Heading down in June, what are your tackle/gear/setup suggestions...??

[da_q-ban_one]

Will be in RP first week of June for about 4 days, wanting some advice (I have read as well as received some great comments/suggestions already, but wanted to get some other pointers, without hijacking any of the other threads...)

I will do some surf, kayak and boat fishing.. and wanted some advice on what gear to take, as space is limited. I would rather avoid having to dunk any of my reels in saltwater, as I don't really have any light setups that are saltwater tolerable. I plan on bringing a few rods (a 7ft, one or two 6ft, maybe a 15ft), some spinning reels (8lb fluoro, 10lb mono, maybe 17lb mono), and maybe a round abu ambassadeur bait caster (which I've yet to spool with anything). I was thinking I can make the abu my kayak rig to fish choya/old port/malecon area off of an inflatable kayak. As for lures.. I'm bringing some bottom jigs, kroc spoons, kastmasters, bass cranks/jerks, and an awesome surface lure (the 190 series whopper plopper by river2sea).

I was also planning on spending $25 (min order) at cheapfishingtackle.co to get some of those $2 megabait lures that were suggested on another thread.

Questions:

Is a 15 foot spinning rod overkill for surf fishing RP...??? (again, I'm thinking of an alternative to having to wade in and inevitably dunking my non-saltwater-rated reels).

Should I spool the Abu reels with 17lb green mono, 10lb white mono, or 65lb moss green braid...??? (these are my choices, as I'm trying to avoid having to buy other line)..

Besides the $2 megabait lures, what other lures/jigs/setups, would you recommend I get from that site, for the fishing I will be doing on this trip..???

As always, thanks in advance..

Q-ban

 

[Mexico Joe]

Will be in RP first week of June for about 4 days, wanting some advice (I have read as well as received some great comments/suggestions already, but wanted to get some other pointers, without hijacking any of the other threads...)

I will do some surf, kayak and boat fishing.. and wanted some advice on what gear to take, as space is limited. I would rather avoid having to dunk any of my reels in saltwater, as I don't really have any light setups that are saltwater tolerable. I plan on bringing a few rods (a 7ft, one or two 6ft, maybe a 15ft), some spinning reels (8lb fluoro, 10lb mono, maybe 17lb mono), and maybe a round abu ambassadeur bait caster (which I've yet to spool with anything). I was thinking I can make the abu my kayak rig to fish choya/old port/malecon area off of an inflatable kayak. As for lures.. I'm bringing some bottom jigs, kroc spoons, kastmasters, bass cranks/jerks, and an awesome surface lure (the 190 series whopper plopper by river2sea).

I was also planning on spending $25 (min order) at cheapfishingtackle.co to get some of those $2 megabait lures that were suggested on another thread.

Questions:

Is a 15 foot spinning rod overkill for surf fishing RP...??? (again, I'm thinking of an alternative to having to wade in and inevitably dunking my non-saltwater-rated reels).

Should I spool the Abu reels with 17lb green mono, 10lb white mono, or 65lb moss green braid...??? (these are my choices, as I'm trying to avoid having to buy other line)..

Besides the $2 megabait lures, what other lures/jigs/setups, would you recommend I get from that site, for the fishing I will be doing on this trip..???

As always, thanks in advance..

Q-ban

Q! You going for forum rookie of the year awards?! lmao MAKE THE FORUM GREAT AGAIN! The 15 ft rod is a little overkill but whatever if you want to use it then use it bruh. You'll at the very least look like a professional pro beach fisherman. On to the line... IMHO 12lb is great for shore kayak. I go up to 20 lb on my bottom fishing rig for kayak bottom fishing the rocks off the point in Cholla Bay. I dont think you'll need more or less than that for any other rig. Just go 12lb for casting and 20lb for bottom. Abrasion and other factors can wear through lighter line. June fishing?.... June is a good month for Sierra and Corvina so I'd buy anything that you can cast or jig. Some of the bottom rigs on there are also really suitable for Rocky Point. Any of the imitation shrimp rigs, the Squid Hoochie Skirts are legit. I also just placed an order on the 5th of May and havent received it yet and I leave tomorrow so kind of bummed about that. I'll post a pic of the stuff I got when I receive my package. I also picked up some CANON BALL SINKERS because they are NOT susceptible to getting hung up. Let me know in the DM when you're going and maybe I'll roll down and fish with you.

