9-29-30 10-1-2... 4 days in Bodega bay Yak less! Any fishing suggestions? Bait?

I'll be in Bodega Camping with the family, hopefully @ Doran beach. I'm taking poles ect... But no Kayak. Anyone have any suggestions on shore fishing (successfully) Never had much luck there. Any secrets I don't know for that area from shore?

I don't have much success in the past fishing at Doran even from the kayak while crabbing.  Bring some crab pots or snares to catch the rock crabs.  They taste good grilled!

The last time I went to Doran , a month ago, I forced myself to fish while I was crabbing to kill time between pulls . I too have not caught much other than a few sharks and a real big ray ( 125 lbs. + ) and nothing in the channel between the jettys . This time I used a very large white gitzit 1/2 oz. and a couple inches long and fished in the channel about half way out the jetty . Had hits right as my lure got next to the jetty , lost the first fish as I was just going through the motions and not expecting anything  , landed 6 blues over the next 2 hours . Not monsters but big enough for dinner ( 12-14 ") , a couple of young guys spearfishing had shot a few also and were chasing a keeper size halibut around , but no luck on the halibut . Next time I will try some big hammers on a lighter head and see what happens , think they might work better , plus I would try moving along the jetty rather than staying in one spot .

I would go for surf perch.... Rubber lips and rainbows. They taste yummy also.

You can get them off the jetty and around the pilings at Lucas Wharf. Use cut shrimp, or whole cooked shrimp. They sell the good ones at MeKong Mkt on Sebastapol Rd in Santa Rosa take hwy 12 through Santa Rosa get off on Dutton Blvd. make a left, then a left on Sebastapol Rd. It's on the right.
Good luck.....

Matt

Pokepole the jetty rocks.
If you time the tide right you can hit the other side of the jetty during low tide by driving around the harbor.
When the tide comes in you will get stranded on that side of the jetty so plan accordingly.
You could always do a cattle boat too.

surf rigs with squids strips in between the estreo's have produced some blues and gophers and a very occasional cabbey... dont get stuck between tides and remeber rock climbing is dangerous... early morning at the estero's try top water with weighted shrinp flies tipped with squid strips with a 6' deep leader from large bobber...  sand crabs can be dug up at the west end of duran beach (surf side) and then used at the estero's for perch and rock fish on the bottom...

 

Extreme red tide all weekend!!!! Gave up and just camped... Never seen a red tide that bad.  dead birds and critters all over The smell almost had us ready to leave, then the sun came out