Our trip to Texas!

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Some thoughts on Texas



It is a great state indeed, but you knew that! Did you know one can carry a firearm if licensed?

We saw no graffiti, not even in the 2 big cities we were in. No idea why. But it sure is good. In LA every freeway overpass seems to be tormented with this crap. We even have folks here who call it “art” and say these people are merely expressing them selves! I did have a letter in the LA Times suggesting the professor who said that publish his address since he likes it so.



The People:

So friendly and warm. I am talking about strangers. Our friends who we knew, but never met, were, of course.

South Texas has a similar climate to So Cal, but humidity as well. Many of the same plants thrive. Plants like humidity! I worried that some of my Agave’s get to much water (sprinklers) they get plenty of rain in S. Texas and they do fine.

Places:

I found San Antonio to be a very livable city. Much to do there. Real Estate is a lot lover than Cal.

Only saw a bit of Houston, but it looked good too.

Loved Corpus and Aransas Pass. High humidity as well as Hurricanes.

Every place has its drawbacks. At least they have no earthquakes.

This area has the longest stretch of undeveloped coast in the USA! If it were California it would be fenced and it would cost $5.00 to park.

I would be kayaking , and fishing as well as beach combing.

Let’s hope the recent oil disaster does not despoil the beaches.

One can buy a nice home on a canal with your own dock in Port Aransas for very low cost when compared to California.



We all put down roots. The longer you live in an area the deeper those roots go. I don’t think we are moving.



My favorite sign in Texas is: “No loaded firearms allowed if not licensed.”

This appears on many bars and restaurants. Too bad loaded weapons were not permitted at Fort Hood! A lot less killing would have been done.



The only negative to the trip was the “Schlepping!” a lot of that for sure. A 7 day trip is really a lot less. Two in transit and another just getting to another destination. So 4 days hardly makes me an expert.
Hotels, rental cars, planes, it does get wearisome.
In this day and age one needs a hotel with a printer as well as a computer to print out boarding passes. Southwest Airlines is good, but this can be a burden.

Thanks to our friends in Texas for making this such a fine adventure.

We look forward to reciprocating!

"How American Ponders Was Born”


By Jerry Esten

To those who don’t know American Ponders is my web site. It is administered by  Sean Stevens of Vancouver BC and myself.

I built my pond about 5 years ago. I did some research but not nearly enough. I am not good at reading directions either, hell I don’t even ask directions! Typical male huh?



I did find a site called American Water Gardens or simply “AWGS.” I “met” many fine folks there and got excellent tips. This site was badly neglected and was about to fold.

I did make numerous attempts to acquire the site. My inquiries were never answered.

I tried e mail, snail mail and faxes!

There was a bright young man on the site who had the knowledge to start a site. Zac knew about hosts, domain names etc. I had no clue.

With Zac’s help “AP” was born! I chose the name while on the phone, never even thought about it! I just said what popped into my mind !  Zac was very young, some think perhaps 16 at the time.  He had yet to master the art of dealing with people and managed to be very rude.  I am being kind!  He was paid to leave, yes you heard me.  It was Worth it.  Now what do we do with no computer Guru!   Some times things just fall into place and there was Sean ready, willing and very able

Now 4 plus years later we have 1500 members and grow daily.

We have a myriad of “forums” all related to ponding, as well as a “Chit Chat” Forum where members can do just that. Many members have gotten to meet in person and we regularly exchange plants.. The site is http://www.americanponders.com/   Come visit!
We have some remarkably talented members.  Too many to list here.  You guys know who you are! Truthfully I'd be afraid of leaving someone out.

We really are international ! We have members from Iceland, Lithuania, The United kingdom, Turkey, Mexico and a sterling group from Canada!  I know I am leaving  some out, feel free to advise.
I would love to mention some many members by name. but I know i'd miss a few, so I don't dare.  You guys know who you are!

Register to view photos, it takes a minute and is Free!

"Max" by Gander.

I think this is one of the best pond photos ever.  I expect Becky Thatcher to show up any moment.

I made a post on our site,so members may contribute their knowledge of our origins.

Here they are below....

Esther writes:

We were on the (what started out as) AWGS forum. I remember that Jerry was new to ponding and couldn't get his water sparkling clear. He was having a party inside of a week and was desperate to get the water cleaned up, so I told him to hang something mesh under his waterfall with quilt batting in it. That is how I met him. We emailed a bit. I was very unhappy with that forum as it was not monitored at all, and had decided to leave. Jerry asked me if I knew anything about starting a forum. I didn't but gave him the name of a guy who already had a pond forum going and also told him Zac's name and that he was capable of doing the techy stuff. The next thing I knew, Zac had it up and running and bit by bit, we all came over from AWGS. And we lived happily ever after. LOL Thanks Jerry and Sean.


Rad Michelle:
Well I wasn't exactly in the boat from the beginning but i like to think i'm apart of the crew by now. i was a heavy heavy lurker stuck to this site and read every-single-posiible-thread on here before i decided to jump on board. pun intended. hehe. i think i lurked about here for 2 months before first post and found so much help and support, espeically through my personal life... man did i tell you guys i printed out the x amount of responses and still have them in a journal for times when i am sad and blue and everything everyone said is so true now that its 9 months later and i have moved on from that p.o.s. haha. and i stand by my word that my first named hybrid will be named "american ponder" for all the great people here .

Shawn:
Still lurk more than I post... but here is a copy of the original email welcoming me... (I was over at AWGS too..)
Sean has sent you this email from http://s14.invisionfree.com/Water_Gardening/index.php.

Hi folks,
I thought I would tell you about a new Pond Forum that may interest you. I am a co-administrator of this site with a friend in California. Some of you already know who he is.

We are not looking to compete with other forums, if anything we refer to them.

What we are looking for is members like you, for without members, a forum is nothing more than an information gap on the internet.



Most of you are friends of mine who I know either in person or through years of email correspondence so as you all know me, I hope you do not think of this as an intrusion.



The website is called American Ponders and can be located on the internet at this web address

http://www.americanponders.com



Currently we offer the forum itself and a Live chat room for members if they choose to spend some time corresponding in Real Time. I have started an information storage area for quick reference to general information about the board as well as member Tutorials and other helpful information.

The user interface is quite easy and sharing of photo's can be done both Remotely (your own web storage) or hosted by the forum (direct upload from your computer). We also have a Spell Checker built right into the forum software for those of us who need to double check before clicking "Post".
The forum topics consist of Pond Chat, a Photo Album for you to share your photo's, a Plant Exchange and Dealer Deals. We have already received some discounts for American Ponders membership from a reputable Dealer source so membership really does have it's privileges. We also feature an area for Terrestrial Gardening for those who like to garden in the soil and a General Chit Chat area for all other topics.

Our promise to you is, members come first and all issues will be accommodated in a timely manner. Backed up information will also be available to membership on the website archive and never lost.
Take a moment and check the forum out. We are a cheerful group and the membership is growign daily.



Cheers,

Sean Stevens and Gerald Esten "Jerry"

http://www.americanponders.com



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Please note that Water Gardening has no control over the

contents of this message.
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Julles:


A coment from "Julles",
 and she is one! (a jewel)


I'm a member of American Ponders, too. Met a guy at our local watergarden store and he referred me to the site.
It's so much more than a ponding site. Besides the "how to's" and the sharing of our experiences, so many of us have become friends. There have even been meet-ups of people who met one another on American Ponders
Very good job on the site, Jerry and Sean!

The Julles
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Wednesday Novemeber 2, 2005
I just discovered this from Blogger. Look at the date.  It was my first abortive attempt! We were still on AWGS ! It said...
I would like to creat a new and better site, but just not sure how.
I would love your input.









