February - Dana Angling Club

FEB- 2014
DAC REEL TIMES
2014 DAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Committee Chairmen
Officers
President
Chris Bailey
Vice President
Geoff Heldoorn
Secretary
Open
Treasurer
Geoff Hersch
Fish Chair
Geoff Hersch
Social Chair
Craig Cleaver
Membership Chair
Chris Bailey
Yearbook Chairman
Craig Cleaver
Web Master
Mike Webster
Dear DAC Members,
We are still looking for 1-2 new candidates for the 2014 DAC Board of Directors. It takes dedicated
members to run this organization, so help keep the DAC tradition alive by getting involved. If you
have a passion for the club, a couple hours a month to spare, and would be interested in helping make
a difference we encourage you to be part of the DAC Board of Directors. Please let us know if you
want to apply.
2013 DAC General Membership Meeting
Save the Date
March 20, 2014 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Hello DAC Members!
Come join us this Thursday March 20, 2014 at the Aventura Sailing Association for our annual DAC
General Meeting from 6-9pm. We will kick off the 2014 DAC year with some pizza and drinks and good
camaraderie. We have a full agenda and Guest Speakers so be prepared to come and have a good time.
Enter the raffles, test your skills at tying the strongest knot, and some of you early birds will be in a
drawing to win a free membership this year.
Bring a friend and introduce them to the best little fishing club on the coast!
We look forward to seeing you all there.
Chris Bailey
Dana Angling Club
President
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Dana Angling Club – Fishing News:
Congratulations to Pat and Sara
Holmes on the newest DAC member,
Charles Fredrick Holmes. He was born
2/18/14 at 6:05pm and weighs 8 lbs.
First Flag??
FISHING SUMMARY:
Congratulations to Dan Gorman on his 54.2 Lb
White Sea Bass – First Fish Flag caught on
February 17, 2014 and Ron Vangell for his 37.5
Lb White Sea Bass caught on the same trip.
There have been reports of squid around San
Mateo / San Onofre for several weeks. WSB’s
are being caught for those willing to put in the
time and energy.
2014 DAC FIRST FLAGS
Species:
Angler:
Date:
Location:
Tackle:
YELLOWTAIL 28.8 lbs.
Pat Holmes
01/11/2014
Coronados – North Island
50#, Yo-Yo Iron
Species:
Angler:
Date:
Location:
Tackle:
WHITE SEABASS 54.19 lbs.
Dan Gorman
02/17/2014
San Onofre
80#, Squid
The Coronado Islands are still producing some
nice quality early season Yellowtails for those
making the trip down below the boarder.
There have been some recent reports of
Yellowtails being caught at both San Clemente
and Catalina Islands. Both Live Squid and
Heavy Yo-Yo Irons are working.
Geoff Heldoorn is still producing
YouTube videos on the DAC Message
Boards!
If you have any GoPro editing or set up
questions, ask Geoff @ Heldoorn
Productions
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NEW WEBSITE SUMMARY: What’s new, membership access, pictures and current Fish
Reports!!!!! If you are having any issues accessing the website, reading or posting
reports, contact Mike Webster
THE DAC FISH LOG: Here is the summary of the fish posted on the DAC Website.
Please make sure to turn in a DAC Weigh Slip (online), these will be used to autopopulate the DAC Fish Log. If you have any issues with the online weigh slips, contact
Geoff Hersch – DAC Fish Chair
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Upcoming Events / Calendar:
DAC 2013 Awards Banquet – March 1st
Fred Hall – Long Beach March 5th – 9th
DAC General Membership Meeting – March 20th
Fred Hall – Del Mar March – 27th – 30th
PCS Show – OC Fair Grounds April 5th & 6th
2014 DAC Calendar of Events
2013 Awards Banquet
March 1, 2014
General Membership Meeting
 Nearshore Species: Guest Speaker(s):
March 20th
Artificials Tournament
March 22 & 23
All Species Tournament
Pre-Tournament Social: April 10th
Halibut Tournament
Pre-Tournament Social: May 1st
DAC Boat Show
April 12 – 27
White Sea Bass Tournament
Pre-Tournament Social: May 22nd
3-B Tournament and Picnic
May 24 – June 8
General Membership Meeting
 Offshore Species / Guest Speaker(s):
June 26
Yellowtail Tournament
Pre-Tournament Social: July 10th
Shark Tournament
Pre-Tournament Social: July 24th
Albacore / Tuna Tournament
Pre-Tournament Social: July 31st
General Membership Meeting
 Marlin / Guest Speaker(s):
July 12 & 13
Ladies Tournament / Junior Tournament
Pre-Tournament Social: August 14th
Cherry / El Niño Tournament
Pre-Tournament Social: August 21st
Dick Tonks Memorial Tournament
Pre-Tournament Social: September 4th
Masters Tournament
August 16 & 17
Pesky’s Tournament (estimated)
September 19 & 20
DAC Marlin Tournament
Pre-Tournament Social: September 25th
September 27 & 28
May 3-4
May 17
June 22
July 26 & 27
August 2 & 3
Aug 7
August 23 & 24
September 6 & 7
September 12 & 13
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DAC 2014 General Membership Meeting
The DAC 2014 General Membership Meeting is scheduled for March 20th 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Aventura
Sailing Association, come join us for some Good Food and a No-Host Bar.
