In many respects, when it comes to sport fishing, Southern California is a world of its own, offering anglers a number of distinct fisheries targeting different game fish in different ways.

What is known as the Southern California Bight encompasses nearly 300 miles of Pacific coastline from the border with Mexico north to Point Conception. (The bight includes another 150 or so miles of Mexican coastline as well, south of the border.) The offshore fishing here is productive, but heavily seasonal, being dependent upon critical water temperatures. For many of the popular, larger coastal and bluewater game fish — such as tunas, California yellowtail and white seabass — summer and fall are prime time, particularly for bluefin and yellowfin tuna because the bight sits pretty much at the northern end of their range. These species follow warming waters north.

Not so long ago, one could be forgiven for not mentioning bluefin tuna when describing SoCal fishing. They rarely came to the party here. That changed around 2015, a year marked by great numbers of bluefin, as well as a surprising showing of wahoo and even some blue marlin. Matt Florentino remembers it well. The hardcore offshore angler and AFTCO marketing director says that since then, the annual bluefin invasion has endured, and when the 20- to 300-pound tuna show up — typically by April and into October or even November — they become the main game in town for many fishermen.

The go-to offering for the biggest bluefin these days is a rigged flying fish dangled under a kite, often with a helium balloon in light wind conditions. While that’s hard for trophy tuna to pass up, Florentino says that pulling high-speed trolling plugs such as Madmacs 200 proved popular in 2022. When the bite’s on, throwing clear poppers and stickbaits into schools of bluefin feeding on baitfish at the surface is tough to beat. Early in the summer, he says, anglers on long-range boats fishing the bight off Mexico will drop knife jigs into 200 to 400 feet of water with heavy braid to hook bluefin. This is particularly effective at night.

Planning a Trip

The offshore excitement level really hits lift-off when mahi show up with the influx of warm water in summer and early fall. Some years, they’re almost absent, but in other seasons they’re temporarily abundant. Florentino cites the summer of 2022 as: “Insane for mahi locally! The best mahi fishing we’ve seen.”

California yellowtail remain enduringly popular along the SoCal coast, from schooling “firecrackers” of a few pounds on light tackle to grizzled old “mossbacks” of 40 pounds or more. Best fishing for these amberjack cousins starts in spring. Florentino suggests yo-yo jigging with metal jigs or dropper-loop bait fishing, but in summer’s warming waters, anglers go to surface iron jigs for fly lining bait such as mackerel or sardines.

The white seabass is a coveted game fish that can be encountered anytime of the year but particularly in spring when squid are spawning, especially around offshore islands.

Calico bass are the prized catch of nearshore reefs and kelp beds, becoming most active — as one might guess — in late spring and early summer (look for water temps of at least 62 degrees). Florentino cites the “three B’s” — bass, barracuda and (Pacific) bonito — as the mainstay of the popular local partyboat fishery, with California halibut often part of the mixed bag. This fishery in the spring of 2023 proved particularly good in the waters of the Channel Islands off the Santa Barbara and Ventura county coasts.

When to Go

Yes, there is something of a pattern here. That is, the warming temperatures from spring into fall mean lots of variety and plenty of action for anglers. While offshore fishing is generally on sabbatical in the winter, calico bass can be taken, though often around deeper structure, well out beyond their warm-water kelp-bed haunts.

Traditionally, winter was the time to go “rock codding,” as day boats took scores of anglers out to drop for a whole host of rockfish (Sebastes) species in many colors and sizes, both in relatively shallow waters and in much deeper waters. Typically, the toothy and tasty lingcod is part of these mixed bags, also. These days, the Pacific off Southern California is closed to all harvest of rockfish during that prime time, January through March. However, San Diego party boats regularly make forays south into nearby Mexican waters for great catches of rockfish — one of the tastiest fish in the sea.

Spring also means thresher sharks for enthusiasts who fish them just off the beaches. The action continues into the fall when smaller threshers hammer anchovies or other small bait. During the same period, small mako sharks (50 to 200 pounds or more) a bit farther out, offer an unusual sight-fishery off San Diego for fly-rod enthusiasts.

Helpful Links

In Southern California, private boats as well as charter and partyboats operate primarily out of the many landings found along the coast. An alphabetized list of landings can be found at socalfishreports.com/landings. Regulations change from year to year, so check the latest regs at wildlife.ca.gov/fishing/ocean.

The post Southern California Fishing Perfection appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

In warm-water locations worldwide, wahoo is predominantly targeted on the troll. While this is one of the most-productive methods to locate and target these gamefish, you tend to miss out on their hard fighting ability and extravagant runs using this method.

Southern California Wahoo Fishing

In Southern California, the long-range charter fleet has been targeting them quite differently for years. They cast to them with “wahoo bombs” and jigs. The methods and range of lures maximize the opportunity of encountering wahoo, often leading to multiple hookups on the boat. In some areas, wahoo really stack up in high numbers. With trolling, you might just get a strike or two when passing through a productive area. Casting to wahoo can be incredibly effective.

