San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Every summer I read about people dying from the heat such as https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/ ... 20symptoms.
Solar irradiance is about 1000W/sq m at noon on a clear day, that is a lot of heat.
Locally, every year there are rescues (and even deaths ) in the San Diego backcountry of hikers and bikers.

Tips:
1. Wear a wide brimmed hat, it will keep the sun off much of your body and prevent sunburn. Mini shade.
2. Clothes should be thin, light, loose fitting and SPF50. On the float tube, I wear a light colored long sleeve shirt and light colored short fingered sun gloves.
3. Use evaporative cooling when you are on the water. As simple as putting a wet towel around your neck (you can also buy special towels too). If you have a hat, long sleeved shirt and sun gloves on, dip those in the water too. Use your hat to scoop up water and splash on your waders (roll chest waders down too). A cloth hat will work better than a straw hat for evaporative cooling.
4. Have plenty of water. My float tube holds 2 bike water bottles (24 ounces each) and each bottle has a cloth jacket that can be dipped in the water for evaporative cooling. The company that makes the jacket isn't in business anymore but a repurposed large size sock should work too.
5. Eat enough salt and food. You will go thru a lot of salt sweating. Save the low salt diet for when you aren't sweating. I like having beef jerky when it's hot for salt. Similarly, get enough calories, especially if exercising.
6. Wear sun protection: sun screen, SPF50 clothes, sunglasses. Sunburn will just add to your problems.
7. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include lightheadedness and dizziness. Stop physical activity and find shade. Water and something salty (food or sport drink) will help. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-con ... c-20373250
8. A hydration pack (e.g. Camelbak) can be filled with ice water instead of plain water. Can even be filled half way and frozen before topping of with water. Cold liquids (not beer) really help get the body temperature down.
9. If you are drinking water but don't have to pee at all, you are probably still getting dehydrated. If it is hot and you are not drinking, you are definitely dehydrated. But no need to over do the drinking thing, way too much water without electrolytes can cause problems too, even death. Urine should be a light yellow, dark or none is dehydration, clear is over hydration.
10. Much of the water loss is just from breathing. And when the humidity is low, you can still be sweating a lot but it just evaporates rapidly so you never feel sweaty.
11. If you have muscle cramps (often from dehydration), pickle juice works wonders. You can even buy packets of it.

Correction, the water bottle sleeve is still available: https://www.maxchill.com/

I also have a thermos of ice cubes and ice water in the car for when I am done. The thermos is bulkier and heavier than than the bike water bottles so for the tube I prefer the bottles.

I freeze all my water bottles and they serve as ice for other items I may have in my cooler. I take one out and have it in the open, and have it gradually melt.

Cut your old waders off at the knees to trunk it at reservoirs that require no water contact. It looks like you’re abiding. Rumor has it works great!

camobass wrote: Mon Jul 24, 2023 1:24 pm Cut your old waders off at the knees to trunk it at reservoirs that require no water contact. It looks like you’re abiding. Rumor has it works great!

And hopefully the ranger doesn't catch you walking out like this:

Tats and mask on my face….nah.
Rumor has it, you just change at the shoreline. Probably a lot worse offenses happening…

DarkShadow wrote: Mon Jul 24, 2023 12:55 pm I freeze all my water bottles and they serve as ice for other items I may have in my cooler. I take one out and have it in the open, and have it gradually melt.

That’s what I do. I freeze everything from water, ice tea, etc and I just take it with me in my cooler. It’s keeps things cool and better than ice cubes. Especially in the summer because it’s so hot out and then I just take one out to keep in my kayak or boat to drink as it thaws out.

