Category: Bait

• Advice from Grandpa: Offer a smorgasbord

  This is not exactly how grandpa said it since he was a “little Irishman from Minnesota” as he’d always told everyone and big words were not part of his plain spoken vocabulary, but I understood what he meant when he told me that not all fish eat the same things.  So, he regularly cautioned me […]

  John Darling – Author

  August 30, 2019

  Bait, Bat Rays, fishing, Grandpa Duffy, Mackerel, Pacific Ocean, sportfishing, Ventura Pier

  Bait, Bat Ray, Mackerel, Salmon, Squid, Ventura Pier

• Shark Bait: It’s Good to be Home

  Call me Captain Ahab.  I have been in search of the white whale since last week when one got away due to old equipment that has now been replaced and though I didn’t catch a whale, the 42”, 30 to 40-pound Shovelhead shark pictured above would have defeated my efforts if I had not upgraded […]

  John Darling – Author

  August 27, 2019

  Bait, California White Croakers, fishing, fishing pole, Goleta Pier, Mackerel, Perch, Port Hueneme Pier, Sharks, Ventura Pier

  croaker, Mackerel, Sharks, smelt

• Today I was ready for anything…

  I have been having some issues with the line on my Wishing Pole which I keep on the ocean’s bottom hoping to lure in a big fish.  The line on my new reel was the 35-year-old line that I had on my old reel.  It was getting fragile and I did not have enough of […]

  John Darling – Author

  August 24, 2019

  Bait, fishing, fishing pole, Mackerel, smelt, Ventura Pier, wishing pole

  baiit, fishing, fishing pole, Shakespeare ATS30, Shimano Saguaro rod, sportfishing

• Innovation? Yeah, I can do that!

  When I fish on the Ventura Pier, I have two parking options.  One is to pay $10 for a day permit (it is as low as $2 in some other city parks) or park on the other side of Highway 101 and take the pedestrian overpass to the pier.  I, and most other fisherman, choose […]

  John Darling – Author

  August 23, 2019

  Bait, fishing, Pacific Ocean, Ventura Pier

  arteesol Dry Bag, Ventura Pier