The long-range fleet comprises nearly two dozen boats that call San Diego Bay home. Each vessel has been thoughtfully designed as a multi-day fishing machine for anglers. When describing these operations, think of it as hotel meets tasty restaurant meets spacious fishing platform. Trips on these boats can range from just three days to 28 days. The longest trips use the extended period to explore far and reach remote bountiful banks for less-pressured bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, dorado, yellowtail and more.

Southern California and its long-range boats have a significant history with wahoo (or “skins,” as they are called among the fleet). On these trips — which explore the local banks off SoCal all the way south to Cabo — wahoo is one of the primary fishing targets. While catching wahoo is not a new endeavor, how this fleet targets this delicious gamefish warrants explanation.

Trolling Helps Locate Wahoo

For better or worse, trolling is the most common method to target wahoo worldwide. It’s tough to argue that there is a better method to locating wahoo than trolling. In most cases, this leads to one or two fish being landed per bite. Here’s the important part: Anglers onboard should be ready to cast lures once a wahoo is hooked on the troll. Being ready to cast quickly leads to several more or, at times, a wide-open bite on these toothy critters.

Wahoo are seldomly alone, and usually, they are in schools ranging from just a few fish to dozens of fish. The schooling behavior presents an opportunity to maximize fish-catching after a troll hook-up. On these head boats, trolling Braud Marauders, Yo-Zuri Bonitas, Nomad MadMacs or diving lures are used to locate a school.

When to Cast Lures for Wahoo

Once a hook-up occurs, the deckhand at the bait tank entices the rest of the fish to stick around by tossing out some baits. Once the baitfish start flying, so do the lures. At this point, anglers will begin casting their wahoo bombs or other assortment of wahoo lures during what’s called “the slide.” The slide is when the boat is still in motion but slowing, eventually sliding to a stop. The overabundance of lures, bait, and hooked fish often turns wahoo aggressive, resulting in a feeding frenzy.

This style of fishing, at times, can be best described as controlled chaos. There is nothing like hooking a wahoo on a jig (often called an “iron”) or wahoo bomb. The sudden stopping of your jig at the hook-up, your line racing across the water’s surface faster than you’ve ever seen it. It’s truly an unforgettable experience. At times, these wahoo-feeding frenzies get so aggressive that they’ll strike just about anything you cast in front of them.

The Best Lures to Cast for Wahoo

Ideally, when casting to wahoo, you want you’re lure to have specific characteristics:

• Castability: Your lure needs to be heavy enough to give you the ability to make a significant cast as the boat is sliding. Most wahoo bombs and jigs are in the 2- to 4-ounce range.
• Speed: Wahoo are speed demons, and you need to be able to have a lure that matches their speed. You should be able to retrieve this lure at a very fast retrieve. A tight wiggle is all you need out of your lure.
• Hooks: Rig with the sharpest hooks available. Think your hook is sharp? Sharpen it even more. These fish have tough boney mouths, making penetrating their jaw difficult.
• Sink: You need a lure that will sink down after casting out. The urge is to cast then retrieve immediately, but I can tell you’ll double the number of strikes by letting your lure sink 30 to 50 feet down before retrieving.
• Color: While the verdict is out, and every angler will give you a different opinion, it’s common to have blacks and dark colors against fluorescent colors. Blacks and pinks are great for wahoo.
• Tip: When selecting lures to cast at wahoo, don’t limit yourself to wahoo bombs and jigs. Take the descriptors above; if it applies to your lures, try it.  Stick baits have also been a successful option in recent years.

What Tackle to Use for Wahoo

As you guessed, conventional tackle is the go-to option on the Pacific Coast. Today, we can access fantastic gear from various manufacturers with this fishing style in mind. Ideally, it would help to have a rod with substantial stopping power and a reasonably soft tip to allow load up when casting and hooking up.

A 7-foot, 6-inch to 8-foot rod with a “Heavy” or “Extra Heavy” rating usually does the trick. As for your reel, there are so many options available today. The three primary descriptors would be: (1) the ability to cast far, (2) stopping power (meaning high drag capability), and (3) high speed retrieve (meaning the ability to crank your lure fast!). Many anglers tuned into this fishery rely on reels with taller spools to increase their retrieval rate and add an oversize handle.

The addition of oversized saltwater baitcasting-style reels has also been a great bonus to this fishery. The reels are fished using 50- to 60-pound braid, connected to a monofilament or fluorocarbon leader.

Should Anglers Use Wire for Wahoo?

To use wire or not to use wire? That is a common question. Wahoo can sometimes be finicky. Presenting your lure without wire can significantly increase the number of hook-ups. At the same time, be ready to lose several jigs to those razor-sharp teeth. Single-strand wire is preferred if you intend to use wire, as it’s much stealthier than multi-strand wire. The recommendation is a simple haywire twist connection on single-strand, 60- to 90-pound wire.

