LM Sunday 6.4.06

Got up and launched to what looked like favorable conditions. I am no expert but the swell seemed mixed?  It went from predictable to unpredictable.  The conditions were great outside the surfline.  Glen and I paddled North looking for bait. We planned on making bait and drifting until we found fish.  We made a couple of pieces of bait but couldn't manage much more.  We started drifting behind the surfline but quickly changed gears from fisherman to tourist as the dolphins moved in and began working bait.  They were amazing. Couldn't keep count but I think there were 6-8 of them.  They came right to Kayaks.  I took some pics but they didn't come out great.   After about 40 minutes on the drift we headed south to cliff area.  We were thinking Halibut or striper but I new that my buddy who has yet to catch a Saltwater fish would probably land some type of rockfish that we would have to release.  He was bouncing a jig for flounder or Halibut and I dropped down my live chovie.  Bam, I get hit and at first I thought could this be  Butt, sort of felt like it, but it has been a while so I wasn't sure.  It ended up being an nice Bottom rockfish of about 6lbs. I don't know what it was, it wasn't a ling or cab.  Light mud color looking thing.  Released it and headed in. 

The landing seemed good but for some reason the mixed swell tripped me up.  I started in after counting a set of 6 swells one after the other.  The third of the six being what I thought was the biggest.  Came in hard and the next thing you know I am sideways. The bad thing was the sets were so close that the next one came down on top of me and turned me over.  I'm out, the yak is upside down.  Got everything up right and didn't lose a thing! 

One side note. I was jigging for anchovie and notiched most of what I brought up were baby Salmon.  I wonder if I should have been trolling for mommy or daddy.

Great day on the water.  After heading in I talked to a guy from the beach who said there is a school in LM.  He had been chasing it up and down the beach. The surfers could see them under them.  Fish are there, I just don't know the right trolling technique for the ocean yet.

Jason

jason, the so-cal guys actually intend to get sideways, then they lean back into the wave, 'bracing' the kayak with the paddle.

maybe you can try that one?

J

J,  I actually like sideways too.  unfortunately the sets were so close that right when I got upright the next swell came too fast, it was like the day we were out a month ago.  The only problem was unlike the day I was out with you, the first wave didn't take me up the beach. Yesterday it left me right in the way of the next breaker.

Jason

After watching Jason land I actually thought to my self that was pretty funny.  Then  reality struck and I had to land in the same spot.  I managed to stay up right but it was a wild sideways ride for me too.  The two guys that came in after us had a impressive 180 yard sale as well...  Good times at Linda Mar.   Now if I could have only nabbed my first salt water fatty it would have been a perfect day.  Thanks J for showing me the ropes.

I don't know how long the rope is. You didn't catch a fish. In time grasshopper in time.

Jason

Good thing LM is in our backyard...

It ended up being an nice Bottom rockfish of about 6lbs. I don't know what it was, it wasn't a ling or cab.  Light mud color looking thing.  Released it and headed in.

One side note. I was jigging for anchovie and notiched most of what I brought up were baby Salmon.  I wonder if I should have been trolling for mommy or daddy.

Hey J, maybe you need a fish ID lesson from BSteves. 

Were they really baby salmon?   If so, that's great sign of what's to come!

They were  baby Salmon.  I thought I was up to snuff on the Rockfish ID thing but I guess not, either that or I am rusty. 

Anyway what I was jigging up had black spots on the top of a dark green back. Slightyly larger than a anchovie but can be mistaken as one.  Chovie don't usually have such prominant spots. I think. Maybe Bsteves can help out on that one.

Jason

Without a picture this is a hard one....

How prominant were the spots? 
Where the spots sort or randomly scattered or did they form a line? 
Did it have obvious big scales or not?

Did it look like this fish?


But you said it could be confused with an anchovie, so did it look this fish?


Brian

Were they Sardines?

You wouldn't have been the first person to catch tiny salmon from their kayak...
here are a few shots from our own NCKA gallery taken by I believe bluekayak.

I believe it looked like the ones Blue Kayak had. Of the two pictures you showed me it would be the top pic. I am very familiar with Anchovie as I have spent many many many days on Pacifica pier jigging them up.

Jason

The photos of the two fish I originally posted are juvenile king salmon (top pic) and pacific sardine (bottom pic). 

Sounds like you did jig up a few baby salmon.

Stu and I were talking about this earlier today.  We concluded that one of the easiest way to tell if it's a baby salmon is if looks like a small trout.  Sardines, anchovies, and macks won't look anything like a trout.

I think Jason's anchovie remarks

Slightyly larger than a anchovie but can be mistaken as one

certainly threw me off a bit at first (hence the sardine image)... green back with black spots and can be mistaken as an anchovie.

Brian