Keep Scrolling!

"A San Clemente Island Adventure"

                                                   By Jerry Esten

How do 25 kayak anglers get to this outer island?  Easy, on a Mother ship!

This is Jim Sammons of San Diego with  monster Yellowfin Tuna.

Nope it was NOT on this trip, but was taken by Jim on a kayak!

You can, if you know whay you are doing, catch anything on a yak.

His kayak is by "Ocean Kayak!"  Jim is a guide a "star" and a kayak fishing expert.  if you want to learn this sport, you would do well to contact jim

This is yours truely with a nice yellowtail.  yes, on this trip.  Check all those rods in theStarboard corner!

This is Tom Berringer, of Cerritos CA, in the water and rarin to go.  Look how well he is rigged.  Yes this trip!

I was not keen on this trip, but went anyway, Turned out to be the best ever!


Mark Hunter of La Canada organized the charter and was good enough to invite me.

A group of 25 men and women, yes, females are kayak fishers too, boarded.

Mark booked the “Great Escape”, a fine boat, aptly named, and a superb choice!

We departed from 22nd street landing on Sunday morning at 1:30 on the 20th of August 2001. Loading 25 kayaks on board with all the needed tackle is a chore, but everyone lent a hand.

The sea was flat and almost everyone slept well.



We arrived at West Cove on the NW end of the island at 7:00 in the morning, refreshed and anxious to fish.



The crew was very efficient at lashing the kayaks against the cabin and decks; even a rough sea would not have been a problem. Off-loading takes some time and one has to wait his/her turn to get in the water. With bountiful kelp beds close by many of us fished while waiting. That was a good decision because we

caught bass, barracuda, and sheephead.



The “Great Escape” was loaded with anchovies and sardines. Most of us had live bait tanks. Floating nylon bait receivers were placed near our anchorage.

It was a simple matter to paddle back to the receiver to replenish our bait.



A wide variety of tackle was used. Small reels like the Shimano Calcutta and the Penn 501 and the Daiwa 40x were popular. The Accurate “Boss” 197 was much admired for its good looks and smooth performance.

You would be amazed at how many rods some kayakers carry. Too many for me! Travel light is my motto, but didn’t the boy scouts say “Be Prepared”?

Kencore of Gardena has a short rod called “Panga”. I loved trying it. The “Panga” can handle bass and yellowtail. The Cal Star 6 ft. 195 C and their GFGR 600XL are similar and are tough sticks that will take abuse. Many prefer longer rods so they can reach beyond the bow and handle fish that want to circle your boat.

Sardines and anchovies as well as “iron” jigs, all produced fish.



If this kind of fishing is new to you, you may be surprised to learn that most of the anglers have electronic fish finders just like the big boats use. On this day all one needed to do was watch the surface action. Game fish chasing bait with abandon is a sight to behold.



When yellowtail and barracuda are hot, getting hook ups is likely, and hook up we did!

What turned out to be the jackpot yellowtail dumped Kai Schumann of San Diego. His fishing buddy, Tom Berringer of Cerritos CA, was close by and held the rod for Kai as he clambered back into his kayak wet and slightly embarrassed but cool enough to land this scrappy yellowtail.

Dr. Gary Meyers of Ramona caught a similar sized fish, but lost the pot to Kai by mere ounces.

About 15 yellows were caught, averaging 18 pounds. Some big kelp bass were taken too; 5 to 7 pounds was not uncommon.

Steve Sala of Dana Point was the first to return to the Mother ship with a nice yellow.

A small black sea bass was caught and released.

I was hooked up with what I believe was a big black.

It was on the big ship. I had 20 pound line and had to be very careful. I would gain a few yards of line and then lose a few more! After 20 minutes the line popped.



Dr. Gary was so busy catching fish from his kayak, he was very late returning. He was chided by the crew and was met with a storm of sardines and anchovies dumped on him by fellow anglers. No Gatorade!

.

New kayaks and accessories were compared and tried, Rich Lewis of El Segundo had a new carbon fiber “Wave Witch” from Hawaii, it is light, fast, maneuverable and expensive.

With kayaks you get nothing for nothing. If you want speed, you give up some stability and vice versa, so a suitable compromise must be reached. For kayak fishing a sit-on-top is perfect. Getting back in is a lot easier than it would be with a sit-inside model.

A top quality sit-on-top is not expensive. For about $600.00 and up you can be an owner.



What’s the right one for you? Not all are suitable for everyone. You must try them. Good shops will often let you do just that. They have demo days where you can talk to factory reps and try many boats. There are many factors to consider and professional advice is invaluable.

My Ocean Kayak “Drifter” was not as fast as some kayaks, but the stable fishing platform is a good trade off. For kayak fishing, speed is not important. I was happy with my “Drifter.” Since this trip I got a “Caper” much like the “Drifter.” but smaller, lighter and faster. It too is made by “Ocean Kayak”



I think our group was extraordinary. We have all run into some “bad apples” on party boats, but nothing like that here, Why? I feel that kayak anglers know they need to help each other so a fine camaraderie exists. Old friendships were renewed, and new ones made.

We all felt fortunate to have been part of this adventure.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank Capt. Tim Burke. He and his crew were remarkable. It seemed they never stopped working or serving food. You name it, they had it, and it all seemed to appear from nowhere. For breakfast we had pancakes, sausage and eggs. Lunch was Cornish game hen. Even a theatre style popcorn machine was set up for afternoon snacks. Before getting back to San Pedro we were treated to ice cream and fudge brownies! This is roughing it?
There are many boats that cater to kayak anglers. You can locate vessels in a port close to your home.

Fishermen ! This is about 20 years ago!

It is a good shot of the Mustad Hook Displays,  These came form my buddy Dick Morris.  I do love them!

New desk since as well as  more advanced computers, plus a few pounds of fat!

A very good day! Ice Cream too!

I did a nice commercial for "Clemmy's Ice Cream" today.  It is great stuff and has NO sugar or Lactose!
Yes plenty of calories.
It has to be perfect for Diabetics or "Pre Diabetics"  You can Google them and find a store that carries them near you!  I will sure tell my Internist about the product!
The production company was a delight.  I wasn't the "star" but they did position me next to him! I'll take it!
They fed us way too well!  I was done at 4:00 and made it to an Audition at Universal!  I felt I did well!
I always feel that way!  The rule on auditions is, do them and for get about them.

Memories of Santa Monica bay, Paradise Cove,and Redondo Sportfishing"

These amazing Mustad Hook displays were acquired from my pal, Dick Morris. His family repped Mustad for over 90 years!

Now that's a steady job!

A lovely girl that was on "the Gentleman" this was her first time using a "Hoodwink." As you see the bonita were built like Tuna's.  Mary looks pretty nice too!

I arrived in California in the spring of 1950. The beaches were empty when compared to the ones I knew in the east. The waters were teeming with fish.
I kept wondering why “everyone” wasn’t moving here. Little did I know that hordes would be coming.
In the early 50s I was always amazed by the tales “old timers” told us of the glory days of fishing in Southern California. Stories of yellowtail stacked like cord wood on Redondo pier.
It never occurred to me that I would, one day be one of those “old timers”!

