Cal -Sal t
Calif or n ia Salt w at er Kayak Fish in g
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1879 Shell Beach Rd, Pismo Beach, CA 93449 - 805-622-9251
Of f eri n g t h e t op b ran d s wi t h t h e b est servi ce. We wi l l get you on t h e wat er wi t h t h e gear you n eed . We k n ow k ayak f i sh i n g!
p r o k a y a k f is h in g .c o m
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Ph ot o: Rich ar d M oiola - Su n set at Gaviot a pier
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Cal -Sal t Calif or n ia Salt w at er Kayak Fish in g
Volu m e 1, Issu e 2 FEATURED ARTICLES: 10 Cal i forni a Chrome 14 4t h Annual Est ero Kayak Chal l enge 28 The Need t o Know, St urgeon
8 Edi t or's Journal 24 PRO Ti p 32 Gear Gui de 35 Event Cal endar
Ricar do Holden w as t h e big w in n er at t h e 4t h an n u al Est er o Kayak Ch allen ge on Ju n e 2. See page 14 f or t h e com plet e r ecap an d r esu lt s.
38 The Last Word 40 The Gal l ey: Fi sh Fr y!
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Cal -Sal t Calif or n ia Salt w at er Kayak Fish in g Publ i sher/Edi t or Eric Tebbets Cont ri but ors Andrew Julian Javier Perez Andy O'Brien Tom Reilly Chad Johnson
Advert i si ng calsaltmag@gmail.com Cont ri but i ons calsaltmag@gmail.com Have a great idea for an article or some awesome photos? Let us know. Send us your ideas, pics, or tag us in your posts! @cal_salt on IG
Moment um Paddl e Sport s, Inc 1879 Shell Beach Road Pismo Beach, CA 93449 805-622-9251 www.cal-salt.com Copyright 2018 Momentum Paddle Sports, Inc. All rights reserved. Cover Phot o: Dave Easton with a 47# white seabass caught on a plastic out of La Jolla.
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r eebslu r es.com
Cent r al Coast Kayak s Guided Kayak Fi shing Pi smo Beach - 805-773-3500 -
Licen sed, exper ien ced gu ides Rock f ish , lin gcod, & m or e Pism o Beach , Los Osos, & Cam br ia Kayak , lif e jack et , bait &t ack le in clu ded
cen t r alcoast k ayak s.com
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Edit or 's Jou r n al
by Er ic Tebbet s
Welcome to the summer issue, uh, the fall issue...Welcome to the 2018 summer/fall issue of Cal-Salt magazine! I could offer up a number of excuses as to why the magazine is late getting out but the reality is I got busy with everything else and something had to give. It's 100% on me and I fell into the trap of a dollar waiting on a dime, holding up the whole magazine over a couple of small items. Room for improvement down the road. OK, all that being said, I'm excited to offer up this edition of the magazine. We have a couple of great articles from some awesome fishermen out of NorCal and the fish they target. Check out Kayak City fishing team member, Andrew Julian on page 10. Andrew has a knack for getting on the Kings and he shares some of his secrets with us in, California Chrome! Then on page 28, Javier Perez of Tails2Tales breaks down his proven techniques for targeting the elusive sturgeon. Thanks for the article submissions boys! We've had some fun times over the past few months at some great Cal-Salt tournaments. On page 14, you'll find a recap of the 4th annual Estero Kayak Challenge, with complete listings of the winners on page 35. If you would like to contribute, have an idea for an article, or would like a chance to get your photos published hit us up at calsaltmag@gmail.com or tag us on Instagram #calsalt. Thank you to everyone who has contributed, sent us pics, and helped spread the word. Stay salty my friends! Team Wildy at t h e 2018 Est er o Kayak Ch allen ge. Kevin Hof er , Josh Br igh t m an , Er ic Tebbet s, an d An dy O'Br ien .
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Above Th e Hook Pr odu ct ion s cr ew m em ber , Alex Casillas w it h a ch u n k y Ver m illion r ock f ish .
