10-15-2012, 09:31 AM
From Captain Jeff Jones of Captainonboard.org
Catalina, SBI and SCI Fish Reports
Fish Report for Monday, October 15th: (More like a lecture than a fish report)
Couple things here guys. When I report that there are some threshers off the SB Pier and you go out and catch a small one, please release it. The guys yesterday DID release their small sharks, and just enjoyed the catch. Good for you! I did get a bit of grief for reporting that these little guys were biting, but I had your back and said “the guys that read my site are responsible anglers.” So now you should have my back and practice catch and release like you have been, thank you. Read on for more about this.
Palos Verdes: While reading through the internet I found a fish report about a guy that went up to PV and found a spot of juvenile seabass that wanted to bite, and he went through almost 20 fish without catching a legal. He posted that he is well versed in releasing seabass, and knows what he is doing. But at the same time he posted a photo of a short seabass with him holding it. Epic Fail!!! If you catch a short, leave it in the water. Use pliers to remove the hook unless it is gut hooked, then just cut the line. Do not touch these little guys, as anywhere you touch one you rub off the protective slime coat and the fish will most likely get an infection where you touched it. Furthermore, if you are catching 22-26″ fish, chances are they are all that small and you will not catch a legal. There are areas of PV that have big schools of these short fish all year round, and it is important that we leave these fish alone. Please.
Halibut: The halibut continue to bite inside LB Harbor. Now, don’t just drift through the mud expecting to catch a bunch of flatties. These fish live near rocky structure and high relief ares because that is where the bait is. There are high spots all through the Harbor that are well marked on charts and probably your chartplotter. Do short drifts over these spots instead of long drifts over the mud. I fish the Harbor halibut on the anchor, because then I can keep baits on the spot longer, and I catch a LOT of big halibut inside LB Harbor. Trust me! If you catch shorts, stay there until after the slack tide or wait for a current change. The small ones DO live with the BIG ones, and when the big boys start to bite its usually ALL big boys.
Offshore: Little change here except now you really can’t expect to find much close to home. Even out of Ensenada, the Short Banks are mostly rat yellows on kelps. The 213/390 and 1010-Double 220′s is the closest game in town for a shot at the tuna and some big scores. Below that the fish are really ganged up, like around 150 miles from Pt. loma. Still not that far of a trip considering how good the fishing is.
Catalina: Today is the New Moon and the apex of a prime moon phase. The super high tides around 10am today, tomorrow and wednesday are the best times. There are some seabass around and a few yellows. Try the West End High Spot or Johnsons for the exotics and some really good bass fishing. The 10am time slot will allow you to sit right in the current before the wind screws things up. The best squid area is Little Harbor and live squid is what you need to catch much anywhere these days.
SCI: The mass volume of firecracker yellows has moved on, but a few homies remain. Find the ripping current and place the structure behind the boat, chumming cut squid as much as you can. There are some seabass and yellows here that will respond after the bass bite gets going. Seals are an issue, and a deal breaker. I really like Mosquito Cove (in front of the cement bunker) with an uphill current. The last few trips this has been really good for me. Watch out as that point has some very skinny water outside of it and if the current is ripping, the kelp will be laid down so much that you can’t see the spot. Steve’s point is good too, as is Gold Bluff. These are all good spots for this time of year. Mostly because the lobster traps all along the 15 fathom curve will not be an issue (hopefully). A small boat guy could do some real damage on the calicos inside Pyramid Cove. Fish the kelp beds and find some current. With a trolling motor and some balls you can get into some really fishy areas and catch some magazine cover quality calicos.
SBI: This island produces best when nobody has been there in a while. That is the case right now. Spend some time studying a chart to see where the structure is, and where the MLPA zones are. On the front, the area right up next to the MPA is a seabass spot that might be holding. On the back there is a horseshoe shaped kelpline that hold seabass on the inside and big halibut. Anywhere you find some current and clean green water is worth a look. Excellent rockfishing out here, and be aware that there is a Ranger Station on the island and big brother is watching you. Don’t tempt fate and try to break any DFG regs, you will get busted.
Lobster: I know I said I would not talk about lobsters anymore but I got a call from Jerry this morning. He hooped inside LB Harbor and reported it being crowded and also ran into a guy hooping without lighted floats. Jerry never caught a lobster, and he is pretty good at doing the hoop netting thing. It’s time to start really thinking about finding new areas to hoop guys. Really.