A few tips for today:

1. Fish gripper pliers are very helpful for holding a fish's mouth open while removing hooks, especially toothy fish like halibut but even fish like spotties that like to clamp down or just fish that thrash around when you are trying to remove that crankbait with all those trebles. I have a pair of those and a pair of needle nose pliers. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pr ... per-pliers? ds_e=MICROSOFT&ds_c=BPS%7CShopping%7CSmart%7CFishing%7CGeneral%7CNAud%7CNVol%7CNMT&gclid=2b2310dc4fa0187c922775e35ca9d886&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=2b2310dc4fa0187c922775e35ca9d886
2. If a fish takes a soft plastic lure too deeply to get out thru the mouth, put the needle nose pliers thru the gills. Makes it much easier to get those deep hooks out.
3. When fishing saltwater, bring a plastic bag just to put used lures in so you can rinse them out in freshwater when you get home. That keeps the hooks from rusting. An old beef jerky bag is fairly resistant to hooks piercing the bag.

When tying the FG knot, there are many opinions about how many half hitches to finish with or whether to finish with a riszzuto finish. I just put 2 or 3 half hitches in and a drop of super glue, wipe off the excess (not with your fingers though, use paper or plastic between the glue and your fingers) and it never comes undone. The glue below is my favorite for now as it doesn't dry out as fast as others I have tried. FG knot is definitely the best knot I have tried for braid to leader, it goes thru the guides very well and is very strong. Nowhere as hard as some make it out to be either, just practice some.

https://www.loctiteproducts.com/en/prod ... ntrol.html

To convert mono line capacity of a reel to braid capacity, multiply by 3.75* (mono test in lbs)/(braid test in lbs)

Approximate since mono and braid will vary somewhat in diameter by brand.

Some tips for catching Spotties that I put together:

