In Today’s Newsletter
Big fish, strange bites, and the dream of offshore action—this week’s picks have a little bit of everything.
First, a commercial fisherman lands a marlin with a bizarre polka-dot bite pattern that has anglers scratching their heads. We also break down how to build a beginner tackle box using modern upgrades on the classic lures every angler should own.
Then head offshore to Southern California, where kayak anglers are chasing powerful Pacific bluefin tuna just beyond the surf. Plus, watch what happens when a marina confrontation with a kayak angler gets caught on video, and learn when and how to fish flies from your kayak. 🎣🌊
— Kayak Angler Newsletter Editors
What’s Been Chomping On This Marlin?
A commercial fisherman pulled in their catch only to find its flesh had been picked apart in a polka-dot pattern.
Build A Beginner Tackle Box With New Takes On Classic Lures
Look into any angler’s tackle box and chances are they have a selection of classic lures: soft-plastic jigs, topwater plugs, jerkbaits and swimbaits. Imitations that have been passed from one generation to the next.
For the beginner’s tackle box, we’ve assembled the coolest new examples of the old classics. These lures update the timeless patterns with modern technology like 3D modeling, tungsten weights, and optimized for forward facing sonar.
Deep Into The Drink: Pacific Mothership Trip Scores Bluefin Tuna
Howie Strech checks his bucket list with amazing topwater action for one of the biggest fish in the sea
La Jolla truly is one of the greatest wonders of the kayak fishing world. Ocean currents carry nutrient-rich water close to shore, attracting big fish. This symphony of natural wonder offers kayak anglers an opportunity to launch from the beach and catch tuna and marlin.
In 2015, a new migratory pattern for Pacific bluefin tuna developed off the Southern California Bight. Since then, schools of bluefin tuna have made their home in my home waters.
No one knows why the tuna showed up in La Jolla and how long they will stay. While the fish are around, local anglers enjoy world-class fishing close to home.
June through September is the best time to target bluefin in SoCal. However, it seems like bluefin tuna are becoming a year-round option. I can’t count the number of days when I’m laughing and high-fiving my buds, simply dumbfounded that I’m living in an epic fishing dream.
La Jolla Canyon is one of the birthplaces of modern kayak fishing. Pioneers like Jim Sammons and Morgan Promnitz took early sit-on-top kayaks through the surf for white sea bass, yellowtail and thresher sharks. Sammons famously caught a striped marlin and kicked off a nationally syndicated television show.
These anglers inspired young anglers like me to explore what was possible just behind the breakers. Today, I dream of catching a bluefin tuna out of a kayak.
Man Threatens To Call Police On Kayak Angler Fishing In Marina
While kayak fishing near a private marina, Michael Gutz Muto had a man threaten to call the police on him in an incident caught on video.
Types Of Fishing Lures
Learn When And How To Fish A Fly
Flies are artificial lures created by tying natural and synthetic materials into patterns that mimic insects, minnows, and other aquatic food sources.
When and how to fish flies
Flies can provide delicate presentations to both fresh and saltwater fish to avoid spooking them.
Depending on the type of fly you’re fishing, flies can be floated on the surface (dry flies), twitched on the surface (poppers), swum across the current (wet flies), drifted downstream along the bottom (nymph), or actively retrieved with short strips of your fly line (streamer).
Fly fishing can be difficult from a kayak because it’s harder to cast a fly line when you’re sitting relatively low in the water. However, if you’ve got a higher seating position—or can safely stand and fish from your yak—you can have a ball spraying the bank with streamers or drifting dry flies over rising fish.
Target species for flies:
Trout, bass, panfish, saltwater fish
Types of flies
• Dry flies float on the surface to imitate adult insects that have either surfaced from underwater or fallen into the water.
• Wet flies sit underwater where they imitate emerging insects or small baitfish.
• Poppers are larger dry flies with a cork head and concave mouth that you “pop” on the surface like a topwater lure.
• Nymphs are (often weighted) flies you drift along the bottom, where they imitate small invertebrates and larval-stage insects that mature underwater.
• Streamers are larger flies you swim underwater to imitate baitfish, leeches, and larger prey.
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