• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Forums
  • Classifieds
  • Fishdope
  • Local Knowledge
  • Shop
  • Support
Login
x

Facebook

Twitter

Not registered yet? Signup here Lost your password?
BDoutdoors
  • Home
  • Boats
    • Boat Accessories
    • Boat Maintenance
    • Marine Electronics
    • Boat Motors
    • Boat Reviews
    • Boating Tips
      • Boating Safety
  • Fishing
    • Women Fishing
    • Fishing Reports
      • Hot Spot Charts
    • Saltwater Fishing
    • Freshwater Fishing
    • How to Fish
    • Fishing Gear
      • Fishing Clothes
      • Fishing Line
      • Fishing Lures
      • Fishing Reels
      • Fishing Rods
      • Fishing Tackle
    • Fishing Videos
    • Spearfishing
    • Conservation
  • Hunting
  • Recipes
    • Fish Recipes
    • Seafood Recipes
    • Wild Game Recipes
  • Columns
    • Artist Spotlight
    • Capt. Ali Hussainy – Ali’s Corner
    • Gary Graham – Baja Bytes
    • Erik Landesfeind – SoCal Scene
    • Capt. Scott Goodwin – Offshore Academy
    • Capt. Mark Wisch – Pacific Edge
    • Derek Redwine – Put Me Outside
    • Chef Steve Black
    • Dr. Brad Genovese – Doctor’s Orders
    • Lenny Rudow – Stem to Stern
    • Joe Sarmiento – Sharing the Rail
    • Robert “Fly” Navarro – The Fly Zone
Home / Fishing / Sportboat Fishing For Seabass

Sportboat Fishing For Seabass

Jan 15, 2016 by Joe Sarmiento

sportboat fishingWhite seabass…the elusive ghost. Of all the major gamefish we fish for here in Southern California, white seabass is that one fish that seems to elude even the saltiest anglers we know. The problem is that even in a good seabass year, it’s hard (especially in a sportboat scenario) to target this fish. One of the really frustrating things about white seabass is that even when conditions are perfect for the sporties to target them (a squid spawn primarily), there are times when they just won’t bite. Other times, it’s so easy, it seems like they just want to die.

I remember a trip on the Pacific Islander in July of 2014. Two weeks prior we went out looking for them. Nada. It turned into a rockfish trip. Same trip 2 weeks later, I came with no expectations. I was cozy in my bunk, not in a hurry to get on deck. Deckhand Bryan Duncan came and woke me up. “Dude, get up. There’s seabass.” Really? I stumbled out on deck and baited up. There was an open spot on the rail and I dropped in. I was waiting for my weight to hit bottom and BOOM! Guy next to me is bit. Oh yeah? My weight hits bottom (high dropper setup) and just like that, I am too. Long story short…by 9am we were limited out at 3 fish a piece, and still had time to go out and get limits of rockfish.

Conversely, I’ve been on trips where we were definitely on top of fish and they just didn’t want to go. Failed trip, go home, and the next day it’s limits again. Very frustrating. It’s said that the best time to catch white seabass, is when you aren’t fishing for them. Absolutely. I’ve been the beneficiary of a surprise seabass on a couple occasions and it’s the best feeling to score a biscuit while fishing for say yellowtail or calicos.

fishing reports2015 as we all know was a warm water year. Squid are scarce when the water is too warm. Some seabass got caught last year, but the overall sportboat numbers were really down. I wasn’t one of the lucky ones. I think that seabass were still around. It was just hard to target them without the squid for them to aggregate around. There was about a week where the bite was on like in past years up in the 805, but that was it…one week. I rode the New Seaforth a few times during January and February last year. They had about a 2 week run where they were picking off 1’s and 2’s every other day. I was on one of those rides and saw some get caught.

My point is that most of us probably haven’t fished for white seabass in awhile.

Happily, we are starting to see some squid again. Lo and behold, we’re seeing some white seabass back in the counts. To put it in perspective, I wouldn’t call it a “bite” but the opportunity is there. I plan to ride the Redondo Special on Monday. They’re currently on a Winter Schedule running 9am to 2pm Wed-Fri and then a normal 7:30am and 1pm run on the weekends.

They’re running this coming Monday, January 18th, 9am to 2pm for the Martin Luther King holiday. I plan to join them. If you plan to join me, here are some pointers to remember.

Basic Rigs and When To Use Them

There are 2 basic rigs for white seabass: the high dropper loop and a lighter setup using either a leadhead or slider. A third rig using a floater or balloon is common, but not in a sportboat scenario. Essentially, you want to match the rig to where the captain is saying they are marking fish. If the marks are on the bottom, dropper loop. If they are midway in the water column, then the light setup. Depending on the current and where the fish are marking will determine how heavy of a leadhead or slider to use.

