By Paul Lebowitz

August 24, 2007

Plastic Navy Tournament Trail Paddles into Dana Point on September 15

DANA POINT - When the Plastic Navy Tournament Trail Presented by Western Outdoor News paddles into Dana Point on Sept 15, every competitor in the West Coast’s largest and most lucrative kayak fishing series will be gunning for Ed Howerton. Hot stick Howerton has surged out to a 15 point lead in the race for the Lowrance Angler of the Year. Eating his dust is a large group of contenders for second best.

Of course, the Dana Pt tournament is also a stand-alone saltwater bass catch and release contest. The heaviest 5-fish tournament limit is worth a minimum $1,001 and possibly much more based on attendance.

There’s the Global Fish Mounts Jackpot to be had too; the heaviest single bass will earn a gift certificate for a replica mount ($400 value) plus a veritable pile of cash.

The prize list for Plastic Navy / WON events goes on and on. Highlights include polarized sunglasses from Costa del Mar; saltwater-tough baitcasting reels and new Kayak Series rods from Quantum; Xtools floating fishing tools; Seaguar fluorocarbon; superlines and saltwater baits from Berkley; hardbaits and hooks from Rapala and VMC; swimbaits from FishTrap; and much more.

Dana Pt is famous for producing jumbo calicos. A 2004 kayak tournament turned out an 11-lb monster. With a kicker of that size a possibility, overall leader Howerton can’t breathe easy quite yet.    

Tournament headquarters is the Dana Pt Launch Ramp, a short and sheltered paddle from the harbor mouth. Launch time is 6 am; everyone must be back on the beach by the 1 pm end of fishing time.   

The question facing most tournament anglers is: do I paddle north or south?

Dana Pt local and perennial tournament threat Yani Hasircoglu shared his intimate knowledge of the area’s near-shore fish-holding structure.

The Capo Reefs lie south of the launch. “The structure starts 200 yards south of the river mouth and runs all the way to the San Clemente pier and beyond. In that area anglers can find debris fields evidenced by kelp stringers, boilers at certain tides, a sunken pier at Capistrano Beach, and a sunken barge. Look for them in anywhere from 0 to 40-ft of water,” Hasircoglu said.

BASS SHOWDOWN AT CALICO TOWN – Team Quantum staffer Brett DeLong shows off a beautiful Dana Pt checker. Calico bass grow big here, making the area an ideal venue for the Plastic Navy Tournament Trail Presented by Western Outdoor News.

DANA PT ARSENAL – With calicos on boiler rocks, in the kelp forest, and hunkered down on the reefs off Capistrano Beach, Dana Pt plays to the versatile angler. Local staples include soft baits like as Gulp! Alive; crankbaits from Rapala, and big blades such as the Trix Jetty Worm Spinbomb.

The headland that looms northwest of the harbor is impossible to miss. Hasircoglu described the area as: “Boilers, lots of reefs, and underwater pinnacles. Moving north you come into Strands Beach. There’s new and healthy kelp there and at the Headlands. It is great for weedless plastics.”

“The key is to find an area Mother Nature has turned on. Find a spot where the wind, swell, current, tide and baitfish are all lined up. You’re going to find feeding bass,” Hasircoglu said.

Dana Pt is known as Orange County’s gateway to kayak fishing. The local shops speak the lingo. Tournament sponsor Dana Pt Jetski and Kayak Center is raffling off two $500 gift certificates good toward anything in the store: Hobie fishing kayaks and a host of rod holders, leashes, dry bags, and other items suitable for any kayak make. Drop your entry off at the shop just a stone’s throw from the launch any time between tournament day and September 22.