CHOLLABAY4LIFE​

 

[da_q-ban_one]

Q! You going for forum rookie of the year awards?! lmao MAKE THE FORUM GREAT AGAIN! The 15 ft rod is a little overkill but whatever if you want to use it then use it bruh. You'll at the very least look like a professional pro beach fisherman. On to the line... IMHO 12lb is great for shore kayak. I go up to 20 lb on my bottom fishing rig for kayak bottom fishing the rocks off the point in Cholla Bay. I dont think you'll need more or less than that for any other rig. Just go 12lb for casting and 20lb for bottom. Abrasion and other factors can wear through lighter line. June fishing?.... June is a good month for Sierra and Corvina so I'd buy anything that you can cast or jig. Some of the bottom rigs on there are also really suitable for Rocky Point. Any of the imitation shrimp rigs, the Squid Hoochie Skirts are legit. I also just placed an order on the 5th of May and havent received it yet and I leave tomorrow so kind of bummed about that. I'll post a pic of the stuff I got when I receive my package. I also picked up some CANON BALL SINKERS because they are NOT susceptible to getting hung up. Let me know in the DM when you're going and maybe I'll roll down and fish with you.

CHOLLABAY4LIFE​

Rofl!! "Rookie of the year awards..." I'm def digging that tittle bruh haha.. As long as I get an E for effort that's all that matters right..?!

Ok so I peeped it.. and I think ur right.. 15' MIGHT BE a lil overkill, ill leave that one at home then..

I'm thinking out of my lighter setups.. the abu is the most saltwater resistant so I may go ahead and spool it with the 17lb mono I currently have laying around and this way it'll serve me as both a heavier surf casting and lighter reef jigging setup.. I already have a cheap spinning outfit preloaded with 20lb mono that I can also throw off the kayak if I start breaking off with the 17lb setup..

Another thing.. I'm not very well versed with forum acronyms so not sure what 'DM' means, but I'll fill you in on the fishing plans as the date gets closer and I work out the details with a buddy who's also meeting me down there and will likely be fishing with me..

In the meantime, good luck down there this weekend.. hope the wind is in your favor and ur able to hook some decent peces!!

As always thanks for the info Joe!!

 

[AZRob]

DM

Dungeon Master, da morning or dont mind.
I think its dont mind.

 

[DRDTbone]

Rofl!! "Rookie of the year awards..." I'm def digging that tittle bruh haha.. As long as I get an E for effort that's all that matters right..?!

Ok so I peeped it.. and I think ur right.. 15' MIGHT BE a lil overkill, ill leave that one at home then..

I'm thinking out of my lighter setups.. the abu is the most saltwater resistant so I may go ahead and spool it with the 17lb mono I currently have laying around and this way it'll serve me as both a heavier surf casting and lighter reef jigging setup.. I already have a cheap spinning outfit preloaded with 20lb mono that I can also throw off the kayak if I start breaking off with the 17lb setup..

Another thing.. I'm not very well versed with forum acronyms so not sure what 'DM' means, but I'll fill you in on the fishing plans as the date gets closer and I work out the details with a buddy who's also meeting me down there and will likely be fishing with me..

In the meantime, good luck down there this weekend.. hope the wind is in your favor and ur able to hook some decent peces!!

As always thanks for the info Joe!!

Just a bit more info on the casting. I've taken an 11' rod down and it's been more of a hassle than it's worth. The only time that it's useful, in my opinion, is during huge chop like I saw this April where the longer rod can help chuck bait out much farther than a 7' or 8' rod. Even then, the problem is (east of town at least), there's nothing huge like a Jack Crevalle, Roosterfish, Striper etc. so when you throw out a couple ounces of bait and a couple more ounces of lead, you're not going to feel the tug of a stupid little Cochi or Leatherjack on that huge casting setup. Best to go light if casting from shore. This may not be the case out near Cholla, although hopping around rocks with a 15' pole would be an artform that I'd like to see!

From a kayak you'll probably want the shorter rods as well as even an 8' rod can be a little cumbersome for casting depending on your kayak.

 

[da_q-ban_one]

DM

Dungeon Master, da morning or dont mind.
I think its dont mind.

AZRob, your guess is as good as mine. I'm getting the feeling he meant DM as in Day (of the) Month that I'll be going down there...

Just a bit more info on the casting. I've taken an 11' rod down and it's been more of a hassle than it's worth. The only time that it's useful, in my opinion, is during huge chop like I saw this April where the longer rod can help chuck bait out much farther than a 7' or 8' rod. Even then, the problem is (east of town at least), there's nothing huge like a Jack Crevalle, Roosterfish, Striper etc. so when you throw out a couple ounces of bait and a couple more ounces of lead, you're not going to feel the tug of a stupid little Cochi or Leatherjack on that huge casting setup. Best to go light if casting from shore. This may not be the case out near Cholla, although hopping around rocks with a 15' pole would be an artform that I'd like to see!