General DAC Information
 2014 Board of Directors
 Guest Speaker(s): Jenny Armstrong, Sportfishing Conservancy, Rockfish Barotrauma Video
 Near-shore Species Discussions and Tactics
 Upcoming Tournaments: Artificials Tournament - March 22 & 23
All Species Tournament - April 12 – 27
 Membership Issues???
 Introduction of DAC New Members and Re-Joined Member
Fish Chair
 2014 DAC Tournament Schedule
 Upcoming Tournament Flyers
 Fish Board at the Fuel Dock
 Weigh Scale usage
Social Chair
 Pre-Tournament Social Gathering
 2014 DAC Boat Show
 Tournament Schedule
Reel Times Updates
Boat Maintenance and Projects!!!!
Check out the DAC Website - TechTalk 2014!
Not fishing specific, but something we all have on our minds. Let us all know what you're doing, now is
the time where major repairs are undertaken. For some, the 2014 fishing season has already begun. For
others it’s time to get your boat maintenance done! Share your projects and pictures with the DAC
membership. Here are some of the current projects going on, let’s see some postings updates on the
website..
Jeff Tom – “Blackfin”: Turbo Overhaul / Exhaust Leaks.
Dave Peter – “Teaser”: Fuel Cooler Rebuild, Replace Started Relay, Replace Hoses.
Chris Bailey – “Old School”: Work in progress. Top End overhauls, new hoses and belts. Followed by a
fresh coat of engine paint.
Geoff Heldoorn – “Hattaboy”: Routine Maintenance, Oil Changes, Replaced Zincs… Radar/Chart Plotter
Upgrade in the planning stages. Upcoming replacing Helm Chair, anyone got any recommendations??
If you are thinking starting a project, look at the current and past years Tech-Talk post for ideas and
information.
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DAC Angling Rules, Tournament Tackle, Line Samples &
Testing Requirements
Please make sure you know and understand the DAC Angling Regulations and Tackle Specifications, refer
to your DAC Yearbook for details. If you have any questions or need clarifications on DAC Angling Rules
or Tournament Regulations, please contact Geoff Hersch – 2014 DAC Fish Chair.
Remember not all lines will break at the rated Line Classification. DAC follows the IGFA Tackle
Regulation for all Line Classifications as follows 2#, 4#, 6#, 8#, 12#, 16#, 20#, 30#, 50#, 80# and 130#.
Prior to any DAC Tournaments if you need to verify the line classification, submit clean 15’ sample of the
line for testing. Identify the Line Class and note “For Testing Only” and we’ll confirm the Line Class for
you.
All fish entered into competition for button awards, trophies, tournaments and club records must be
weighed using a Certified Scale and recorded by submitting a Weigh Slip. DAC maintains a Certified
Scale for use by the DAC Membership located at the Dana Point Fuel Dock. Line Samples must be
submitted as required, submit clean 15’ sample of the line for testing.
Remember Weigh Slips must be submitted via the website or postmarked by the date specified on the
DAC Tournament Flyer.
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Dana Angling Club – New Member Profiles:
Stan Mahler – Member since 2014
Boat Make Length & Name: Pacifica 44, “Shared Dream”
Favorite Species: Dorado
Proudest Catch: 1st Marlin, August 31, 1977 (age 16, fishing with my Dad on his boat “Swamp Fox”)
Species you’d like to learn to fish better: Halibut
Who introduced you to fishing and when: My Dad
Why you joined DAC: Looking for more fishing activities and people interested in fishing together
Charles Oltman – Member since 2014
Boat Make Length & Name: 26’ 4” Century
Favorite Species: Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna
Proudest Catch: 120# Yellowfin Tuna
Species you’d like to learn to fish better: Swordfish
Who introduced you to fishing and when: My dad, I grew up in Washington and caught tons of salmon, cod,
halibut, etc., been in socal for 30 years but believe when my dad passed 2 ½ years ago, I was destined to get
back into fishing salt water. Worst day fishing beats any other day….
