this weekend.

 

but yeah dude, after loosing 4 fish to the line fraying.......even with those small spotties, 10lbs mono didnt cut it. But who knows what the hell I hooked into...........either way good fun.

 

Thanks for your advice, much appreciated. 

When I was float tubing the harbors, 8 lb fluro, or hybrid is what I used, and 10 lb on my bc rigs. Your going to get break offs especially if you hook into, good sized flatties, or rays. Fishing around concrete pilings/docks, I'd rather use mono. BTW, the spinning reels were all 2500's...

1 minute ago, Hammer 4 said:

When I was float tubing the harbors, 8 lb fluro, or hybrid is what I used, and 10 lb on my bc rigs. Your going to get break offs especially if you hook into, good sized flatties, or rays. Fishing around concrete pilings/docks, I'd rather use mono. BTW, the spinning reels were all 2500's...

 

What do you think of steel leader? It sucked because I figure the fish I did get break offs on, must have been a decent size.. as the ones I landed there was no break off, but they were also not keepers. It was definitely line fray rather than line snap as I had my drag pretty loose. Loosing hooks was not too big of a deal but I lost like 4 skirted jigs my last time out. 

Just now, Jonas Staggs said:

 

What do you think of steel leader? It sucked because I figure the fish I did get break offs on, must have been a decent size.. as the ones I landed there was no break off, but they were also not keepers. It was definitely line fray rather than line snap as I had my drag pretty loose. Loosing hooks was not too big of a deal but I lost like 4 skirted jigs my last time out. 

Never knew anyone that I fished with, and there about 20 of us, used any type of leader, steel or any other type. How big were the spotties and sandies that you caught..? Cuz I and others have landed some over 3 lbs easy..Also, when you feel the bite, swing on them, don't wait for them to get the whole lure in their mouths. And lastly, make sure the knot you tie is in order, most of us used the San Diego jam knot, although other knots work good too. To the point though, very seldom did I have line that was frayed from a fishes teeth. In the 5 years or so, I can only recall losing 3 lures, and one I cut from a huge ray. Stay focused, keep a finger on your line. Also don't always Jack the fish, a side sweep hook set can work well to, and you avoid contact with all those teeth.. 

37 minutes ago, Hammer 4 said:

Never knew anyone that I fished with, and there about 20 of us, used any type of leader, steel or any other type. How big were the spotties and sandies that you caught..? Cuz I and others have landed some over 3 lbs easy..Also, when you feel the bite, swing on them, don't wait for them to get the whole lure in their mouths. And lastly, make sure the knot you tie is in order, most of us used the San Diego jam knot, although other knots work good too. To the point though, very seldom did I have line that was frayed from a fishes teeth. In the 5 years or so, I can only recall losing 3 lures, and one I cut from a huge ray. Stay focused, keep a finger on your line. Also don't always Jack the fish, a side sweep hook set can work well to, and you avoid contact with all those teeth.. 

 

I was using uni or palomar knots. I am not sure how big they were, i didnt bother weighting them or measuring them....next trip out Ill have to take a few weights....I guess spotties are more muscular so a smaller fish can weight more.....I would relate most of them to about a 2 or 3 lbs LMB.

 

I had them hooked, fighting good, pulling drag, fight was on, and then boom, gone!

Just now, Jonas Staggs said:

 

I was using uni or palomar knots. I am not sure how big they were, i didnt bother weighting them or measuring them....next trip out Ill have to take a few weights....I guess spotties are more muscular so a smaller fish can weight more.....I would relate most of them to about a 2 or 3 lbs LMB.

 

I had them hooked, fighting good, pulling drag, fight was on, and then boom, gone!

Yep, I think your letting them get the bait to far in their mouths, or your getting hit with flatties, which have even more, and sharper toofs...Also, try tightening down your drag just a we bit, even 2-2 1/2 lb spotties shouldn't be pulling to much drag. Keep in mind, these fish aren't like LMB, these guys slam baits, unlike LMB that sometimes barely inhale a bait all the way in.. 

BTW, here's a spottie from the LAB..small pic, but it's all I have left since the PC that all my pics broke.