Live Bait Fishing, San Diego Style

Jer · 11-23-2006, 11:38 PM

Live Bait Fishing, San Diego Style

By: Dan Bacher
November 20

livebait1.jpg

The San Diego sportfishing fleet is renowned for its wide variety of multi-day trips to Mexican waters for yellowtail, yellowfin tuna, albacore tuna, white seabass, dorado and other big gamefish opportunities. However, the half and three-quarter day boats that leave regularly from the different landings also offer light tackle fishing for a colorful array of calico bass, barracuda, bonito, sheephead, white seabass, lingcod, sculpin and many varieties of rockfish.

I have made numerous trips to Baja California for marlin, dorado, yellowtail, yellowfin tuna and other big gamefish, as well as making a long range trip to Alijos Rocks aboard the Royal Polaris in 1987, but I have never fished the local reefs and kelp beds of the San Diego area. I finally got a chance to do this while fishing aboard a half-day morning trip aboard the Fishermen Three out of San Diego after going to the ASA Sportfishing Summit at the Paradise Point Resort.

When I boarded the boat after parking my rental car, three things became apparent about the differences between northern California and southern California charter boats.

livebait2.jpg

First, the Fisherman III, like the others in the huge San Diego sportfishing fleet, had a galley. The California Dawn out of Berkeley Marina and the Velocity out of Santa Cruz both have galleys, but other boats from Shelter Cove down to Monterey don’t.

Second, no ice chests were allowed aboard the boat, unlike in northern California where most anglers bring ice chests aboard the boat for their drinks, food and fish.

Third, everybody received a number when they signed up on the boat’s passenger manifest. The number was used both when ordering food and drinks from the galley and placed on the gunnysacks by the two deckhands to indicate which sack was yours. In northern California, you usually get a number when you catch your first fish.

Fourth, the majority of species that we targeted were totally different from those that we pursue in northern California waters.

My goal was to catch a species that I had never caught before – a calico bass. I have taken lots of bonito, pinto bass, yellowfin tuna, dorado and yellowtail on trips to the Sea of Cortez, but I had never caught a calico bass, since they are found mainly in southern California and northern Baja California waters.

livebait3.jpg

After Captain J.D. McGriff and the two deckhands, Tyler Hill and Cole Crafton of San Diego, loaded up the live bait tank with a mixture of anchovies and sardines, we were on our way to our first destination, a spot in 70 feet of water off Point Loma. The deckhands started throwing chum into the water as a school of bonito burst on the surface.

As soon as his Rapala hit the water, Dave “Highliner” Thomas hooked a bonito. Over the next 15 minutes, he landed a total of 10 bonito while using a spinning rod. When you consider that the other 23 passengers aboard the boat caught a total of 6 bonito all day, Thomas' was definitely the “hot rod.”

Meanwhile, I concentrated on trying to get my first-ever calico bass and I caught one almost immediately. The scrappy bass not only fought hard, but also displayed its gorgeous brown and yellowish green colors when I got in the boat. Other anglers also landed calico bass and a few sheephead and sculpin while using live anchovies and sardines on the bottom.

Most of the calicos were 1 to 2 pounds, with some smaller undersized fish mixed in, but Roger Johnson of San Diego brought in one calico in the 4 pound class. “I like to fish aboard the half day boats three times per week,” the bearded country dance instructor told me.

After the flurry of bonito and calico bass action shut off, anglers worked hard for their fish for the next hour. Several particularly annoying sea lions began menacing angler’s baits, often resulting in anglers reeling in just a head or no bait at all. I managed to catch another calico bass, but was stripped of my bait several times by the sea lion.

livebait4.jpg

Captain McGriff asked the anglers to reel their lines in and said we would make a move. After arriving at the new spot in an area of bull kelp, we began hooking up fish immediately. I fly lined a sardine with no weight. I cast out my sardine, the line started peeling off my reel and I set the hook and started battling a fish, but the line went slack.

