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| KAYAK FISHING AT CATALINA |
By:  Dennis Spike |
| In the sport of rod and reel fishing there are many
experts. Some make their presence known to the kayak fisherman every time they enter into
a conversation and make statements like "for the kind of fishing you do" and the
ever precious "have you thought about putting a motor on it?". For the record, a
motor on a kayak makes as much sense as a 5th wheel on a car. That is why we have
inflatables Not to be caught unawares, the expert will inevitably part with a "too
bad" comment, such as "too bad you can't fish the islands in that thing".
Funny thing about the experts is I have yet to meet one who has fished from a kayak. Kayak
anglers are serious and committed people who often appreciate ten times the amount of
fishing as "the experts" who take 3 months to recount their 2 day trips. Kayak
anglers cut their teeth in bays and kelp forests then move on to more serious structure in
their quest to land fish like 40+ pound halibuts and sea bass. Going on vacation means the
opportunity to do battle with tarpon, sailfish, salmon, tuna and other huge fish that lend
an "extreme" quality to "the type of fishing we do". There is no vessel afloat that gives the angler the access, ease, and affordability to fish the inshore as the kayak does. When the yellowtail show up we don't go bass fishing, and when the squid boats arrive late in the fall, the thought of catching a forty pound white sea bass keeps us up at night. Kayak anglers can and do fish the offshore islands and there is no better destination than Santa Catalina Island, California. When the seas are calm, Catalina puts the paradise back in your fishing. Paddling around the island the sights are breathtaking. As you glide along the inshore, a variety of landscapes from rocky cliffs to oak groves meet the sea. Sea caves, blowholes, bays, and stretches of sandy beach surround Catalina. With this type of structure often bordering thick kelp forests, the fishing possibilities keep you busy from dawn `till dusk. There are several ways to do Catalina on the kayaks. My first choice is to pry Pete Gray away from his office, load our kayaks on his sportfisher and motor across the channel. Having picked up a load of live bait from the receiver, the mothership moves the smaller fleet around in search of the hot bite. At days end, getting a mooring at Avalon allows you take dinner in town and get a room if you're so inclined, or just sleep on the boat. Some of the best fun I have had in years has been doing these island excursions. New fishing situations become learning experiences that add to my arsenal of angling knowledge. Fishing with Pete is no exception. Like most great anglers, he has the touch with certain fish. When the stories of Pete and yellowtail started filtering to me I got really excited because yellowtail had been my "unlucky fish". After hitting the bait receiver for a load of sardines, he moved us outside the harbor to make a few mackerel. Good thing too, it seems that in sportfishing the best |
bait is often the one you don't have so the more variety
the better. One of the most relevant things Pete told us in our quest to "learn"
how to catch a yellowtail on the kayaks was the distinct advantage paddlers have in their
ability to slow troll a live bait. Twenty minutes into trolling an area on the backside of
the island, I hooked my first kayak yellowtail. Just a small "firecracker" the
jack gave me a taste of what these fish are all about. The real test came 10 minutes later
when our radio host got hit by a monster. Seeing the rod bent nearly in half as he gained
position on the fish told me I had plenty of time to get there to assist with the landing.
Fishing with Pete since the beginning of the year, I knew this was his biggest kayak
hook-up. After a 15 minute battle a 25 pound yellowtail showed color and was brought to
gaff. Even though he has caught much larger fish, Pete confirmed something I have
maintained for years, "there is nothing like catching them on a kayak". A
luxurious sportfisher is not required to mothership kayaks. Sometimes I will load the
"yaks" onto a friends sailboat or have them portaged to the islands by shipper
or outfitter. This is remarkably inexpensive and lightens the commute. Camping at Catalina
is another option. Secluded coves are abundant and although most Catalina campsites are
considered "remote", basing your stay out of Avalon or Two Harbors sets up the
potential for a trip that really can't be done anywhere else.
Trolling is probably the most tedious exercise on a kayak. A clear understanding of the kelp, rocks, current, and all of the conditions of the area to be trolled are crucial. Anchoring to the bottom and surface structure as well as drifting, are usually more productive than trolling unless you are in the optimum situation. Break-offs for example, occur when shallow rocky structure is trolled, and the results are no fish landed. Mothership fishing is one of the best ways to get out of your backyard fishery and exploit the Channel Islands. With minimum effort and planning Catalina Island will support every kind of trip to fulfill your needs. From a simple trip with the guys to a full fledged family vacation (even a posh romantic getaway), Catalina is one of those quiet treasures sitting a few miles within reach. On top of it all, the fishing is often "resort quality". |
Yakin' It Up in La Bufadora
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
By Tom Gatch for
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| Gettin? in Close - Dennis "Hook" Huhn of Ventura is a veteran of trips to La Bufadora and here he displays a nice lingcod. He also landed an 8-lb. red rockfish on the same trip. |
| Photo by: Photo courtesy of Coastal Kayak Fishing |
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| Kayak Flattie - Just like in SoCal waters, kayaks offer access to prime fishing spots along the Baja coast. Chris Fierro shows off this nice halibut. |
| Photo by: Photo Courtesy of SDKayakFishing.com |
The Baja peninsula offers several hundred miles of uninterrupted coastline, much of it punctuated by a seemingly endless number of protected coves, beaches and grottos. Although shore casting has always been the most commonly practiced method for taking fish in most of these remote areas, a new breed of highly adaptable fishing kayak now makes it possible to work the inshore zone for a much wider variety of species and enjoy a level of action that is virtually unattainable by those fishing from the beach or rocks just a few hundred yards away.