Ed Reis of PCS did a fine book called, “Tales of the Golden Years of California Sportfishing.” I came to California as the era was ending. There was still excellent fishing

I flew here from the east coast.. The plane was a DC- 3. A two engine propeller driven aircraft. It seemed we made a dozen stops before arriving in Burbank where I could see my white haired father from the air as we approached the Lockheed Air Terminal. He asked me what I’d like to see first. I said “The Ocean”
Less than 30 minutes later we were in Santa Monica-Ocean Park.
Yes, in those days without freeways Burbank to Santa Monica in thirty minutes was not difficult.
Both sites had sportfishing operations as well as an amusement pier.
I spent much of my boyhood in Atlantic City and the place was much like what I had seen, except the water looked clean and the beaches were empty.

I had sold ice cream on the beach summers in the New Jersey resort and thought I’d do the same here.. It was impossible since the folks on the beach were scattered and far apart!

The next morning I took a street car on Venice Blvd. It took me to Santa Monica where I boarded the “Indiana”. I rented tackle from Versal Schuler who ran the bait shop on the pier.
Mr. Schuler told me about “Rock Cod” and how to catch them.

I confess I thought I was hot stuff when I filled 2 burlap sacks with mostly Boccacio, often called Salmon grouper. They were neither a salmon nor a grouper, but certainly had a catchy name.
The trip home was an adventure because the Street car wouldn’t let me take my catch on board! I ended up taking a cab, a good trick too, since my funds were very limited. The cabbie agreed to accept some fish as part payment.

It turned out my father and I did have fishing in-common, and he was gung-ho to go out again

He had linen line that we dried on a big wooden spool, lest it rot from the saltwater. Monofilament was just being introduced and linen was about to become a thing of the past, happily.


2
When I first saw Paradise Cove, I was thrilled. Miles of kelp beds, the likes of which I had never seen. It was a great place; even if you don’t fish. I am sure you’ve seen this place in the old “Rockford” TV series. For me, it was love at first sight.
I fished on the old Dinah Lee and the Betty-O with the fine skipper,
Jack Ward. Jack had the good looks of a movie star and knew his way around Santa Monica Bay. Jack began his career at Malibu Sportfishing, operating the old “Lenbrooke”. That vessel is still fishing regularly out of Ventura area Captain Ward soon acquired his first boat and moved his operation to Paradise Cove. Jack eventually founded Cisco’s in Oxnard and was very successful.
My friends and I decided we had had enough of, “You all shoulda been here last week”. We decided we would fish every Monday no matter what.

I don’t recall the fare on the all day boat, but I am sure it was well under 10.00 bucks.
Our dedication paid off handsomely with fine catches of the three “Bs”, barracuda, bonito and bass. Big Calicos of 8 pounds was not unusual.
Some even larger. I took a few near 10 pounds, but never over that.
By this time my pals Bob Onstad and Jack Burke were very enthusiastic jig fishermen. There were days the barries were so thick we actually sat down and had a cold drink. It was too dangerous with all those darn amateurs flinging jigs with abandon.
Big barracuda too, “logs” they were called. 10 and 12 pounders were common. Bonito? Both bonito and barriers loved the shiny metal jigs and we could easily out fish most all on board. No immodesty here, we were fishing multiple days a week. Most who rode the party boats got out when they could, but there is nothing like experience. The crews, by the way, could out fish us most of the time. Bass were the most fun. Some days they were so hot they would hit our jigs sinking. We would fish a small lure and keep our Penn reels in free spool as though it were live bait.
One day I caught seven bass in succession on the sink! Not much skill was needed for that. I was testing a lure design and after that demonstration, Capt. Bill Hutchinson said in his best Oklahoma accent, “I think this one will work okay!” He was right.
After an unusual Sunday night rain storm I woke to a sunny spring day. After the torrential rains of the night before I wasn’t sure that the “Cove” would be running a boat.
I called my pal Jack and we agreed to go to the landing and see what’s what. The place was empty, Except for one solitary pier angler. Harry in the bait shop said, “We cant’ run a boat with 2 fares; you need at least 4 fishermen for us to run.” We asked the lonely pier angler if he would join us for a virtual private trip. He agreed. We asked Harry for 4 tickets on the Betty-O. The 3 of us divided the cost of the fourth ticket.
As luck would have it we ran into a wide open yellowtail bite at the Big Kelp Reef, mere minutes from the pier. We caught near limits of nice sized fish including Yellowtail, and then spent our time gaffing fish for Captain Bill and Bob Packard the deckhand. Here was a case where we welcomed the crew fishing. I will never forget the comments of the lone pier angler that we “talked in” to going on his first party boat. “That was pretty good, wasn’t it?” I have always wondered if he realized what a special day it was.

The first half of the 50s were cool water years. It wasn’t until 57, 58, and 59 that we had warm water years. The term El Nino had yet to be coined.
Those three years were fabulous. I heard tales of fellows using beer can openers, casting from the rocks at Ballona Creek. Harry Edelson had a tackle shop near by. Harry told me that the “church key” type beer can opener was not easily gotten. It seems he and avid fisherman had corralled them all! They did take barracuda! The beer can openers were not as effective as a manufactured jig of which there were many. I had my favorites. Barney killion’s “Streamlined Dodger” was a chrome and red gem. The barries and bonito went for them big time.
I probably hold a record for losing jigs. In those days the fabled “Candy Bar” was all of $2.50! One day at the Coronado Islands, I lost a bunch and kept borrowing pal Bob’s. It got very expensive, Bob was not pleased.


It occurred to me I could make my own. It would be fun and between Bob and Jack alone we could use and lose many.
I started building my own lures in 1957. It was lucky timing to be sure.
I had no idea what I was doing, but lady luck seemed to smile at me.

Redondo Beach was very different and reminded me of run down Atlantic City, a beach town where I spent many summers. It too was a bit run down. I felt right at home.
As you readers know, Redondo is an up to date place now days, lots of waterfront eateries and expensive condos.

I will never forget boarding “The City of Redondo” it was big and beamy and well run by Captain Jack Baker and his crew. Captain Jack befriended me and was also one of the first people to buy my lures.
I was usually lucky on “The City” and made sure I tipped well when a jackpot was won. Good tips meant good service and good service meant getting a nice mackerel for bait when scant few were in the bait tanks.
One day the skipper baited my hook and told me, “As soon as you are hit, stop the fish NOW!” I wasn’t too sure what his point was, but I was hit at once and taken into the rocks by what the skipper said was a big yellow.
“You blew the jackpot kid” the skipper said. Readers, take note of what the crew tells you. They are out daily and know what’s going on! I never made that mistake again. Captain Jack loves to tell the tale of how he would buy small jigs for forty cents and sell them for 2.50. When fishing was hot, he would guarantee that the buyer would catch fish, or their money back. He was rarely wrong!
Redondo has a big underwater canyon right out in front. Over the years just about everything has been caught there. Besides the usual fare we took blue fin tuna and big White Sea bass.
Even today when I am involved in a kayak event I am asked, “Where would you fish?” I always say, “I’d go for broke, fish the canyon, strike out, or be the big winner.”

Redondo Sportfishing had fine barge fishing as well. Just a short water taxi ride and you could have a great day. What a place to take a beginning angler!
The taxi ran often. You could fish all day or quit when you chose to.

Paradise Cove had a barge as well. Sometimes things can be too good:
An acquaintance asked me to take him and his sons out fishing for their first time. I, of course, supplied all the tackle.
On the taxi ride to the barge I could see big bonito breaking the water.
I told Dick, listen, here’s what you need to do, okay? It took little skill to place a shiny jig in that mass of boiling fish. The neophytes did listen, and were amazed at the fish we all caught. I am talking about big fat, football shaped tuna-like bonito. Eight pounders were not at all unusual.
The funny thing is that on the trip home they figured, “boy that was easy!”
I don’t think they ever fished again.
Sometimes, things are so easy they are not appreciated.