Tips for Casting to Wahoo

• Biting near the boat. When pulling your lure out of the water, have it come to a complete stop, then lift. More than once, I have seen lures get bit as an angler pulls a jig out of the water during their last retrieve, surprising the angler and resulting in a rod and reel overboard.
• Wear close-toed shoes. Please wear boots or shoes when fishing for wahoo. Nothing is scarier than a wahoo flopping on deck with bare feet in proximity.
• Watch out for flying objects. Keep your eyes peeled for flying wahoo. Another crazy scenario I’ve seen several times on a wahoo bite. Wahoo will often fly out of the water in pursuit of their prey just inches from the boat.
• Try casting for wahoo anywhere you fish. While the method of casting to wahoo on a troll stop is a West Coast method, make sure to experiment with this in your wahoo fishery as it’s sure to put some on the deck. There’s no reason jigs and wahoo bombs wouldn’t work in other wahoo hotspots such as Bermuda, Bahamas or even far offshore Louisiana.

The post Explained: How to Catch Wahoo Casting Lures appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Ask Beau Leaman about beginner’s luck. The Santa Clarita, California, salesman was on his first fishing trip when he caught a potential world-record-breaking fish. Even more amazing, Leaman’s catch was of an extremely rare fish called an opah (Lampris guttatus). “It really was a blessing,” Leaman says.

Leaman was on an overnight tuna trip on the headboat Horizon out of San Diego, California. “I was with a group from church and some friends,” Leaman explains. Although this was Leaman’s first time on the ocean, he had experience trout fishing in lakes and streams. Leaman laughs, “I thought we were going to find some fish and cast spinning rods.”

Once he was on the boat, it didn’t take long for Leaman to realize he wasn’t in Kansas anymore. “I have never tried to sleep on a boat,” he starts. The rolly, noisy ride had Leaman tossing and turning. Up on deck, the scene was equally unsettling. 

The crowd was a mixture of families and first-time anglers, along with grizzled veterans you’d expect to see on a party boat. “There were guys with tattoos of fish and hooks,” Leaman marvels. He recalls one angler showed him pictures of a 300-pound tuna.

Leaman describes another angler pacing back and forth, staring at the ocean all night. “Holy cow, what kind of environment am I getting myself into?” he remembers.

When the boat stopped, Leaman had more surprises. “I didn’t know we were fishing with live bait,” he says. Leaman rented two rods: a lighter rod for live bait and a heavier rod for deep jigging. “The mates showed us how to hook the live bait and people in our group had experience,” Leaman says.

Still, Leaman spent a lot of time tangled with other anglers. At one point, he lost track of his fishing rod. “I was searching all over the boat looking for my rod.” Eventually he found his rod and marked it with a yellow ribbon. By late afternoon, the highlight of the day was a bonito Leaman hooked with another angler. “Nothing much was going on,” he says.

When the captain announced he was marking fish 30 feet below the boat, experienced anglers grabbed the light live-bait rods. Leaman decided to use his heavier jigging rod. “I figured I would warm up by jigging a lure from 300 feet,” he explains.

Leaman watched the depth-marked line leave his reel until his lure reached 300 feet. “I felt a bonk,” Leaman remembers. When he started cranking the reel handle, he found the line was stuck. “I thought I was snagged on a rock ,” he says. Leaman knew the water was too deep for a snag, so he continued to try to turn the reel handle. 

“I didn’t want to cry wolf,” he laughs, so he continued to struggle with the reel in silence. Eventually a friend asked if everything was okay. “The line was tight, but nothing was pulling. I felt steady, heavy pressure.” 

After other anglers confirmed Leaman must be hooked to a large fish, the crew started to buzz with excitement. In a few minutes, the captain was standing next to Leaman coaching him to fight the fish. 

At one point, the fish dashed to the bow and then ran to the stern. Leaman says, “The captain took the rod and helped me weave in and out of the other anglers.” Mayhem ensued with anglers yelling and shuffling while Leaman fought his fish.

When the huge fish surfaced, the captain yelled for gaffs. Four deckhands worked together to secure the big round fish and drag it onboard. 

“I was shocked,” Leaman says. A bystander remarked the strange fish looked like something engineered by the government. An opah is shaped like an angel fish with flat, silver sides mottled with shades of red and speckled in white spots. Sometimes these fish are also called moonfish.

“The fish had a huge eye and was covered in armor,” Leaman adds. Several places on the fish showed bites from cookie-cutter sharks. Leaman reflects, “There is so much grandness in the fish; I couldn’t help thinking of God’s creativity and power.”

Back at H&M Landing, the Opah weighed 188.6 pounds. The previous world record, set by Joe Ludlow in 2014 at San Quintin, Mexico, was 180 pounds, 12 ounces. Of course, the captain’s assistance and the shark bites could be ruled violations of International Game Fish Association rules, but the opah is still the biggest recorded rod and reel catch for this species. 

Leaman laughs, “My wife asked, ‘Why couldn’t you catch a normal fish?’” Leaman’s already shared the meat with friends and he’s looking online for opah recipes.