I reeled in the line and my hook was gone. “A barracuda got it,” advised deckhand Tyler Hill.

He tied a new live bait hook on my line and I hooked another, lively sardine and tossed it out. The line began ripping off of my reel; I set the hook and this time the fish stayed on. I battled the fish to the boat, a 2 pound calico bass, and lifted it over the side.

Meanwhile, anglers were hooking a multi-colored array of calico bass, barracuda, sheephead, rockfish and lingcod. Clayton Judy and his son had a blast landing six keeper calico bass while using spinning rods with live bait and rubber core sinkers. Dottie and Deborah Klen of Prescott Arizona each bagged a sheephead.

But it was a young member of the Swedish Navy stationed in San Diego who caught the jackpot of the day, a 6 lb. lingcod.

livebait5.jpg

The 24 anglers aboard the boat bagged a total of 12 barracuda, 16 bonito, 5sheepshead, 2 lingcod, 31 calico bass, 13 rockfish and 3 sculpin. The fishing had been even better on the Sunday before our trip when anglers aboard the boat bagged limits of bonito, in addition to an assortment of other species.

“You couldn’t ask for a day with better weather and fishing,” summed up Dave Thomas, who after boating his 10 bonito, caught two barracuda and two calico bass.

“This has been a good season for live bait fishing on half day boats,” added McGriff.. “The water is around 65 degrees, accounting for the good numbers of surface species and bass that we’re seeing. When the water temperature goes below 60 degrees and the rockfish season is open, we shift to fishing for rockfish.”

For more information about fishing aboard the Fisherman III and other boats, call H&M Landing at (619) 222-1144.

bobmoise · 05-23-2008, 01:08 AM

Thanks for the report!

Awesome job on the bass!

Those are some fun fish to fight!