“Paradise” had a tackle and bait shop on the end of the pier. The cove owner, Mr. Joe Morris was an innovator. Joe suggested that I make a giant jig as display piece for the tackle shop. I did. It was an attention getter being around 16 inches long. People would ask, “what do you catch with that thing?’
One day on a lark I took one aboard Captain Ward’s new boat, “The Gentleman” I got snickers from the regulars as I lowered it over the stern. Viola! Barracuda showed up en masse and all on board did well.
I got lots of laughs as I caught the tiniest barracuda you ever saw, they called them “pencils.”
They were snagged on the big 14/0 hook that was intended for recovering bodies. Why? Who knows? My theory is that they were joining the school and were snagged, or maybe their eyes were bigger than their stomachs?

Skipper Bill Hutchinson ran the Betty-O and was filled with fishing knowledge. One sunny day with a boat full of passengers we had a very nice day, no yellowtail, but a smattering of nice bass, bonito and cudas.
Our bait was poor, “pinhead” anchovies.
There were big Wiley yellows around, but they were not interested in the tiny baits. Jigs wouldn’t do it either. Fish need to be excited to hit with abandon.
It was minutes to the cry of “lines up, we’re going home”.
As the lines were being reeled in Bill winked at me and said, “Get your jig ready.” Why I wondered? I did learn from Captain Jack at Redondo to listen to the man that knows. I was ready. Captain Hutchinson went to an old Coke box, the kind with the bottle opener on the side. The caps when removed dropped into a box and accumulated. Bill looked at me and said, “Now” as he broadcast hundreds of bottle caps over the side.

I don’t think I made more than a few cranks of my reel when I was hooked up to what proved to be a 28 pound yellow, and a certain jackpot.
Bill’s method was no different then that of commercial fisherman who used large volume water hoses to simulate bait fish. Or maybe yellowtail like
Coke?
Once on an afternoon run on the Betty-O, Captain Bill did something unique. He free gaffed a basking black sea bass. Bill cut the engines, leaped off the bridge, grabbed a gaff, and ran to the stern’s starboard corner, where he neatly gaffed a stunned black sea bass. Bill had spotted this great fish basking on the surface and “beaned” it with the Betty-Os bow!
The fish ran around 200 pounds.
If you ever visit Bob Morris’s Beach Café at Paradise Cove you can see Captain Bill’s photo among an array of wonderful old photos from the collection of Bill Beebe.

World Record Bonito
It was the summer of 1978,
A young deckhand named Gino Piccolo worked with Captain Bill. They had tied up by the bait receiver for a quick lunch before picking up the fares for the afternoon run. They spotted the big fish chasing bait, mackerel that were after bait fish that were out of the bait receiver.
Bill commented to Gino, “I never saw a bonito that big!”
They went in to pick up the eager anglers for the afternoon run. They took the Betty-O back to the area where the big fish was seen, but no sightings were made.
A few days after that sighting Bill and Gino were working on the bait receiver when they spotted that huge fish chasing bait again. Gino alertly threw a jig expertly and was promptly hit. The huge fish weighed in at
22 pounds, 3 ounces.
Gino was the proud owner of a world’s record.
Since that day a new record has been posted. The Dept. of Fish & Game lists the “new” record by Kim Larson at 21 pounds 2 ozs. Not as big as Gino’s . So there is some confusion there. Young Gino’s fish was weighed on certified scales at the Malibu Seafood market.

How I wish I had taken more photos! As luck would have it my Son-in-Law’s Grandparents were avid anglers. The photos were taken by Bill Beebe and are here courtesy of David Brown. As you see the catches were remarkable.
I likely fished with this happy couple and never knew it. These photos were from the late 50s and early 60s!
Can you believe catches like these occurred off of Santa Monica? No wonder I am spoiled.

Santa Monica’s Sportfishing operation is long gone. Paradise Cove lost a major part of the pier during a storm of 1983. It was never rebuilt
Malibu was acquired by the state and is supposed to have a Sportfishing operation once again. The new concessionaire is Jay Wagner, “Zuma Jay.”
The reconstruction of the pier has been plagued by contractor disputes and litigation. Hopefully these will be overcome and Malibu will, once again have an excellent fishing operation.

News:
Since this was written Malibu once again has a sportfishing operation!
Malibu is easily reachable by thousands of people from Los Angeles and the populous San Fernando Valley. It will be nice to be able to go fishing on a moments notice! The old “Aquarius” Is back in operation and is now called The “Scorpio”
I was very fortunate to meet many in the industry. I was befriended by many and got lots of good advice.
Many of those old timers are now gone. They will never be forgotten. I was too young to fully appreciate the fine treatment I received from so many.

Photo The late Capt jack Baker's "City of Redondo."
Photo A happy group of anglers at santa Monica Sportfishing. Little did i know that the gentleman and lady on the left were the grand parents of my future Son-In-Law.
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Since this was written I have heard from the venerable Ed Reis.  Ed has a wonderful column in "Pacific Coast Fisherman."  Ed has generously given us more information.  See his comments below!
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Jerry, Read your story last night and found some very interesting insight on the old days. You mentioned the Streamline Dodger and you say Barney Killion invented it. I fished with it in 1939 and lost only one I had to a big grouper in 1944 at Eniwetok Atoll, during the war. On my first trip on a plunger boat in 1932 I saw the skipper up in the bow throwing the original Dodger jig which was nickel plated bronze with a satiny finish, no red stripe. He was killing the snakes and I yearned to buy one. That model was in use until the Streamline came on the market. Am wondering who made the old model? At the time it was about the only jig available with built in action heavy enough to cast and I caught everything on it.


Baldy had the big tackle store by the pier in Newport and during the war he convinced some of the old high-liner commercial fishermen to let him copy their hot trolling bones in plastic. I used them with great success in 1947-50 when I was commercial fishing. I went back in the Navy in '51 and the only Baldys I saw when I resumed comm. fishing were the albacore jigs such as the famous boat line lure of green with a red stripe.

Jim Putters was a well-known Redondo commercial from way back in the early 1920s and he had his successful bones copied in aluminum. I think I have one or two. The best collection of old jigs I have seen yet is owned by Chuck Horton. you may know him. He has some rare ones.

Unfortunately, I never had an opportunity to use the Jerry Jigs you sent me, but they remain part of my collection. At age 91 I haven't been out to sea in a long time and am lucky I still can fish in the bay, sitting down in a trailer boat.

All best,                          Ed does a coulumn for Pacific Coast Sportfishing. He calls it "Looking Astern"
                                       His photos and vast knowledge are a delight  .
                                       Ed is an accomplished painter as well.
Ed

                  I took the liberty of publishing Ed's photo!  As usual his rod is bent!  Jerry Esten
PS I said Barney killion began making it. I don't know if he cliamed to invent it.  I don't think so.

"Tips 'n Tricks for All ocean Anglers"

Several fishing websites have this one FREE, so why not here?

1. When casting with a conventional reel, don’t thumb the line on the spool, but rather the side of the spool. You will have more control and cast more efficiently

2. The ‘click” on the conventional reel has a purpose. Use it when the rod is unattended or while trolling (still unattended) the reel will “sing” out.

3. If you are fishing smaller species like bass, bonito, and barracuda, you simply do
NOT need 400 yards of expensive line. Use backing of any sort, twine, or Dacron. Your tackle dealer keeps it on hand for that Purpose, so should you. I find 100 yards
on top is plenty.
( Photo:) The lovely Camille with a nice Barrie on her first trip!

4. Fill your reel, full reels cast better, both conventional and spinning.    

5.when you are through fishing and after you rinse your reels with fresh water,, back off the drag. This will the pressure off the drag washers, and give them a longer life.

