Corbina Help

[Possman]

Hey guys, looking for a little help here. Been out seeking Corbina down here in O-side. Last couple times, I've had no problem finding the fish, they're comming into the shallows and are easily seen. I've tried everything thing I can find with no success. I've tried, Gulp Sandworms, Shrimp, and Sand Crabs in two different sizes. I've dug live crabs and tried them in various sizes and all with row. I'm using a C-rig with a half ounce weight, a 4lb leader and a number 4 or 6 owner mosquito hook. I've tried casting into the surf, right at the fish, right behind the fish etc....not even a touch! What am I doing wrong? Is there something else I should try? Do I soak the bait or use a retrive? is a C-rig not the best? Or do I just need to be more patient and keep trying? Thanks in advance.....if you're curous about the spot, PM me.

[largemouthlad]

I have not had that much luck over there catching Corbina. I was recently over at Tory Pines beach by Del Mar and had two Corbinas on carolina rig with sandcrabs. The big one was about 5 pounds. How far were you casting? Do you fish with a rod holder?

[Fisherman57]

Stick with the sandcrabs if it's "Beans" your after!

They love sandcrabs. Just make sure the crabs you are using are not too big and not too small..... (dime size is perfect) and that they are in molt (have a soft shell)..... and try to always use ones carrying roe.

Beans have incredible eyesight, and I would certainly consider them VERY line shy...... light line is the rule of thumb and I always use a longer fluro leader when after Corbina..... 4lb is good on a carolina rigged set up.... make sure you're hooking the crab correctly.

You want to make sure you present your sandcrab in the most natural looking way possible...... if the crab is floating around on it's side in the shallow water and has a long hook shank sticking out of it, chances are its NOT going to look too natural to a feeding Corbina and you're certainly gonna get less strikes.

Do a Google search on how to properly hook a sand crab...... you'll find that there is some good information out there on that subject..... this IMO is certainly one of the keys to catching Corbina while using sandcrabs...

Obviously, make sure you're using as small of weight as possible, a long leader...... I like using a long 36" leader or maybe even longer when I can... if wave and current conditions are light, go as small as possible whem choosing a weight.... If conditions are heavier, move up to a little larger weight, but remain as light as you can. Every little thing counts when it comes to these fish.... I even use a black swivel rather than a brass one as brass will reflect more in shallow water and the black ones just look more natural in the water...... and remember that incredible eyesight..... as a reflection will deter a bean from biting. (Thanks BV for that tip)!

Corbina will take off when they spot you.... so make sure you keep yourself as "stealth" as possible..... lots of guys I know squat or kneel down while fishing for "beans"..... anything they can do to not stand out...... a sky blue shirt and sand colored shorts are not a bad idea on a bright sunny day..... the idea is...... try to fit into the background. It may sound crazy, but when it comes to fishing for Corbina, their eyesight is to be considered each and every time you target them. The less they spot you, the better success you'll have.

Try casting into the area behind the last wave break closest to the shore.... beans feed in VERY shallow water, but they like to hold in a liitle deeper water as they get ready to rush the beach in search of those tasty crabs..... this isnt always the rule of thumb as I see beans hold in shallow water for quite a while sometimes...... but they eventually seem to move out to slightly deeper water to restage. So that's where I usually start as I let my bait work its way into shallow skinny water towards shore. Others may have different methods, but I dont really "retrieve", I just let the tide bring my bait into the shallow water strike zone all while keeping the proper tension and or slack in the line.....

Beans are so into feeding sometimes that they'll bump into you while you're standing in the shallows...... also make sure you have yourself a good pair of sunglasses as that will help you spot them easier..... and dont be afraid to fish them while standing further away from the water....... you dont need to be standing in the shallows to catch them.......

I'd also recommend reading Bill Varney's surf fishing book as it will provide you a few more tips for Corbina and many other surf species on light line fishing....

Again, this is just some basic info... lots of great surf fisherman out there with lots of great information.... hope this helps...

Ill be looking forward to reading your report when you score your first bean!


57

[bsp]

What lb test is your main line? If you are using anything heavier than six then your chances of getting bit go way down. 4lb flourocarbon is the rule for leaders and make sure that they are long, like around 4 feet or even longer. Try a much lighter weight. You want the sand crab to bounce along with the waves. What type of rod and reel are you using?

[Possman]

Thanks for the great info, sounds like I'm doing ok. My main line right now is 8, so I'll change it to 6, might need a little bit longer leader, and a slighly smaller weight, but mostly just more time I think. Thanks again, just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something completely wrong! Will post a pic when I finally get one.

[THarry65]

Oceanside beaches just aren't the ticket to Corbina..maybe the warm water jetty area, but even then it's not the greatest for Corbina....Tharry65

[Simplyeman]

Off the hermosa pier at times you can see them in pretty big schools, but they spook very easily. It's pretty much sight fishing when youre on the pier.

[TShaffer]

i was just down at the huntington/newport boarder on the newport side and saw some nice sized corbina swimmin around (i wasnt looking for them since i was not fishing) That means if i was looking for these guys i probably would have seen a lot more. I also noticed some huge sand crab beds. It seems like a good place for beans.

[boxl0bster]

adding to dana's tips you should use a clear plastic/glass bead versus the usual orange bead, again this is because of the corbina's excellent eye sight. good luck!

[Cangler]

Last summer i mashed some sliced bread with water and it brought
them into a kind of feeding frenzy around my feet.

I then managed to hook a couple before they got spooked.

[CrabMan]

Possman,
That's some great advice from the guys--especially fisherman 57 (a great thorough and accurate explanation):p. The only things I would add might be: Corbina seem to like a low tide going to high tide as the waves help push them up the beach and over the crab beds. I like to fish for them 3 hours before high tide until 1 hour before high tide. The outgoing tide one hour after high tide seems to be good also. Hooking sand crabs is also important. You want to make sure the crab is hooked so when it's being retrieved it looks natural and not spinning. Although it seems they mostly prefer sand crabs, the world record was caught on a ghost shrimp and many have been caught on fresh shucked mussel. Do try a couple of baits if the crabs are not working well. Regarding your leader length, remember you will catch most of them in very shallow water. If your leader is too long your bait will not be on the bottom but floating near the top. So if the surf is big use a 12"-18" leader, in smaller surf a longer leader is fine. Time of day can also be important. If the fish are very skiddish try fishing before sunrise and at sunset. At those times your bait may seem more attractive because it's harder for them to find food in low light--whereas during the day you're competing with billions of crabs that are not on a hook!:Surprised:

Just like with any fishing try a couple of different things: Longer leader, lighter weight, different bait and maybe you'll have some luck catching the elusive ghost of the surf!:D