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Wi t h t he st art of t he ocean sal mon season on June 17 i n my regi on (San Franci sco, defi ned a Count y), I want t o share how I cat ch t he el usi ve ocean Ki ng (chi nook) Sal mon from a kayak. moochi ng, and l andi ng t he fi sh. The t echni ques I?l l share may al so be appl i ed for sal mon i n
Fi shi ng for sal mon on a kayak i s not an easy t ask. St art i ng off, you may experi ence l ong days overcome you. But my best advi ce i s st ay i n t he game and do not get di scouraged. Just l i ke wi angl ers l and t hei r fi rst kayak sal mon: t he exci t ement i s present i n t hei r smi l es and shaki ng h
To get st art ed, l et ?s t al k about gear. I fi sh from a Hobi e Revol ut i on 13 equi pped wi t h a Mi rag work on t he rod and reel whi l e I?m pedal i ng. The rods I use are 8ft 6i n medi um or medi um h wi t h 40 l b brai d wi t h a 25 foot t op shot of 30 l b monofi l ament . I al so use a fi sh fi nder whi ch wel l as a ki l l bag t o keep t he meat fresh.
There are many ways t o t arget ki ng sal mon. The t wo most common met hods, especi al l y i n m art i fi ci al l ures or bai t s. Trol l i ng al l ows a l ot more ground coverage and i t may t ake some pra comfort abl e wi t h t he gear, i t becomes second nat ure. There are vari ous product s on t he mark
Cal if ornia Chrome by Andrew Jul ian
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as sout h of Poi nt Arena i n Mendoci no Count y and nort h of Pi geon Poi nt i n San Mat eo I wi l l focus on gear sel ect i on, t ermi nal t ackl e sel ect i on, l ocat i ng t he fi sh, t rol l i ng versus ot her part s of Cal i forni a.
s and a l ot of ground covered wi t hout much success. Di sappoi nt ment and frust rat i on can i t h anyt hi ng el se, persi st ence and det ermi nat i on wi l l pay off. I?ve wi t nessed many fel l ow hands.
ge Dri ve. The Mi rage Dri ve foot propul si on syst em frees my hands and gi ves me t he abi l i t y t o eavy sal mon rods wi t h hi gh fl exi bi l i t y, pai red wi t h an Okuma Met al oi d. The reel s are fi l l ed i s permanent l y i nst al l ed on my kayak. Last l y, a l arge l andi ng net t o hel p l and t he fi sh as
my regi on, are t rol l i ng and moochi ng. Most of my kayak sal mon were caught t rol l i ng ei t her act i ce t o t rol l effect i vel y and effi ci ent l y. Just l i ke dri vi ng a manual car, once t he angl er get s ket t hat hel p t o t rol l at desi red dept hs. I have seen many sal mon caught on Deep Si x di vers,
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pl aners, si nker rel eases, and downri ggers. I prefer a smal l downri gger on my kayak wi t h 70 yards of 80l b brai ded l i ne and a 4.5 l b downri gger bal l . Trol l i ng dept h depends on t he posi t i on of t he bai t fi sh. I usual l y cat ch fi sh 20 - 40 feet bel ow bai t bal l s. Usi ng a fl asher, dodger, and/or spi nner somet i mes can i ncrease t he chance of cat chi ng. Effect i ve l ures i ncl ude Apex t rol l i ng l ures, sal mon spoons, and vari ous si ze and col or hoochi es. For bai t sel ect i ons, anchovi es and herri ng are common i n our regi on. Bri ni ng t he bai t before t he t ri p may show bet t er resul t s. Bri ng an assort ment of l ures and bai t s because i t i s i mport ant t o t r y di fferent combi nat i ons when you are not cat chi ng. Trol l i ng speed depends on t he current : Goi ng wi t h or agai nst t he current . I l i ke t o make sure my downri gger l i ne i s at a 45 degree angl e so I var y my speed unt i l my l i ne i s at a perfect angl e. General l y, I l i ke t o keep my t rol l speed around 1.5 t o 2.5 mph. Pay at t ent i on t o nat ure?s cues t oo. Di vi ng bi rds, boi l i ng
