How do I target Striped Bass?

Hey everyone. There have been good reports of Striped Bass action in Capitola, New Brighton area. I have never caught a Striped Bass in the ocean and have no idea how to fish for them. Close to the surf? How deep? What kind of bait or lures? Launching next to the Capitola wharf is pretty easy so I'd like to start there. I'd love some input from kayak anglers who know how to target and land striped bass. Thank you in advance.

Recon, how goes it. There are plenty of guys on here who are from that area who can chimme in on fishing stripers in the surf. Just don't ask them A-HULLS! J/k...Most striper fishing in Monterey Bay from what I understand is done on the beach tossing hair raisers, pencil poppers, swimbaits and/or live bait like sand crabs. Those stripers down there like to hang out in that surf zone and that's NO PLACE for a kayaker to be unless you want to donate some tackle. Asking questions at your local tackle shops like bayside in SC can help. Goodluck, Ricci.

I've thrown hair raisers plenty off the beach at Pacifica, catch them in the no kayak zone for sure!
Never even saw boats trying to get that close to catch a striper.  We threw at night also.

Launch at Cap and make bait on your way to NB. Start on the SW side (halfway to the cement ship) in 15fow outside the surf and throw a live sardine/chovie/mac/smelt towards the beach...then flyline another one about 40ft behind you and slowly drift the length of the beach towards the NE corner. Carolina rig with as little weight as possible. You will have to retrieve & recast your bait in the surf every few minutes. But you can just leave the flyline bait out for a while--check to make sure no kelp on it every now & then. Do not engage the reel, just use the clicker until you hookup. Sometimes there is a lot of salad/junk in the water, especially towards the north end. Sometimes too much to troll or power-drift, in which case you will have to move back to the SW side. And you can substitute frozen bait or lures if there isn't any bait around. That spot hasn't gone off for years but it's pretty cool when it does...definitely a unique yaksperience.

Launch at Cap and make bait on your way to NB. Start on the SW side (halfway to the cement ship) in 15fow outside the surf and throw a live sardine/chovie/mac/smelt towards the beach...then flyline another one about 40ft behind you and slowly drift the length of the beach towards the NE corner. Carolina rig with as little weight as possible. You will have to retrieve & recast your bait in the surf every few minutes. But you can just leave the flyline bait out for a while--check to make sure no kelp on it every now & then. Do not engage the reel, just use the clicker until you hookup. Sometimes there is a lot of salad/junk in the water, especially towards the north end. Sometimes too much to troll or power-drift, in which case you will have to move back to the SW side. And you can substitute frozen bait or lures if there isn't any bait around. That spot hasn't gone off for years but it's pretty cool when it does...definitely a unique yaksperience.

Awesome, thank you very much. I will give it a shot.

if you see the ranger truck, back off the beach.  They started saying all boats have to be a 1000 feet from shore, and they include yaks in that

They are in the surf. You have to get into the surf zone to fish them. Really fun when the surf is big and you get a big one on and get towed. Maybe the most fun of all of the species we target.

if you see the ranger truck, back off the beach.  They started saying all boats have to be a 1000 feet from shore, and they include yaks in that

That why your son and I are gonna be IN the water shooting them. Ranger won't see us.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I am sold and will give this a good effort very soon ....info on best times of day ..tides ...or any other help will be greatly appreciated .... my striped bass  experience is on a charter  trolling 8 rods on a boat that never comes out gear .

if you see the ranger truck, back off the beach.  They started saying all boats have to be a 1000 feet from shore, and they include yaks in that

Good call, thanks. I'd heard that and forgotten.

I have tried this a couple times without success but have heard it is a very early morning bite.