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TRIP REPORTS AND CONDITIONS |
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Isla Mujeres, Mexico-13 May, 2010 Another trip to the Caribbean side of the Yucatan. In search of some warm water and weather. Found both.
Typically we started out at 9:AM because the bite is late here. About 16 miles off the Island with a little bump on the water one of our fishermen hooked a small Dorado and then another on the trolled Ballyhoo. Then a Sail came up into the spread. Dropped back and got him. A few minutes later we had a double on the Sails and released them. Then another single release. Then a triple hookup which we got. Anthony saw a White Marlin come into the spread and move on. Then a White Marlin came up and bit the long line. We got him. Anthony said it was the first White of the season on his boat here.
Then we found the Frigates diving and started hooking large Dorado. The birds showed again and we drove up onto feeding Sails thrashing the bait ball. Another three fish. They bit stupidly. Found another up into the spread inside. Then the Bonito found us and we headed for home. Total count was 10 Sailfish, 1 White Marlin, 8 Dorado to 40 lbs. and maybe a Wahoo jump and bite off.
Had to get the hang of circle hooks and trolling dead baits. We did OK though. |
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SoCal-20 May, 2010 It’s time and past time for the surface bite to take off alongside LA/Orange/San Diego counties. There has been a little activity on the bottom and under the Terns off the Coronado Islands. Spots of Yellowtail and Barracuda have surfaced from the Middle Grounds to the Rock Pile and into the Rosarito Beach area. Bites have been locally good although few bonanzas. Only a few patches of fish from Point Loma to Long Beach. Fair signs of bait schools off the Southcoast. And a few spots of Barracuda have shown themselves.
If I were to speculate I would slow troll along the coast from Salt Creek up past Newport to Izors Reef off Huntington Beach. It should be time to hit the high spots and edges of kelp in the same areas to see if the Bass, Barracuda, and Mackerel are clumping up yet. (It is about time). For the diehards there have been some big White Sea Bass from San Mateo Point up to below Newport on Sardines and Mackerel.
Maybe you can scratch out a few more Bass at Catalina and Clemente Islands but that is a long trip. |
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Newport-31 May, 2010 Tired of waiting for water to warm and clear up and the fish to appear off Orange County. Even tough the bite further south at the Coronados continues to show promise. Went out to the Newport Pipe and scratched out some Calico Bass and even some Sand Bass in calm but 58 F water. Biters were aggressive even if spaced in between. Best between 45 and 60 fathoms. Nice for a change to get healthy Anchovies from the bait receiver. Most of the fish were on these rather than the Sardines mixed in. Picture below.
Interesting, not a thing on the surface but bait. I guess it will take a few degrees of temp to set that off. |
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Southcoast-2 June, 2010 Predictions: Always dangerous to make. The water has warmed to low sixties off San Diego and a bubble of warm water off Oceanside seems to be moving north up the coast. It is about 62 F as far up as San Onofre but Dana Pt north is the high fifties all the way up to Long Beach. There is a decent bunch of fish to the south but it will take 61 F and up to activate them up north. Some are around as they demonstrated the last couple of weeks. Weather is calm now and that can only help the warming and clearing, if only at the surface. Watch carefully the next 4-5 days. |
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Newport-7 June, 2010 Yesterday I saw the water temps at Salt Creek crept up to 64-65 and cleaned up so I went down that way. With a load of Sardines, it was steady Barracuda fishing on medium sized fish all day. Got a bunch. Also saw a nice White Sea Bass caught on the boat next to me. All the action was on the surface fly-lined. I also noticed the Newport boats seemed to have located some fish up along the Pipe.the next day. So maybe it is happening finally. |