The post Rare Opah Catch Smashes World Record appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Best Time for California Yellowfin Tuna

Captain Andy Cates, of the Red Rooster III, says the season kicks off in September with 8- to 10-day trips to the lower banks including Potato Bank, Finger Bank and Morgan Bank. This is the land of giants, with the majority of yellowfin tuna weighing 200 to 300 pounds. “If you get a bite, it’s a big one,” Cates says.

The captain compares early-season fishing to big game hunting. He says anglers prepare for weeks for a shot at a true trophy. By January, the water on the lower banks cools down and the big tuna disappear. “We have no idea where they go,” Cates marvels.

That’s when he turns his attention to longer 15- to 18-day trips to the Hurricane Bank. Cates describes Hurricane Bank’s fishing as “action packed.” The bulk of the action is on 90- to 150-pound yellowfin. “Lucky anglers can get eight to 10 bites a day,” he says. 

The main goal of long-range anglers is landing a 200- to 300-pound cow yellowfins. Cates says February through April is the best shot at a trophy. In addition to tuna, Hurricane Bank offers top-notch wahoo fishing.

Cooler Water Temperatures Scared off Sharks

With the season wrapping up, Cates reflects on the trends he observed. “The water stayed cooler, so the fishing was better,” he says. Cates explains the cooler water discouraged sharks and presented a better opportunity to catch a tuna. 

In the beginning of January, Cates explained that the water temperature was in the mid-70s. As the season progressed, the temperature dropped to 72.5 degrees and the sharks disappeared. “It was absolutely brilliant fishing,” Cates remembers.

Hooks and Plugs for Tuna

Going toe to toe with a 300-pound yellowfin tuna requires the most advanced tackle. Cates says, “Lightweight and powerful rods and reels we use make it possible for anyone to land a cow.” The key connection is the hook, and Cates prefers the Trokar 619 series for strength and performance.

The hot lure for trolling for wahoo is the Nomad DTX. Cates laughs, “Everyone on the back of the boat has a DTX.” For the optimal action, anglers tie the swimming plug directly to the mainline. “Using wire makes the lure come out of the water,” he says.

Bluefin Tuna Fishing Heats up in June

As we interviewed Cates, he was preparing Red Rooster III for the last 15-day trip to the banks. When he returns, he expects San Diego bluefin tuna fishing to heat up. “Bluefin fishing is spotty right now but it should get better in June,” he says. 

Cates says the best bluefin action is at night, so he plans to bottom fish during the day and tuna fish at night. “We’ll catch 50- to 200-pound bluefin only 50 miles from San Diego,” he says. 

As for next season on the Mexican banks, Cates is hopeful. “If everything sustains and we don’t get a lot of warm water, I expect next season to rival this year.”

The post California Tuna Fishing Heats Up appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

“Our last half-day trip produced limits of vermilion rockfish,” reports Captain Brandon Nelson of Lucky B Sportfishing, out of San Diego, California. Nelson was fishing 10 to 40 miles south of the Mexico border. The days start early, but Nelson is often back to the docks by lunch time with limits.

To find fish, Nelson focuses on areas where he can locate his ideal water conditions. He says the rockfish move from one rockpile to another in 150 to 400 feet of water, so proper temperature, current and water color is the first step in locating fish. “Down, in, or down and in are good current conditions, with clean green waters ranging from 58 to 64 degrees.” 

Nelson’s credits his 36-foot Yellowfin center console for his success. He says, “I can move around and fish a lot of places.” Sometimes zeroing in on rockfish is a process of elimination, with today’s electronics helping find new fishing spots. Don’t get stuck on one piece of structure if it’s not happening.

Bottom Fishing for Rockfish

To catch rockfish and lingcod, Nelson uses a two-hook bottom rig with 1/0 to 5/0 Mustad 94150 hooks, weighted with an eight- to 16-ounce torpedo sinker. He attaches the rig to the 65-pound-test braided line packed onto a Shimano Tallica 10II or Trinidad 16a reel. He matches the reel to a 7½-foot medium-heavy rod.

Bait choice is critical to catching rockfish. Nelson prefers cut squid to avoid bycatch. He also uses a small- to medium-size greenback mackerel. “Mackerel weeds out smaller fish and offers the chance of catching a lingcod,” he says.

Nelson says winter is a great time to fish Southern California. “There isn’t a lot of coverage because everyone is in the boat yard,” he points out.

Tuna Bite Heats Up

In addition to bottom fishing, he reports excellent action on bluefin tuna around Tanner Bank and off the Mexico coast. “The water temperature is hovering between 50 and 60 degrees, so everything is lining up for a good winter.”

As the season progresses into spring, Nelson expects tuna and yellowtail to move closer to San Diego. “I look forward to spring and summer when the fish are concentrated close to home.”

