Kayak Fishing for Pacific Sand Dabs

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.

Thanks for the Capt. Bacon article.  The article was informative and shows that you can catch sand dabs around here.  I've met the guy a couple of times.  He runs a six pack charter.  I printed his article as well as your informative post for future reference.  The oil platforms mentioned are about four miles offshore.  I have a friend with a power boat, though.  Ellwood sounds promising from my kayak.  I live close by and fish there often.  Around here you have to get about two miles offshore to get to 200 feet, something I used to do to troll for salmon (when there was a season).  I'm going out of town for fishing next week.  When I get back I'll try for sand dabs.  Thanks!

Scott, great article!!!  I never thought of using grubs, and now i'm gonna have to try that next time!  I've never really caught a big dab, and hoping this will do the trick! 

Thanks for the awesome write-up Scott. I'd love to try it sometime.

Jedmo

Thanks for the info. I'll have to try the grubs, been using the larger sabiki's, but larger dabs are harder to catch. We usually fish for them when killing time drifting bait for halibut in MB. Done pretty well in 100-120 FOW . Thanks for some new idea's.

that was a awesome presentation for catching some dabs! i wanna get on the water now and try to get some (weather permitting) ahaha. Using the lures seems more convenient too as you dont have to re-bait every single time you catch a dab. Again nice job and good input from everyone too.

Scott,
   Thanks for the great write-up.  Hobie Dave and I tried to fish dabs with sabiki rigs while our crab pots were soaking at Doran Beach.  I caught one that was about 2" long and other than a great Dungie harvest, nothing else was caught.  Next time, I'll have to try the techniques you have suggested. A day of crabbin' at Doran would be hard to beat but adding a few sand dabs would certainly make it even better.

Martin

Scott,
   Thanks for the great write-up.  Hobie Dave and I tried to fish dabs with sabiki rigs while our crab pots were soaking at Doran Beach.  I caught one that was about 2" long and other than a great Dungie harvest, nothing else was caught.  Next time, I'll have to try the techniques you have suggested. A day of crabbin' at Doran would be hard to beat but adding a few sand dabs would certainly make it even better.

Martin

Martin  -

You are welcome. As I mentioned in the article, they can be hard to find. Don't waste time fishing an area if you don't get bit right away. If you are fishing in a group, spread out so you can cover more water on your "search and destroy" mission. Teamwork pays off and when you find them, there will be plenty for everybody. Here is something funny, I went on so many unsuccesful WSB missions this year that my wife and I got tired of eating sand dabs and squid.    All that said, a dab and crab combo sounds good. PM me if you are heading up there before Xmas and we can car pool. We can pick up some Hog Island oysters on the way home and have the total Sonoma experience. 

Scott

Great post GB2.  I love eating sand dabs, and have seen them when diving, but never caught them off my yak.

I agree with your thought of taking what you can eat.  if you have a trip in the coming weeks, let me know.
 
rds

I just read your tips on fishing for sand dabs, thanks for the info, my friend and I were reading about sand dabs in usafishing.com and i saw it here on NCKA and i was wondering what that was all about, looks like fun so I am going to have to try it.
Did you ever think that people would still be reading this a couple of years after you wrote it? cool isn't it.

Thanks again for sharing the info.

Luis
scubaluis

Did you ever think that people would still be reading this a couple of years after you wrote it? cool isn't it.

Thanks again for sharing the info.

Luis
scubaluis

You are welcome. The dabs have moved to deeper water with the increased water temperature of El Nino and La Nina. Most commercial boats are targeting 180-250 FOW for dabs. What is funny is that more people have read the sand dab fishing tips article than Joel's salmon fishing tips. 

Scott

What temp do they prefer? I only ask because that water is still cold.

Great article and great that it's getting a replay since I never took the time to read it before, dynamite writeup Scott.

I found a way to keep all the dabs you want....
I actually spend the time filleting all 60 or so I get on a trip(have not done it from a kayak yet) 
I soak all those in milk which firms em up a bit any amount of time is good up to 2 days in fridge... an hour is fine too.
I dredge em in seasoned flour
Then into egg wash
Then into crushed Rice Crispy Ceareal with seasoning....
Fry em in hot oil, grape seed is my fav.
vacuume seal them or double ziplock works too. Now Freeze
I just then pull out a sandwhich size bag of basically fish sticks and cook em in my toaster oven on normal toast setting and thats it. 
They come out crispy and the best fish sticks you'll ever have I've had some keep for close to a year.

Scott...

Yup, I'm one of those 'a couple years later' folks... came accross your orig. posting - thanks for taking the time to post in such detail for us new-bies. I've caught Dab's on the little double sabiki hooks/rigs, am dying to try your multiple rig idea w/ small grubs - however, I'm curious as to what the DFG regs are on using a rig w/ more than 2 hooks here in CA - I'm tearing through the current saltwater regs and can't find any info yet. Thanks!!

Aroneus

Two hooks applies to a species restriction (like on rockfish and salmon, or bay fishing).  On the ocean you can use as many hooks, rods, etc to target halibut, wsb, perch, sand dabs and other bait fish.