BASS FISHINGBass Fishing Sports Blog

The jumbo squid that were biting and providing anglers with a unique fishing experience vanished on Tuesday.

“They’re gone,” said Eric Hobday, of the Redondo Special.

Hobday didn’t try to hide his glee that the voracious mollusks had exited much of the Southern California coast.

“They eat everything and do a fantastic deal of harm to our local fisheries,” he said. “Excellent riddance.”

The Redondo Special and other boats in the Santa Monica Bay continue to head out at night and fill their bait tanks with market squid. Market squid is called the candy bait by anglers, as it seems to get a bite like no other bait.

The Redondo Special and Betty G. have been catching lots of small white seabass as well as several legals. in addition, there have been sheephead, rockfish, perch and some calico bass. The Tradition out of Redondo Sportfishing has been catching much of the same but has also had some brilliant rockfishing.

The Humboldt Squid appear to have left plenty of fish behind as Captain Andy Siratt reported limits of rockfish, some sand bass and calico bass as well as some sculpin. Jose Orozco of Carson took his family fishing on the City of Long Beach out of Marina Sportfishing and reported excellent bottom fishing.

“We caught lots of rockfish and the kids had a fantastic time,” Orozco said. “I’m looking forward to the ceviche.”

While the Humboldt Squid may have vacated the waters off Long Beach, lots of market squid have taken their place. Native Sun skipper Gabriel Ceballos reported copious amounts of the bait squid and hopes it will attract predators.

“There is a lot of excellent food around for a nice fall bite,” Ceballos said.

Passing: there is sad news from Long Beach Sportfishing. Dave Aird passed away at age 54.

Aird was known affectionately as “Psycho Dave” because of his antics at the landing and fun-loving spirit. Aird worked in the ticket office, did dock maintenance and entertained anglers and the crews of the boats for the past 15 years.

Mike Redlew of Long Beach Sportfishing said Aird was one of a kind.

“There is a void here without Dave that just will never be filled,” Redlew said. “We are all going to miss him for a long time to come.”

There will be a memorial celebration of his life on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. on board the Native Sun out of Long Beach Sportfishing, followed by a burial at sea. please RSVP to 562-432-8993 or to .

Tuna update: Captain Larry Moore of Philip Friedman Outdoors called in from the Ocean Odyssey on Thursday evening while fishing 150 miles southwest of San Diego and reported brilliant fishing.

“There is a lot of yellowtail on kelp paddies and some bluefin and yellowfin tuna still around,” Moore said. “The tuna/offshore season is still going on but you will have to be on at least a two-day trip.”

Moore said the yellowtail were 5 to 10 pounds and the tuna were 12 to 18 pounds. there were also some nice dorado being taken in the area.

Philip a. Friedman Philip Friedman Outdoors 424-237-0250

The blue whale watching season, which has been fantastic, continued in dramatic fashion again this week.

Will Ebersman from Los Angeles was out of Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach on Tuesday and saw more than a dozen blue whales. On Wednesday, two humpback whales were seen frolicking with the blue whales.

Dawn Hammondtre from Cypress was also on board with her husband Mike and son Caden. “It was fabulous” she said after the trip. “We saw blue whales blowing, surfacing and putting on an incredible show. Words really can’t describe what we saw.”

The Voyager out of Redondo has had similar experiences on a regular basis, reporting great blue whale watching in the deep water canyon a few miles from Redondo.

The major reason the whales are here is the abundance of krill, tiny shrimp-like creatures that are the main food source for the gigantic creatures.

But is the abundance of krill having an adverse effect on local fishing?

Don Ashley from Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach believes so.

“Our half-day boat is reporting clouds of krill everywhere and the fish are full of them,” said Ashley. “I think all this food has the fish full and not wanting to bite something with a hook in it.”

Lately, however, the bite has showed signs of life. the half-day Monte Carlo out of 22nd Street Landing in San Pedro had 64 calico bass and hooked and lost a few white seabass for only 12 anglers Thursday morning.

