La Jolla absolutely went off (for a weekend). Multiple hookups of nice size yellowtail were reported and even a 47lb white seabass fell victim to the plastic fleet. But a front quickly came through and shut that bite down after the weekend. Since then there have been a few encounters of drag burning break offs reported and an occasional yellowtail landed, but fairly slow for the most part.

While you're waiting for the Spring bite to hit, check out the new and improved Big Water's Edge and some cool videos Pro Staff Member Andy "Iceman" Allen took out on his yak. Coming soon - Iceman will be including video with some of his Big Water's Edge fish reports!

This product is designed to fit over a half-sized milk crate (square shaped, not rectangular). It has three hard plastic rodholders that through bolt onto the crate itself and include three leashes. There is also a canvas cover with storage pockets along the outside. The top lid opens into the crate for additional storage and closes with Velcro. This is a great item to keep your gear organized. We’ve had great reviews from anglers fishing the bay, or on days when they just want to fish iron and leave the bait tank at home. If your kayak is equipped with the KayaTank you can use the Crate Mate Jr. to keep your tackle easily accessible.

March Newsletter Special:

Get your Crate Mate Jr. for just $49.95 this month only!

Regular price is $59.95 Special pricing is available to newsletter subscribers only with the coupon provided at the end of this newsletter!(You know the drill right? the coupon is not available with the on-line version of the newsletter. Want special offers? Subscribe to the newsletter.)

By Brian Long

To get in the mood for the upcoming season here’s an article on kayak fishing La Jolla.

Those of us familiar with the Southern California methods of fishing and target species already have our favorite rod, favorite leader length and favorite chewed up jigs. Between sportboats, private boats, surf fishing or pier fishing (not to mention freshwater) any Southern California fisherman’s wife will tell you the garage resembles a tackle store more than a parking space. Although kayak fishing is certainly different than any other style of fishing in Southern California, thankfully most of the same gear and techniques can be used from a kayak. So if you’ve still got floor space that needs to be filled in the garage, kayak fishing might be an easier transition than you think.

There are three species in the San Diego area that are considered an “inshore slam”; the yellowtail, white seabass, and halibut. Each have specific techniques which have proven themselves effective for the intended species. For the sake of this article we’ll use yellowtail as the default target species. They are arguably the hardest fighting fish of the three, excellent table fare and are sought after by fishermen of all types in Southern California.

While the yellowtail can sometimes seem elusive while powerboat fishing, the odds of encountering a breezing school during the summer months in a kayak may convince even a non-gambling man to put a couple on the table. The first item on the agenda of any fishing day is what bait to use and where to get it. In a kayak we make our own bait since the nearest bait receiver may be miles and miles away from the best kayak fishing areas. To do this we use a Sabiki Rig (or Lucky Joe) which is essentially a stringer of about 6 fly hooks on individual dropper loop type rigs. With a small torpedo sinker on the bottom these can be jigged around schools of mackerel in order to catch bait for the day. Spanish and Pacific Greenback mackerel will both do nicely. Most kayak anglers have devised some type of bait tank system in their kayaks in order to keep the bait alive with circulating water throughout the day.

Once a sufficient amount of live bait is circling the tank it’s time to fish. Concentrating on the 60-100 foot range is normally a good place to run into a school of yellowtail during the summer time. Using a 2/0 hook (bigger for larger mackerel) through the nose of the bait, kayak anglers can troll mackerel at a very slow and silent pace which seems irresistible to yellowtail and white seabass alike. If the fish seem to be holding at lower depths an egg sinker can be added to get the bait deeper. Normally about 2oz is sufficient, with a swivel up the line a ways keeping the weight off the hook. In other conditions the fish may be right on the surface. In this case no weight is necessary. Some anglers choose to troll one “high” and one “low” to cover all depths of the water column.

The gear used for trolling mackerel is virtually the same 30lb setup used for any other type of Southern California saltwater fishing. About a 7ft, fairly heavy rod with a conventional style reel that has a strong clicker. While trolling, leave the reel in freespool with the clicker on. Once that clicker starts to scream, wait until the fish really takes off with the bait, signifying that the fish has the hook in its mouth and put the reel in gear. For the most part the hook will set itself, but some anglers feel the need to give a small hookset for good measure.

Now in theory a kayak angler could use lighter line on account of the fish being able to actually pull the kayak through the water, rather than battle a stationary object like a boat. In practice however, since the fish can pull the kayak where it pleases, it often pleases to bury itself in the thickest kelp it can find. This is when a braided mainline comes in handy. Braid has very little stretch, which makes it very sensitive and good on hooksets and it also cuts through kelp, unlike monofilament. The standard livebait rig for kayak fishing would be 50 to 65lb braid as the mainline and a 4-6ft. leader of 20-30lb fluorocarbon. Braid is very visible in the water and fluorocarbon is almost invisible in the water. By using this setup kayak fishermen get the best of both worlds with strength, visibility and sensitivity.

