IT'S NOT SO HARD TO FISH FROM KAYAK.

Byline: Bill Becher Staff Writer

Dennis Spike was an acupuncturist - now he sticks fish from a kayak.

``If you live in Southern California, it's a crime not to enjoy the coast,'' Spike said.

His Web site, kayakfishing.com, is a virtual hub for information about kayak fishing and includes five regional bulletin boards where anglers can post reports and discuss the sport.

Spike operates a kayak fishing, outfitting business in Reseda that offers schools, clinics and guided kayak fishing trips in California and Mexico, in addition to selling gear for kayak anglers.

Teaching safety and how to equip a kayak to make it ``fishable'' are the primary goals for Spike's beginner classes.

``Kayak fishing is so easy, I'd hate to see someone get hurt doing it,'' Spike said.

Most anglers fish from a sit-on-top kayak. They're easier to get back onto if you flip over and provide better access to fish and fishing tackle than a sit-inside kayak. The plastic-molded boats cost about $750 new, less than most sit-inside kayaks. You'll also need a kayak paddle and a light wet suit to keep you warm.

The Coast Guard requires that kayaks carry a Personal Flotation Device. Wearing it all the time while you are on the water is a good idea. The Department of Fish and Game wants you to have a visible fishing license and a net with a minimum-18 inch opening for landing undersize fish. A compass, whistle, flares, a first aid kit and a hand-operated bilge pump are other suggested safety gear.

Many kayakers carry a hand-held submersible marine VHF transceiver and a GPS receiver. If you paddle and fish high-traffic areas or in a big swell, Spike suggests attaching a bright-colored six-inch by 12 inch-vinyl flag to the tip of your longest rod.

Telling someone where you're going and when you will be back is an important safety device, as is fishing with at least one other person.

Spike advises starting out by equipping your kayak with rod holders, paddle clips, a sheath to hold a knife, pliers handy and an elastic line for tying up to kelp. A bowline is needed for holding onto the kayak in bad conditions, as is a towline, and for attaching bottom and sea anchors.

He tells his students not to get a fish finder for the first six months of kayak fishing.

``You want to sharpen your primal fishing skills first,'' said Spike, who claims the kayak-fishing white sea bass record with a 75-pound fish caught off Broad Beach in Malibu.

A live bait bucket, gaff and sea anchor are helpful additions.

Spike stores fish he's caught on his kayak in a bag or cooler, not in the water to avoid attracting large unexpected visitors.

A freshwater spinning rod and reel with 10-pound-test line is used for making bait. Spike carries two rods with level wind reels. One is equipped with 12- to 20 pound-test monofilament line for fishing baits and one with 20-pound-test line for artificial lures.

When making bait, Spike uses a sabiki, a Japanese rig sometimes known as a Lucky Joe, with four to six hooks. A submersible bait bucket holds the bait.

For bait fishing, Spike rigs a traditional dropper loop or a Carolina rig similar to those used by bass anglers. He fly lines - fishes the bait without a sinker - for surface species like white sea bass, yellowtail and barracuda. Sardines, smelt, and Pacific mackerel are the most common bait caught and used by kayak anglers.

``Surf smelt are the kayak angler's secret weapon,'' Spike said.

Apart from bait caught on the water, kayak anglers also use frozen squid and anchovies.

There are two lures that Spike wouldn't want to be without: the Fishtrap soft plastic swim bait that imitates Southern California baitfish and the Luhr Jensen Crocodile - a proven lure for any species in any conditions, Spike said. But it's how you fish the lure that counts.

``Kayak fishing is like every Sunday fishing show you've seen,'' Spike said. ``It's pitch'n, flip'n and jig'n. You try everything until you figure out what's working that day.''

Spike said the area on the ocean side of a kelp paddy is ``the golden zone'' and is the place most kayak anglers start catching fish. He also looks for crab pot floats, because that mean there is fish-holding structure nearby.

``Watch your lure as it comes up to the kayak,'' Spike said. ``A lot of times, a fish is following it. Drop it back at him.''

He also advises slowing down your retrieve if you're not catching fish.

``Don't set the hook with artificials, just keep winding,'' Spike said.

For those wanting to try kayak fishing without buying their own gear, Spike offers kayak classes, including the use of a fully equipped kayak and all fishing tackle.

``We get a lot of guys who think they know how to fish,'' Spike said. ``But when they go out on the kayak, they lose a lot of gear. Then, they come to see us to learn how to fish without dumping expensive tackle over the side.''

MORE INFO

Coastal Kayak Fishing provides classes, clinics and guided kayak fishing trips. Information: [phone] or www.kayakfishing.com

-- Other Web sites - kayaksportfishing.com and www.socalkayakfishing.com have information on local kayak fishing.

--``Kayakfishing: The Revolution'' by Ken Daubert, Coelacanth Communications ($15.95), is a guide for beginning kayak anglers. ``Sit-On-Top Kayaking - A Beginners Guide,'' by Tom Holtey, covers kayak basics.

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2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Kayak fishing guru Dennis Spike admires a calico bass, above, while fishing from his kayak near Malibu's Broad Beach. Lingcod, left, is one of the many near-shore fish available to kayak anglers.

Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News

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