Out of Redondo, things have been slow but Redondo Special skipper Eric Hobday expects big things. “The water temperature has gone from 62 to 69 degrees,” Hobday said. “It’s ready to get rolling again.”

The Tradition out of Redondo is offering two-for-one fares on Tuesday and Thursday. last Friday, they caught four white seabass to 12 pounds and two yellowtail to 35 pounds. the largest yellow was caught by Hai Dang from Gardena.

The Slammer and Highliner have also been catching white seabass, calico bass and lingcod and rockfish.

Tuna fishing: It was fantastic in San Diego before Tuesday when the bite died.

Brilliant bluefin-tuna fishing had been the rule around the floating tuna pens used to contain live bluefin destined for Japan. the pens have been located about 55 miles southwest of San Diego; about 25 miles off the Baja Coast. the vast majority of the tasty tuna have been in the 12- to 18-pound class.

The Toronado out of Pierpoint landing in Long Beach has been running 1<MD+,%30,%55,%70>1/<MD-,%0,%55,%70>2-day trips to reach the bluefin and having excellent success. On their last trip, they caught 70 bluefin and will be going again on Saturday night. the 1.5-day trip will cost you $175 and you will fish until sunset.

The Condor caught over 100 tuna on Wednesday while many other boats had from 30 to 50 fish. For the time being, tuna fishing is on the spotty side. Joe Davis from Newport Beach fished 150 miles southwest of San Diego and had wide-open yellowfin tuna. Davis said the fish were 18 to 25 pounds. Water temperatures will dictate whether this fish moves closer to San Diego.

Philip Friedman Outdoors 424-237-0250

Im leaving for a twilight deep sea fishing tonight from [7pm-12am] and i need to know what tackle to use. Such as size hooks and sinkers. Thanks

Calico Bass:
Sand Bass:
Barracuda:
Halibut:
Jacksmelt:
Tuna:
Perch:
Sheephead:
Whitefish:
Rockfish:
Yellow Tail:

Calico Bass: 12"
Sand Bass: 12"
Barracuda: 28"
Halibut: 22"
Jacksmelt: none
Tuna: none
Perch: redtail surfperch, 10 1/2", all the rest, none
Sheephead: 12"
Whitefish: none listed. groundfish regulations change during the year. check them.
Rockfish: none. see whitefish.
Yellow Tail: 24" fork length except that 5 fish less than 24" fork length may be taken or possessed.

you really need to read this. it will cover everything:
dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/oceanf…

if you have to measure it, it's too small.

Link doesn't supply all of the species ya' listed but, does has some of them <);-3

Southern Cali 2011 (click on specified fish under what's open):
dfg.ca.gov/marine/mapregs5.as…

Northern Cali 2011 (again click specified fish species):
mlpa.dfg.ca.gov/marine/mapregs1.a…

Greetings! I will be taking a sport fishing trip to Catalina Island soon with Long Beach Sport Fishing, and I was wondering what kind of set up I would need (line, tackle, weights). I think I will set up one heavier rod with 25 lb test line for trolling/jigging for yellowtail and bonito. the other lighter rod I will use 15-20 lb test line for bottom fishing and live bait fishing. Can you guys please shed some light on some proper and efficient set ups? I am honestly new at this so it would be fantastic if you can be very descriptive. I will probably be fishing for Calico Bass, Yellowtail, Bonito, Sand Bass, and Rock Fish.

i would dis agree with artie because sandeigo is way to expensive ….. when going fishing i would take a overnight trip or a 2-day out of daveys locker. because they are nice cheap helfful and they are excellent at catching fish, i would take 2 combos when going light gear and hevey gear……..for the yellowtail and big bonito i would use a 65lbs spectra line with about 10 yards of monofiliment tied toghter with a albight knot on a choice of a reel of a shimano torium 20 190$, daiwa saltist 30 180 dollar$ or a daiwa sealine that is about 130 doallrs if uu want a stronger reel i would use a avet mxl , i have all these reel but i like the avet the most! on a 30-60 lbs rod. with a small half once sinker witha ringed live bait hook and for the light gear i would use 15-20 lbs test with a 8 oz sinker for rock fish 3 oz sinker for bass. with a size 1 hook hope this helped !:)

On Tuesday, the Redondo Special game plot was an simple one. Captain Brian Walker was going to head towards Bluff Cove where the Special and her passengers had been experiencing brilliant fishing. Huge calico bass, sargo, perch, and an occasional white sea bass and halibut had been providing anglers with great action.

