Red tide out, sand bass in

JIM NIEMEC

It’s been a wide open bite for sand bass all along the coast. The red

tide seems to have been pushed out by strong currents, the water

temperature has jumped up nearly 5 degrees in less than a week and

fishing in general has really taken a turn for the better.

“Limits of legal sand bass are being sacked by anglers fishing on

half-day, three-quarter day and twilight boats making the short run

up to the Huntington Beach Flats and there are some barracuda mixed

in with the sandies. Fishing has been excellent with the bite

occurring in water depths between 40 and 65 feet,” said Steffaine

Hellerstein of Newport Sportfishing Landing.

Sand bass weighing up to 9 pounds have been decked by anglers

fishing anchovies or cut squid strips on leadhead jigs. There is

plenty of bait in the receivers with a mix of big anchovies and

smaller size sardines available for sportfishers and private yachts

heading out to local fishing grounds.

Fishing is also rated very good for calico bass all along the

front side of San Clemente Island and there have been a few big

yellowtail and white sea bass brought to gaff on over night boats

making runs to the outer islands. Boating pressure is heavy at

Catalina Island but fishing has been good for a mix of bass, small

bonito, a few barracuda, 10-pound class yellowtail and an occasional

large sea bass. In the channel, shark fishing trips are enjoying fair

“catch-and-release” fishing for blue sharks and there have been a

number of big Mako sharks taken off the high spots by private boats

on live greenback mackerel.

The albacore appear to be moving up the coast and hopefully will

be within one-day range soon. The count off San Diego jumped

dramatically earlier in the week and if the weather stays calm

Newport-based sport boats and yachts could be fishing longfins off

the east end of San Clemente by this weekend. The sportfisher

Aggressor, operating out of Newport Landing Sportfishing, has

scheduled a two-day trip for next week to fish albacore and booking

arrangements can be made through 976-TUNA.

With warmer and cleaner water returning to the coastline, surf and

pier fishing have come alive. Good catches of corbina, yellowfin

croaker and barred perch are being made between the Newport and

Balboa piers and halibut and small sharks are being landed at the

mouth of the Santa Ana River. There are plenty of sand crabs along

the beach to sustain this fishery. Anglers fishing off the piers are

catching a mix of mackerel and croaker on cut bait and a few legal

halibut have been brought to net by anglers rigging up with live

smelt. Schools of mullet have also moved under the Newport Pier where

anglers using treble snag-type terminal tackle are hooking fish when

water conditions are clear.

The 22nd Annual Schock Boats Fishing Tournament will be held in

Newport bay on July 30. The popular event is open to owners of Boston

Whaler and Grady White boats only and there will be a fishing

seminar, presented by John McCarty of Fin Fever Yacht Charters, and a

skippers meeting on July 27 starting at 6 p.m. at Schock Boats in

Newport Beach. This tournament has become a tradition for local bay

anglers and a fun gathering of families, boat owners and friends. For

information and to obtain an official entry form call (949) 673-2050.

Summertime trout fishing erupted at Irvine Lake this past weekend

as good catches of rainbows were being made along the west shore of

the nearly full lake. The bait of choice is a worm, but Berkley Power

Bait also accounted for a couple of limits posted by anglers anchored

up in 35 feet of water. In addition to trout, channel catfish and

bluegill are biting well in the shallower coves.

At the Santa Ana River Lakes, action continues to be on the

catfish fishery that is being supported by a weekly stocking program

of whiskerfish.