My brother and I launched about 7:30 and fished till 11:30. I took the plunge and fished with live bait, Gundy at the bair receiver was cool and gave me quite a scoop of chovies and 'deans for $5.00, and I understand you can come back for more if you run out. I didn't even use half.

My 'bro said yuk and fished swimbaits and rapalas. We both caught four or five halibuts, a couple in the 16-20" range as well as some bass barracudas mackerals and croakers.

Oh and I caught a 27" halibut as well. Had a beautiful halibut steak dinner tonight, and more in the freezer and fridge!

I used a fishfinder for the first time, very interesting!
I got a real kick out of "seeing" the bottom structure and fish.

I also used my baytuber laundry basket bait well for the first time. Worked well for the bait, but very draggy to troll. I just finished burning a zillion holes in the bottom with a soldering iron to keep it from acting like a sea-anchor so much, hope it helps...a lot.
Well back to work snelling up trap rigs for next time.

BTW...I watched more than a few others getting the flatties as well, they are on the bite, it would seem... ;-)

Quietman

Good going on the legal. I drove by the harbor and saw 3 float tubers fishing right by the bait tank...one guy caught what looked liked to be a croaker.

Exactly what does your bait tank look like? Is it really a laundry basket? If so, I had a similar idea. I was thinking about taking a laundry basket, tying some fun noodle pool floats around the rim for buoyancy, and topping it off with some mesh.

Does that sound similar? How's it working out?

This is the one I bought from the Baytubers for $16.00.
It now has a zillion 3/16" holes burned in the bottom to cut drag.
See www.baytubers.com click on "Store"

Quietman

My nephew and I plan to meet Dec 23 somewhere between where he is in San Diego and where I will be in Pacific Palisades and I figure Dana Point would be a good rendezvous point. My question, since I've never been there, is where's a good place to put in (using float tubes). We'll be there at 9:00 and the high tide is predicted at 10:45 so maybe we could ride in the current and come back on the current at around 1:00. Could anyone give me instructions on how to get to a good 'put in' place? I guess we'll fish 3 "swimbaits using 1/4 oz heads if that's the best (on 6 lb. line).

Go into the harbor at Golden Lantern. Follow the road to the big parking lot it dumps into. Park in the corner by the pedestrian gate into the launch area. This is the best place to launch because it is a: free parking b: easy and safe to launch on the ramp c: puts you in the water in a killer spot for halibut. Kick to the bait receiver for bait, troll the whole way. Then...

Quietman

Launch here...

Between the bait receiver and the rocks...

Quietman

maybe its just me but it never seemed like the halibut fishing was any good in DP.......maybe quietman is the only person who catches them.....hmmmm.......i wanna go try from my tube down there but i fear getting skunked....i doint wanna waste a morning when i could be surfing

There are several guys who have/had been catching more than myself, I've been learning from them! Plus I still prefer swimbaits to live/dead bait so that may limit my success.

There is no possible way to be skunked in a float tube in DP harbor. There are a gazillion barracuda, smelt, various croaker, WSB, mackeral, short halibut, bass, yadda-yadda. It IS true that you have to have the right stuff to do well on a "premium" fish, like keeper Halibut. I seem to be one of the first to aggressively troll with three rods, using GPS and a fish-finder and checking/rescenting baits continuously, so I have had more success than some.

However I have seen a couple of guys in Kayaks and skiffs who know where and how to fish the live bait, and they get at least one keeper Halibut every time I've seen em.

For the WSB and the Yellowfin croaker this seems to be a slower time of the year, as a month ago I couldn't keep them off the jigs. However there are a lot more barracuda and mackeral now, and the halibut are really consistent.

Quietman

hmmm thanks......my tube is just a tube......i dont have anything on it like rod holders, bait well, or gps....so what do you suggest i do?

i guess i cant use live baits so swimbaits it is. Do i let them drag on the bottem? or slightly off? also what should i look for when im fishing.....i mean shoudl i fish in open places, next to the jetty or near boats? thanks again

Hey Grom, send me an email. We'll go fish for some LM and I'll give you a rod holder for your tube. Also, there's many ways to make rod holders and stuff out of PVC.

Ed

Amish Ed
You Can't Catch it again if
it's Dead!

Quietman and a 27" Dana Point Flattie taken aboard "River Runt II"

QM Sensei