6.Your reel needs little oil. Loading your reel with oil can make the drag system less effective.

7.Balance your rod & reel, you don’t need a 4/0 reel on a light rod.

8.Light weight plastic and aluminum spools cast better, overcome inertia with out the “lurch” of the heavy steel spool, and run more smoothly.

9. Fishing deep with mono line and light spools (aluminum and plastic) may “tweak” your spools and put them out-of-round rendering them useless. Remember, mono has a “memory” if it’s stretched it will try to return to it’s original length, thus crushing the spool.

10. Use Dacron, a line that won’t stretch for deep water.

11. Once you have adjusted your drag appropriately, leave it alone! There is no way to know how much you are tightening when you are fighting a fish. If you’re being “spooled” you have nothing to lose. You may consider tying a back up outfit to the first and chuck the original overboard and hope you can stop the big fish. This practice is not unusual on long-range trips to Mexican waters, particularly with yellow fin tuna.

12. For the type of fishing kayakers and other small craft operators do, a few basic knots are usually enough. The Palomar is the strong and simple to tie. I like the Improved Clinch knot too, easier to tie when using a big jig.

13. Lead, use the amount you must, no more no less. When the action is on the surface don’t plunge to the bottom. With surface fish exploding on the surface, opt for “Fly Lining”, no sinker at all. NO swivel either.

14. I am convinced that lures catch more fish, no not always, but often enough to make me a believer.

15. Lures, variety is the spice of life, if one won’t get ‘em, the other will. It’s usually consistency that pays off, other times a different color may do the trick.

16. Heavier lures run deeper, you need a variety to meet conditions. You must fish where the fish are.

17. Monofilament, store it out of the sun and heat is the recommended care by the manufacturers. I must tell you though, I had Izorline Company test some 30-year-old line that was stored in my garage. I had been using it with no problem. It tested as it was meant to. It was well wrapped and out of the light.
The question is however, are you going to spend a small fortune on a trip only to have bad line? I think not. Your line is really all you have between you and your quarry.

18. Spare spools are a must, many conventional reels have the quick-change feature. All spinning reels do. In a kayak we need all the space we can get.

19. Swivels: Don’t use them for surface fishing except in some very special situations. Such as using with a wire leader for Wahoo. Some lure makers suggest you use a swivel with their product. I trust they tested it and know what they are talking about.

20. Show courtesy to party boats when you are off their stern and benefiting from their chum, Keep a good distance away lest a jig “accidentally’ comes whistling by
Your ear, or worse

21. Try a heavy jig as a sinker when rock cod fishing, tie it at the bottom of your ganion. You now have an extra way of catching fish. There is a 7.5 0z. Jerry Jig from Izorline, it is ideal for this technique Jerry Jig from Izorline is great for using this technique.

22, Guides wear out. Check them periodically, especially the tip top. A worn guide may fray your line.

23.The tip top should always be high quality. Good tips are very hard and won’t cut.

24. If you are fishing off a kelp bed, or anywhere else for that matter, and there is no action, move to another spot.

25. Watch for bird activity, the fish better than we do. If they are active, that’s where you need to be.

26. Fish the area between the kelp and the beach, you can pick up halibut bass and many species that inhabit the surf zone. Of course caution is a must, lest a sneak wave swamps you.

27, a 2 piece paddle though not as strong as a one piece has a few advantages. You can store it in a hatch in case your or a buddy loses one. It can be used like a canoe paddle for trolling. It won’t hit your line.

28. A single hook, or fixed hook jig, like a Clobber or a Bada Bing can make do as a gaff in a pinch.

29. Barracuda and bonito are excellent food fish, the secret is to bleed them at once, clean as soon as possible, keep cool and use ice as soon as it’s available. Sitting in the sun all day will guarantee you an unpalatable meal. These 2 fish in particular don’t deserve the bad rap they get.

30. Don’t take a fish out of the water by grasping the lure, it can be dangerous. Violent head shaking may imbed a treble hook in your hand. If this seems to contradict tip #28, keep in mind that tip #28 refers to a single fixed hook jig. Even then caution is a must.

One of the last  remaining Hoodwinks!

"In the Garden by Joshua Siskin of the LA Daily News"

Several decades ago, when Jerry Esten was in summer camp, a fortune teller predicted
what the future held for him and his fellow campers. Each child, it seemed, was destined to become a doctor or a lawyer. Except Esten.

``You will raise fish and frogs,'' he asserted, which was not especially pleasing to Esten's mom.

Today, Esten may not have any frogs in his backyard in Northridge, but he does have an abundance of goldfish and several turtles. He used to have koi, but herons ate them. To stop the birds' poaching, he suspended netting overhead, but decided not to introduce any more koi, staying exclusively with goldfish.

To make up for the loss of the koi, he has brought in several spotted and multi-colored shubunkin goldfish with black, orange, red, blue, and white markings. He has also created an Internet community of ponders through his website at www.americanponders.com.

He's quick to share his knowledge. ``You can't really have koi and container plants in the same pond,''
``The koi knock over the containers and muddy the pond. From what I have seen, most serious koi ponders do not have container plants in their ponds.'' In his own pond.

2. water lilies (Nymphaea) and lotus (Nelumbo), as well as giant taro or elephant ear (Alocasia Alocasia

plant genus in the Araceae family. Contain raphide calcium oxalate crystals which cause severe stomatitis if eaten. Includes A. brisbanensis (A. macrorrhizos). Called also elephant ear, cunjevoi, giant taro. macrorrhizos) and the yellow sweet flag iris (Iris pseudacorus).

The plants outside of Esten's pond are as captivating as those inside it.

Many years ago, he acquired baby dragon trees (Dracaena dracaena

Any of about 50–80 species of ornamental foliage plants that make up the genus Dracaena, in the agave family, native primarily to the Old World tropics. Most have short stalks and narrow, sword-shaped leaves; some have taller stalks and resemble trees. draco) in 2 1/2-inch pots. Today they have grown into 6-foot-tall specimens. Still, they have not yet begun to branch, at which point they will take on the distinctive look eagerly anticipated by connoisseurs of this exotic-looking, drought-tolerant species. Dragon trees are slow-growing and long-lived.

In their Canary Island habitat, they have been known to persist for 500 years or more.

Esten is pleased to show off his hardy tapioca (Manihot grahamii), grown for its parasol foliage. Its tuberous roots mean it can be cut to the ground and grow back up again. This plant is related to cassava cassava (kəsä`və) or manioc (măn`ēŏk), name for many species of the genus Manihot of the family Euphorbiaceae (spurge family). , a food staple across the tropics, intensively cultivated from its Amazonian habitat to its adopted home in equatorial Africa.

Tapioca and cassava are in the euphorbia euphorbia (y fôr`bēə): see spurge. family and all parts are highly toxic. Before consumption, the poison must be boiled out of the roots.

Another euphorbia family member in Esten's garden is the red African poinsettia poinsettia: see spurge.

poinsettia

Popular flowering plant (Euphorbia pulcherrima), best-known member of the diverse spurge family. Native to Mexico and Central America, it grows in moist, wet, wooded ravines and on rocky hillsides. (Synadenium grantii rubrum). It is also known as the African milk tree on account of its white sap, a characteristic shared by all Euphorbia kin. It grows quickly to four feet with succulent stems and leaves. You may encounter any number of African poinsettia cultivars, each with its own distinctive foliar foliar

pertaining to or having the quality of leaves. variegation Variegation
Patchy variation in color.