So once that clicker goes off and you keep that yellowtail out of the kelp and sink the gaff, put that fish on a stringer, store it on the kayak somewhere and while doing the “happy paddle” back to the beach, start deciding which recipe it’ll be for that night’s fresh fish.

Islander mothership trips - Space is still available for most of these overnight trips to San Clemente Island April thru June 2007. The June 8th trip is sold out, but we're still taking reservations for the following dates:

• Fri., April 6 - Sun., April 8
• Fri., April 27 - Sun., April 29
• Fri., May 11 - Sun., May 13
• Fri., May 25 - Sun., May 27
• Sun., June 17 - Tues., June 19

El Duque mothership trips (San Carlos, MX) - Our spring dates were sponsored by Berkley and sold out quickly! We will be taking reservations for the fall trips shortly which will focus on dorado, tuna and sailfish.

Fred Hall Show Del Mar - March 21-25

Kayak Fishing Classes - Offered Monthly
Next Dates:

• March 15
• April 5

Marina Del Rey Halibut Derby - April 21-22

West Coast Whoppers - May 19, 2007 May 18, 2008
This is the year long, points based big fish contest for SoCal kayak anglers. The contest begins May 19th, 2007 with the WCW Kickoff Tournament at La Jolla Shores and ends May 18, 2008. Anglers may enter the contest at any time during the year, but it is advisable to register early to maximize your points.

OEX Dive & Kayak Centers, in conjunction with Western Outdoor News, will sponsor one lucky angler in the 2007 Plastic Navy Tournament Trail. The inexperienced kayak angler will be coached by veteran kayak fishermen and provided with the equipment necessary to compete in the six- event series kicking off in Mission Bay on April 14th.

The Challenge winner will receive a kayak fishing class at OEX, sponsored registration in the six-event series, use of a Malibu Kayak rigged for fishing at each of the tournament trails as well as for training purposes throughout the 2007 series and the opportunity to win the rigged kayak at the end of the tournament series. If the winner places in the Top 5 of the 2007 Trail, the Kayak will be theirs! The kayak will include the Pacific Angler Seat, a paddle leash and a Bait Tank Buddy from Seairsports. The total value of the prize package is worth up to $2,600.

Interested anglers can enter-to-win The Challenge at OEX Point Loma (located at 1453 Rosecrans Street), on-line at www. sandiegoyakfishing.com, at the Western Outdoor News booth at the Long Beach Fred Hall Show March 7 – 11 or at the Western Outdoor News or OEX booths at the San Diego Fred Hall Show March 21 – 25. The winner will be announced at the end of the San Diego Fred Hall Show on March 25th.

The 2007 Plastic Navy Tournament Trail Dates and Locations are as follows:

1. Mission Bay - April 14th 7am – 2pm
2. Newport Dunes - June 2nd 7am -2pm
3. La Jolla – July 14th 6am – 1pm
4. Dana Pt – Sept 15th 6am - 1pm
5. Newport Harbor – Oct 27th 7am – 2pm
6. San Diego Bay – Dec 8th 7am – 2pm (Final Event)

The Complete KayaTank (TM) System is the only internal bait tank available to kayak fishermen. Its patented design places all components including the KayaTank (TM) , the Plumbing (Pump, Tubing, Thru- Hull Connectors) and the Electrical (Timer Switch, Wiring Harness, Battery Cable, Battery) inside the hull of your kayak. The only things that are on the outside of your kayak are the waterproof On-Off Toggle Switch, the Screened Nut for the Pump Intake, and the flush mounted Outlet Thru-Hull fitting that lets water out of your KayaTank TM .

This internal bait tank design results in a quieter operation, less drag, a sleeker look, and it eliminates the set-up time before launching in the morning. You'll get to sleep a little longer! It also leaves the deck and the tankwell of the kayak clear for storing fish or other gear and, it just looks cooler than those bulky homemade plastic containers.

The KayaTank TM fits in the center hatch between your knees for easy access to your bait and to keep the water in the KayaTank TM in the center of the kayak.

Another added feature is, it's darn near indestructible. Kayaks with Complete KayaTank TM Systems have been tested by hardcore kayak fishermen in California and Baja since 1997. They have been bounced down Mex 1 on roof racks and rolled through Big Surf many times in big wave landing scenarios, and have never sprung a leak.

At OEX, we're big fans of the KayaTank and to help you get ready for spring, we're offering our newsletter subscribers a bonus special offer this month! Order your KayaTank by the end of this month and we'll install your KayakTank for just $65 - that's a savings of 35% off of the regular installation price! Just place your order by March 31, 2007 and use the coupon below to receive the discount!