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surface, and whal e act i vi t y are good i ndi cat ors of bai t fi sh. Havi ng a fi sh fi nder i s a defi ni t e benefi t . I keep movi ng around unt i l bai t bal l s show on my fi sh fi nder. Work around t he bai t bal l and move on i f t here?s no bi t es aft er 15-30 mi nut es. Mark any successful l ocat i ons for fut ure reference. In sal mon concent rat ed areas, moochi ng i s t he bet t er al t ernat i ve. I use t he same rods and reel s wi t h a banana si nker or sl i der t o my mai n l i ne. Dependi ng on t he current and dri ft , I usual l y use 1 t o 10 oz si nkers. Per Cal i forni a regul at i on, onl y barbl ess ci rcl e hooks are al l owed for moochi ng. I at t ach a 5-6 foot l eader t o t he mai nl i ne and t i e on a si ngl e barbl ess ci rcl e hook. My t op choi ce of moochi ng bai t i s l i ve anchovy, but I have found frozen t ray bai t works t oo. For l i ve bai t , hook t he bai t t hrough t he nose t hen add a bai t but t on t o keep t he bai t from sl i di ng off t he hook. For frozen t ray bai t , I t hread t he l eader from t he t ai l t o t he nose of t he bai t . Si mi l ar t o t rol l i ng, present t he bai t around or under t he bai t bal l . Havi ng t he bai t separat ed from t he bai t bal l makes for an easy t arget for sal mon. It i s good t o move t he rod t i p up and down when dri ft i ng frozen bai t . The fl ut t eri ng act i on mi mi cs a wounded bai t fi sh, whi ch at t ract s t he sal mon?s at t ent i on. Aft er get t i ng a bi t e, l andi ng t he fi sh coul d be just as di ffi cul t . There are t echni ques I have l earned over t he years t hat hel ped me i n many cases. Sal mon i s consi dered t he Ol ympi an of t he Nort hern Cal i forni a Ocean. The ski l l ful chrome bul l et makes i t s l ong runs, vi gorous head shakes, and unpredi ct abl e moves. Havi ng pat i ence and keepi ng const ant pressure on t he rod i s t he key here. When I hook i nt o a sal mon, I keep my rod ful l y bent wi t h a fai r amount of drag. Too much or t oo l i t t l e drag wi l l cause sal mon t o pul l t he hook. Pay const ant at t ent i on on rod t i p di rect i on and adjust your kayak posi t i on accordi ngl y. Al l ow t he fi sh t o make runs i f i t at t empt s t o do so and avoi d horsi ng i t i n. Aft er t he fi sh get s t i red, sl i de t he sal mon i n t he net . Net t i ng t oo earl y may resul t hi gher chance of l osi ng t he fi sh. Aft er I di spat ch t he fi sh, I normal l y put t he fi sh on a game cl i p t o al l ow i t t o bl eed out on t he si de of my kayak. Pay at t ent i on t o your surroundi ngs for predat ors such as sea l i ons. Havi ng a ki l l bag ful l of i ce i s goi ng t o hel p preser ve t he meat s qual i t y bet ween cat chi ng and reachi ng t he ki t chen count er. Now t hat you have one fi sh i n t he bag, i t ?s t i me t o repeat t he process for t hat second keeper. Kayak sal mon fi shi ng i s t rul y my passi on. I?ve spent count l ess hours educat i ng mysel f, underst andi ng, and perfect i ng t echni ques over t he years. There were good days where I l i mi t ed out i n 30 mi nut es and t ough days where t he fi sh woul d shake off l eft and ri ght . Thi s i s a ski l l t hat requi res st rong wi l l and knowl edge. St ayi ng i n t he game and bui l di ng a net work of ot her angl ers has hel ped me a l ot . I hope t hese t i ps wi l l hel p you as wel l . Andrew is a member of the Kayak City Fishing Team
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The4thAnnual EsteroKayakChallenge Recap&Results byEricTebbets
The 4th annual Estero Kayak Challenge took place on June 2, 2018 in beautiful Cambria, CA. I started this event in 2015 as a fundraiser for the then newly created California Central Coast chapter of Heroes on the Water. Since that first tournament with 49 anglers, we have raised almost $15,000 for HOW and we have seen the event grow to over 80 anglers competing this year. Leading up to this year ?s tournament everything was going smoothly until a couple of weeks out. At that point ocean conditions were looking grim with a 10?+ swell forecasted for tournament day. With the direction of the swell and since the launch is only a marginally protected beach launch, a 10?swell would be disastrous. Knowing that a lot could change in those two weeks we moved forward as planned but we also started making some backup plans just in case. At one week out things had improved slightly but were still not looking great with a 8?swell now forecasted. Again, we held on to our backup plan and moved forward.
