Dana Thursday

[Snags]

Hit Dana Thursday at 6am. Glassy conditions with no wind. Caught a few big macs near the harbour mouth and trolled north for a while. No bites. Threw some plastics around the red marker and big boiler rock for 4 calicos.
Lots of small bait around but not a lot going on (at least for me). Not much kelp on surface. Swell was a bit lumpy and coming from all directions. Sun started to bake and wind picked up around noon. Off the water by 1. A few other guys out but didn't get close enough to see how they did. Always good to be out there.

[jbl_91762]

Why does the wind and chop always hit on weekends?!!! Arggghhhh.. Fished mouth and then out to Headlands Today 8/20 In water 6:30 picked up a scoop of dines. All I had was a small WSB. Water was 64, probably why marina was actually dead Paddled right up to bait barge at 6:30. Oh well, at least I didn't get skunked! Off water by 11:30

[alanw]

The weather has been this way all summer. I told a retired neighbor to watch it's nice during the workweeks and windy on the weekends. He said no way, but then played attention for months and now he says I was right.

Anyway, last weekend I was out in the wind. Lots of 6"-7" Macs closer to the beaches and bigger 11"-12" Macs further out but not as abundant. I was stoked, caught my first Bonito of the summer near the harbor mouth trolling a waxwing even though the water cooled down to 68°. Was hoping for more Bonito tomorrow but water dropped again to 64°? That's gonna hurt fishing for sure.

[kirkdavis]

The weather has been this way all summer. I told a retired neighbor to watch it's nice during the workweeks and windy on the weekends. He said no way, but then played attention for months and now he says I was right.

Anyway, last weekend I was out in the wind. Lots of 6"-7" Macs closer to the beaches and bigger 11"-12" Macs further out but not as abundant. I was stoked, caught my first Bonito of the summer near the harbor mouth trolling a waxwing even though the water cooled down to 68°. Was hoping for more Bonito tomorrow but water dropped again to 64°? That's gonna hurt fishing for sure.

Today I caught 4 little bonito on my sabiki at the same time. What a tangled up mess that was! I could see a big school of them on my FF. Water temp was 66 degrees.

[Snags]

Didn't see any Bonito on Thursday. Too bad. The big ones are fun on light tackle. Just big macs and heaps of smalller bait. Around 5 to 6 in. Not sure what they were as I didn't have a sabiki. Used a 1/2 oz hopkins with a single hook to make bait. Probably why I only got the larger macs. Big bait, big fish. At least that's what I was hoping for. Oh well. If wishes were fishes.

[King Saba]

Macs don't count as skunk beaters?

[Dave Legacy]

Macs don't count as skunk beaters?

No more than sand crabs, right? Aren't macs the sand crab of kayak fishing?

[Snags]

Macs don't count as skunk beaters?

I believe that macs over 10 in. are officially recognized by the IFGA as skunk beaters.:D

[Harry Hill]

I believe that macs over 10 in. are officially recognized by the IFG as skunk beaters.:D
since I will eat the occasional mackerel I am never skunked if I can bait

[kirkdavis]

I'm of a mind that if it makes my pole bend and is not some inanimate object like kelp or a rock or Grandma's combat boot, it gives me the thrill of the bite and the "I wonder what's at the other end", then I have not been skunked. I caught my first WSB yesterday, but it was only 22" so I had to release it, which meant I could not eat it. But I was stoked at catching it! You all can have whatever you want as a definition of "skunked". I am perfectly happy with mine.

[King Saba]

No more than sand crabs, right? Aren't macs the sand crab of kayak fishing?

Perhaps you mean Sand Dabs? Those things don't count as skunk beaters! They're bait stealers IMO.

I believe that macs over 10 in. are officially recognized by the IFGA as skunk beaters.:D

On 2lb line class they make screaming drag runs!

[alanw]

Yep, water down to 63.5° this afternoon and windy. Lizards, baby Croakers, and Macs on the Sabiki. Battled the wind for nothing else.

[Dave Legacy]

Perhaps you mean Sand Dabs? Those things don't count as skunk beaters! They're bait stealers IMO.

Nope, Sand Crabs. I was comparing a sand crab to a mackerel as an important bait item; My roots are in surf fishing. I could see someone not counting a fish they caught to be used as bait.

[King Saba]

Nope, Sand Crabs. I was comparing a sand crab to a mackerel as an important bait item; My roots are in surf fishing. I could see someone not counting a fish they caught to be used as bait.

True. I tend to base a fish's worth based on the fight they give.

[Snags]

True. I tend to base a fish's worth based on the fight they give.

Ditto

[Harry Hill]

True. I tend to base a fish's worth based on the fight they give.
I like a good fight but I think edibility us just as important. So if I catch a mess of sand dabs I'm a happy camper, the same with rock fish. If I catch a halilbut that is keeper size I am happy. As a matter of fact, just fishing makes me happy.

[PapaDave]

I like a good fight but I think edibility us just as important. So if I catch a mess of sand dabs I'm a happy camper, the same with rock fish. If I catch a halibut that is keeper size I am happy. As a matter of fact, just fishing makes me happy.

I'm with you...

[King Saba]

I like a good fight but I think edibility us just as important. So if I catch a mess of sand dabs I'm a happy camper, the same with rock fish. If I catch a halilbut that is keeper size I am happy. As a matter of fact, just fishing makes me happy.

Agreed. If I can go home with a meal and had fun then I'm a happy camper.

[ol'skool]

X2

[InfidelYak]

What were you using to troll with for those macs at the harbor mouth? Only thing I can ever hook up there at that spot are leopard sharks lol

[Vikingj]

They are still there. I was out by harbor mouth on 8/25 and used the sabiki to catch 25-30 7" macs, a doz 10-12" macs, and 4 Bonita. Getting a start on some lobster bait! Going out tomorrow for some more.

[DanaPT]

mmmmm lobster.