Speaking of variegation, Esten has an eye-catching Su- matran banana (Musa acuminata `Sumatrana') with ma- roon-striped foliage. He also grows the most cold-hardy edible banana, a cultivar cultivar

Any variety of a plant, originating through cloning or hybridization (see clone, hybrid), known only in cultivation. In asexually propagated plants, a cultivar is a clone considered valuable enough to have its own name; in sexually propagated plants, a known as `Rajapuri,' indigenous to the foothills of India.

Ever the adventurer, Esten has intrepidly planted royal poinciana poinciana (poinsēā`nə, –ă`nə), any shrub or tree of the tropical and subtropical genus Poinciana of the family Leguminosae (pulse family). (Delonix regia), the only specimen I have ever seen in the San Fernando Valley. If you visit Yucatan, Hawaii, or other tropical locales, you will never forget the sight of this tree with its mimosa leaves and vibrant scarlet flowers. This is its first year in Esten's garden and it is likely to die during its first exposure to chilly winter weather, but you never know with plants.

Strobilanthus dyerianthus `Persian Shield' has a prominent place in Esten's backyard. Not only is the purple and silver foliage of his original plant healthily growing out every which way, but also -- clones he has propagated from `Persian Shield' cuttings have rooted in small clay pots in his greenhouse.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Esten has found a technique for killing trailing bamboo without having to dig it up, which, even then, is no guarantee of its eradication. After cutting a stalk of bamboo to the ground, immediately swab Round-Up herbicide into the stub of the stalk. If you wait more than a few seconds between cutting and swabbing, the treatment doesn't work. For this reason, it is recommended that two or three people work together on this bamboo termination project.
Edited
Note: I have since learned i can do it alone. I use a squirt bottle and it works fine. just don't tarry.

The photo at the right is by a site member, "Gander' I think it's one of the best pond photos ever!

Fishing Photos

My Mother & Father at San Clemente. I was new to California fishing and was sick most of the trip. The fish is an Albacore. In color me, with a BIG Yellow at San Clemente island, perhaps 59 years later! This was a mother ship that took 25 kayakers to the Island. All fish were taken from a kayak.

The B&W is me at Rocky Point (Redondo Beach) with 2 yellows! Both Jig fish.

The last is me with 2 nice White Sea Bass at Paradise Cove, Malibu

"A few fish photos and the jigs we spoke of"

On the left are some "regulars" that bagged limits in Santa Monica.

I was in my 20s at the time and never knew that anglers omn the left were the Grand Parents of my future Son-In-Law! Small world !
An assortment of "Jerry Jigs." At the top is the 4 inch model. It could weigh 1oz. or 2.5 ozs. The lower photo is the 6 inch, 3 oz. model.

"A short History of Jigs In California"

“A short history of “iron” jigs in California”

By Jerry Esten

Catching fish on a lures has always been fascinating and a challenge so when I discovered jig fishing in California, I was delighted.
It was in the early 1950s when a group of pals and me headed for San Diego.
The fish reports from San Diego said. .”The fishing was excellent.” The reports were accurate and we all did well on nice sized yellowtail.
Much to my friend Bob’s consternation I kept borrowing and losing his lures. A good jig was only $2.50 in those days, but nevertheless big bucks to us youngsters.
It occurred to me that I could make my own jigs. Why not I thought? If only my buddies and I used them it might be a good thing.
I immediately began researching jigs and found that most were imported bone jigs and there was a nice plastic one made in Newport Beach, called, “Baldy”. Both had double fixed hooks and were used primarily for trolling for albacore.
Some commercial old timers told me about a jig no longer made called the “Putter”; they swore by it and claimed they would pay $10.00 for one!
I searched shops and chandleries in vain, and at last found an old “Putter”. It was scarred and chipped but the basic shape was clear. A fresh coat of paint and rigged this with a wire leader, I lest I lose it to a hungry barracuda, I was ready to test this gem.

Captain Putters has been pictured in South Coast Sportfishing’s column “Looking Astern” by Ed Reis. The Captain plied Santa Monica bay and had a fine reputation.

Back to San Diego we went. It was time to see if this venerable jig was as good as claimed.
We boarded the New Lo Ann and headed to the Coronado islands. Once again the reports were good

The sun had not yet risen, but we started throwing jigs just the same. As luck would have it I had an immediate hook up and landed what proved to be the jackpot yellowtail.
Our fellow party boat anglers did what fishermen have always done, and asked. “What’s he using?” The young deckhand looked at the worn legend on this ancient Putter and announced, “It’s a Putter, whatever that is” I lacked the foresight and guile to have told him it was a uhh uhh a “Jerry Jig.” The day was a good one we all caught fish, limits or close to it. After 4 or 5 fish I figured that I’d best put this jig in my tackle box and bring it home safely.
.
The few jigs I saw in those days were imported bone jigs. There was the “Baldy,” a plastic jig with a double hook. It was made by a tackle shop in Newport Beach and was popular for trolling for albacore.
A visit to a local foundry educated me to the sand casting process. I modified the design to suit our manufacturing needs and in a few weeks I headed to Paradise Cove where the late skipper Bill Hutchinson helped me test our new creations.
Big calico bass were obliging. Not only did we do well, but also the jig seemed to produce well while sinking with the reel in free spool. We were actually fishing the lure as though it were live bait, in free spool, and letting it “swim” freely. Captain Bill remarked after catching seven consecutive bass, “I think this jig will do fine.” We made no further changes. The “Jerry jig” was born.
The pier tackle shop stocked the jigs as well as the party boats at paradise cove. The late skipper Jack ward who went on to found Cisco’s at Oxnard ran the “Gentleman” and both he and Captain Bill were instrumental in getting the lures into angler’s hands. Joe Morris was the owner of the “Cove” and a wise businessman. Joe had me make a few display jigs that were around three feet long. They were an eye catcher and a great sales device.

Little did I know that a plethora of lures was going to hit .the market in the next few years, besides my new product there were all sorts of comparable products. Many were around for a few seasons or less. Others became standards and are popular to this day.
On a call to Redondo Sportfishing I met the late
Mr. Tady Shimuzu, he too was selling lures. Tady was showing Capt. Jack Baker his unique new lure. It was so different it made Captain Jack look askance, but he gave it a try.
It did turn out to be a superb fish catcher and was the forerunner of a huge line of jigs. Jim Shimuzu, Tady’s son runs the business today and has a wide variety of products. The late Tady would be shocked to see what that first little jig led to.
Capt Jack baker and most of the Redondo party boats were using my jigs and knocking ‘em dead, thanks to a wonderful run of big bonito, as well as bass and barracuda. The skipper even offered a money back guarantee if one failed to catch fish on my little jigs. As far as I know the Captain never had to give a refund! Mind you, the fishing was excellent and catching jig fish was a “no brainer.”
At about the same time Dal Salas was producing a nice assortment of lures and did well, we fished together in San Diego a few times and tried hard to out-fish each other,

Barney Killion of Lincoln-Pico Sporting Goods made a shiny chrome jig, decorated with a red stripe. It was the “Streamlined Dodger” and was available in two sizes. I once hooked a small sea lion on a Dodger. I never saw that before or since. No, I didn’t land it; my line was peeling off the reel as if a train was pulling it. I cut lose quickly. Mr. Killian also made more conventional jigs, such as the “Whammy” and the “Rodger Dodger.”
They all worked well. A few may still be in stock at the shop, now ably run by Paul killion. I suggest getting a few because when they are gone, they are gone!

A whole series of lures named after space projects like “Nike” and “Polaris” came and soon disappeared.

There was one called the “Straggler” made by Leonard Luisser. Len did well and was producing for many years. Alas, no longer.