The portability factor of a fishing kayak is also a big advantage if you happen to be visiting a region that does not have a ramp, which might be needed to allow access by larger craft. Luckily, industry leaders such as Ocean Kayak, Cobra and Hobie now offer hard-body, sit-on-top kayaks that can be easily launched from just about any beach. They are perfectly designed for inshore fishing and are available at prices well under a thousand dollars.
Many surface fish, such as bonito and barracuda, prefer lures that move rapidly through the water, while others - like the highly prized white seabass - are more likely to inhale a live mackerel or artificial that is pulled a little deeper in the water column at a slower speed. One of the advantages of trolling from a kayak is having the ability to pull your bait much more slowly than is generally possible in a powerboat that is not equipped with a special trolling motor.
Often, you'll catch more fish by simply finding a "fishy" looking area and sitting in a stationary position for a while. Try casting plastics, surface iron or Krocodile-style spoons toward the edge of kelp growths, or drop down a heavier jig with a frozen squid pinned to the end and bounce it along the rocky bottom. Some kayak anglers prefer catching their own live bait - usually small mackerel - to pull along behind them in a bait sled until it is needed.
No matter how you plan to fish after making the decision to purchase a kayak for ocean waters, it is vital to learn how to use it safely and effectively. The best way to do this is by taking the time and money to invest in a training course from any one of the several certified professionals in your area who provide such services. A few of them also offer guided kayak fishing trips to nearby local beaches, as well as to more secluded places where the average person might not choose to venture on his or her own.
As the sun peaks over the chaparral-covered hills at the end of the Punta Banda peninsula on northern Baja's Pacific coast, the long strands of resident kelp inside La Bufadora's placid cove often appear to create a shimmering sea of gold. To Dennis Spike, known simply as "Spike" to his friends and clients, this picturesque sanctuary has also become a perfect venue for gently introducing others to the glories of kayak fishing in a virtually unspoiled marine environment that lies less than 100 miles south of the Mexican border.
Spike was one of the original pioneers to popularize the sport of West Coast kayak angling. Several decades ago, he and his cousin started rigging up their own sit-on-top kayaks for fishing and immediately noticed that they began to consistently catch more and bigger fish than ever before.
During their first year of experimentation, they successfully fished hundreds of times in areas that had previously been accessed almost exclusively by powerboats. An added bonus came when they discovered their ability to fish extremely productive places in dense kelp and around boiler rocks that conventional craft were unable to reach safely.
In late 1994, Dennis Spike created the domain kayakfishing.com, and published his first magazine kayak fishing feature in February 1995. In 1997, www.kayakfishing.com became the first Web site dedicated to kayak fishing on the Internet, and is now accessed by thousands of visitors each day.
What was once Spike's personal passion for the outdoors had inadvertently turned into a career change. In the course of helping to nurture and grow this newly popular sport, Coastal Kayak Fishing has also managed to become one of the foremost guiding and outfitting dealerships on the south coast.
I happened to drop in on Spike and one of his groups down at Rancho La Bufadora a few weeks ago as they prepared for an early-morning departure the next day. Although it was December and the nights were chilly, the irrepressible Baja sun broke through the clouds early that weekend, which helped to enhance the sensory impact of the golden kelp forest and turquoise waters churning around the jagged, volcanic outcroppings near shore.
Armed with numerous rods that were loaded with an assortment of deadly looking lures, and backpacks stuffed with hastily made sandwiches, potato chips and Buddy Bars, the group of fewer than a dozen departed. One by one, they slid out into the rising tide near La Bufadora's crumbling cement launch ramp just below the cliffs. Watching them from the beach, I was reminded of an assemblage of ravenous seagulls; loosely organized on the hunt, but ready to strike in a simultaneous flurry once their prey was sighted. It became obvious that to a seasoned kayak angler, the sport is much more than a mere hobby; it becomes an adopted lifestyle.
On this particular voyage, the group managed to take a selection of bottom species, but also had to deal with large swells that occasionally called their attention to maintaining the stability of their boats instead of catching fish. The next day was better, however; as the water flattened out, the sun decided to shine a bit brighter and the fish were in a feeding frame of mind.
Over a period of a few days, their coolers began to fill up with fresh fillets. More important, by the time they were ready to head back toward the border on Sunday afternoon, they had also amassed volumes of happy memories to take with them. Memories to be pulled out and savored - perhaps one day in the middle of a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam on a crowded Southland freeway. Thoughts of a place where small kayaks and daring, determined anglers can quietly slip away from the beach in a placid lagoon to paddle off in pursuit of hungry fish.
Got a question, comment or a hot fishing tip? Share your input by sending an e-mail to:
tlgatch@4dcomm.com.