Catalina, SBI and SCI Fish Reports
Fish Report for Monday, October 15th: (More like a lecture than a fish report)
Couple things here guys. When I report that there are some threshers off the SB Pier and you go out and catch a small one, please release it. The guys yesterday DID release their small sharks, and just enjoyed the catch. Good for you! I did get a bit of grief for reporting that these little guys were biting, but I had your back and said “the guys that read my site are responsible anglers.” So now you should have my back and practice catch and release like you have been, thank you. Read on for more about this.
Palos Verdes: While reading through the internet I found a fish report about a guy that went up to PV and found a spot of juvenile seabass that wanted to bite, and he went through almost 20 fish without catching a legal. He posted that he is well versed in releasing seabass, and knows what he is doing. But at the same time he posted a photo of a short seabass with him holding it. Epic Fail!!! If you catch a short, leave it in the water. Use pliers to remove the hook unless it is gut hooked, then just cut the line. Do not touch these little guys, as anywhere you touch one you rub off the protective slime coat and the fish will most likely get an infection where you touched it. Furthermore, if you are catching 22-26″ fish, chances are they are all that small and you will not catch a legal. There are areas of PV that have big schools of these short fish all year round, and it is important that we leave these fish alone. Please.
Halibut: The halibut continue to bite inside LB Harbor. Now, don’t just drift through the mud expecting to catch a bunch of flatties. These fish live near rocky structure and high relief ares because that is where the bait is. There are high spots all through the Harbor that are well marked on charts and probably your chartplotter. Do short drifts over these spots instead of long drifts over the mud. I fish the Harbor halibut on the anchor, because then I can keep baits on the spot longer, and I catch a LOT of big halibut inside LB Harbor. Trust me! If you catch shorts, stay there until after the slack tide or wait for a current change. The small ones DO live with the BIG ones, and when the big boys start to bite its usually ALL big boys.
Offshore: Little change here except now you really can’t expect to find much close to home. Even out of Ensenada, the Short Banks are mostly rat yellows on kelps. The 213/390 and 1010-Double 220′s is the closest game in town for a shot at the tuna and some big scores. Below that the fish are really ganged up, like around 150 miles from Pt. loma. Still not that far of a trip considering how good the fishing is.
Catalina: Today is the New Moon and the apex of a prime moon phase. The super high tides around 10am today, tomorrow and wednesday are the best times. There are some seabass around and a few yellows. Try the West End High Spot or Johnsons for the exotics and some really good bass fishing. The 10am time slot will allow you to sit right in the current before the wind screws things up. The best squid area is Little Harbor and live squid is what you need to catch much anywhere these days.
SCI: The mass volume of firecracker yellows has moved on, but a few homies remain. Find the ripping current and place the structure behind the boat, chumming cut squid as much as you can. There are some seabass and yellows here that will respond after the bass bite gets going. Seals are an issue, and a deal breaker. I really like Mosquito Cove (in front of the cement bunker) with an uphill current. The last few trips this has been really good for me. Watch out as that point has some very skinny water outside of it and if the current is ripping, the kelp will be laid down so much that you can’t see the spot. Steve’s point is good too, as is Gold Bluff. These are all good spots for this time of year. Mostly because the lobster traps all along the 15 fathom curve will not be an issue (hopefully). A small boat guy could do some real damage on the calicos inside Pyramid Cove. Fish the kelp beds and find some current. With a trolling motor and some balls you can get into some really fishy areas and catch some magazine cover quality calicos.
SBI: This island produces best when nobody has been there in a while. That is the case right now. Spend some time studying a chart to see where the structure is, and where the MLPA zones are. On the front, the area right up next to the MPA is a seabass spot that might be holding. On the back there is a horseshoe shaped kelpline that hold seabass on the inside and big halibut. Anywhere you find some current and clean green water is worth a look. Excellent rockfishing out here, and be aware that there is a Ranger Station on the island and big brother is watching you. Don’t tempt fate and try to break any DFG regs, you will get busted.
Lobster: I know I said I would not talk about lobsters anymore but I got a call from Jerry this morning. He hooped inside LB Harbor and reported it being crowded and also ran into a guy hooping without lighted floats. Jerry never caught a lobster, and he is pretty good at doing the hoop netting thing. It’s time to start really thinking about finding new areas to hoop guys. Really.