Why you joined DAC: To meet good people, learn more about fishing from Dana, get better at fishing
techniques, learn about new fishing holes
DAC BUTTON AWARDS
Take the challenge, make 2014 the year to work on DAC
Button Fish!
With 47 Buttons to be awarded for fish caught on
specified line test and weighing over the specified minimum
weight for that line test. The ultimate goal of this lifetime
competition is to receive all 47 buttons.
Refer to the DAC Yearbook for Button Award
requirements and specified minimum weights. If you have any
questions, Geoff Hersch – 2014 DAC Fish Chair.
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Creature Feature: California Yellowtail
Species: Seriola lalandi; from the Italian wordseriola (for amberjack) and dorsalis (the long dorsal fin).
Alternate Names: Yellowtail, amberjack, forktail, mossback, and white salmon.
Identification: Typical jack shape with the body olive-brown to brown above with yellow stripes along the side.
Fins are yellowish.
Size: To 80 pounds and over 5 feet long. Most caught off piers are fish under 10 pounds in weight.
Range: From Chile to southern Washington; common south of Point Conception.
Habitat: Usually found around offshore islands, rocky reefs or kelp beds.
Bait and Tackle: If an angler wants to try for yellowtail he should have tackle heavy enough to insure a fair chance
of landing the fish. Yellowtails like to head for rocks or kelp as soon as they're hooked so line should test 20-30
pounds. Lures work well and live bait -- especially squid, on small mackerel, or sardines.
Food Value: A fairly good tasting fish that is usually broiled or on the BBQ.
Comments: One of the favorite southern California sport fish but much more common out in deeper water.
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YELLOWTAIL TACKLE RECOMMENDATIONS
One of the indicators of this bite lasting for a while is that the fish are settling in on their regular spots at the
islands and are starting to eat the surface iron and fly-lined sardines as well as the yo-yo jigs. So if you're planning
a trip sometime soon, you're going to want to bring tackle that will cover all of the different fishing scenarios that
you might encounter.
Combo A: This is the yo-yo jigging set up. This combo can also be used for dropper loop fishing when the yellows
are biting the sardines near the bottom.
Combo B: This is a light-duty surface iron and live bait rod, best suited for jigs A-F (in the photo below).
Combo C: This is a heavy-duty surface iron and live bait rod, best suited for jigs D-G (in the photo below).
Along with these rods and reels, bring a full of surface iron, yo-yo jigs and hooks in 2/0 and 4/0 sizes..
CATCHING YELLOWS ON THE SURFACE IRONS
These are the different sized surface irons for use when yellowtail fishing. From left to right, they are: A) Tady AA,
B) Tady A1, C) Tady C, D) Tady 45, E) Tady Starman 112, F) Salas 7X, G) Salas 5X.
These jigs break down into three basic size groups:
Small – A, B & C
Medium – D, E & F
Large – G
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Include at least a couple of jigs from each size group and color variation. The reasoning behind this is that fish will
not always be keyed in on medium sized sardines (which the medium group matches). Sometimes they will want
anchovies (small group) or big sardines and mackerel (large group). But since the majority of the time the fish will
eat a medium sized sardine, the majority of the jigs I'll bring will fall into the medium category.
Any of the jigs pictured will work for catching yellowtail, but each of them has a specific scenario where they
excel. If you know how to pick a good one, the Tady 45 is one of the best swimming surface irons on the market.
Find one with offset hips, a concave back and sharp edges and that jig will swim incredibly on a slow to medium
retrieve.
When the fish want something a little faster, the Tady Starman 112 is a great choice. These jigs aren't as finicky as
the Tady 45 (I've never seen one that didn't swim well), so you can just grab one off the rack and trust that it will
work. If you're inexperienced in picking good swimmers, I would recommend this jig over the Tady 45. While this
jig doesn't swim quite as well as the Tady 45 at slow speeds, it will continue to swim well at faster speeds.
The last of the medium sized jigs is the fabled Salas 7X. This jig is the workhorse of the San Diego fleet and
accounts for the vast majority of the yellowtail caught on the surface iron each year. In my opinion, the jig doesn't
swim worth a damn when wound slow and while it swims pretty well on a medium retrieve, it is the absolute best
jig for fishing the fast retrieve.