1. These tips are mainly for fishing spotted bay bass from a float tube in the bay but may be applicable to many other situations as well e.g. freshwater bass, kayak, boat, etc.
2. Almost any lure and technique will catch some spotties. This is a compendium of what I have found works best. No particular order.
3. When fishing soft plastics on jig heads, point the rod tip at the bait, move the bait only by turning the reel handle (1/4 to 1/2 turn, almost teasing the fish into biting). Pause between cranks. Make sure the jig touches the bottom often.
4. Run the line between the forefinger and thumb with enough tension to feel every bite. Bites on soft plastics are usually subtle pressure bites. This is much easier to do with a baitcaster. This is super important advice. Fish have your lure in their mouth a lot more often than you think. Underwater observation by divers has verified this.
5. Dead-sticking lures (especially soft plastics) a few seconds to a minute before moving sometimes really helps. Ever have a fish immediately strike a lure after you removed a backlash and started to retrieve line, even on a slow day?
6. Cast where there is current, where the current has to go around a corner or where the current slows down (i.e. the harbor opens up).
7. Fish the right depth. Some days they are in the grass, some times in the middle of the channel, sometimes at the edge between the channel and the grass. You have to find what works best. And even when you have identified where they are in general (channel, grass, edges, etc.) there will be spots where they are concentrated and spots where they are absent. Spotties do not school but they do congregate.
8. Don’t fish 2nd hand water if float tubing with a buddy. Especially if he is using the same lure.
9. Because it is harder to feel the line with a spinning rod and reel, I will usually reserve the spinning setup for throwing lighter lures, small crankbaits or windy days and will use braid to get better sensitivity and casting distance. Light braid doesn’t work well on a baitcaster (digs in) but will work well on a good spinning reel. I typically use 6-12 lb. braid on a spinning reel. Nanofil and Gliss are my current favorites, both require special knots though.
10. Don't set the hook, just reel down and reel faster and raise the rod tip when you feel weight. Setting the hook hard might jerk the bait out of the mouth. You will certainly be more likely to miss an opportunity for a follow up bite too if you don't set the hook hard the 1st time. A spotty’s instinct is to bite down and not let go if it feels like the lure is trying to get out of his mouth so take advantage of that. Put your finger in a spotty’s mouth if you don’t believe his instinct is to bite down.
11. I usually use 6 lb mono, 10 maximum. Lighter line has better sensitivity, casts further and allows for better lure action. As far as line visibility, in murky water I am not convinced it is a big issue. No difference seen between fluorocarbon and mono in bites in my experience and actual visibility underwater is about the same (test it yourself).
12. Fine wire hooks with sharp points have better hookup ratios. You don’t want heavy hooks when using light line.
13. If you miss hooking the fish after a bite, then pause a second or two and resume, Lots of bites come during this. If I don't get another bite within a few cranks, I will reel it in all the way as the soft plastic is usually pulled down.
14. I usually don’t use scent but I will use scent if I get a lot of short strikes or missed strikes though. I use Smelly Jelly when I do. Whatever scent is on sale seems to work.
15. A swivel 18-24” before the lure will act as a grass catcher and keep some of the grass off the lure. So will a split ring or snap if you prefer that. This is more of a problem in the early winter with the grass die off than other seasons.
16. When you get a fish, cast again to the same spot and around the same area. Fish congregate. I have gotten as many as 20 fish from an area not much bigger than a living room although 2-3 is more common.
17. If you have got several from the same area but the bite stops, change to a different lure and try again. This often results in 1-4 more fish from the same spot.
18. Fish where the fish are. Determine what depth works (use a depth finder) best for that day. Look for spots where shallow water flows into deep water (water slows down). Points, grass, constriction spots and channel edges are usually good. The more you use a depth finder, the more useful it becomes, you should start to recognize patterns and remember where you got fish the times before. I usually start out fishing 4-6’ depth and then go deeper if that isn’t working, have caught spotties in >35’ of water.
19. Clear days, clear water, no weeds and no wind will put fish in deeper water. They instinctively avoid being targets for diving birds.
20. Try different things. I like to try a different lure or different technique each time I go out. I will have several rods but usually at least one rod set up to try something new.
21. On slow days, try slowing down and downsizing (finesse fishing).
22. If you see a lot of bait fish in the water and are not getting bit, try matching the size of the baitfish. Similarly if you catch a spotty and it vomits up bait. You can match color and shape too if you want but size seems more important.
23. Color is not super important but I have found bicolor combinations to work well. Green, chartreuse, gold and darker colors work well. Solid white or solid black have not been as good. Spotted bay bass probably don’t have blue vision cones (largemouth bass don’t) and would likely perceive blue as black or dark green.
24. Crankbaits work very well but they foul up with grass easily. If the water is mostly free of grass, try them. They can be especially effective at low tide in channels next to shallow flats. The crankbait should dive close to the bottom; reel fast initially to get deep and then slow down, keep rod tip at waterline or below. Choose a crankbait that dives at least 8’ deep. 7 cm long is a nice size.
25. With all lures but especially crankbaits, a 2nd pair of pliers is nice for holding the mouth open while removing hooks. I like the plastic ones from Bass Pro: https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pr ... per-pliers .
26. A hard jerkbait over the tops of grass is sometimes good too. Early in the morning, you might pick up a corvina that way too.
27. Large tide swings are better and moving water is better than slack but don’t let lack of ideal conditions keep you from going. Have caught plenty of fish with less than ideal conditions.
28. Early morning is almost always the best time of day, especially at 1st light to an hour after sunrise. And sometimes the bite will pick up on a cloudy day when the sun finally comes out.
29. High winds and cold fronts do seem to slow down the bite. The day after is usually poor. I do let this keep me from going out. Can be good fishing during the rain though.
30. I will fish swimbaits faster than I fish curly tail grubs. The curly tail grub tail will move around even with tidal current. The curly tail grub is usually more productive. Go to sizes are 4” curly tail grubs and 3” swimbaits. Double tail grubs do not work as well as single tail. Soft plastic craws, lizards, worms, Senkos, Fat Ikas and creature baits all work but generally not as well as single tail grubs and swimbaits. The swimbait should be one with tail wag even at slow retrieves.
31. Jig heads:
1. Round or football jig heads are good if there isn’t too much grass in the water. The ones with a wire keeper are less likely to split your lure than ones where the keeper is molded lead. If you have a jig head without a keeper, you can make your own keeper by tying a bobber stop knot to the shank.
2. Standup (Ned) jig heads are nice; these are working very well for me now. I use ones with an offset hook (somewhat weedless).
3. Weedless Slider jig heads are nice for fishing grass. Weed guards also work but I like the Texas method of burying the hook point in the soft plastic, the fish hold onto it longer.
4. A Texas rig with cone sinkers is the most weedless of all. But jig heads get bit more often.
5. Jig heads with the eye far forward get hung up on grass less and are what I usually use. Jig heads with the eye further back dart and spiral during the fall and wobble more on the retrieve so they are better if there isn’t grass in the water.
6. Skirted jigs don’t seem to offer any advantage for spotties compared to no skirts.
7. Darter heads and tube baits work too, especially if the fish are very active and the lure is worked accordingly (popped instead of fished slowly). These lures dart and spiral when they fall and a swivel can help prevent line twist. Putting scent in a tube bait helps (lately have been using Mermaid Milk).
32. Slow bite in the summer: they might be in deeper water. A good method (lots of exercise in a float tube) is long lining (strolling) where a lure is cast and the boat (or tube or kayak) is moved away until the reel is almost empty of line and then you retrieve the lure slow and steady close to the bottom. A swimbait is usually used for this. My float tube is rigged up with a 45 degree rod holder on each side so I can be paying out line on one setup while retrieving on the other. Simple casting and retrieving in deep water doesn’t work as well because spotties hang close to the bottom and the lure doesn’t stay there for long when casting and retrieving in deep water. And fish will follow a lure for some distance along the bottom before committing but will swim away from a lure that touches bottom and then starts back up.
33. Dropshot is great for freshwater but usually hasn’t worked as well from a float tube for spotties as jigs. But dragging a dropshot from the float tube in deep water can work well on slow day and it less work than strolling. Gulp is a good choice for a drop shot in deep water.
34. You don’t get much better by doing the same thing over and over. Go out fishing with different partners (anglers better than you are the best choice but you can learn something from about anyone). Try different locations, different lures and different techniques. Experiment with sizes, weights and colors. I will usually try at least one thing different each time I go out. I take several rods but will usually have one rigged up with a different lure that I usually use. Read articles, books and go to seminars at shows to get ideas.
35. There is a lot here to absorb, read it more than once.

