I need some wisdom!
 

I'm fairly new to kayak fishing and unfortunately my buddy whom I go out with is also new to it. So we're kinda teaching ourselves daily by reading forums or by literally just winging it lol we've only fished out of Dana Point so far and have only caught leopard sharks :/ the fights were great, but we're looking to catch some other varieties. Like bass and YTs. Should we just cruise around till fish come up on the finder? Or is there something else specific you guys are doing? Thanks in advance!

What you use for bait, how your present it, and where you deploy it decide what you'll be most likely to catch. Swimbait in the kelp or around boiler rocks will most likely produce bass. Drifting a whole squid around a sandy bottom will likely produce a leopard or bat ray. Shiny metallic spoon along the kelp line will probably score you a mackerel. So, what you need to do is decide what you want to catch, go where you think they live, and try to feed them something you think they'll like to eat.

Sorry if this is too basic, but I was under the impression that you might be new to coastal fishing in general.

find structure like the man before said sand bottoms right next to reefs or other structure can get you halibut-sand bass and reefs/kelp can get you calico bass. YT swim all over the place so it's a numbers game go out enough and eventually you'll be in the right place at the right time.

Thanks guys. I'm not new to fishing however fishing on the west coast is completely different than fishing in the Gulf where I grew up. Thanks for the tips!

Go to one of the tournaments coming up. Tons of experience and most are willing to help a newcomer

Sometimes when you change your fishing venue it takes a while to get a feel for things. A lot of times I find that none of my fishing gear is quite right for a new place.

You'd be surprised how much Intel you can get from chatting with passing kayakers.

I'm pretty damn new to it too
I go outta Dana point also
Can't give you any wisdom
But might be able to roll with one day

Sounds good RO!
Quick question, when tying on swim baits are you tying them straight to your main line? Or putting some mono or flouro first so it's not noticable? On the specific reel combo im speaking about of mine im currently using 30 braided. Thanks!

I always use at least several feet of mono or fluorocarbon for two reasons. The first is abrasion resistance and the second is so I can break it off if I'm snagged. Last bit might be more important if you were running heavier braid than you are currently.

Thanks Dave. The gulf was never clear enough to have to worry about line choices haha

Most of the time if you're fishing with artificials you don't need to worry about line shyness.

I've fished Dana now from kayak for about 5 years now. I have a few techniques that work fairly well for bass and halibut.

First, I usually use live bait from the receiver, usually sardines.

For calico bass I will usually use a a light setup. Typically this setup is comprised of 20-25lb braid with a 2-3' 15lb floro leader attached with a swivel (to keep the sinker from going forward) and a 1/2 to 3/4oz sliding sinker. I look for kelp, or these days bottom structure and drift over it while flylining the bait about half way down.

For sand bass, the same setup only using a 2-3oz sliding sinker and drift over or to the side of the structure either bouncing the weight along the bottom or slightly off the bottom.

For halibut, I use the same setup only using slightly heavier floro leader, about 25lb and a 4-5oz sinker. I drift this on the outside edges of the structure and keep it on the bottom as much as possible.

I use a sliding sinker setup because in my experience out there it doesn't get stuck on the rocks or bottom as much as a dropper setup.

I also have done fairly well using plastics and hard baits. Trolling a Rapala Shadow Rap Deep 11 in mackerel, olive green or perch colors over the kelp or structure areas is very effective. The perch one looks a lot like baby WSB, the calicos love em...

Most important s to explore the area, you'll find fish all over if you look.