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On June 2, 83 anglers met at Leffingwell Landing in Cambria, CA to battle it out for the glass octopus and cold hard cash at the fourth Estero Kayak Challenge.
May 31 - We Arrive On Thursday, May 31, two days before the tournament, we arrived in Cambria. Thankfully, we were greeted that afternoon with a swell that was slightly smaller than predicted. The bigger problem now, was the wind. The ocean looked like a herd of sheep, with the wind stirring the waters surface into endless whitecaps. While still not great conditions, it was doable by most of our competitors. Feeling optimistic, we settled in at the campground and enjoyed the company of those arriving early.
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June 1 - Captains Meeting On Friday morning, the day before the event we woke up to even better conditions with a thin veil of fog hugging the coastline. I began to relax a little but knew that things could still change over night, especially since the forecasts were all over the place with some sites still calling for troublesome conditions.
Throughout the day as anglers pre-fished the area, we got reports of some nice fish being caught along with updates on conditions. The overall outlook was positive with only the wind being a factor. Most anglers were blown off the water by noon. With the weigh-in cutoff scheduled for 2:30 it might be an early day for most if the wind stayed up. That night at the Captain?s meeting we handed out the Captain's bags and shirts, passed on the expected conditions and important information, answered questions, and best of all reconnected with friends from tournaments past. The angler ?s were excited to finally be there and irregardless of the conditions this group was overwhelmingly pumped to take on the next days challenge!
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June 2 - Tourney Day We woke before dawn to get to the launch as competitors began arriving. To our relief we were greeted with lake-like conditions, clear skies, and no wind. But, how long would it last? At 6:00 am the first anglers hit the water in our shotgun start and the tournament was officially underway! We got some early reports of some great fish being caught and also some potential winning fish being lost. Such is the luck on tournament day. At around 11:00, as if on queue, the wind started to blow bringing with it that herd of white caps. A few anglers began to head for shore but, amazingly by noon the wind had backed off and the surface began to glass up again. It was a fishing tournament miracle! For the next two hours the anglers battled it out trying to find those last fish to tip the scales in their favor.
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At 2:30 the cutoff arrived and the competition was over. We measured, verified, tallied and totaled the results and in the end we ended up with the names of the winners for the 2018 Estero Kayak Challenge IV!
1st place rockfish - Weston Hennigh 1st place cabezon - John Calvert 1st place lingcod - Michael Jojola Slam Champion - Ricardo Holden
Complete results can be found on page 35.
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Running and hosting this event has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done and I look forward to it every year. Each year presents its own set of challenges from securing venues and permits, securing donations for the HOW benefit raffle, to the unpredictability of changing weather and ocean conditions. It?s not always easy but it is always rewarding. In the end, we awarded almost $3500 in prize money, raised over $3000 for HOW, and enjoyed some of the nicest conditions we?ve ever had at the Estero Kayak Challenge. After the cleanup was done, we retired back to the campground where we relived the tales of triumph and loss and raised a toast to the tournament fishing gods who shined on us, on a warm, beautiful day in June. I want to give a huge thank you to everyone that helps make this tournament happen every year. Especially to Chad Britton, Andy O'Brien, Tom Reilly, and all of the incredible people and companies that donate and lend support year after year. You guys rock! The Estero Kayak Challenge is held every year on the first weekend of June along California?s beautiful Central Coast. For more information, visit cal-salt.com
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2018 Cal -Sal t Scoring Mat ri x
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Get t in g t h e h or ses in t o t h e st ar t in g gat es at t h e Est er o Kayak Ch allen ge.
