SAN DIEGO,CALIFORNIA TARGET
TROLLING
White seabass, yellowtail, marlin and sharks
ANGLER Andy “Iceman” Allen
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Andy “Iceman” Allen, co-owner of OEX Sunset Beach (www.oexsunsetbeach. com) paddle shop, says white seabass key in on squid. “Anytime the squid are around, the fish won’t be far away.” He looks for white seabass near kelp beds that border a deep canyon. Allen adds, “You can also catch them around barracuda and porpoise that are feeding on the flats.” He starts by catching live mackerel with a sabiki rig, then slow trolling the baits over structure and around kelp. Fresh squid makes a great white seabass bait, too. Yellowtail move up from Baja when the water temp hits 65 degrees Fahrenheit. To catch them, cast metal spoons, called irons, at yellowtails feeding under working birds or breezing on the surface. Between blitzes, Allen slow trolls live green backs and sardines along kelp beds and over drops and ridges.
KAYAK Hobie Revolution 13 RODS AND REELS
CASTING Nine-foot jig stick and high-speed conventional reel, 40-pound monofilament.
Seven-foot, 20- to 30-pound combo. “Use 65-pound braid to cut through the kelp,” Allen explains.
RIGS CASTING
Ten feet of 30-pound fluorocarbon leader, Salas 7X Iron.
TROLLING
Carolina rig—one-ounce egg sinker, ball bearing swivel, four feet of 40-pound monofilament leader. White seabass: 3/0 “J” hook and large mackerel. Yellowtail: No. 2 hook for sardines, 2/0 hook for mackerel.
DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT
A fishfinder and GPS for marking bait and finding your way home in fog. Also important is a high-quality livewell with recirculating pump. “Don’t overload the livewell with baits,” Allen stresses.
STAY SAFE
“A hand-powered bilge pump will save the day if you take on water while launching.”
PRO TIP
“Preparation is key,” says Allen. Use fresh line, retie knots and check drag. “Big fish will find any weakness.”
PENSACOLA BEACH,FLORIDA TARGET
King mackerel, tuna, sailfish, mahi, wahoo, snapper and grouper
ANGLER
Robert Long LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Off Pensacola, Florida, the Gulf of Mexico is deep and clear, drawing offshore species close to the beach. Robert Long, the host of the Rblong3 YouTube channel, says offshore fishing fires up in the spring when the water temperature hits 74 degrees Fahrenheit and stays strong through late fall. Cobia show up in March followed by mahi, tuna and kings. Red snapper season opens in May followed by grouper in June. Fall is the best time to score a sailfish and flounder hang on the reefs through the winter. To cover the most ground, Long slow trolls from one reef to another with live bait, which he catches behind the second bar with a sabiki rig. When he reaches the reef, he’ll drop a vertical jig or a natural bait for snapper, grouper and flounder.
KAYAK Hobie Pro Angler 14 RODS AND REELS
BOTTOMFISHING Medium heavy jigging combo spooled with 65-pound braid.
TROLLING
Medium action casting rod and reel filled with 30-pound braid.
RIGS BOTTOMFISHING
Carolina rig—three-ounce egg sinker, two feet 60-pound fluorocarbon, 6/0 circle hook.
VERTICAL JIGGING
Three- to five-ounce Shimano Center Vortex jig in pink or blue.
TROLLING King rig—seven strand wire, No. 4 4X treble hooks, pink/blue/chartreuse duster.
CASTING
Three feet of 40-pound fluorocarbon, two- to three-ounce Spro bucktail jig.
DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT
High quality fishfinder to locate structure and bait, and GPS to mark reefs. “We find a lot of structure while trolling around,” Long says. Carry live bait in a four-foot by two-inch PVC tube drilled full of small holes and plugged with end caps.
LAUNCH SITES
Download reef numbers at
www.fishingdestinguide.com.
STAY SAFE
“In addition to a handheld VHF radio, I carry a personal locator beacon,” says Long. He often fishes two to three miles offshore. “I don’t carry a cellphone and VHFs aren’t reliable,” he says, “when I need help I want to be heard.”
CASTING Medium action spinning rod, 30-pound braid.
DIGITAL EXTRA: Click here to watch Robert Long go toe-to-toe with kings, sails, snapper and more.
www.kayakanglermag.com… 69
PHOTO: COURTESY JEFFREY FORTUNA/HOBIE KAYAKS
PHOTO: COURTESY ROB LONG
PHOTO: COURTESY ANDY ALLEN
SOCAL SOUL
CA MY BLUE HEAVEN FLA
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80