The post California’s Winter Rockfish Bite appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The waters off northern California have been warm this year, resulting in an unusually high number of marlin, dolphin and tuna being caught by offshore anglers. But a team of fishermen trolling off Fort Bragg, Calif, located north of Mendocino, were stunned when they hooked a massive tuna on Sept. 22.

Area anglers Dylan Taube, Edmund Jin and Frank Lovelady were on Jin’s boat with Capt. Dave Li of Sebass Sportfishing.

The anglers headed out at dawn, running about 10 miles offshore looking for warm water, finally locating 61.5 degree water at mid-morning.

“We put out a big spread of different lures and started trolling,” Taube reported to the Stockton Record.

They caught a couple small albacore, but at 10:30 a bigger fish hit a trolled lure and things changed for the better.

“I was the first to grab the rod as line peeled out,” Taube reported to the Stockton Record. “We pretty quickly realized the fish wasn’t an albacore — we knew that we had hooked a tuna over 100 pounds. We brought in the gear and the captain slowed the boat down. We took turns fighting the fish — I fought it for first 20 minutes, Jin battled it for 20 minutes, and Lovelady fought the tuna over the next 20 minutes.

“The only reason why we landed the big fish was because Lovelady and Li teamed up to circle around the fish so we were finally able to gain line. We kept reeling until we saw color. We handed the rod to Jin so he could fight the fish the last 10 minutes.

Taube and Lovelady gaffed the fish thinking it was a bluefin or bigeye tuna, but were surprised it was a massive yellowfin.

On shore, the anglers measured the tuna at 61 inches long, with a 54-inch girth. Based on the fish’s measurements it weighed an estimated 240 pounds. While huge by any standard, the fish is not a state record because multiple anglers battled it.

The California record yellowfin is a 265-pounder caught by Bo Scanlan in 2017 off Oceanside, north of San Diego.

“In the past several years, an occasional marlin, bluefin and dorado have been caught off the North Coast (of California),” Taube said. “But it is unprecedented to have marlin, dorado, bigeye, bluefin and yellowfin tuna all showing at the same time. The warm water and bait is there now and it’s drawing in tuna and other fish.

“We got very lucky. We were at the right place at the right time with the right gear and it all came together.”

The post 240 Pound Yellowfin Caught Off Northern California appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Hot Spot: San Diego, California
Species: Bluefin, yellowfin tuna, mahi, yellowtail

“All the buzz is about bluefin tuna,” reports Jordan Jennings, an angler and outdoor writer out of San Diego, California. Jennings says anglers are catching bluefin up to 60 pounds just nine miles off the beach. Farther north, big bluefin tuna are taking kite baits and high-speed trolling plugs. With all the tuna action, Jennings encourages anglers to start the day catching mahi on live bait. “We are seeing a huge volume of mahi-mahi,” he says.

For Jennings, a typical trip starts with a stop at the bait barge for a scoop of sardines. Then, he heads west to southwest looking for floating kelp patties holding dolphin and yellowtail.

He uses gyro-stabilized binoculars to scan the water for floating kelp patties. He says the water temperature has been in the low to mid ‘70s with beautiful clean blue water. Using online Satfish satellite charts, Jennings looks for temperature breaks and color changes. “We’ve been spoiled with gorgeous weather and less wind than the last couple summers.” Early in the morning, the winds are four to eight knots, then he expects to pick up out of the west or northwest at 10 to 15.

When he finds a floating pile of kelp, he rigs a live sardine on a 1/0 to No. 1 J-hook and 12 feet of 15 to 30 pound Seaguar Gold fluorocarbon leader. Jennings instructs, “Hook the sardine through the nose to make it swim on the surface, butt hook the bait to make it swim down below the kelp.” He says the water has been so clear, nose-hooked baits have been the best.

When he sees a yellowtail swimming across the surface, he turns to his casting rod and a surface iron with four feet of 50 to 60 pound Seaguar Blue fluorocarbon.

Once he has his fill of dolphin and yellowtail, he works his way inshore. “The best tuna bite has been in the afternoon on slack tide,” he says. As Jennings reaches inshore locations like Nine Mile Bank, he starts to look for schools of tuna feeding on bait pods. He also searches for working birds and picking terns. If the tuna are feeding aggressively, he casts a large topwater popper or stick bait with 50 to 60 pound fluorocarbon leader. “Since the topwater bite is a reaction strike, I use a heavier leader.” If the tuna are finicky, he goes for a live sardine on a 1/0 to 2/0 circle hook and 20 to 30-pound Seaguar Gold fluorocarbon leader.

Jennings is most excited about the big bluefin tuna bite. The traditional big bluefin tactic is fishing a rigged flying fish from a kite or helium balloon. This year, Jennings says high speed trolling with a Nomad 200 to 240 Madmacs is just as effective and a lot easier. He pulls the lures at 10 to 15 knots using 130-pound standup rods. “Trolling is a lot easier than messing with kites and balloons,” he says.