Leonard had a competitor named “Hacker” who made jigs bearing that name. It too was a good one. That one too is long gone.

One of the very first jigs was the venerable “Candy Bar”. The maker, one Don Manning invited me fishing on his boat, we had great fun, and of course we were trying to outdo one another.
Don told me how his jig got its name. “I was boarding Dick Shafer’s Hornet” and had a candy box filled with my new gems,
Dick asked, “Watcha got there?” Candy bars? Don replied, “Yes, candy bars for yellowtail.” The name stuck. I hope this is accurate.
Don’s son produced the lure in recent years, but it too is no longer around. (As of 2010 the old candy bar is being made again by Tady!_
There was the French lure called “Vivif”, if it were around today it would surely be an “Infomercial.” It was a rubbery thing and was the precursor of the soft baits that had not yet appeared. Yes, it did work.
Selling lures proved to be more difficult than making them. I called on landings and tackle store from Santa Barbara to Ensenada. I made many friends and probably a few enemies along the way.
I called on the late Jerry Morris of “Jerry’s Tackle” Box in Hermosa Beach. Jerry loved the jigs and did a good job fishing with and selling them.
In recent years I learned that I once gave a jig to a youngster of 12 or so who was hanging around Jerry’s Tackle Box, learning all he could about fish and fishing. The lad went out and caught his first big bonito on our jig.
He must have learned well, today he is a Pacific Coast Sportfishing columnist and is well known as “the walking encyclopedia of fishing,” Steve Carson.

On one of my first sales trips I got a rude awakening at my favorite San Diego landing. The lady in charge took one look at my new product and announced for all to hear, “that will never catch fish.” Needless to say I was very disappointed by what I now know was a senseless remark. I was crushed.
I continued on to Ensenada with my gross of jigs. I had the good fortune to meet Bruce Mises who founded Maxima Fishing Line and woman named Evelyn Fuller who was making a lure called “the Hoodwink” The three of us had dinner together, and I was encouraged by both of these fishing entrepreneurs
We all made sales to a landing that shall go nameless here. The operator snapped up all my jigs. Upon returning home I learned that only my check cleared the bank.

The “Spoofer” was a popular lure, die cast and chromed, the barries loved it. A Los Angeles fireman named John Perkins made it. Some of the “pro” type fisherman looked down on the “Spoofer” because it was sold in drugstores. I never understood this, after all if it caught fish why would anyone care where it was sold? It did indeed catch fish! John went on to make a similar lure called the “Monster”; this one never did catch on.
Jigs came and went, most worked, after all who would not test the product they planned to market?
There was one jig called “Bendo” it was a rubbery thing with a metal insert; The idea was that one could bend it into the desired shape. I always wondered how, after a big fish, one could re bend the Bendo back to the “right” shape.

The previously mentioned “Hoodwink” was known as a fine jig for roosterfish in Baja. The late great Ray Cannon of Baja fame called the Hoodwink the beat roosterfish jig he had ever seen.
I eventually acquired the Hoodwink and did OK with it. The die shop that made it changed hands and alas, the Hoodwink is no more.
Clyde Goto ran a downtown LA tackle shop. He appeared one night on Pierpoint landings TV show called “Fishing Flashes”
This show emceed by Mac Mclintock was a thirty-minute commercial for the landing. We loved every minute of it!
My guess is that “Fishing Flashes” was the first show of its kind.
Clyde was touting a new gadget called the “Reel Deal”; it was a transmission that gave your reel a 9 to 1 gear ratio, plus the ratio that existed. I simply had to have one. I use it to this day, not really needed with the advent of high-speed reels, but it sure is an oddity and a conversation piece.
Clyde was making a jig called the “Schnable” he threw in a few with the purchase of the “Reel Deal”. I felt too awkward to tell him I was making jigs.
Clyde also made a lure called “Clyde’s Clobber” I loved that one. It had a single fixed hook and was ideal for barracuda. It was a bit light and not the easiest jig to cast. In recent years I made a similar one and made it a lot heavier. I called it the “Bada Bing”, but it has never been marketed due to other interests.

Most lures tend to use similar colors. I have been erroneously credited with making the first yellow and green jig.
It’s nonsense. Japanese imported feather jigs were popular and yellow and green worked well. We scored so well on big calicos that the word got out that yellow and green was the best color for big bass.
Here is an example of how the word gets out:

A group us went out one winter day with Capt. Bill Hutchinson.
Fishing had been poor and we had no luck at all. Capt Bill pointed out a blue shark that was being harassed by perhaps seven yellowtail. I had only heard about this phenomena and had never seen it until then. The yellows ignored live bait and jigs. They were intent on butting this solitary shark. As the kept circling the boat I dropped a jig straight down. When they passed again I lifted my rod and cranked hard. I was lucky and snagged a big yellow in the belly. Capt. Bill got on the radio and let the fleet know that a big yellow was just taken on a green and yellow jerry jig. As you might guess we sold a lot of them.

I hope you readers can add to what I shared here.
We welcome corrections and new information. All of the above is from memory and is ancient. I can be reached at Kayak4evr@aol.com

About

About

"How to Catch Fish From A Kayak"

“How to catch Fish from a kayak”
Jerry Esten
Most of you are aware of the proliferation of kayaks today. Space age materials and rotational molding have made kayaks very affordable. Some are suited for fishing, others are not, sure you can fish from a surfboard, but the ‘right” kayak will give you room for you tackle and a place to store your catch. And have room for accessories like rod holders, electronics and more.
We all have personal preferences in tackle, but most of what I state here is typical.
RODS:
There is little need for great casts since you will be right on the fish (hopefully)
I prefer a 6 ft rod, to 7 ft rod. It is important to be able to reach beyond the bow of your boat., spinning or conventional guides, you choice.
Some fellows take many rods, I prefer to keep it simple. You can stow extras below decks in hatches, being nimble is a plus. It’s not the same as a party boat, where you can easily get at your extra rods
REELS:
I am an old conventional reel guy I love the quick-take apart feature of Penn, I can easily carry a few extra spools loaded with line in appropriate tests.
Spinning reels are fine too, one can change spools in a jiffy and concerns about back lashing are nil.
Kelp bass, bonito, barracuda and mackerel may all be taken easily.

The Fish:
A few years ago there was a marvelous run of White Sea bass off Trancas point, fish as big as 70 pounds! 60s and 50s were almost common.
In Baja California kayakers regularly take yellow fin tuna and roosterfish.
Catalina and the other Channel Islands produce big fish too.
Kayak angler’s charter mother ships and get transported over and back.
I know at least one hardy and well-conditioned soul who paddles to Catalina!
This stalwart chap uses GPS and carries a marine radio, many kayakers do.
Cell phones too are popular. “ Hello honey, could you call the Coast guard for me?”

In-shore fishing can produce the aforementioned wsb as well as kelp bass, bonito, barracuda , sand bass and yellowtail.
The law requires us to carry a cumbersome net, a short gaff is more to my liking, in fact I frequently use a fixed hook jig as a gaff. We are mere inches from the water and using it is not difficult.

Bait:

Frozen dead bait can be good, however live bait is available, some of us even “bum” sardines, anchovies and squid from power boaters. We also use snag gangs like the “Lucky Lura” to catch mackerel and anything else available.
At Redondo’s King Harbor, the bait receiver is a short paddle away, as are bonito and mackerel
Mackerel is wonderful bait and one can load up with a “snag gang”.
2
As an old jig fisherman I consider that a form of bait too, so I carry “iron” as well as swim baits in my tackle compartment.

