Parker, I had the same exact experience as you when I visited a couple of years ago. I brought a couple of salmon/steelhead set-ups to fish from the beach. Just as you did, I made it out to the beach before sunrise and fished. I did this three or four days. I was able to catch one needle fish on a Zara-spook, but other than that, nothing. It was nice to watch the sunrises and one morning I did see several mantas breaching.