From a kayak you'll probably want the shorter rods as well as even an 8' rod can be a little cumbersome for casting depending on your kayak.

Thanks for the input DRDT, I have a smaller master blackfinn 5'6" rod that (I figure) should offer some good action when jigging from the kayak... As for surf fishing... I can see how a heavier rod will have little if any sensitivity for the likely smaller fish that may bite on it, especially with several ounces of bait and lead. My idea has always been to cast some squid/other bait as far as I can get it out there (with the longest rod I happen to have with me atm), and leave it propped on a rod holder (i.e., section of PVC) while I fish lures/other metal closer to shore with my smaller setup... I guess I always thought the longer rod setup would be good for smaller sharks and/or rays, which would (ideally) hook themselves... but this is all in theory, as I've never tried any version of surf fishing before... I've also never fished cholla before (from the shore or otherwise), so I'm hoping to be able to make it out there in some way or fashion..

In any case, I'll have to play it by ear and see how tolerant my wife is of all these fishing plans of mine ... as she seldom partakes in any of the fishing, and her agenda for this trip is more geared towards relaxing, whereas mine is more about good tunes, good eats, good drinks, and good company, while doing some awesome fishing

 

[Mexico Joe]

AZRob, your guess is as good as mine. I'm getting the feeling he meant DM as in Day (of the) Month that I'll be going down there...




Thanks for the input DRDT, I have a smaller master blackfinn 5'6" rod that (I figure) should offer some good action when jigging from the kayak... As for surf fishing... I can see how a heavier rod will have little if any sensitivity for the likely smaller fish that may bite on it, especially with several ounces of bait and lead. My idea has always been to cast some squid/other bait as far as I can get it out there (with the longest rod I happen to have with me atm), and leave it propped on a rod holder (i.e., section of PVC) while I fish lures/other metal closer to shore with my smaller setup... I guess I always thought the longer rod setup would be good for smaller sharks and/or rays, which would (ideally) hook themselves... but this is all in theory, as I've never tried any version of surf fishing before... I've also never fished cholla before (from the shore or otherwise), so I'm hoping to be able to make it out there in some way or fashion..

In any case, I'll have to play it by ear and see how tolerant my wife is of all these fishing plans of mine ... as she seldom partakes in any of the fishing, and her agenda for this trip is more geared towards relaxing, whereas mine is more about good tunes, good eats, good drinks, and good company, while doing some awesome fishing

It goes down in the DM!!! (Direct Message)

Viewer discretion is advised

ChollaBay4Life​

 

[DRDTbone]

My idea has always been to cast some squid/other bait as far as I can get it out there (with the longest rod I happen to have with me atm), and leave it propped on a rod holder (i.e., section of PVC) while I fish lures/other metal closer to shore with my smaller setup... I guess I always thought the longer rod setup would be good for smaller sharks and/or rays, which would (ideally) hook themselves...

That's what I do, just probably with a smaller rod than you're thinking. I've caught rays and guitarfish on the small rod with 2 Oz of lead and squid or shrimp and they generally do hook themselves. The swing of the tide in the SOC is so ridiculous that being able to cast super far really isn't as much of a consideration as the fish will literally be at your feet when you step in the water. And then when the tide goes out you'll be able to walk onto the rocks that you were fishing.

All that said, I say go for it and report the results!

 

[Mexico Joe]

Got my order about 2 days too late... all good I'll be back in a couple of weeks to close out the Derby.

@CheapFishingTackle​

 

[jerry]

Come on down to Santo Tomas with maybe 250 bucks and go out with my friends....then comeback to shore and we can catch corvina as the sun sets ...just shrimp,some lead and a hook on the hour before high tide........pretty much works all summer.You don't even have to get your feet wet

 

[da_q-ban_one]

It goes down in the DM!!! (Direct Message)

Viewer discretion is advised

ChollaBay4Life​

DM, ok, same as a PM I guess... dope..
lmao... 9th grade hard...

That's what I do, just probably with a smaller rod than you're thinking. I've caught rays and guitarfish on the small rod with 2 Oz of lead and squid or shrimp and they generally do hook themselves...
All that said, I say go for it and report the results!

Good to hear that, and I will. I actually just got my hands on an 8 ft Ugly Stik Catfish, it's the perfect size for what I'm wanting to do, is beefy enough to handle some bigger fish/smaller sharks/rays, and the tip seems rather sensitive, plus it's rated for 15-30lb line and .75 - 3 oz lure/weight, so I think this will be my heavier surf rod, and I'll pair it with a swedish ambassadeur 6500 running 17lb mono.. I'll just bring an additional spinning/baitcaster setup with 12lb fluoro, a 6'6" rod, and my 5'6" kayak rod. Thanks for the info DR..