Through the rest of the season, Jennings expects the offshore fishing to stay hot. “September is my favorite month,” he says. He hopes the water will stay warm through October. “I think we’ll see more tuna moving north before they turn west and head offshore to Tanner and Cortez Banks. “We have plenty of great offshore fishing out of Southern California,” he says.

Tackle Box:

Live bait:

• Rod: 7-foot Seeker Live Bait
• Reel: PENN Fathom 2 25 Narrow
• Line: 50-pound Yozuri Superbraid

Topwater Tuna:

• Rod: 8-foot Seeker spinning rod
• Reel: PENN Authority 6500
• Line: 65-pound Yozuri Superbraid

Surface Yellowtail:

• Rod: 9-foot, 3-inch Seeker Jig Stick
• PENN Fathom 25 Narrow (star drag)
• Line: 65-pound Yozuri Superbraid

High speed trolling:

• Rod: 7-foot Seeker OSP Rail Rod
• Reel: PENN 50 VISX
• Line: 130lbs Seaguar braid
• Leader: 100lbs Seaguar Blue label wind-on

The post So. Cal Bite is on Fire appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Cooling ocean temperatures, chilly weather and the closure of bottom fishing for many species in January and February discourage a fair number of Southern California saltwater anglers from fishing in winter. Yet to those in the know, winter time translates to prime time for big calico bass.

Big calico bass tend to adopt different habitats and feeding patterns in December, January, February and early March. These structure-loving fish often move to deeper reefs, and so catching this species—also known as kelp bass—requires a change in thinking, as well as tackle and tactics. The methods prove dramatically different from those employed when fishing amid shallower kelp beds and reefs in warmer months.

Yet, when it all comes together, catching hard-fighting winter calicos in the 4- to 8-pound range heats up an otherwise cold day.

Deep Structure

For winter calico bass, I focus on reefs in 90 to 175 feet of water, some of which sprout deep bull kelp that this species loves to inhabit. I have found particularly productive reefs along the coasts of northern Los Angeles County and Ventura County, as well as the waters surrounding Santa Catalina Island. But deep reefs along other coastal areas and islands can also kick out big fish.

One secret to finding the reefs lies in looking for lobster-pot buoys. Commercial fishermen place their traps around structure to catch the California spiny lobster, so when you see the buoys in deep water, use your fishfinder to locate the reef. The broader the reef, the better the chance of finding bass. Where, you find one calico, you often more: Bigger bass revert to schooling behavior after migrating to deeper water.

Current Affair

Moving water triggers calico bass, especially those inhabiting deep reefs. In Southern California, the water movement usually occurs on the tide change. Some of the best tides for winter calico fishing occur around the new and full moons. When currents sweep over deep reefs, calico bass tend to ascend and suspend well above the bottom. Many times, I find schools of bass suspended on the upcurrent edges of the reefs, staging to intercept forage as it’s ushered in by the moving water. Use your fishfinder to mark the schools. Take note of locations and depths of the fish, and focus your fishing efforts in these areas.   

Jig-Squid Combo

Due to the water depth and rocky bottom of reef systems, I refrain from using a conventional anchor. However, a bow-mounted saltwater trolling motor with GPS guidance and virtual-anchor features can help immensely in maintaining position over structure and schools of fish.

Drift fishing can also generate results, as long as the wind or current is not too strong. Motor to the upwind and/or upcurrent side of the reef, then pull the boat into neutral to put your crew on a productive drift.

Read Next: California’s Kelp Bed Calico Bass

A metal jig with an opalescent (aka market) squid—either live, fresh dead or defrosted from a batch of frozen squid—pinned to the hook serves as one of the most productive lures for winter calicos on deep reefs. The 2-ounce Promar Ahi Assault diamond jig with a single 3/0 hook is one of my favorites, especially in the Baby Red color. Another great metal jig to use—particularly with a quick drift—is the 3.6-ounce Tady 9 heavy in the Scrambled Egg pattern, rigged with a single 3/0 Siwash hook.

I thread the hook once through the tip of the mantle of a squid, and then drop it straight down to entice a big calico to bite. You also can cast the jig-squid combo, but straight drops tend to keep the line vertical, which helps you better sense a bite.

Bit on the Sink

Winter calico bass typically attack the jig-squid combo as it flutters down through the water column. Many times, the lure simply stops descending short of the bottom, an indication that a suspended fish has slurped it down. Other times, a calico might inhale the offering and race away at top speed as line peels off the reel. In either case, put the reel in gear, quickly gather any slack in the line and, once tight, set the hook.

If the lure reaches the bottom without a bite, reel the jig-squid combo back upward at a steady slow to medium pace to entice a calico to bite on the ascent. Calico bass seem to attack with greater aggression as the jig/squid combo rises, so be ready to set the hook as soon as the fish strikes.   

Tackle Choices

SoCal anglers increasingly choose large low-profile saltwater baitcasting reels such as the Daiwa Lexa 400, Okuma Komodo 450, Penn Fathom 300 or Shimano Tranx 400 for calico bass. They work exceedingly well for wintertime bass fishing, thanks to their level-wind capability and push-bar freespool for easy operation, powerful and smooth star-drag systems for stopping big calicos, and high-speed retrieve ratios for gathering line quickly when bit on the sink. I like to spool up with 50-pound-test braid and a 10-foot top-shot of 30-pound-test fluorocarbon.

