Canal
 

Thought I'd head down for a few casts at the east end around 5 and now I remember why I stopped fishing there, shoulder to shoulder as far as I could see. I don't know what I was thinking going near it on a Sunday morning! I wonder how many canal rage incidents there are with that many fishing so close.

Only going to go weekdays. Can't Tolerate Bleep show

The canal is not for the faint of heart.
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I thought as far as any kind of jetties, canals, and beaches go that Monday-Thursday are the ones that are the regulars fish and Friday to Sunday belongs to the weekend warriors, especially in the summer?

Though I remember down here I made the mistake of going to a beach Turkey day morning and it was literally shoulder to shoulder...figures.

People go knowing that they have a very good chance of catching a fish that can do the following - even though they aren't good fisherman. I find most (but not all) of the people are decent and will watch out for others.

It's even a zoo because the BIG fish are in.

So the no speak ingrish guy sets up 30 feet to my left yesterday. Everybody around me is fishing topwater in the appropriate cadence. Not my googan though. Keeps throwing a savage jig that I reel in 5 times. I keep throwing it down at my feet so he has to waddle his fat ass over to pry it out of the rocks. Eventually the nightlight in his brain figures out what the deal is. Lesson learned.
God punished me though, he later caught a 30 # fish. Lesson learned.
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I got your phone message late Bob! My response would have been that I won't go there on weekends! LOL! Can't even get myself to go during the week! Just not worth it!

I don't care if there are 60# fish shoulder to shoulder. I am NOT fishing the Canal. I stopped 3 years ago and haven't been back since. I take my chances on The Block in November. I don't care if I don't catch anything. It's the peace and solitude I have that brings me back to my roots of surf fishing. The Canal is NOT surf fishing. It's a $hit show.

I stopped fishing there many, many years ago... I fished 4 nights last week. I never saw another angler...we may not have near the amount of fish you guys do.. but the peace of mind is worth every unmolested cast.

I agree with Paul
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Here's my story of how the canals treated me this season.



So fish start breaking in front of me, I throw out a stragetic angler Mac like 3 cranks in the guy next me cast over my line.

"My bad" he starts cranking it in and he gets smashed like 20 feet from shore on a magic swimmer, my plug is hanging on his line.

Fish dumps 150 yards of braid instantly into his backing. guy had his drag on like 1! So my plug and now my line are goin for a ride with this fish.

He tightens down the drag and is now fighting the fish.

Fish breaking all around me, nothing I can do. Big fish too.

Guy finally gets in close and doesn't know what to do.

Says "where do a grab it, and do they have teeth?"

FML, so I go over, land this 42 lb fish, unhook it for him and get my lure free.

The guy didn't even want a pic with it, he took like 2 crappy pics of it in the water

Weighed it on my boga, tank of a fish

Guy tells me he bought this set up last night and his first time ever at the canal and hasn't fished in like 20 years

Only fish I saw caught all day
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Hope he thanked you after his apology😡

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at least you didn't lose the plug!

which type of strategic angler do you fish in the canal?

Chef.....that's why there's booze.
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Amen.

I came to a conclusion that place is not how I like to fish. I fish to relax and clear my head . I won't go back down there until mid September or so after most of the masses have departed. Catching a fish doesn't mean that much to me.
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exactly!

I started out at the back beaches and then learned how to fish the canal. It used to be a lot of familiar faces and names,but that changed a while ago and I started with boats. I haven't fished there in over 5 years and I have no intention on returning to the combat zone.
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I don’t fish there as much as I use to. Too crowded for me. If I had to catch a 50 from shore, I would concentrate there. I think it makes people think they are better fisherman than they really are. If people only fish there they become somewhat 1 dimensional.

That said I was there Friday night into Sat. I fished around a bridge w/about 9 others. I was in the worse position bc I was closest to the bridge and so my drift was pretty short. I only saw 3 -4 crossed lines and no one complained when it happened. When I was up on the road talking to someone I know a guy was on a fish and reeled into his reel line from a guy up current of him. No one got upset. The guy’s whose line it was quickly cut his line and people worked to free the line. In my position the guys up current from me recognized I would have the shortest drift and when I was ready to cast would tell me it was ok to help me out. People also would let others know when someone was on to a fish. All were regulars and it was enjoyable fishing w/them.

Later went wetsuiting and had no fish

Sat morning bf false light set up next to a few friends on my left with a lot of room to my right (up current). 3 guys later set up to my right and they didn’t really know what they were doing and didn’t have the right gear – but they were nice, polite guys so there was no problem. They would not cast until after I did and knew where my plug was and when I told them they were casting in the wrong area they all adjusted. They listened to suggestions about their drag (or lack of drag) and equipment. When I suggested they put on a magic swimmer (after I had about 10 fish over 40” on it) they put the 1 on they had – even though it was a smaller one. They shared it and soon all had at least 1 fish caught – mostly smaller. I gave them 1 large one and they all soon had a 40” or so fish on the rocks to take home (I had mixed feelings about this). The guy next me soon lost the M. swimmer and they packed up to leave. Came over to say thank you for the help and offered $ for the lost swimmer which I did not take.

Long post but wanted to say that I think it is dependent who you fish with/next to.

I did catch 1 fish on a jig Saltheart gave me

sounds a lot like a spot I am very familiar with my whole career jigging the canal, we used to call it the bus stop because the fish usually showed up a certain stage of the tide. My friend and I had over 60 fish one night, had the place to ourselves, that was epic. I go once a year or so, too many people for me

the bus stop...definitely had a few good nights there...

I know you did
I was happy for you

That's funny Bruce....I used to call it "Slip's Spot" because that's where I would normally run into you. I think the Specialist pulled his first 35 out of there many moons ago?
I still make a few trips a year, short of the crowd and disrespectful few, it's too easy not to fish...and think of how many people you've met throughout the years due to the Canal?
Internet helps as much as it hurts is what I've always said...:rollem:

I've actually enjoyed fishing the canal this year, especially since my surf spots are barren of anything over 27". I've stayed away from the major blitzes, fished at night, fished more of my style of fishing and it's paid off. Been an enjoyable and relaxing season, haven't been crowded out...never thought I'd say that about the canal lol

Is that monster snag still there? JP's "rope"?. Used to be as infamous as the legendary Bell Road "cable" back in the 1960s.

Guys bank their sick and vacation time all year to fish certain tides. Everyone knows what tides usually produce nowadays. And some collect bennies. So many disabled people seem to be able to negotiate those rocks---modern PT works miracles. :laugha:

That floating rope snag is still there in the same spot Mike. I remember him talking about maybe get a boat and a grapple hook and try to rip it out of there, glad he was not serious, that might end badly or make another snag.
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Here is the nice side of the canal. A friend in town is hosting a 15yo from Somalia for the summer. Kid has taken to fishing and has been catching scup on his own. The friend asked Sauerkraut to take him fishing. Cheap sh!t that he is, Alan fixed him up with some garbage bin tackle, drags him to the canal at some ungodly hour, and ........Presto! Kid gets what will be likely the fish of his life..........and Alan then proceeds to cut his head off with a crappy picture!