Kayak Fishing for Pacific Sand Dabs

deleted

great tutorial GB2, thanks, i have been thinking about sand dabs since your last post and had no idea how to go about fishing for them, this will help me get started, thanks again, cameron

Thanks I need to start fishing for those.  I mostly go out of Cambria.  What would be the best depth to start at and can you find them on the fish finder easily?

Thanks I need to start fishing for those.  I mostly go out of Cambria.  What would be the best depth to start at and can you find them on the fish finder easily?

Andy -

If you launch out of Leffingwell head northwest till you get to 110-150 FOW. You can't see them on the FF because they are laying on the bottom, and they are dinky. It is about 30-45" of paddling. There is a sandy area which is just north of the areas that you probably rockfish. Bag some dabs and a few extras for ling bait then drift south east towards Cambria rock for rockfish. This drift will take you though the landlords backyard so watch your 6. I fish the dabs on a 2 or 3 oz Spro white bucktail jig for lings. Cast it out and twitch it along the bottom.

scott

nice tutorial.  the pictures really helped.  post a Hookup the next time you fish for dabs.

Jonathan

Great tutorial!

I was out in MB the other weekend and only had some tiny sabikis... it was frustrating catching all those baby dabs.  Will definitely stock some large-sized ones for next time. 

Thanks for sharing this info!  (topic set to sticky)

Thanks for posting that.. good read!   Anybody know if sand dabs are caught out of the bodega or north areas?   Doran maybe?

Excellent and comprehensive information!  Thanks.  I'm going to find out from some commercial guys I know where a good spot to fish sand dabs in the Santa Barbara area is and go for it.  It sounds like something new and fun to do.
BTW, thanks for the private heads up on this post.

Awesome write up! I've fished for them a couple of times on the crab combo trips but never targeted them from the yak before.

Sounds like some good clean wintertime fun and they are deffinitely tasty.

-Eliot

Thanks for the great post and pictures. 

Had no clue thanks for the info

mmmm
sand dabs are tasty
that's about all i know.  actually, i do know more, but mostly on the retail end (ie, less than $5 a pound, and usually sold dressed - cleaned, scaled, head off, fins off, but not fillets)

I'm going to find out from some commercial guys I know where a good spot to fish sand dabs in the Santa Barbara area is and go for it. 

Capt Bacon (Wave Walker Charters) fishes them in 150-300 FOW outside the oil platforms off of Santa Barbara and off of Ellwood. I don't know if they are in kayak range. I know some of them are 5 miles or so offshore.

Nice write-up Scott thanks for sharing. Last year was my first time I ever fished or seen a sandab thanks to Scott for hooking me up, can't wate to go again this year .

Pat R