Got my order about 2 days too late... all good I'll be back in a couple of weeks to close out the Derby.

@CheapFishingTackle​

So how did da Derby go Joe, we're anxious to hear about it!! How many entries, what species were caught...??? need details bro, need pics and details !!

As for the tackle order, anything fishy about it (no pun intended ), or are the items legit..? What size/weight is that chrome/hologram diamond jig..? Also, I'm assuming the dual scampi rig is used with the cannon ball sinkers so you don't snag right...? When you're jigging or casting, do you put bait on the hook(s), or do you see more action with bare hooks..?

I'm getting ready to put in an order, prob will get some cannonball sinkers, 1 or 2 scampi rigs, 2-3 rock cod jigs and half a dozen megabait lures... already own a few spoons and flat/diamond jigs..

 

[da_q-ban_one]

Come on down to Santo Tomas with maybe 250 bucks and go out with my friends....then comeback to shore and we can catch corvina as the sun sets ...just shrimp,some lead and a hook on the hour before high tide........pretty much works all summer.You don't even have to get your feet wet

Believe me when I tell you Jerry, I've got this type of trip already in the works.. not a matter of IF... but WHEN... thanks for the invite!!

Cheers!!

 

[DRDTbone]

I actually just got my hands on an 8 ft Ugly Stik Catfish, it's the perfect size for what I'm wanting to do, is beefy enough to handle some bigger fish/smaller sharks/rays, and the tip seems rather sensitive, plus it's rated for 15-30lb line and .75 - 3 oz lure/weight, so I think this will be my heavier surf rod.

That's the exact rod I use, you'll love it. Good luck!

 

[da_q-ban_one]

That's the exact rod I use, you'll love it. Good luck!

That's awesome.. Sweet, thanks!

 

[jmcdtucson]

I bought a nice rod and reel, but most of my good fish seem to have come on my walmart catfish combo with the spinning reel spooled with the factory 10 lb. mono.
On the kayak, troll a 3-4" blue rapala just outside the wave break any evening for Corvina.

 

[da_q-ban_one]

I bought a nice rod and reel, but most of my good fish seem to have come on my walmart catfish combo with the spinning reel spooled with the factory 10 lb. mono.
On the kayak, troll a 3-4" blue rapala just outside the wave break any evening for Corvina.

Same here, oddly enough my best catches seem to usually happen on my lighter, cheaper setups..

 

[AZRob]

Q-ban[/QUOTE]

I plan on bringing a few rods (a 7ft, one or two 6ft, maybe a 15ft), some spinning reels (8lb fluoro, 10lb mono, maybe 17lb mono), and maybe a round abu ambassadeur bait caster (which I've yet to spool with anything). I was thinking I can make the abu my kayak rig to fish choya/old port/malecon area off of an inflatable kayak. As for lures.. I'm bringing some bottom jigs, kroc spoons, kastmasters, bass cranks/jerks, and an awesome surface lure (the 190 series whopper plopper by river2sea).



Q-ban

Well I just put my order in for a Penn pursuit II 6000, clam

Close to 300 yrds of 10lb test for those long casts.

My old reel could hold around 150 yards and I was running out of line when I would throw a long cast. I use a 8 1/2' rod.

 

[da_q-ban_one]

Looks like a nice reel Rob, let me know how it performs.. for now I'll use my cheap Walmart stuff and see how it fares, don't really want any of my nicer gear to get tore up, until I feel comfortable it will do fine with my usage, cleaning and lubing methods..

 

[AZRob]

Looks like a nice reel Rob, let me know how it performs.. for now I'll use my cheap Walmart stuff and see how it fares, don't really want any of my nicer gear to get tore up, until I feel comfortable it will do fine with my usage, cleaning and lubing methods..

Thats where I bought it from, walmart. Like $40

 

[estevan]

Well I just put my order in for a Penn pursuit II 6000, clam

Close to 300 yrds of 10lb test for those long casts.

My old reel could hold around 150 yards and I was running out of line when I would throw a long cast. I use a 8 1/2' rod.

I just got the same reel and paired it up with a 10' surf rod. Worked beautifully with some 25 lb braid. I was able to cast past the reef at Miramar with Kastmasters and we even used it trolling.

We also fished the red bait balls that were all over the place around Memorial Day and had a blast catching sierra, trigger and rock bass. The bait balls would stick around under the boat as we drifted so we didn't have to move to stay on the fish. Krocodile spoons worked the best for the sierra. Coolest thing I saw was about 30-40 needlefish trailing us. We could see them pretty clear in the swells as they were following the boat. Looked like a bunch of snakes in the water.