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PRO Tip
w it h Tom Reilly
A l i fe jacket or personal fl ot at i on devi ce (PFD) i s an essent i al pi ece of gear when out on t he wat er. They can be conveni ent for carr yi ng i t ems such as pl i ers, l i p bal m, or snacks but t hey are are pri mari l y responsi bl e for keepi ng you at t he surface of t he wat er i f you go for an uni nt ent i onal swi m. Accordi ng t o t he US Coast Guards (USCG) 2016 boat i ng st at i st i cs, t here were 4,463 boat i ng acci dent s wi t h 701 deat hs. Drowni ng account ed for 80% of t hose deat hs and 83% of t hose peopl e were NOT weari ng l i fe jacket s. Li ke a vehi cl e?s seat bel t s, l i fe jacket s and PFD?s onl y work i f t hey are worn. Today, l i fe jacket s are l i ght wei ght , easy t o move i n and come i n many st yl es and col ors. They are not onl y funct i onal but al so st yl i sh. It i s a USCG requi rement t o have a PFD for each person on your vessel . Thi s i ncl udes st and up paddl e boards (SUP), kayaks, canoes, sai l boat s, and powerboat s. But , whi ch one shoul d you choose and do you need a di fferent one for di fferent t ypes of boat s? Many of t he t ypes worn for kayaki ng, sai l i ng, and canoei ng can be used on any powerboat i f t hey are USCG approved. Typi cal l y t hey
are l abel ed on t he i nsi de and st at e whet her t hey are for an adul t , yout h, or chi l d. Thi ngs t o Know: -
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Li fe jacket s are desi gned t o keep your head above wat er and hel p you remai n i n a posi t i on whi ch permi t s proper breat hi ng. To meet U.S. Coast Guard requi rement s, a boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard approved l i fe jacket for each person on board. Boat s 16 feet l ong and over must have at l east one Type IV t hrowabl e devi ce as wel l . Al l st at es have regul at i ons regardi ng l i fe jacket s worn by chi l dren. Speci fi c chi l d si ze l i fe jacket s are avai l abl e and adul t-si zed l i fe jacket s wi l l not work for chi l dren. To work correct l y, a l i fe jacket must be worn, fi t snuggl y, and not al l ow t he chi l d's chi n or ears t o sl i p t hrough. Li fe jacket s shoul d be t est ed for wear and buoyancy at l east once each year. Wat erl ogged, faded, or l eaky jacket s shoul d be repl aced.
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Li fe jacket s must be properl y st owed. A l i fe jacket especi al l y a snug-fi t t i ng fl ot at i on coat or deck-sui t st yl e can hel p you sur vi ve i n col d wat er.
There are fi ve t ypes of l i fe jacket s wi t h t he fol l owi ng charact eri st i cs: -
Adul t , Yout h, Chi l d, and Infant si zes For swi mmers & non-swi mmers Wearabl e & t hrowabl e st yl es Some desi gned for wat er sport s
TYPE 1 - These are for offshore vessel s and are more of t he horse col l ar t ype wi t h refl ect i ve t ape. They are requi red t o have 22l bs of buoyancy and must fl oat a person face up. They are t ypi cal l y not ver y comfort abl e for paddl e sport s. TYPE 2 - The near shore buoyant vest s are requi red t o have a mi ni mum of 15.5 l bs of fl ot at i on and wi l l fl oat a person face up. Oft en t hese are on worki ng boat s, barges et c. It i s worn more l i ke a coat and not t he best for si t t i ng i n a kayak. TYPE 3 - These have a mi ni mum of Con t in u ed on page 26
