EastCoaster
04-21-2008, 10:30 AM
Fish La Jolla with Rik from SDKayaks.com Saturday. We launched just after 6am and fished kelp until 12:30pm. The water was COLD some areas of the kelp were in the middle/top end of 57 and other areas up to 59.3, the average was just over 58. Most of the water was clean and clear with an average visibility of 10’; however, we found some dirty brownish water as well and that’s where the temp went up a little. The current was moving decent but the fishing was painfully SLOW.
Rik caught a 3lb+ fish as soon as we got to the kelp under some birds that were working. Just after 8am right before the tide stopped, which is usually some of the best fishing the bite had shut down and the birds were gone. There was barely any bait seen all day, I hooked one smelt and saw one small cuda, that was it, no kidding and we covered a lot of kelp. It was like the fish disappeared after the water temp dropped. No small Calicos, no chasers, no bait. I tried everything trying to be a good host and not just stick to the areas I am comfortable fishing this time of year; I managed to scare up a few dinks near the surface. It seemed like the better fish were suspended out in the deeper water about two thirds of the way down the water column. I almost landed one nice fish that hit me three times down deep before I hooked it and it was suspended. Rik had hooked another that wasn’t landed either out in the deeper water. I got my fish up to the canopy but it was lost to the kelp. All in all, Saturday was the slowest day I have fished the kelp all year. I think it is due to the water being so cold and the lack of bait.
Talked to some skin divers at the launch dock who also noted the lack of bass and bait in the shallower waters, they said the kelp was fairly barren compared to the usual life they see and also attributed this to the water temp.
Rik caught a 3lb+ fish as soon as we got to the kelp under some birds that were working. Just after 8am right before the tide stopped, which is usually some of the best fishing the bite had shut down and the birds were gone. There was barely any bait seen all day, I hooked one smelt and saw one small cuda, that was it, no kidding and we covered a lot of kelp. It was like the fish disappeared after the water temp dropped. No small Calicos, no chasers, no bait. I tried everything trying to be a good host and not just stick to the areas I am comfortable fishing this time of year; I managed to scare up a few dinks near the surface. It seemed like the better fish were suspended out in the deeper water about two thirds of the way down the water column. I almost landed one nice fish that hit me three times down deep before I hooked it and it was suspended. Rik had hooked another that wasn’t landed either out in the deeper water. I got my fish up to the canopy but it was lost to the kelp. All in all, Saturday was the slowest day I have fished the kelp all year. I think it is due to the water being so cold and the lack of bait.
Talked to some skin divers at the launch dock who also noted the lack of bass and bait in the shallower waters, they said the kelp was fairly barren compared to the usual life they see and also attributed this to the water temp.