But this Tuesday was going to be a different day. as Walker cleared King Harbor he could see a lot of activity around the area he had been fishing.

The Coast Guard had dispatched a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Los Angeles, as well as a 45-foot Response Boat and the 87-foot patrol boat Narwhal to conduct searches for occupants of a capsized Mexican panga that was reported to authorities around 6:30 a.m.

“Damn, that’s just where I wanted to fish,” Walker said as he and the passengers of the Redondo Special approached. By 8 a.m., two Sheriff’s boats, two Lifeguard boats and several news helicopters added to the chaotic atmosphere.

Walker anchored in a less desirable area so as not to intrude on the search. Fishing was slow, however. There was an occasional bass and perch, but it was nowhere near as good as it had been.

Walker then chose to make a go. With a Coast Guard helicopter zooming over the bow of the half-day boat, the Redondo Special moved to within 50 yards of a Sheriffs boat. “I don’t know if they are going to let us fish here, but they’re not warning us off yet. Let’s give the reef a try.”

The go brought the desired results. a large supply of live squid was the key to a steady flow of huge calico bass, sculpin and other fish. Off the starboard bow, Carson resident Patrick Friedman was ecstatic with his catch, a 6-pound halibut.

In the background, one of the Coast Guard vessels was slowly towing off the downed panga on a long tow rope, with the other boat following close behind.

Will Ebersman, of Los Angeles, commented, “It’s like watching a reality TV program. There’s four news choppers filming overhead, trucks with flashing red lights up on the bluffs, the Coast Guard on scene and we’re 100 feet away. It can’t get any more real that that!”

Odds and ends: The tuna bite out of San Diego has broken open with catches of 100 yellowfin and/or bluefin common. The fish are 140 miles south of San Diego. …

The Voyager out of Redondo treated a group of whale watchers to a rare sight on Tuesday – a sperm whale. Sperm whales are toothed whales that prey almost exclusively on squid and are normally not seen off Southern California. Besides the sperm whale, the group also witnessed a minke whale that breached 11 times. …

The Christopher out of Harbor Breeze had incredible whale watching on Thursday as multiple blue whales were lunge feeding on masses of krill just feet away. There were multiple leviathans coming out of the water to consume the tiny shrimp-like creatures.

After a windy week and subsequent drop in water temperatures, calm seas have returned and fishing is rapidly improving. After a brief slowdown, the Redondo Special was back at it again on Thursday morning. Fishing near the Palos Verdes Peninsula, 25 anglers on the morning run caught six white seabass and 69 calico bass, along with some rockfish and sargo.

Redondo Special galley cook and part-time deckhand Mark Zagha said the weather was flat calm and the bite was rebounding.

“It’s gorgeous here today,” Zagha said Thursday morning. “The water has warmed up and the fish want to bite.”

The Palos Verdes area bite this year has been brilliant. there has been steady calico bass fishing, excellent white seabass, a few yellowtail as well as sargo, rockfish and perch. Fueling this year’s bite has been the presence of market squid much of the time.

On Monday, the Redondo Special scooped up tanks full of the delectable mollusks to use for bait. Highliner skipper Gary Lacroix is a firm believer in the power of squid.

“As long as the squid is here, we’ll have excellent fishing,” Lacroix said.

The Highliner has caught 68 white seabass this year, more seabass than Lacroix has ever caught in a year since he bought the boat in 1993. most of that catch came in three blistering weeks of great seabass fishing in June and July. The way Lacroix sees it, there is still lots more great fishing ahead.

Special day: The Tradition out of Redondo Sportfishing has scheduled a very special day on the water for Friday, Aug. 12. It’s a 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. trip that will fish Catalina or local; depending on where fishing is best.

