| Calico Bite is ‘Game On’ From Dana Point to San Onofre |
| By: Daniel Greenberg | 7/21/2010 12:00 AM |
| Last updated: 8/4/2010 1:52 PM |
Here we are at the end of July, and the offshore season still hasn’t started. Last year at this time, marlin, tuna, dorado and yellowtail were found lurking along the local and offshore banks. Hopefully the recent heat wave that hit Southern California will warm things up and the pelagics will start to show in our local waters.
 | | | Photo by: fishingvideos.com | | Bite’s On Bass – From Dana Point to San Onofre, calico bass have been devouring fly-lined anchovies and sardines thrown to the edge of kelp beds. | | |
In the meantime, anglers working the kelp beds from Dana Point down toward San Onofre have found calico bass in full-on bite mode. The ticket has been using lighter line from 10- to 15-pound test, with a little bit of fluorocarbon tied on and a fly-lined anchovy or sardine set back into the kelp line.
Anglers working the deeper and hard-bottom spots off Dana Point have had success on calicos, sand bass and the occasional halibut. This whole zone also has the potential for a white seabass bite, as well.
From Dana Point to Salt Creek, calicos have been biting just outside the kelp, and the shallow beaches inside of Salt Creek are producing a few keeper halibut.
There continues to be a steady pick on the migratory sand bass for the sportboat fleet and private boaters, working the area from the Huntington Flats to Izors Reef and the Horseshoe Kelp sector. Plastic swim baits with a strip of squid have been effective, with a lot of the sand bass suspended in the middle of the water column at a depth around 60 to 80 feet.
Mixed in with the sand bass have been a few calicos, with the occasional halibut in the mix for the angler fishing a dropper-loop rig on the bottom. Schools of barracuda have been roaming up and down this zone as well, so watch for crashing birds and bait; that is a good indication that barracuda are around.
There is also a good chance of catching a white seabass in with the barracuda, since this is the time of year they school up together. There was a recent report of an angler fishing barracuda up at the flats using a surface iron, and he hooked and landed a 44-pound biscuit.
Over at Catalina, yellowtail fishing has really picked up, with schools of forktails swimming up and down the front side of the island. Try starting off at Frog Rock, working your way toward Hen Rock and then onto Long Point.
The yellows have been biting mainly on live sardines and mackerel slow trolled, with a handful being caught by anglers slow trolling X-Rap lures, Rapalas and Yo-Zuris.
The white seabass bite around Catalina has slowed way down, but there still have been a few caught at various spots. Try the East End of the island starting near Seal Rocks, then work your way toward Church Rock. The area from Church Rock to Silver Canyon has had a few shots on seabass, as well.
If anglers have no luck on the yellows and seabass, the calico bass fishing remains on fire at Catalina, for anglers targeting the edges of the kelp line and boiler rocks. A lead head and a strip of squid is working, as well as fly-lined sardines or anchovies and the plastic swim baits.
The calicos have been averaging 2 to 4 pounds, with a few in the 6- to 8-pound range. Just outside of the kelp line, big schools of bonito have been spotted with barracuda and yellowtail in the mix.
Halibut fishing has been good as well, for anglers targeting the sandy beaches and coves along the front of the island, as well as various spots along the back.
On the banks, swordfish and makos have started to show up in bigger numbers. The swordfish have been mainly spotted from the east end of Catalina working your way down the 277, as well as the 267 and 209 zones. A few have popped up along Avalon bank and the 14.
Over at Santa Barbara Island, calico bass fishing has been on fire with reports of an angler catching one over 10 pounds. Sheephead in the 20-pound range have also been reported, and a few anglers have had some success on seabass and yellowtail.
This article first appeared in the July 2010 issue of FishRap. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
