But no yellowtail.
My son Sean and I launched Monday morning from Huntington Harbor. We got a scoop of medium ‘dines from Nacho and headed south. We hit the oil rigs and Avalon bank looking for paddies, but there was nary a one to be found. We started off slow trolling the ‘dines back side east up to Salta Verde. Cuda and bass were everywhere, and we released many, but we didn’t see or meter any yellows.
About 3 PM we came around the east end to fish breaking in several areas. More cuda. Sean swears he saw some yellows roll, but we could not get any to go on bait or iron. We tried chumming, rapalas, flylining, dropper loops and slow trolling sardines for more cuda and bass. We saw a local skiff bendo as well as a guy in a center console – but never saw what they caught. I hope it was not bat rays!
That after noon we slow trolled from Frog Rock to the K20 kelp for – you guessed it – more cuda and bass. That night we took the 3 pound bass in Avalon to the woodshed. You’d never know these brutes are there during the day, but they sure come out at night!
Tuesday was more of the same at the west end, but with the addition of Konstantly Spun Kooks (or should I say other kooks besides us
). I don’t know what it was, but every time I turned around, there was a boat charging by us 25 feet away, someone dogging me or people cutting in front of me or behind my trolling pattern. We could not get a break. We fished until 5:30 then went in for a cocktail and a mooring at the Isthmus.
Wednesday morning found us at our shallow water rock fish spots to try to save the trip, with fresh frozen squid for bait. First drop, Sean gets a nice sheepshead and I got a chucklehead and a 3 pound calico, which unfortunately bled out. Sean got a big grass rockfish and a nice PB lingcod. I followed that up with a large red. So now we have at least something to take home for tacos!
We took one last stop at Ship Rock where a few sport boats were leaving. Slow trolling the reef in 90 feet of water, Sean goes bendo. It turns out to be the biggest calico I have ever seen. My scale says 6 pounds, and we released the spawner to make more just like her.
Anyway, the yellows eluded us again, but we had a fun trip with great weather and not a lot of wind. Water temps were 69 to 73 and a bit off-color.
Be safe out there!
Sean's ling:
It sucks to be a bait fish:
Big calico, released:
My son Sean and I launched Monday morning from Huntington Harbor. We got a scoop of medium ‘dines from Nacho and headed south. We hit the oil rigs and Avalon bank looking for paddies, but there was nary a one to be found. We started off slow trolling the ‘dines back side east up to Salta Verde. Cuda and bass were everywhere, and we released many, but we didn’t see or meter any yellows.
About 3 PM we came around the east end to fish breaking in several areas. More cuda. Sean swears he saw some yellows roll, but we could not get any to go on bait or iron. We tried chumming, rapalas, flylining, dropper loops and slow trolling sardines for more cuda and bass. We saw a local skiff bendo as well as a guy in a center console – but never saw what they caught. I hope it was not bat rays!
That after noon we slow trolled from Frog Rock to the K20 kelp for – you guessed it – more cuda and bass. That night we took the 3 pound bass in Avalon to the woodshed. You’d never know these brutes are there during the day, but they sure come out at night!
Tuesday was more of the same at the west end, but with the addition of Konstantly Spun Kooks (or should I say other kooks besides us
). I don’t know what it was, but every time I turned around, there was a boat charging by us 25 feet away, someone dogging me or people cutting in front of me or behind my trolling pattern. We could not get a break. We fished until 5:30 then went in for a cocktail and a mooring at the Isthmus.Wednesday morning found us at our shallow water rock fish spots to try to save the trip, with fresh frozen squid for bait. First drop, Sean gets a nice sheepshead and I got a chucklehead and a 3 pound calico, which unfortunately bled out. Sean got a big grass rockfish and a nice PB lingcod. I followed that up with a large red. So now we have at least something to take home for tacos!
We took one last stop at Ship Rock where a few sport boats were leaving. Slow trolling the reef in 90 feet of water, Sean goes bendo. It turns out to be the biggest calico I have ever seen. My scale says 6 pounds, and we released the spawner to make more just like her.
Anyway, the yellows eluded us again, but we had a fun trip with great weather and not a lot of wind. Water temps were 69 to 73 and a bit off-color.
Be safe out there!
Sean's ling:
It sucks to be a bait fish:
Big calico, released:
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