11-23-2006, 11:38 PM	#1
Jer Sportfishermen.com Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Fortaleza, CE, Brazil Posts: 3,933 Credits: 2,582.1 Best Catch: Catfish. I don't know the weight and lenght. Occupation: Internet	Live Bait Fishing, San Diego Style Live Bait Fishing, San Diego Style By: Dan Bacher November 20 livebait1.jpg The San Diego sportfishing fleet is renowned for its wide variety of multi-day trips to Mexican waters for yellowtail, yellowfin tuna, albacore tuna, white seabass, dorado and other big gamefish opportunities. However, the half and three-quarter day boats that leave regularly from the different landings also offer light tackle fishing for a colorful array of calico bass, barracuda, bonito, sheephead, white seabass, lingcod, sculpin and many varieties of rockfish. I have made numerous trips to Baja California for marlin, dorado, yellowtail, yellowfin tuna and other big gamefish, as well as making a long range trip to Alijos Rocks aboard the Royal Polaris in 1987, but I have never fished the local reefs and kelp beds of the San Diego area. I finally got a chance to do this while fishing aboard a half-day morning trip aboard the Fishermen Three out of San Diego after going to the ASA Sportfishing Summit at the Paradise Point Resort. When I boarded the boat after parking my rental car, three things became apparent about the differences between northern California and southern California charter boats. livebait2.jpg First, the Fisherman III, like the others in the huge San Diego sportfishing fleet, had a galley. The California Dawn out of Berkeley Marina and the Velocity out of Santa Cruz both have galleys, but other boats from Shelter Cove down to Monterey don’t. Second, no ice chests were allowed aboard the boat, unlike in northern California where most anglers bring ice chests aboard the boat for their drinks, food and fish. Third, everybody received a number when they signed up on the boat’s passenger manifest. The number was used both when ordering food and drinks from the galley and placed on the gunnysacks by the two deckhands to indicate which sack was yours. In northern California, you usually get a number when you catch your first fish. Fourth, the majority of species that we targeted were totally different from those that we pursue in northern California waters. My goal was to catch a species that I had never caught before – a calico bass. I have taken lots of bonito, pinto bass, yellowfin tuna, dorado and yellowtail on trips to the Sea of Cortez, but I had never caught a calico bass, since they are found mainly in southern California and northern Baja California waters. livebait3.jpg After Captain J.D. McGriff and the two deckhands, Tyler Hill and Cole Crafton of San Diego, loaded up the live bait tank with a mixture of anchovies and sardines, we were on our way to our first destination, a spot in 70 feet of water off Point Loma. The deckhands started throwing chum into the water as a school of bonito burst on the surface. As soon as his Rapala hit the water, Dave “Highliner” Thomas hooked a bonito. Over the next 15 minutes, he landed a total of 10 bonito while using a spinning rod. When you consider that the other 23 passengers aboard the boat caught a total of 6 bonito all day, Thomas' was definitely the “hot rod.” Meanwhile, I concentrated on trying to get my first-ever calico bass and I caught one almost immediately. The scrappy bass not only fought hard, but also displayed its gorgeous brown and yellowish green colors when I got in the boat. Other anglers also landed calico bass and a few sheephead and sculpin while using live anchovies and sardines on the bottom. Most of the calicos were 1 to 2 pounds, with some smaller undersized fish mixed in, but Roger Johnson of San Diego brought in one calico in the 4 pound class. “I like to fish aboard the half day boats three times per week,” the bearded country dance instructor told me. After the flurry of bonito and calico bass action shut off, anglers worked hard for their fish for the next hour. Several particularly annoying sea lions began menacing angler’s baits, often resulting in anglers reeling in just a head or no bait at all. I managed to catch another calico bass, but was stripped of my bait several times by the sea lion. livebait4.jpg Captain McGriff asked the anglers to reel their lines in and said we would make a move. After arriving at the new spot in an area of bull kelp, we began hooking up fish immediately. I fly lined a sardine with no weight. I cast out my sardine, the line started peeling off my reel and I set the hook and started battling a fish, but the line went slack. I reeled in the line and my hook was gone. “A barracuda got it,” advised deckhand Tyler Hill. He tied a new live bait hook on my line and I hooked another, lively sardine and tossed it out. The line began ripping off of my reel; I set the hook and this time the fish stayed on. I battled the fish to the boat, a 2 pound calico bass, and lifted it over the side. Meanwhile, anglers were hooking a multi-colored array of calico bass, barracuda, sheephead, rockfish and lingcod. Clayton Judy and his son had a blast landing six keeper calico bass while using spinning rods with live bait and rubber core sinkers. Dottie and Deborah Klen of Prescott Arizona each bagged a sheephead. But it was a young member of the Swedish Navy stationed in San Diego who caught the jackpot of the day, a 6 lb. lingcod. livebait5.jpg The 24 anglers aboard the boat bagged a total of 12 barracuda, 16 bonito, 5sheepshead, 2 lingcod, 31 calico bass, 13 rockfish and 3 sculpin. The fishing had been even better on the Sunday before our trip when anglers aboard the boat bagged limits of bonito, in addition to an assortment of other species. “You couldn’t ask for a day with better weather and fishing,” summed up Dave Thomas, who after boating his 10 bonito, caught two barracuda and two calico bass. “This has been a good season for live bait fishing on half day boats,” added McGriff.. “The water is around 65 degrees, accounting for the good numbers of surface species and bass that we’re seeing. When the water temperature goes below 60 degrees and the rockfish season is open, we shift to fishing for rockfish.” For more information about fishing aboard the Fisherman III and other boats, call H&M Landing at (619) 222-1144. __________________

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05-23-2008, 01:08 AM	#2
bobmoise Weeekend Warrior Join Date: May 2008 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 7 Credits: 1,194.3 Boat: Outer Banks Boat Club Home Port: San Diego Best Catch: Still Working on it! haha Occupation: Student	Thanks for the report! Awesome job on the bass! Those are some fun fish to fight!