Yes, you can have a bait well too and keep mackeral , anchovies, sardines and squid frisky for hours.
I know of no commercial bait tank for out tiny craft, but there are 1ots of home made jobs that use a pump and a battery and Rubbermaid containers, they are simple and efficient.
If you are internet active you can get plans from a few kayak fishing websites.
Since this writing a few commercial tanks are available. Try La Jolla kayak fishing.

Electronics and accessories

The previously mentioned GPS is a great tool for getting you right to that favored spot.
Fish locaters are common too with modern day kayakers.
There is a nifty stainless device called the Rhynobar that mounts on your kayak, You can secure your fish locater as well as rod holders to it. It’s neat and efficient
Rod holders come in many forms, the Scotty and the Fish-On are popular, and both can be mounted on your little “fishing machine” flush mounts’ or side mounts” I think flush is the neatest and wont impede your climbing back in if the need arises.
Through the deck mounts are available too.
Paddle clips too come in an array of styles, from the rubber ones you have all seen as rod holders on the party boats, too plastic jobs.
These are intended to keep your paddle out of the way while you are fishing.. I carry my rod in same when launching. You can store more rods below decks.

Backrests are a must to prevent an aching back. They come in a variety of styles ,with places for water bottle storage too.

The kayak angler is Vic Van Wie with a huge California White Sea Bass taken off Trancas point, Malibu

Breakin’ in to Show Business!
Jerry Esten

Starting out:

I had been retired for a number of years and saw an ad on Craig’s List. It was just extra work. Sounded like fun and it was close. The Eisner Medical Center. Yep, that Eisner.

Upon my arrival lots of young actors or would be actors gathered around me, thinking this old dude must know a lot about the business of acting. I was asked how long I’d been doing it? I asked. “What time is it now?” The young folks were mostly under 20.

The director took one look at me and said, “You are my Doctor!” He had little choice considering how young the group was.

It was a fun group and they fed us well. The story was about illegal aliens. Much of the cast had Mexican backgrounds. The good food we had was Mexican food! The Film was called "El Papel."

I did very little and the film never reached fruition, nor was anyone ever paid! No matter, the bug had bitten me.

I am blessed with abundant confidence, why I have no idea! Hell, I was a high School drop out long before it became so popular!
I found a few websites where you could submit for roles that you were suited for.
No it’s not free, but well worth the $65.00 to $100.00 bucks a year.

One of the sites has a forum where I could ask questions! Thirty months later I now answer a few questions for “new” actors.
The various union rules are a labyrinth to wade through. Much is still a mystery to me.
Non union (NU) is readily available.
I did enroll in classes and learned a lot about acting. One can easily spend thousands of dollars on studying. The topics are vast, from actually performing to scene study, Improv and the many “Methods.” My teacher even made us all sing. I am awful as were most of the class. I did prepare; so I’d talk-sing ala Rex Harrison. I think I got “Chattanooga Choo Choo” down pretty well. See? Her device made me prepare! Preparation is a key!
She never asked us to sing again!

If a newcomer needs to make a living it can be tough. Having a job where the employer is flexible and allows you to go to auditions is a must.




Auditions:

I do get more than my share. This town is filled with beautiful young guys ‘n girls. As a senior character actor I may have an advantage. There are, however, many of my type around!
Auditions can be a learning process. I do suggest you take classes! They are all over the place. They usually run $400.00 to $600.00 for a mere four sessions. You can try a Community College too. They cost a lot less and can be a good place to start.

Extra or Background work:

Many are content to BG work. It’s easy and the food is good. The good thing about BG work is one will see how it is on the set. You can also learn from others there. You will have plenty of time to chat.
I did BG for “Gray’s Anatomy” I was never used! I hung out and ate for 16 hours! Yes, You heard it right. Never again. I was lucky; home was only 3 minutes away. If it’s a union show you may get a SAG voucher, good. Three of them will make you eligible for SAG. Extras have been referred to as “Furniture that eats.” Where would movies be with out them?


Your Resume and head shot:
You need them both. You will present them at every audition or electronic submission.
More about the last later

Headshots can cost as little as $300.00 to as much as $600.00.
One usually gets what they paid for. Do a search for photographers. Meet with them before the shoot.
You may find there is no compatibility or even worse a creep that will hit on women.
You can see their work on their web sites.
Your resume should be stapled to the back of your headshot. The format for your resume is in many of the books and courses mentioned here, as well as the Internet

Electronic submissions:
There are many acting sites as mentioned earlier. Try Actors Access, and LA Casting.
You can see the gigs that are offered and submit electronically. It’s easy. The prospective Director and associates will see your headshot and resume.
You won’t get many responses until your resume reflects your experience. Also submit to roles you are suited for! If you are 80 don’t submit for a handsome young leading man.

Scams:
There are hundreds out there, maybe even thousands!
A few tips. If they ask for money, forget it.
If they want to take your photos for a fee or even refer you to a photographer, forget it.
Some are very clever and very well presented.

There are very legitimate offers too. Folks like Bob Fraser who offers you CD courses covering a myriad of topics. No, it’s not cheap but can be very worthwhile.
Bonnie Gillespie has a number of books on the market. All are excellent. I’d have been lost without them. You may reach her here. http://cricketfeet.com/
Bonnie has a column as well. http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice

Auditions:
You get a phone call or e-mail from a CD (Casting Director.) He or she asks you to come in and read for them. They may offer you “Sides” the lines you will be reading.
Prepare as much as you can. Understand the scene and the character.
You will wait your turn at the audition. You can be, as I was, in a room full of remarkably beautiful young women. Oh how I wish I were younger!
The auditors may be the Director, Writer and at times even the CD.

I did one recently and there was nothing but lovely girls there and I had to read lines I’d never utter. I seemed to be the only one who was embarrassed.
I did fit the role and got the part.
You will do dozens of auditions to get one! It can be disheartening. It is never personal so don’t despair.
One CD who has a few wonderful books out there said that 90% of the time it’s the “look” that gets the role. She is the aforementioned Bonnie Gillespie. Her books will save you lots of time and grief!

Student Films:
A great place to start. I am lucky; in this town we have USC, UCLA and many more that have excellent Theatre Arts Departments. If you are young, who knows? You may be working for the next Steven Speilberg! A USC Graduate.
I say young because as a senior Actor I need to succeed NOW!
These films are a learning process and some are very good. A graduate Thesis is usually a lot better target to shoot for.
You get NO PAY usually, but food and a “Reel”. A reel is a copy of the film. You can use this in compiling your own reel. You can submit this to filmmakers electronically too.
A tip: I made my own contract for the students to commit to.
Why? Because students can be notoriously unreliable in delivering your promised copy.
Since my homemade contract I have had no problem.

Money:

There isn’t much. Don’t quit your day job!
Once you are in AFTRA and or, SAG you may do a lot better. One must qualify for those unions.
There are many different ways to do that. Both have an initiation fee, not cheap. As much as 2400.00.
You can find detailed information on SAG and AFTRA on the Internet.

Your location:

You don’t have to be in Hollywood to fulfill your dream. Many cities are a hot bed for films. New York, Miami,Toronto,Vancouver B.C. to name a few.
I have an actor pal in Cincinnati and he works all the time.
Of course, Los Angeles is the place!

I hope I have enlightened you enough that you will do the research and perhaps discover a whole new career.
Jerry Esten kayak4evr@aol.com

Here is a commercial I did a few months ago. Hope you like.   
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iKstlH6GhE
Here is my very first film.  had many auditions until I got this one.  I asked felix how many submitted?  he replied. "You don't wanna know!"   http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1726963/geriatric_hat_trick/
You will have to watch a short commercial first.