Please help me find the hot spots in Dana Point.

[Amish Ed]

I don't have #'s for you, but this will get you to the Pipe. It's particularly easy to find right now with all the buoys on around it. Head out of the harbor at like a 60º angle from the outside jetty. When you hit around 45-50' go left and stay in that depth. The pipe will come up about 8'. It lines up with the red buoy on the inside and the lefthand barber pole on the outside. The Pipe starts in about 25' and goes out to at least the poles, but I've never fished it deeper than 65-70'. The pipe does wander a bit, but not more than maybe 30' off the landmarks I gave you.

I haven't fished south in a while, but if you head south stay in about 20' until you see the walkway over PCH. Then just wander around, lots of little rock piles around. This is especially true around Capo Reef and south to the end of the houses.

Sorry I don't have #'s, but I've never tried to use that feature on my FF. So, I don't know how or even if I can pull #'s from a given waypoint.

[BrokeLoser]

Originally Posted by Amish Ed

I don't have #'s for you, but this will get you to the Pipe. It's particularly easy to find right now with all the buoys on around it. Head out of the harbor at like a 60º angle from the outside jetty. When you hit around 45-50' go left and stay in that depth. The pipe will come up about 8'. It lines up with the red buoy on the inside and the lefthand barber pole on the outside. The Pipe starts in about 25' and goes out to at least the poles, but I've never fished it deeper than 65-70'. The pipe does wander a bit, but not more than maybe 30' off the landmarks I gave you.

I haven't fished south in a while, but if you head south stay in about 20' until you see the walkway over PCH. Then just wander around, lots of little rock piles around. This is especially true around Capo Reef and south to the end of the houses.

Sorry I don't have #'s, but I've never tried to use that feature on my FF. So, I don't know how or even if I can pull #'s from a given waypoint.

Okay thanks Ed...and no problem on the numbers. I realize not everyone has GPS equipment or uses the GPS feature within their finders.
So, the "pipe" is north of the harbor? See, I had always thought it was to the south. How far off shore is the furthest end of the pipe?

[Amish Ed]

No it is south. I mean a 60º angle, not the compass heading. Sorry if I confused you. Never thought about the difference until now. I'm guessing it's about a mile to the 50' area. A little more as I usually paddle a dog leg to get to it. I guess I should get smart and zoom out my GPS when I start, I could save myself a little paddling.

[BrokeLoser]

Originally Posted by Amish Ed

No it is south. I mean a 60º angle, not the compass heading. Sorry if I confused you. Never thought about the difference until now. I'm guessing it's about a mile to the 50' area. A little more as I usually paddle a dog leg to get to it. I guess I should get smart and zoom out my GPS when I start, I could save myself a little paddling.

Haha...no problem. I appreciate the detailed advice.

[steveooo]

Those numbers from Rossman are good, and one of a few that I'll always stop and look at if I make the trip up Norte. Rossman has had his butt in a kayak for more hours at Dana point than anyone I know, and caught more fish at Dana point than anyone I know, so I'd pay attention.

No need for GPS coordinates in Dana right now though- Just look around for the lobster buoys and you have all the "spots" that Dana has to offer. Mark them now, so you can have them once the lobster season is over. As with most "spots" in any location, they are a good place to start, but I think success will depend on you learning how to fish those "spots" in different conditions. Pay attention to all the details when you do catch a fish. Which way was the current running? What side of the structure were you on? What were the tides doing? Water temp? Bait situation? Catch enough fish (or get skunked) from one "spot" and you will start to see a pattern. Keep track of conditions in a journal, both when you catch fish and when you don't, and soon enough you will have a little bit of info on how to fish each "spot" ensuring your best chance of catching a fish on each outing.

I think that can probably be transferred to any body of water...

Sometimes the conditions just aren't favorable at a "spot" in Dana Point, even at the numbers above, and you need to abandon one "spot" to go see if the conditions are favorable at another.

Here's my generic tip for Dana Point that has worked for me. Look for a good south flowing current. No water movement = no fish. I've been on and off the water in 30 min if I see the water is not moving. I wish I could pin the water movement at Dana to the tide movement, but it isn't that easy. Sometimes it moves, sometimes it doesn't. If your schedule allows, fish the high tide for Halibut.

I wish I could stress it enough, but success at Dana Point is more about fishing the right conditions more than any place than I have seen.
Regardless, here are a few generic "Spots" for Dana. I don't really look for GPS numbers, just general areas that have structure, recognizable landmarks, or areas I have caught random fish at...

