Newport, DP or LJ Jan 30?
 

Looking to escape the snow and fly out for a couple days of fishing- I need a guide and full setup. I can do Newport, Dana or La Jolla- which would have the best chance of catching something? Any guide recommendations?
I was out there in June and got skunked by guides- could not get anyone due to the virus, they were out of town or retired- I didn’t want to rent a kayak and go solo on the ocean. In the mean time, I bought a PA12 360 for back home in the Midwest and love it- but doesn’t do too good on the ice.

I hear Hobie is planning a skate + sails = iceboat kit for midwestern PA owners - stay tuned!

LJ has a consistent flow of guys to meet up with. Also has greater chance of catching big. Look up the Sea samurai or Capt wade, on this forum.

Dana point is great, probably catch a view of a gray whale or two. You may catch at DP but not the size and variety LJ has. I heard papa dave on this forum does guided trips.

Newport? I dont know.

Enjoy the weather!

Try Jim Sammons. I think Kevin Nakada, The Sea Samurai, is retired from guiding. Not sure about Capt. Wade. But last I heard Sammons is still guiding in the SD area (LJ, SD Bay, Mission Bay, Point Loma, Etc.)

In no particular order:

SD/Mission Bay/Point Loma will have reliable fishing for smaller species i.e. spotties, calicos, sculpin, and maybe some decent grade halibut. You might get lucky with a wsb or YT cruising by outside the harbor, a few have been caught out of MB in the last month. There are also some other species that are popular in the bay and a fun time on light tackle, albeit they may be harder to catch this time of year because its cold (corvina, bonefish). Access is overall pretty easy and you are pretty much guarenteed to get on the some kind of bite, especially if you have a guide. If you just want to have fun catching fish and dont plan on keeping any for meat, and are not looking for a trophy fish, this is probably the least safest bet.

La Jolla is probably your best bet for a gamefish, but there are a few factors to consider, most notably the weather/surf conditions for that time. Its too early to reliably know what the surf will be like, but you may be in for a rough ride if you are not experienced in surf launching. Target species will be yellowtail, white seabass, halibut, and calico bass. The calico bight will be pretty reliable, but there are some restricted fishing areas you need to be aware of, and again navigating the surf for your first time can be tough.

Dana point might provide good fishing for halibut and white seabass, some calico action, and there are boat ramps and protected beach launches a short distance from the harbor mouth.

Newport would be last on the list for me, only because I think your chances at landing a gamefish are lower. You may get into some bigger grade fish down by the kelp, but I think its more worth while to go to dana point for the same species, especially since rock cod are out of season, so you would realistically be looking at spotted by bass inside, and sand bass/sculpin outside.

Good luck and have fun. Bring something warm and water wicking, I know its not mid-west cold, but the morning chill mixed with the cooler water temps can be dangerous, especially if you get drenched in the launch.

edit: There is a guy who has been popping up on instagram lately called san dog kayak adventures. I don't know anything about him but he seems to be pushing his services pretty hard online. maybe give him a shout.

PM sent
 

PM sent with some guide info...
:cheers1:
sabaslayer.com

Thanks SoCalEDC! Awesome info- thanks so much for taking the time to share your insight!

Thanks!

Thanks for the PM info Saba Slayer!