[Fish Taco]

saltlifedoc,

I'm a SoCal native, but recently moved back to the area after spending 12 years on the No. Shore of Long Island, NY (wife's job took us there). When I landed in NY, I too felt like I'd come to a foreign country. Hardly anybody used soft bodied shad plastic/rubber baits there... the ones I did find looked skinny and strange... Fish Traps, Big Hammers, AA baits were non-existant. I used these kinds of baits quite frequently here in SoCal with great success, especially sweetened up with a bit of Pro Cure "Calico Cocktail"... that too was impossible to find in NY. And what was with the white fishing rods, and white deck boots? Strange...

After awhile, I finally was getting the hang of targeting Striped Bass, Fluke, and Tautog... just when we had to pack up and move back to L.A. (again, wife's job).

So yeah, I understand your frustration.

Seems like some things have changed a little bit since I was here last too... so I can't answer all your questions... as I'm always learning in this sport too... and kayak fishing is relatively new to me too (been at it since around 2011-12).

I can say that "live-lining" or "fly-lining" as I know it is simply main line to a live bait hook w/live fin bait, or squid - or you can add a leader (fluorocarbon or mono) to that equation if preferred. On Long Island, guys were doing this also with snagged bunker (menhaden) to catch big stripers with success - that was my only witness to much of this being done on the East Coast. The West Coast is HUGE on live-lining baits and it's a big part of fishing the salt here.

I too noticed the lack of bucktails here on the West Coast recently... and it's strange... it's just one of those regional things I guess. East Coast definitely is BIG on using bucktails... and IMO for good reason... they work! I think that a bucktail tipped with a Gulp Alive minnow is one of the deadliest baits out there. Fortunately, I stocked up on them when in NY... lol.

West Coast "irons" IMO are different than the diamond jigs and spoons you see on the East Coast... I never saw any of the West Coast style irons for sale in any of the tackle stores I saw in NY. Again, a regional thing I guess. The fact probably is that there are more species that would hit a iron in SoCal than what's out there (at least where I lived in the NY area) on the East Coast... but I could be wrong.

I'm sure the more experienced locals will pipe in and answer your questions better than I can... but that's my two cents anyway. Good luck and welcome to SoCal!