Shut out at Shelter Island
 

Went out with my son today to Shelter Island. (worked from the jetty to the pier and back, here's our track)

I was out there Mon night and caught 12... small calico & good sized SBB on a DS with a "chartreuse gulp"

Pretty much the same setup today and we only got like 1 legit bite and no fish landed. (6:30 - 9:00 AM)

Any tips for next time? We're new to this but committed to trying to figure it out.

Honestly, we just want to catch fish. I don't really care about the size at this point, just want my 11 year old hooked. (He loves the half & 3/4 day trips, but spendy to do regularly.)

Biggest tip for inshore bass fishing that I could give would be fish the tide.Moving water really helps them bite.

Search for AmishEd's posts, he does this a lot and gives good info regarding what to use, usually in New Penny color.

+1 fish the moving water.

I'd say the am tide had something to do with the slow fishing

San Diego Tides

2014-08-30 Sat 12:13 AM 4.45 feet High Tide
2014-08-30 Sat 06:06 AM 1.52 feet Low Tide
2014-08-30 Sat 06:22 AM Sunrise
2014-08-30 Sat 10:56 AM Moonrise
2014-08-30 Sat 12:34 PM 5.30 feet High Tide
2014-08-30 Sat 07:12 PM 1.54 feet Low Tide

Crap... I looked at that and it's why I went at sunrise. What time should I have gone today? #newbie

Generally speaking, but not always the case for the best time, 2 hours before the high tide.
So, you may have left before the bite got going.
In the bays, current can make all the difference as to when the fish feed

Thank you.

Yep, find the moving water. It's not always in the same place or the same speed. Some places the tide hits earlier than others. Some places it lasts longer. For example, the point of the Bali Hai often has current long after mid channel goes slack.

Also fish the bottom mostly. If you're out deep, then let out lots of line (like 1/2 your spool if you're using say a 200 size baitcaster) and then slowly wind back. This is called long lining and is very effective for the deeper water in SD Bay. Use lots of weight too, depending on the current I go as heavy as 1oz-1.5oz. But, this is also dependent on the size of the bait. My 4" FLurrys will fish 3/4oz fine, where as with the same current my 5.5" Big Hammers might need 1oz+ to fish the same. Those also happen to be my 2 go to baits. For colors it just depends on the day. I bring lots.

For in shallow looking for spotties I'd fish the 3" or 4" Flurry on a lighter head or the Paddlerz. Maybe a spinnerbait and/or slip jig too. Same deal for colors too, just depends on the day.

Hope this helps some. JeffB would be a great person to pick his brain. He's spent lots of time on the big bay.

Thanks for these tips, appreciate it.

Never heard of long lining, though it explains the 300 feet or so of line I got caught up in Saturday. Actually, got snagged on 2 different set-ups like that. I pulled up all the line on the first one and didn't have time to deal with the second. What a mess.

Might also try Tidelands next time instead of shelter Island. The spotties tend to be smaller there but more of them. If you are just trying to get on fish, tidelands usually produces.

He went paddleboarding without knowing how to swim and without a pfd in the bay. Sounds like a recipe for disaster or a funeral. Good on you for helping out or we may have seen this guy on the news. Good job on the spotties also. All that boat traffic can really shut down a good bite.

Thanks. Need to get over to Tidelands.

As mentioned above, Tidelands is a great place to catch a lot of fish. On an incoming tide, paddle out of tidelands and head north of the bridge a couple hundred yards, maybe in front of il forniao or so. Drop down a 1/2 ounce lead head with a gulp saltwater shrimp natural color 3" and just drift towards the bridge. With the tide and wind in your favor, you can 20+ fish before you hit the bridge. Really fun!