CATCHING YELLOWS ON THE YO-YO JIG
The local Islands are starting to kick out consistent yellowtail fishing. As is always the case with these early season
yellows, the fish haven't settled in on spots, so the most effective way to target them is to run and gun on sonar
schools. While some of these schools have been coming to the surface in response to chum, the majority of them are
staying deep, making them prime targets for Yo-Yo jigging.
When it comes to fishing for yellowtail with artificial lures, Yo-Yo jigging is about as easy as it gets. As the name implies,
the basic technique is to drop a heavy jig straight down to the bottom, wind it quickly back to the surface and repeat
the process until you hook a fish. There are some variations to the Yo-Yo jigging basics that will allow you to spend less
time winding your jig and more time fighting fish.
Like with any fishing technique, the first and most important step is to choose the right tackle. A heavy seven-foot jig
stick and a reel that gets at least 30-inches of per crank and holds enough line that you'll still have a relatively full spool
once you drop your jig to the bottom.
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There are several brands of Yo-Yo jigs on the market and all of them work, but the favorites are the Tady 9, the Salas
Christy II and the Tady 4/0. All three of these jigs are in the heavy style, but their different shapes give them each a
distinct swimming pattern. Regarding color, keep it simple and fish mint and white or blue and white when the fish are
keyed in on fin bait and fish scrambled egg when the fish are feeding on squid.
So the first trick is to figure out how to make your jig stand out from the rest. If the boat is drifting on schools of
yellowtail, position yourself with the wind at my back (the side where my line drifts under the boat). By positioning
yourself in that way, the jig is the first one that any fish off the bow of the boat will see and it's also the first one that
any fish down swell of the boat will see. This doesn't always translate into being the first one to get bit, but it does help.
The next tip is to get your jig away from the boat by casting it out. You don't need to make a super long cast, just get
your jig out there twenty or thirty feet and then let it sink to the bottom before retrieving it. If you're doing it right, this
should result in your jig coming up at an angle and the more angle you have in your line, the more of the water column
you'll be covering on your retrieve. This variation also works well when fishing on a private boat because it gives you
the ability to cover more water without having to reposition the boat.
The final trick is to stop wasting time by winding your jig through dead water. If there are yellows in the area they are
going to show up on the fish finder and once you see at what depth they are holding (or hear the captain announce it
over the PA on a sport boat) you can adjust your technique to cover only the water that is holding fish. For example, if
the boat is in 100 feet of water and the fish are holding between sixty feet and the bottom, you don't need to wind
your jig through the top fifty feet of the water column as it will not likely result in getting bit.
The best way to figure the depth is to drop the jig to the bottom and then wind it back at the speed you’re going to fish
it and count (one, two, three…). Let's say that the boat is in 100 feet of water and you've counted to twenty by the time
my jig gets to the surface. That means that if I only count to ten on the next drop, your jig will be at fifty feet. After
you've done the counting for a few drops, you'll be able to get a feel for the timing of it (it doesn't need to be exact)
and you'll know how deep your jig is when you get a bite and you'll be able to further fine tune your presentation.
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Get ready for the 2014 Season with DAC Gear!
Dana Angling Club T-Shirts with front pocket w/
DAC Logo front and back. Available in White,
Grey, Navy and Black:
Short Sleeve: Medium – XL: $15.00
XXL $18.00
Long Sleeve: Medium – XL: $20.00
XXL: $24.00
Dana Angling Club Sweatshirts (Hooded or
Crew) w/ DAC Logo front and back. Available in
White, Grey, Navy and Black:
Hooded:
Medium – XL: $45.00
XXL $48.00
Crew:
Medium – XL: $35.00
XXL $38.00
DAC Burgees: $25
To order any DAC gear go to the website under DAC Clothing, post a
request or email to: [email protected]
From the 2014 Dana Angling Club Board of Directors:
We thank you all for your participation during the 2013 Season. We look forward to
seeing you all out on the water in 2014.
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Reminder 2014 DUES
Please Don’t Forget To Re-Join!
Make sure to mail in your 2014 Dana Angling Club membership dues. They are now due
st
as of January 01, 2014. All Dues must be postmarked by March 31 , 2014.
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DANA ANGLING CLUB
2014 MEMBERSIP DUES
Member Name ____________________________ Annual Dues ------------------------- $150.00
Extended Family Minor Members: ___________ @$30.00 each: _____________
Submit to: Dana Angling Club
PO Box 2881
Total Remitted: ____________
Capo Beach, CA. 92624
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