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15.5 l bs of fl ot at i on and are t he t ypi cal jacket st yl e worn for general boat i ng, kayaki ng, canoei ng et c. They can buckl e or have a zi pper i n t he front . Many come i n di fferent chest si zes wi t h adjust ment st raps on t he si des. TYPE 4 - These are t hrowabl e buoyancy ai ds l i ke a boat cushi on or a l i fe ri ng. TYPE 5 - These are speci al i zed, wearabl e PFD?s and have 15.5-22 l bs of fl ot at i on. They can be used for raft i ng, kayaki ng et c. Oft en a PFD wi l l be l abel ed for TYPE 5 when i t has a speci al use. If you are t aki ng your ki ds out on t he wat er, t hei r l i fe jacket s are rat ed by body wei ght . Infant s 8-30 l bs. Chi l d 30-50 l bs. Yout h 50-90 l bs. In many st at es, chi l dren under 16 must wear l i fe jacket s whi l e kayaki ng or boat i ng. For paddl e sport s, TYPE 3 and 5 are t he most commonl y worn. The above l i st i s for a ?st andard? foam fi l l ed PFD. Foam i s i nherent l y buoyant and can be used for many years. They can have added pocket s, l ash t abs for a kni fe, hand warmer pocket s, and ot her feat ures added t o t hem wi t hout affect i ng t hei r funct i on. Si nce 1996, i nfl at abl e l i fe jacket s can be worn whi l e boat i ng and usual l y desi gnat ed as ei t her TYPE 3 or TYPE 5. They are ei t her i nfl at ed by a manual l y act i vat ed CO2 cart ri dge or have t he CO2 cart ri dge aut o-i nfl at ed by wat er pressure. Infl at abl e PFD?s must have a new cart ri dge i nst al l ed aft er each i nfl at i on and shoul d be i nspect ed oft en for wear, rust and hol es i n t he ai r bl adders and must be worn t o be consi dered a l egal PFD. Chi l dren under 16 years ol d and under 80 pounds may not wear i nfl at abl e l i fe jacket s. Most st at es do not requi re you t o wear a l i fe jacket whi l e boat i ng but you are requi red t o have one ?accessi bl e? for each person on board. It i s a USCG requi rement for ki ds 13 yrs or younger t o wear a l i fe jacket at al l t i mes whi l e on t he wat er and some st at es may regul at e ki ds up t o 16 years ol d. Check wi t h your st at e?s boat i ng regul at i ons for more det ai l s. As more and more peopl e enjoy get t i ng on t he wat er i t i s i mport ant t hat you not onl y have a l i fe jacket wi t h you, but t hat you WEAR i t . Physi cal l y weari ng one may be t he di fference bet ween a fun day on t he wat er and a day t hat ends i n t ragedy.
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Wilder n ess Syst em s pr o st af f er , Josh Br igh t m an f r om San Diego, w it h a m ixed bag of r ock ies an d lin gs at t h e 4t h an n u al Est er o Kayak Ch allen ge. Ph ot o, Josh Br igh t m an
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Th e N A St
White Stur geon ar South Bay Area, M predominantly Alv round. I launch m The bir ds sing in t through the cur ves watch for the outg r igging up bait.
The Depar tment o the leader ?s egg sin Shr imp, purchased bait with clean glo on the Gr ass Shr im then take magic th fir st shr imp as a k has soft tip action 20-40 lb line. Now is on the br ain as y
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Need t o Kn o w : u r geo n Ta l k by Javier Perez
re the lar gest freshwater fish in Nor ther n Califor nia. They are found in the M ontezuma Slough and Napa River s. I tar get the South Bay Area, viso. Alviso?s sloughs provide the per fect environment for White Stur geon year my kayak from Alviso County M ar ine Par k at gr ay light with no-one for miles. he distance and the Stur geon await the bait and hook. I make my way pedaling es of the slough watching the mar ks on my fish finder. As I find my mar ks, I going tide and I anchor up. I take in the beauty that sur rounds me as I star t
of Fish and Wildlife dictates that the hook must be a single bar bless hook and nker may be up to 1/2 ounce. I use a 7/0 K hale bar bless hook with live Gr ass d at L aine?s Baits conveniently located on the way in. I am mindful to handle oves so as to not tr ansfer any oils or smells from my hands to the bait. I thread mp to the shank of the hook, I slide the shr imp down so the tail meets the knot. I hread and begin to wr ap from the knot to tail. The second shr imp I affix to the icker with magic thread closed off with a couple half hitches. I use a rod that with a stur dy backbone, like the Seeker Rods Beacon model BK R7330 7?3? I am ready to cast and the wait is on. The anticipation of landing the ?big one? you focus on ever y slight move to the tip of the rod.