Hook Selection

The go to hook, popularized by Brandon Hayward, is the Owner Aki Twist, but in general you want to use a hook with a longer shank to hold the squid better. Size of the hook is determined by the size of the bait, but in general 2/0 to maybe 6/0 is the range you’ll use.

Star Drag or Lever Drag?

seabass fishingThe majority of time that I see someone get bit and lose the fish, the reason why will be that their drag is set too tight. It takes awhile for these fish to really commit to the bite and if your drag is set too tight, you’ll pull the hook before you even know what happened. That’s why I personally like to use a star drag reel. You can set the drag real low to accommodate the soft initial bite, and then tighten down after you’ve survived that critical first run.

There’s a lot more that can be written on this topic. Definitely listen to what the crews are telling you, but this information will ensure that you show up with the right gear to give you the best opportunity for success. Good luck!

Advertisement
Joe Sarmiento

Joe Sarmiento

http://www.socalsalty.com/

Joe Sarmiento is the founder and primary writer of the So Cal Salty blog. The blog covers saltwater fishing, primarily aboard the many sportfishing boats of Southern California. In addition to writing his blog, Joe's writing has appeared in Western Outdoor News, The Log and Griffin Media. Joe is the father of Jacob and Juliana, and enjoys cooking and eating his catch.

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

SoCal Tuna & Swordfish Bite Between Storms

Last Day Of The Bloody Cyber Sale On BD Swag

natural art

Artist Spotlight – Paul Marcellini

Fishing Experiences – Share Them With Family, Friends & More

Related Posts

post image

Baja Bytes Weekly Overview 03/31/17

Que Pasa  Baja California and Sonora no longer set gasoline prices. “The release of gasoline and diesel pr

post image

Pacific Dawn Sportboat Using Cousins Rods

The Pacific Dawn may not be the biggest boat in the fleet, but she has a huge reputation with serious angl

post image

In the poorest of conditions

Daily thunderstorms, heavy showers, huge tides, full moon, no bait, muddy water, hotter than a California wild

post image

Pre-Work Solo Yellowtail Strike

post image

Artist Spotlight – Michael Meyer

BD would like to introduce, marine artist, Michael Meyer. He shares his work and story with us. Q:Where d

post image

Fun SoCal Winter Fishing In The Report

Do you remember the definition of "fun winter fishing"? I know, after many winters spent  catching tuna and

post image

Yellowtail Dominate Counts In SoCal Fishing Reports

Well, Memorial Day weekend is upon us already and other than a few shots of early season bluefin, the season s

post image

New Products from Simrad

The NSS16 evo2 is engineered for performance, functionality and flexible control. Its TouchSensible™ inter

post image

Our Whim Became a Wham – Tales of Baja

Stories of Baja We had seen the house many times over the past decade as we cruised the beach on our modified

post image

Early Season Jig Fishing

Early Season Jig Fishing - Jig Fishing The lakes are starting to thaw out in some parts of the North Country

Subscribe for Updates

The latest in fishing right to your inbox

About Us

BD Outdoors is a growing, passionate online fishing community providing in-depth fishing reports, fishing gear reviews, fishing videos, fishing recipes, bass fishing and deer hunting focusing on all facts of sport fishing, boating, and hunting. Join in and ask “where is the fishing near me?” on our fishing discussion forums.

Web Links

  • About BD Outdoors
  • Advertising
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy
Copyright @ 2019 BDOutdoors | All Right Reserved.
  • Home
  • Boats
    ▼
    • Boat Accessories
    • Boat Maintenance
    • Marine Electronics
    • Boat Motors
    • Boat Reviews
    • Boating Tips
      ▼
      • Boating Safety
  • Fishing
    ▼
    • Women Fishing
    • Fishing Reports
      ▼
      • Hot Spot Charts
    • Saltwater Fishing
    • Freshwater Fishing
    • How to Fish
    • Fishing Gear
      ▼
      • Fishing Clothes
      • Fishing Line
      • Fishing Lures
      • Fishing Reels
      • Fishing Rods
      • Fishing Tackle
    • Fishing Videos
    • Spearfishing
    • Conservation
  • Hunting
  • Recipes
    ▼
    • Fish Recipes
    • Seafood Recipes
    • Wild Game Recipes
  • Columns
    ▼
    • Artist Spotlight
    • Capt. Ali Hussainy – Ali’s Corner
    • Gary Graham – Baja Bytes
    • Erik Landesfeind – SoCal Scene
    • Capt. Scott Goodwin – Offshore Academy
    • Capt. Mark Wisch – Pacific Edge
    • Derek Redwine – Put Me Outside
    • Chef Steve Black
    • Dr. Brad Genovese – Doctor’s Orders
    • Lenny Rudow – Stem to Stern
    • Joe Sarmiento – Sharing the Rail
    • Robert “Fly” Navarro – The Fly Zone