Ep. 7: Scott Wyss of Bows & Arrows on Finding Calico in the Kelp

Guest: Scott Wyss (Bows & Arrows) Hosts: Daniel Dahlin ([FISH]rx), El Charly

Scott Wyss from Bows & Arrows grew up surf fishing striped bass on the East Coast before moving to California and spending years learning the kelp. Episode 7, recorded live on February 21, 2023, is one of the most specific calico kelp breakdowns the show has had — cast angle relative to current, seasonal bait selection, and why 90% of his bites come at one specific moment in the retrieve.

In This Episode

• Cast angle and current — Scott always casts up-current, lets the bait swing, and gets most of his bites when the line comes parallel to him. The same logic fly fishers use for trout: the bait tracks naturally with the current rather than fighting it
• Glide bait vs. crankbait by season — spring through summer: glide baits on a slow retrieve. Fall and winter: lipped crankdown baits that dive deeper and generate reaction bites on a burn-and-pause cadence. Fish are less active and need the annoyance of a fast bait in their face
• Bait size for calico vs. spotties — 8-inch baits for calico in the kelp, 3-inch for spotties. Not because the size matters for the spotties — he’s seen them eat 6-inch baits — but because the presentation and structure are entirely different
• Fishing tight kelp cover weedless — single weedless owner beast hooks allow casting into matted kelp where trebles would foul immediately. Most of the big fish are buried in the canopy, not on the edges
• Kelp structure reading — isolated kelp patches and kelp points hold bigger fish than continuous beds. Cast along the outside corner, run the bait past the corner, and be ready: the bite comes as the bait exits the shadow
• Double hookups on glide baits — Scott regularly gets two calico on one bait in the kelp. If one fish follows and misses, another is almost always behind it. Treble hook-to-hook double bites on 7–8 inch glides are not uncommon
• Background: roots in East Coast striper surf fishing — Scott’s dad has fished striped bass since the 60s. Scott transferred those surf fishing instincts — reading current, timing the wash, working structure points — to California kelp fishing

Beyond the Rod & Reel on Calico Bass

The cast angle breakdown was the standout of this episode. Most anglers fan cast and work the bait back. Scott doesn’t. He sets up with the current, casts up-current, and retrieves as the bait swings. By the time the line comes parallel to him — that’s where 90% of his bites happen. The fish are facing up-current, the bait swings into their window naturally, and they eat it. It’s the same concept that makes a fly drift more effective than a downstream presentation.

The seasonal glide vs. crankdown framework is equally useful. In warm water, fish are more active and a slow glide with a long pause gets eats. In cold water, fish are sluggish and a fast-diving lipped bait burned through their zone triggers the reaction. Most people fish one bait all year. Scott doesn’t, and the reason isn’t gear preference — it’s fish behavior.

Watch the full episode on the Time On The Water YouTube channel. New episodes every Tuesday at 6 PM.

Note: This episode was originally recorded as part of Is This Mandatory, the show that became Time On The Water. Daniel was fishing and building baits under the name Dahlin Baits at the time — the brand is now [FISH]rx.