A lightweight 7- to 8-foot medium-action graphite rod such as the G. Loomis IMX-Pro Blue series 504C-MF 7½-foot stick provides sensitivity for feeling subtle strikes, reduces fatigue during a full winter day of fishing, and provides the backbone to battle big bass in deep water.

If you’re a SoCal angler, think about heading out to deep reefs at this time of year for a day of targeting big calico bass with a jig-squid combo rig. Who knows? It might be just what the doctor ordered for that case of the winter blues.   

The post Cold Water Tips: How to Catch Big Calico Bass in Winter appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Ask any Southern California inshore angler where to catch calico bass, and the vast majority would point you toward one of the many kelp beds that line the coast and wrap the offshore islands, habitat that has earned this species its official name—kelp bass. Yet, the sheer expanse of the average kelp bed stacks the odds against success, especially when targeting bigger bass weighing 5 pounds or more.

Unlike isolated spots like a reef or a rocky point, kelp beds don’t offer a consistent “right” place to cast your lure in hopes of getting a bite. When calicos feed in the kelp, they’re likely only doing so in 10 to 15 percent of the bed, meaning that if you fish the other 85 to 90 percent, you’re probably not going to catch a whole lot.

However, regardless of location or depth of water, feeding calico bass relate to all kelp beds in the same manner. Calicos use their checkerboard coloration pattern to blend in with the amber kelp fronds as they wait to ambush baitfish. Since baitfish tend to swim in open water on the edge of the kelp, a feeding bass tends to set up just inside the bed, adjacent to open water.

To remain stationary while attempting to ambush an unwitting baitfish, a calico always points its nose into the current. This means that feeding bass post up on the outside up-current edge of the bed. That’s where you’re most likely to find a big, hungry calico bass on any given bed.

Bed Types

Different kelp bed types also affect bass positioning. In heavy kelp beds, even those with the surface frond pulled completely below the surface by current, bites usually come within the first 20 yards of the bed’s leading edge. If the outside edge of the bed is straight and featureless, you might find a few random bites along its length. If the outside edge is irregular, any patch of kelp that pokes out from the main bed can act as a secondary leading edge and can hold multiple fish.

Kelp beds with sparse fronds and open water in between tend to spread the bass bites out farther along the length of the bed, and you might experience scattered bites along the entire area. These beds often extend from shallow to deep water, and feeding bass will be isolated to specific depth ranges that hold bait. Approach these beds from deep to shallow along the leading edge when looking for biting bass.

Stay on Fish

A common mistake that even experienced anglers make involves losing track of biting bass and continuing to fish in dead water. It’s easy enough to do. You pull up to the leading edge of a bed and immediately start getting bites, but once you drift past the bite zone, the action slows way down, even though the kelp looks really fishy. While this might not seem like a big deal, it’s a real time vampire, and can waste a good percentage of your fishing day. Once you encounter dead water, keep moving and looking for new areas and likely ambush points to fish.

Weedless Wonders

Kelp fronds easily snag hooks. To minimize fouled lures, wasted time and lost tackle, many calico anglers employ lures such as weedless swimbaits. Popular lures include the 7-inch MC Weedless Swimbait rigged on a 3/4-ounce 8/0 Owner Weighted Beast hook or a 5-inch MC Viejos Series Swimbait rigged on a 3/4-ounce WAR Baits weedless leadhead.

Whenever approaching a kelp bed, position your boat so that it points in the same direction as the current, with the bow approaching the leading edge of the bed. I normally slide up and stop a long cast from the edge, allowing the angler in the bow to fan cast along the leading stringers. If feeding bass are in the bed, they’re likely to race out from among the stalks and bite the bait.

If those first few casts show promise, I aim the boat toward the outside edge of the bed and bump the trolling motor along, allowing for casts to the entire leading edge. Once I reach the outside, I’ll point my bow down-current again to drift and make casts along the kelp. While doing so, I look ahead for any outcroppings in the edge of the kelp and steer the boat’s drift to put the bow angler in position to cast. By moving the boat in this manner, you can cover all of the high-percentage edges of the bed without wasting time having to drift through dead water

Presentation Pointers

To present a weedless swimbait, simply cast the lure past whatever stringer you want to target and use a fast retrieve to burn the bait past the zone. Keep your casts fairly short if they’re perpendicular to the current, as you’re going to have to fight your bass past all of those kelp stringers, and that can be tough if you hook a big one.

