GA SMA ALT DEVIATION EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT DESCENT BELOW CHARTED ALT BEFORE CROSSING FAF.

Narrative

UPON ARR AT EMT ON A VFR FLT; ATIS WAS CALLING SKY PARTIALLY OBSCURED; 2 1/2 MI IN SMOKE AND HAZE. (TOP OF HAZE LAYER WAS ABOUT 3500' AND VIS AT THAT ALT WAS 20-30 MI.) AT 4000'; AND OVER THE FIELD; I RPTED TO EMT TWR AND REQUESTED A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC INTO EMT. TWR NOTIFIED ME THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST 4 OTHER ACFT CIRCLING VFR ABOVE THE FIELD WAITING FOR SPECIALS AND THERE WOULD BE AT LEAST A 20 MIN DELAY; OR LONGER BEFORE I COULD EXPECT A CLRNC TO LAND. I THEN CONTACTED ONT APCH AND AFTER SEVERAL STANDBYS I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED THE VOR A APCH INTO EL MONTE; WITH RADAR VECTORS TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. ALTHOUGH I AM RATED AND CURRENT FOR IFR; I HAVE LOGGED LESS THAN 4 HRS ACTUAL; AND MOST OF MY APCHS HAVE BEEN UNDER THE HOOD. YESTERDAY'S PROBS BEGAN AFTER XING THE VOR AND THEN STARTING MY DSCNT TOO SOON; RECEIVING A LOW ALT ALERT; BEFORE XING THE FINAL APCH FIX. IN RETROSPECT; MY LACK OF ACTUAL IFR APCHS RESULTED IN MY LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW IN WHAT WAS ALMOST VFR CONDITIONS FOR FAMILIAR LANDMARKS; AND NOT STAYING ON THE INSTRUMENTS AS I SHOULD. I WOULD HAVE MADE A BETTER APCH YESTERDAY IF I HAD WORN MY HOOD; AND STAYED INSIDE THE COCKPIT RATHER THAN LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AND FACING THE SUN THROUGH THE SMOG. FOR HELP IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS; I PLAN ON RIDING WITH AN INSTR AND MAKING A SERIES OF APCHS; VFR; W/O THE HOOD. I NEED TO GET USED TO THE IDEA OF GOING DOWN TO MINIMUMS W/O LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE GOING.