Anything to add?

Fished this morning from 6:30 to 12:30. 41 spotties, 1 mackerel, 1 smelt, 1 barracuda. Mostly on Ned rig and curly tail grub.

Put your wallet and car keys in a waterproof, floating container and do not open the container for any reason until you need to unlock the car to drive home.

A few more tips:
1. Super glue is great for securing soft plastic to jig heads, especially the Z-man and other TPE plastics. But it cures with moisture and quickly hardens once the bottle is opened. Put the super glue bottle in a larger air tight bottle (large medicine bottle works) with some desiccant packages (often in medicine or vitamin bottles) and it will last a lot longer. The Loctite Ultragel Control seems to be lasting longer than most too. With super glue, you don't even need a hook keeper if you glue the bait to the jig head.
2. After using super glue, dip you hands in water just in case you got some on your hands, it cures instantly when you do that. No fun having your fingers stuck together.
3. If your soft plastic swim bait or curly tail grub is getting beat up, just rotate it 90 or 180 degrees. Fish don't seem to care.
4. With underspin jig heads, make sure the diameter of the soft plastic tail is small enough that it doesn't interfere with the blade.
5. When I catch a fish, the 1st thing I do is remove the hook and immediately cast back out to the same spot, let the lure fall to the bottom or float on the surface. Then release the fish into the water and click my fish counter. That way the bait is dead sticking while I am doing that. Similarly, if I am grabbing a bite to eat, cleaning my sunglasses, etc. the bait is dead sticking. Dead sticking works but everyone hates to do it so why not always have a bait in the water? Ever had a really bad backlash, finally get it out and immediately get bit when you started retrieving? That is the power of dead sticking.
6. As long as you have the super glue, if you get a cut or puncture, it is great for sealing that off. Doesn't sting like New-Skin or Liquid Bandage. It was used in the Vietnam war to close up wounds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Coo ... %20animals. Wet the area after a few minutes if desired to ensure the glue has completely set. Licking it to cure it could be a very bad idea.

