Quote:
Originally Posted by Hunters Pa
If you want to shorten the learning curve consider springing for a guided trip with Sea Samurai, Darkhorse, or another reputable guide. Some here discount the value and are more purist, but it should get you productive faster.
Or sign up & show up for the JAL tournament next weekend and follow the kayaks that smell most like fish blood.
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Short version: if time is a limited resource, I'd recommend springing for a guided trip. Sure it'll cost some coin but nothing a few weeks of forgoing eating out and limiting bar tabs can't scratch up.
FRAT (F*ck Reading All That) version: my son and I have been fishing for three years and kayak fishing for two. We fished La Jolla for the first time last week. It's a 3.5 hour round trip for us. Unlike Dana Pt or Newport (a lot closer), this wasn't something I was willing to suss out on my own --especially with my 12 yr old who doesn't have a dad who grew up fishing his whole life and can show him the ropes. We're learning together. Luckily, he loves fishing and we're figuring out a lot on our own collectively through youtube, forums like this, and a lot of cool dudes on here that are genuinely happy to help beginners.
We booked with Sea Samurai, and I can wholeheartedly recommend him. Aside from learning about the pure fishing aspect of it all, a guide can impart a lot of important knowledge on safety, etiquette, respecting/preserving the fishery, etc. I would've been happy with all of the knowledge gleaned from this particular trip --even if we didn't catch any fish. Luckily for us it was a pretty good bite last weekend. We hooked up with 15 YT, landed 10 and kept 3. My son and I still have the smiles pasted on our faces.
Good luck!