Read Next: Tighter California Limits Aim to Protect Populations of Saltwater Bass

You can use just about any heavy bass rod and saltwater low-profile baitcasting reel to cast a weedless swimbait, but I prefer using a light-action, 7-foot graphite-composite rod. These rods feature a graphite butt section with a soft fiberglass tip and are normally considered live-bait rods. The soft tips on these rods act as shock absorbers and increase the hookup ratio due to the way bass strike this bait. This rod should be paired with a mid-size low-profile baitcasting reel like the Penn Fathom 300 filled with 65-pound braid and a 2- to 3-foot, 60-pound fluorocarbon leader.

Calicos normally attack a weedless swimbait from behind and inhale it tail first. If you set the hook the moment the fish hits, the bait’s weedlessness often causes it to slide right out of the fish’s mouth without hooking up. So, when you see or feel a bass take the lure, pause for a moment and allow the fish to turn with the bait before setting the hook.

Be it a special hookset or finding the edge that’s holding, these little things make a big difference when fishing calicos in the kelp.

The post California’s Kelp Bed Calico Bass appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The nearshore waters off the coast of Southern California spring to life around mid-May as massive schools of bait fish swarm northward from Mexican waters. It’s a moveable feast stalked by gangs of predators, including voracious common thresher sharks weighing anywhere from 60 to 175 pounds.

As they grow, the maturing threshers tend to trickle offshore to live the balance of their lives as pelagic predators. But in the meantime, the smaller-grade fish hang close to shore, pile on the pounds and provide outstanding catch-and-release fishing on light tackle. They’re pure fun, displaying magnificent leaps, amazing strength, blinding speed and supreme agility, which allows these long-tailed sharks to change direction in a split second. To see the incredible jumping ability of these fish, check out our post of a Leaping Thresher Shark Caught on Camera.

“I never imagined these fish would be so much fun,” said my friend Ron Ballanti, after we caught and release 12 threshers before noon last August. “Let’s do this again soon.”

Hook ‘Em Right

Indeed, we’re talking world-class light-tackle fishing, but there’s a caveat here. Threshers stage their spectacular fights only if they’re hooked in the mouth. Unfortunately, foul-hooking threshers commonly occurs because they use their long tails to stun potential prey, often becoming tail-hooked in the process. Some anglers take advantage of this by trolling deep-diving lures, which usually results in a foul-hooked fish—a technique known by the derogatory term snag-and-drag.

Circle Hook Success

The key to minimizing foul-hooked fish—and maximizing the sport—is drifting or slow-trolling live bait such as sardines or small Pacific mackerel, using circle hooks such as a 2/0 to 3/0 Owner Mutu Hybrids. Threshers tend to inhale small, isolated, slow-moving live baits, and the circle hook helps prevent foul-hooking, even if the shark swats at the bait with its tail.

Circle hooks also facilitate catch-and-release fishing and help prevent bite-offs. Threshers have relatively small teeth, so I forgo wire and opt for 130-pound-test fluorocarbon leaders. However, these fish can measure anywhere from 10 to 15 feet from the nose to the tip of the tail, and they sometimes roll up in the leader, so I use about 20 to 25 feet of fluoro leader material to prevent the fish from chafing through the leader and reaching main line with their sandpaper-like skin.

I crimp on the hook. A wind-on leader gives you better control of an unpredictable fish when it gets close to the boat. A size-10 lever-drag reel spooled with 50- to 65-pound-test braided line proves more than sufficient for these fish, especially when matched with a 6-foot rod, sporting a medium to medium-light action.

Active Predators

Threshers that gather nearshore in SoCal are active predators that focus on anchovies, grunion and sardines, often working in wolf-pack-like groups, corralling prey into tightly formed schools. Sometimes, they force the bait to the surface, indicated by telltale signs such as terns flittering just above the water. You might also see free-jumping threshers or the quick-slash of their tales as they cleave the bait schools. During quiet mornings on the water, I have even heard the subtle hiss as the tip of that deadly tail scarcely slices the water’s surface.

Threshers don’t seem to mind the green shade of nearshore waters. In my view, these younger fish might even prefer off-color water, which is often a reflection of the rich nutrients that attract forage species. Threshers also possess an affinity for inshore structure spots such as rockpiles, reefs and ledges. More than once I have trolled back and force over such structure and experienced a bite on each pass.

Read Next: Invasion Force

In terms of water depth, I have found threshers from the edge of the surf break out to about a mile off the beach in 50 feet of water. If you don’t see signs at the surface, use your sonar to look for densely packed bait schools deeper in the water column. You might also see the sonar returns of the sharks themselves shadowing the bait.

Fish High and Low

During a fast drift or while slow-trolling in the deeper waters, it pays to stagger lines high and low in the water column. I usually fish three lines, one with a 2-ounce egg sinker, another with an ounce and a third with no weight at all. I use small rubber bands to hold the sinkers in place. Sometimes the fish are feeding deep or in mid-depths, and this technique helps you find them.

Once you do, get ready for wild action as these speedy and high-flying sharks will keep you on your toes. And please practice catch and release, remembering that these fish, even the 150-pounders are still immature and have not yet had a chance to reproduce.

The post Light Tackle Thresher Shark Action in Southern California appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.