Special instructors will be on board to make this a great learning experience.

Pierpoint Landing update: The Toronado out of Pierpoint Landing had five white seabass on Wednesday while the Dreamer and skipper Allyn Watson had three fish limits. Pierpoint Landing has three more weeks left in its kids fish free promotion. Children 15 and under go free with an adult.

Huck Finn Fishing Derby: On Aug. 13, Fish Talk Radio with Philip Friedman Outdoors will be on the Huntington Beach Pier for the Huck Finn Fishing Derby. Children up to 15 can participate in this free fishing event where they can win prizes for everything from fishing to best Huck Finn costume.

Prizes include bikes, skateboards, fishing poles and fishing passes. Every child in attendance will receive a free fishing trip out of Long Beach Marina Sportfishing, a $40 value. Registration at the pier begins at 8 a.m.

Whale watching: Blue whale watching has been incredible this week. While the windy weather created slower fishing, the upwellings bring nutrients to the surface and foster krill growth. That’s a excellent thing considering that the largest animals ever to have inhabited the earth can eat 40 million of the tiny shrimp-like creatures in a day.

Captain Danny Salas from Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach said they have seen multiple blue whale sightings on nearly every trip. Go to 2seewhales.com for more info.

OK, I just came back from fishing and caught some pacific sheepshead, white fish, calico bass, red snapper, orange rockfish, blue perch, opal eye perch, brown perch, tree fish. I seperated them and stuck them in my freezer to part sizes. My question is, does anyone have a simple good recipe that i can use on these rockfish? Im not cooking them all at the same time but just a general recipe thats simple, im a bit bored with the same garlic, dill,lemon, butter thing I always do. Tonight I plan to cook up the sheepshead,…..

Dude, Sheepshead is different from the other Rockfish. I certainly taste the Crab flavor. I would grill or broil Sheepshead brushed with butter. it would be good poached or steamed but not better.
I grew up in So.Cal. and really miss going out from Davy's Locker in Newport Beach. all of the Rockfish are good broiled or grilled. the Perch I like dipped in egg wash and rolled in cornmeal and fried. use some seasoning in the cornmeal. old Bay, Cavender's Greek Seasoning or one of the Cajun seasonings like Zatarain's or Tony Cachere.

Hi,
First time fishing off of Santa Monica pier, I would be using light tackle. Common fish caught are Shark, Halibut. more common than both are white croaker (tom cod), queenfish (herring), sardines, walleye surfperch, salema, sargo, scorpionfish (sculpin), kelp bass (calico bass), sand bass, Pacific mackerel, jack mackerel (Spanish mackerel), and bonito (on live bait or bubbles with a feather). Occasionally, barracuda, white seabass or even yellowtail. I have no idea what bait or rig to catch fish to use.
I was planning on using strips of fish or squid on a hook with a light sinker and maybe even a bobber. Anyone have any better suggestions?
Thanks

practically the only fish you will get with any regularity from the SM pier will be walleye perch, white croaker and smelt (both topsmelt and jacksmelt). there has been an inordinantly large amount of pacific mackerel inshore lately (mostly small ones). l guess santa monica is getting their share of those too.
years and years ago, before the breakwater was filled in and all but covered by sand, there did use to be some half-way decent fishing for some more desired species. l used to fish it regularly with a rental skiff. there were some calicos, lots of bonito and barracuda, l even saw a salmon caught from a boat a small ways off the pier. this was all back when the fish were edible.
if you look at the last few pages of the cali fishing regulations, the health advisory section, you will see that it is recommended to eat small or none of any fish gotten anywhere near the SM pier. you would be much better off to go up the road a small ways to the malibu pier. the water is a lot cleaner and the odds of catching surf perch, corbina, halibut, bonito or any of the other more preferred species will be ten times better.
use pieces of anchovy or squid strips with a small weight.
if you go to malibu, use some sort of live bait. years ago, they used to sell live anchovies on the pier. if they no longer do, use a lucky joe type of rig to catch some or small mackerel or whatever you can manage. use those for halibut and bass.