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There are three bites I am looking for, small taps on the tip of the rod, a lar ge pump on the rod, or suicide hit. I set the hook when I feel a pump and the fight is on. One of the most impor tant things to do is to adj ust the dr ag to allow for them to r un, giving no slack to the line, to let them tire themselves out. I only reel in when the stur geon has stopped as Stur geon aver age lengths of up to 20 feet long! L egal White Stur geon in Califor nia are between 40? and 60? and measured from the snout to the for k. Being in a kayak so close to the water I am able to handline it at the leader and use lip gr ipper s to br ing on boar d a beautiful creature. Then and only then, can you take that gasp of relief and enj oy your victor y!
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Gear Gu ide
Feat u r in g f r esh n ew gear ever y issu e!
By An dy O?Br ien Wilder n ess Syst em s Pr o St af f
Wilderness Systems has developed a premium line of accessories to complement their lineup of premium fishing kayaks. One of those accessories is the Thrive Baitwell. Designed to fit in several different kayak models such as the Radar family, the Thrive Baitwell is a must have for any kayak angler that wants to fish live bait. I have had the opportunity to use the Thrive Baitwell several times on the water with a variety of bait types such as a dozen large Mackerel on one trip and a quarter scoop of fresh Anchovy and Sardines on another. The baitwell?s ž gpm pump kept the bait fresh
The Thrive Baitwell is a generously
and lively all day long. I ran the pump for
sized baitwell with an overall capacity
almost a full 6 hours continuously without
of just under 7 gallons, but still fits into
any issues. The Baitwell will run in two
several different Wilderness Systems
different modes, continuous and
Fishing Kayaks with ease. The Baitwell
intermittent. The two modes of operation
will also fit in a wide variety of other
allow the user to conserve battery charge if
kayak brands as well. The Baitwell
they would like to, especially on the heartier
comes with a USB charging cord, a
bait fish that do not necessarily need
mesh bag for the inside of the tank, an
continuous flow at all times. In the
intake hose that can be cut to length
intermittent mode the pump will run for five
with a mesh filter on the end, two
minutes and then pause for 15 minutes
different height drain pipes, and three
before starting again. Switching back and
rod holders that attach to the backside
forth is as simple as pressing the stainless
of the baitwell. The baitwell has charge
steel power button for three seconds.
indicator lights allowing for a check of
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the remaining battery life at a glance. The Thrive Baitwell also boasts two USB charging ports with a 5v output to charge any mobile device or action camera. Sporting the signature gray and orange of the Wilderness Systems accessory line, the Thrive Baitwell has several tie down points for securing into the tank well, along with an easy to open rubber ?T? latch, found on the Krate and on several different premium cooler brands. The spring loaded lid covers a large opening which allows easy access to the bait while not having to worry about holding the lid up. The two different size drain pipes allow for different capacities of water in the baitwell. They screw into a threaded fitting in the bottom of the tank. At the end of the day before the paddle or pedal home you simply unscrew the drain pipe to empty the baitwell. The intake hose slips through any rear tank well scupper or is long enough to hang over the side of the tank well also. Anglers can also cut down the length of the intake tube as well. The Thrive Baitwell is a feature packed live well designed to meet the demanding standards of fresh and saltwater kayak anglers. Check one out today at your local Wilderness Systems Kayak Dealer or online at www.shopwildernesssystems.com
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Cali forni a Sal t wat er Kayak Seri es 2018 Tournam ent Sponsor s
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Even t Calen dar Cal-Salt : M ar ch 1, 2018 - Decem ber 31, 2018 2018 M ission Bay Classic: Apr il 14, 2018 4t h an n u al Est er o Kayak Ch allen ge: Ju n e 2, 2018 Cen t r al Coast Slam Dow n VII: Sept em ber 15, 2018 Sim ply Fish in g 2018: Sept em ber 22, 2018
4t h an n u al Est er o Kayak Ch allen ge Resu lt s Rock f ish Division
Cabezon Division
Lin gcod Division
Slam Division Tou r n ey Ch am p
1. Hennigh, W
Calvert, J
Jojola, M
Holden, R
2. Eskew, B
Kupstas, A
Felton, R
Williams, A
3. Holden, R
Brackett, A
Fleming, D
Fleming, D
4. Kosinski, J
Landry, J
Williams, A
Kupstas, A
5. Williams, A
Arguello, R
Coats, J
Arguello, R
6. Villers, R
Holden, R
Cota, D
Landry, J
7. Anderson, Matt
Joslin, R
Holden, R
Hennigh, W
8. Kopp, S
Potts, J
Casillas, A
Joslin, R
9. Howell, R
Riggs, B
McAdon, D
Hurst, W
10. Campos, E
Hurst, W
Lana, N
Valenzuela, B
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37 | Cal - Sal t M arch 20 18
St ar t in g f r om t h e f r on t : Rollan d Felt on , Ch ad Joh n son , an d Josh St ef an cich f eelin g t h e st ok e f r om a day on t h e w at er .