The Pipe- A reef structure that extends from the "rivermouth" at Doheny to the area that it dumps in about 90 ft deep. The area that it dumps in is almost directly west of the tip of the long jetty but for the most part is is just slightly south of the harbor. Right now it is easy to find. Go to the red buoy in front of Doheny, then look south west. It will be littered with lobster Buoys. Those buoys are a good place to start, but make sure you are either directly on the structure, or on the same side of the structure that the fish are on. 30-60 ft has always been the most productive for me. There is a nice section in 40 ft of water, that the reef comes up to about 25 ft that has been good to me, but it is the most snaggy bottom I've ever seen. Be prepared to lose alot of tackle in this area. It can be costly, but worth every penny.

The Headlands- The area just west of the Dana Point Bluff, near the red Buoy. There is lots of hard bottom and kelp. Fish tight to the kelp that is visible on the surface. A few reefs marked by buoys in the area as well. The headlands is a generic area that is pretty big. In regard to how people refer to it, it is the equal to La Jolla's "In front of the Condo". Nothing special needed. Fish the right structure at the right time, you might catch a fish. Conditions rule here.

Doheny- The beach just South of the harbor. Sandy bottom with sporadic kelp. I typically fish this area from 5 - 40 ft deep. Halibut move around so I don't have any GPS coodinates. Pound as much sand near structure as you can in this area and you will scratch a fish or two. There are a few reefs in the area that are visible on a negative low tide. Mark them on that low tide, and fish them on the next high tide. The area in front of the "rivermouth" can be productive if the conditions are good. Keep going south and you will fish the Capo reefs. Capo reefs are directly in front of Capistrano Beach. The wind there usually blows south, so don't get caught south when that turns on.

Salt Creek- A long substantial kelp bed directly in front of Salt Creek beach. It is a long paddle, several miles, but can be productive at times. Generally, fish in 50- 70 feet of water, on the west side of the kelp. The fish like it very tight to the structure there, so if you are getting snagged and losing lots of rigs, you are in the right spot. I'd like to give you GPS numbers, but the reality is that it is about a 1 mile stretch of beach that has kelp. Fish it near the kelp at the right time, you can catch a fish. It is a long paddle to get a skunk from though. The current can go VERY slack there. If there is no current, move to another spot south. North of Salt Creek is the Laguna MPA. I hated to lose that the most.

There are no secret areas, GPS spots, or fish dope required for Dana Point. Spend your time learning one of the areas above, and you will see your success rate increase drastically. Once you have it figured out, then Dana will throw you a curveball skunk outing that will send you back to the drawing board. When you figure out how to avoid those skunk outings, please send me a private message with the details, because those are the ones that keep me coming back to Dana, and I'd really like to spend more time fishing in La Jolla....

Good luck,
Steve

[MVC]

I would second pretty much everything Steve said. I fish Dana alot mostly for halibut. I fish mostly to the north near the kelp. I rarely mark spots in Dana because the fish tend to move around in the kelp. When I catch a short or get a raked bait, I will stay in the same area sometimes for an hour or more because halibut tend stay together in groups. I also pay attention to the depth where I may get a bite. Good luck

[Ship34]

Originally Posted by steveooo

Those numbers from Rossman are good, and one of a few that I'll always stop and look at if I make the trip up Norte. Rossman has had his butt in a kayak for more hours at Dana point than anyone I know, and caught more fish at Dana point than anyone I know, so I'd pay attention.

No need for GPS coordinates in Dana right now though- Just look around for the lobster buoys and you have all the "spots" that Dana has to offer. Mark them now, so you can have them once the lobster season is over. As with most "spots" in any location, they are a good place to start, but I think success will depend on you learning how to fish those "spots" in different conditions. Pay attention to all the details when you do catch a fish. Which way was the current running? What side of the structure were you on? What were the tides doing? Water temp? Bait situation? Catch enough fish (or get skunked) from one "spot" and you will start to see a pattern. Keep track of conditions in a journal, both when you catch fish and when you don't, and soon enough you will have a little bit of info on how to fish each "spot" ensuring your best chance of catching a fish on each outing.

I think that can probably be transferred to any body of water...

Sometimes the conditions just aren't favorable at a "spot" in Dana Point, even at the numbers above, and you need to abandon one "spot" to go see if the conditions are favorable at another.