“Jonathan! Jonathan! come home!” his mother’s voice rang out across the rolling Massachusetts hillside like the peal of a bell. As usual, Jonathan’s mother was calling because his father needed his help. Jonathan wasn’t surprised, because his father had required his help rather often recently. ever since Jonathan’s older brother Robert had departed Massachusetts with the Union Army to fight the Confederacy last August, there were too many chores for his father to do alone. When Jonathan read Robert’s perfectly written letters, he became quite envious. the descriptions were so vivid that Jonathan almost felt as if he were right beside Robert in the army. he grew excited when he read about Robert’s adventures all over the South, in places like South Carolina and Georgia, but that excitement rapidly deflated when Jonathan then had to end all of Robert’s chores. It didn’t seem honest, Robert having all that fun in the South while Jonathan labored away in Massachusetts. It seemed especially unfair right now because Jonathan had just settled down for a pleasant afternoon of fishing for striped bass with his oldest and dearest friend, Clarence. the day was warm, and the sun peeked out from behind some light clouds; it was all perfect for fishing.

“There goes my mother again, calling for me just when I’m relaxed and all ready to have some fun,” Jonathan complained to Clarence, glowering. “I did hundreds of chores all morning, and all day yesterday as well. Can’t I have any time to myself? do your parents badger you to work like an ox every minute of every day now that your brother’s gone? most assuredly they do not! I don’t hear your mother’s voice calling you!” he steadfastly remained where he was, his fishing line and lure drifting in the rippling waters of Calico River as a family of blue jays chattered and flitted about through the branches of the sugar maple trees above. the shining late September sun peeked out from behind a few fluffy clouds. It made the creek water glisten, and Jonathan shaded his sensitive eyes from the sun’s shimmering reflection off the water. Fish bite better in overcast weather, so this was the kind of glorious afternoon that Jonathan found perfect for simple relaxation, and he didn’t want it to end so abruptly. Jonathan thought to himself that perhaps he could pretend that he had not heard his mother. he rationalized that his mother could not expect him to come home if he had never heard her calling.

Clarence ****** his favorite hat up over his furrowed brow and uttered a low, long whistle. “Now, Jonathan, you know that I’ve got three other brothers still around the house to pick up Kenneth’s slack. Don’t you go comparing your situation to mine,” he said in his baritone voice. “Sounds like you have a hard decision to make. You could remain out here and have some fun, and maybe even catch some striped bass for your family’s supper, and maybe that would be all right. Or you could remember that your brother, Robert, has gone off to do something vital and dangerous, sacrificing for our country, and your parents are depending upon you to help them now that Robert’s elsewhere. Sure, Robert’s responsible for your current situation, what with him enlisting, but you’re responsible for what you decide to do in this situation. Don’t you go blaming Robert for everything; he has got enough on his shoulders right now, same as my brother Kenneth.”

Jonathan listened to Clarence’s words. Simultaneously, he listened to the blue jays and appreciated the sun’s warmth. he had indeed been having an brilliant time on the riverbank before his mother had summoned him, but what Clarence had said made perfect sense. Things had been quite hard around the Wentworth homestead since the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry regiments had been mobilized. Jonathan realized his parents depended solely on him to take care of a fantastic many things in his older brother’s place. if he remained out here with Clarence, even if he caught fish to bring home to his parents, guilt for ignoring his responsibilities would gnaw away at his satisfaction the whole time. Jonathan again heard his mother’s voice bouncing throughout the hillside and made his decision. “Coming, Mother!” he shouted back, gathering his fishing gear.

———

Jonathan spent an exhausting afternoon chopping enough firewood to last a week so that he wouldn’t have to do this particular chore again so soon. As he took a break with a mug of water, he read over Robert’s latest letter again. With Clarence’s words still ringing in his ears, Jonathan realized that Robert’s adventures didn’t seem nearly so glorious. rather, they sounded scary, the writing was more hurriedly scrawled than leisurely penned, and Robert himself seemed to express more homesickness than excitement. Returning to the woodpile, Jonathan reflected that perhaps he had been a little selfish and resolved to pay more attention to how others felt when making his de