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Th e Last Wor d
I have al ways had a great l ove for fi shi ng and me an experi ence unri val ed by any form of fi s
Under nat ures mercy i s my happy spot . A pl ac aware i s a must . You become one wi t h t he po hunt .
Some days ever yt hi ng i s peaceful , ot hers i t ?s a
Al ong wi t h ever y sport i s a group of peopl e. K me t o a great communi t y of l i ke fi shermen. P and adrenal i ne as I do. www.cent ral coast kaya
Heroes on t he Wat er i s about shari ng t hi s exp fort unat e as oursel ves. Thi s i s my t herapy. Th
KAYAK FISHING, SOOTHING THE
d bei ng on t he wat er. Kayak fi shi ng has gi ven shi ng t o t hi s day.
ce where al l el se fades. Bei ng vi gi l ant and ower of t he wat er, just as t he bount y you
a st ruggl e of endurance.
Kayak fi shi ng on t he cent ral coast i nt roduced Peopl e who crave t he same mi x of harmony akfi shi ng.com
peri ence wi t h our vet erans. Some not so herapy t hat I am proud t o share as a gui de for
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our Cent ral Coast chapt er. We host mul t i pl e event s a year, i nvi t i ng i njured vet erans and fi rst responders t o part i ci pat e and heal wi t h nat ure. Vet erans are provi ded wi t h a kayak, fi shi ng gear, safet y t rai ni ng (t hanks Tom Ri l ey of www.cent ral coast kayaks.com ), a one day fi shi ng l i cense, wat er/snacks whi l e fi shi ng, and a hot l unch when back on shore. Behi nd t he scenes our fi shi ng communi t y i s al ways busy pl anni ng event s and rai si ng funds t hrough donat i ons and fi shi ng t ournament s such as t he Est ero Kayak Chal l enge, brought t o us by www.prokayakfi shi ng.com. Due t o our wi de spread vet erans net work. Event s are al so host ed wi t h t he hel p of our good fri ends from TKO www.kayakobsessi ons.com. Thank you t o ever yone i nvol ved for t he great t i mes I get t o enjoy wi t h my kayak brot hers.
E SOUL by Chad Johnson
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Th e Galley
Beer Bat t er ed Rock Fish
Ingredients: This is the recipe I have been using for years with great success! Oil for frying 8 fish filets - I prefer lingcod or blue rockfish salt and pepper 1 cup all purpose flour - I have started using gluten free flour and find it creates a thinner batter which leads to a crispier coating when fried. 2 tbsp. garlic powder 2 tbsp. paprika 2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. ground black pepper 1 egg 1 bottle of beer - I like to use the Santa Maria Brewing's Cali-Veza or similar style beer. Instructions: 1. Heat oil in fryer to 365 degrees 2. Rinse fish, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper 3. Combine dry ingredients. Then add beaten egg and stir in the beer. You want a thin batter. Trust me on this one. 4. Dip filets into the batter and place in the fryer. Fry until golden brown then place on paper towels to drain. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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