Colors: a lot of lure fishermen try to "match the hatch" and make lures seem as close to natural forage as possible except with plastic worms which come in all kinds of unnatural colors (go figure that out). Meanwhile, live bait fishermen will sometimes dye live bait or use bait that has been bred for bright colors and swear that it helps enormously. Live bait generally blends into the background and is harder to see so making a lure look natural can make it harder for fish to see.

Observation: closely matching appearance of prey is not necessary or even the best strategy. In some cases, deliberately not looking like natural forage works better. Although people think that when fishing is slow, the solution is lures that look more natural, that isn't necessarily the case. So try unnatural colors to see if they work too. And it certainly doesn't make sense to meticulously match the pattern of a reaction bait like a crankbait to forage but use wild colors on a plastic worm that the bass has more time to inspect.

https://pautzke.com/learn-to-fire-dye-l ... -stripers/
https://bassblaster.rocks/hot-bait-color
https://www.gameandfishmag.com/editoria ... ows/333803

In the book "Knowing Bass", in a test of various colors, a 2 tone combination was found to work better than single colors. So there might be something to that. Years ago, I saw an article describing how scientists did a test to see if a dyed minnow in a school got eaten first and it did but I can't find the study. And other fish in a school don't avoid another fish due to its color: https://www.quora.com/Will-schooling-fi ... -in-groups . On the other hand, I have caught fish on clear plastics too. So be open minded, what works best one day might not the next anyhow.

This might be the study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 7286802081

Good thought about sun protection… I’ve had more chunks cut of me in the last couple of years by Doctors playing butcher shop than I care to mention….. Hat, hats, hats… Sunscreen, sleeves etc..
Butch
And good sunglasses….

How to bring a legal size halibut onto a float tube:
1. Remove sunglasses, put in storage pouch. This can get wet.
2. Close up all storage pouches.
3. Zip up rain jacket. Halibut will decide to start fighting starting the next step.
4. Bring halibut up to surface. He will immediately dive down. Make sure your drag is smooth and set right at all times. Splashing may occur.
5. When halibut no longer dives down, then poke halibut with your net. My net is trout sized. Halibut will dive down.
6. When halibut no longer dives down when being poked, scoop halibut head 1st with net, quickly put rod in holder (I have a 45 degree holder) and grab the tail with the other hand. Lift halibut out of water and onto your lap.
7. Hold halibut mouth open with the plastic pliers mentioned in earlier post, remove lure or hook with needle nose pliers. Take pictures, release or keep, etc.
8. If you try to net a halibut as soon as you get him to the surface, you will discover that the fight really begins when you get him out of of the water. Hopefully he isn't hooked on a crankbait when this happens.

Carry a couple of jugs of fresh water (I use 1gal Arizona Tea containers). After fishing in the saltwater, I rinse off my gear with the fresh water before the ride home and give a more thorough rinse at home. I keep a large plastic cup in the truck and fill it will fresh water and throw all my flies/lures in there for the ride home.

If you get rash on your ankles on a long day (as much as 14 hours at Barrett) tubing in waders, smear some Vaseline on the areas the get the rash before putting socks on. I have tried chamois lube made for cycling but that isn't waterproof enough. On a side note, got 36 bass today at Barrett, mostly on Ned rig, nice day, nice temperature, not too much wind.