Here's my generic tip for Dana Point that has worked for me. Look for a good south flowing current. No water movement = no fish. I've been on and off the water in 30 min if I see the water is not moving. I wish I could pin the water movement at Dana to the tide movement, but it isn't that easy. Sometimes it moves, sometimes it doesn't. If your schedule allows, fish the high tide for Halibut.

I wish I could stress it enough, but success at Dana Point is more about fishing the right conditions more than any place than I have seen.
Regardless, here are a few generic "Spots" for Dana. I don't really look for GPS numbers, just general areas that have structure, recognizable landmarks, or areas I have caught random fish at...

The Pipe- A reef structure that extends from the "rivermouth" at Doheny to the area that it dumps in about 90 ft deep. The area that it dumps in is almost directly west of the tip of the long jetty but for the most part is is just slightly south of the harbor. Right now it is easy to find. Go to the red buoy in front of Doheny, then look south west. It will be littered with lobster Buoys. Those buoys are a good place to start, but make sure you are either directly on the structure, or on the same side of the structure that the fish are on. 30-60 ft has always been the most productive for me. There is a nice section in 40 ft of water, that the reef comes up to about 25 ft that has been good to me, but it is the most snaggy bottom I've ever seen. Be prepared to lose alot of tackle in this area. It can be costly, but worth every penny.

The Headlands- The area just west of the Dana Point Bluff, near the red Buoy. There is lots of hard bottom and kelp. Fish tight to the kelp that is visible on the surface. A few reefs marked by buoys in the area as well. The headlands is a generic area that is pretty big. In regard to how people refer to it, it is the equal to La Jolla's "In front of the Condo". Nothing special needed. Fish the right structure at the right time, you might catch a fish. Conditions rule here.

Doheny- The beach just South of the harbor. Sandy bottom with sporadic kelp. I typically fish this area from 5 - 40 ft deep. Halibut move around so I don't have any GPS coodinates. Pound as much sand near structure as you can in this area and you will scratch a fish or two. There are a few reefs in the area that are visible on a negative low tide. Mark them on that low tide, and fish them on the next high tide. The area in front of the "rivermouth" can be productive if the conditions are good. Keep going south and you will fish the Capo reefs. Capo reefs are directly in front of Capistrano Beach. The wind there usually blows south, so don't get caught south when that turns on.

Salt Creek- A long substantial kelp bed directly in front of Salt Creek beach. It is a long paddle, several miles, but can be productive at times. Generally, fish in 50- 70 feet of water, on the west side of the kelp. The fish like it very tight to the structure there, so if you are getting snagged and losing lots of rigs, you are in the right spot. I'd like to give you GPS numbers, but the reality is that it is about a 1 mile stretch of beach that has kelp. Fish it near the kelp at the right time, you can catch a fish. It is a long paddle to get a skunk from though. The current can go VERY slack there. If there is no current, move to another spot south. North of Salt Creek is the Laguna MPA. I hated to lose that the most.

There are no secret areas, GPS spots, or fish dope required for Dana Point. Spend your time learning one of the areas above, and you will see your success rate increase drastically. Once you have it figured out, then Dana will throw you a curveball skunk outing that will send you back to the drawing board. When you figure out how to avoid those skunk outings, please send me a private message with the details, because those are the ones that keep me coming back to Dana, and I'd really like to spend more time fishing in La Jolla....

Good luck,
Steve

Thank you Steve and Rossman and everyone else that gave good actionable intel! I am a newbie myself and can use all the help I can get to make my kayak trips more rewarding (whether the reward is a fish or a lesson or both).

[EastLosYaker]

Props on doing your own research! Hope it puts you on some fish!

[monstahfish]

For future reference I and I'm sure many others would agree it's in poor taste to push people for gps coordinates. Almost everyone here had done their due diligence by getting out and fishing, looking at charts, going with someone else etc.. Those who do have coordinates, have spent many hours figuring them out and don't feel like giving their work away and that's why you didn't get many number's. Just get out and fish. I moved out Here two and a half years ago and I must have put in at least 50 hours before I figured out how to catch a yellowtail and I'm just getting really solid on the bay fisheries. Put in your time ask about questions that come up but don't ask for people's spots.

[PapaDave]

I agree, go and explore, it's fun. I've been fishing DP in a yak for 5 years, 3 of them every weekend. I've explored the area from salt creek all the way down past the Clemente pier. There are definitely spots out there that I prefer to go just because I've caught many fish in the area. But those are not the only spots. I used to have over 280 locations marked but recently culled that down to 67, marking areas rather than individual spots.

So go, explore, play, make it an adventure, you'll get there.