LiveweLLunker
05-04-2011, 09:36 AM
Haven’t posted in a while and after reading so many great reports I figured I needed to share.
So I have been fishing a lot in the past few weeks. I guess I’m making up for lost time since I didn’t fish at all last year. Don’t know why I didn’t fish last year, but now I’ve got the bug again. I have a spot in Newport harbor that I like to go to, and I’m pretty sure I might be the only one fishing this spot, at least from the shore since every time I go there I’m the only one there. Also a couple of the guys living on their boats have told me that I’m the only one who fishes there. Lol. It’s a really nice spot and I have pulled out a couple really nice spotties from here.
So now the start of the report. Started about a month ago when I was fishing the public docks on Balboa peninsula. First time hitting this spot in a long time. Since that first trip I have been back to NPH 6 times, the last time being yesterday. I usually start really early in the morning, around 5:30am and fish til 10:00am. The bite seems to be early morning and then shuts off closer to the afternoon, regardless of tide. I fished peak high tide and low tides and it didn’t change the bite, just changed the location on the docks that the fish were holding. Seems to be my own little honey hole of fish. Here is a couple pics of the fish that I have pulled out of there.
1st day, April 6th.
Fished the public dock with some cut bait and plastics. Got a few rays, a short hali and a small sandy. Also saw some dolphins that buzzed right by the dock, literally 5 feet away from me. Cool experience and the start of my month long fishing bug.
2nd day,April 10th
Wanted a little bit different experience so I brought out the lighter gear, 5’ U.L. Trout rod. Wanted to really have a fight on my hands with some smaller rays and went back to the public dock. Caught a small ray on the Trout rod and had a great 10 min fight with it. Got it up and released quickly. Some guys on a rental skiff docked up and were unloading some gear. They asked me if I wanted some live bait, not having a place to keep any live I told them I would take a scoop of some fresh dead. Threw on a chunk of the new bait, and within 10 minutes the little rod goes bendo. Feels much bigger than before, but not like a ray, distinctive head bumps. Im thinking hali, and I was right. Get the hali to the dock and he bolts back out taking line. Did this 6 times pulling him in and he would spook off. The last time I get his head to the dock and go down to get my hands on him, he gives one good head thrash and breaks the 2lb line. Oh well, good fun and 15 min fight. Thing looked big too, either legal or really close to legal hali.
3rd day,April 17th
First day that I started fishing my old and favorite boat docks. Looking for the spotties, using only plastics and I found them. 4 spotties all caught on 3in plastic, 1/2ounce jig head. Colors: Clear/red flake, and Green/Red flake.
4th day, April 21st
Started at the boat docks, caught another couple of spotties. Same setup as before and same colors. After a couple hours at the docks I moved to the peninsula and started throwing the lc sardine along some of the harbor beachfront near Bay Island. Got myself another short hali.
5th day, April 30th
Another day on the docks early morning. Got myself three more spotties. This place is really producing some nice fish. While throwing the plastic out into the harbor I got myself a nice surprise. I was reeling back kinda fast just testing different depths in the water column and got slammed. Set the hook and it was fish on, just as suddenly the line goes slack, I reel down really fast to see if the fish is still there, get it right to the dock and feel the fish, suddenly this thin silver bullet jumps out of the water, spits the hook, winks and smiles at me and dive back into the water. Small barracuda, maybe 18 long and really thin. First time I’ve ever caught one from this area, “I say caught cuz im counting him throwing the hook as a dock side release” haha. If you can see the leader it’s a catch. Called that my day and went home.
6th day, May 3rd
Last but not least, yesterday. Started back at the docks.Got some more spotties throwing the plastics, also caught a couple sandys and a mack. My last spottie of the day was the biggest and I almost left before I got him but decided to hit one more area before going back home. Lucky me. He taped out at 14” and was super chunky.
Thanks for reading. All fish were safely released to catch another day.
Heres a couple pics of the fish that were caught. Couldnt upload all of them but here are some of my favorites.
So I have been fishing a lot in the past few weeks. I guess I’m making up for lost time since I didn’t fish at all last year. Don’t know why I didn’t fish last year, but now I’ve got the bug again. I have a spot in Newport harbor that I like to go to, and I’m pretty sure I might be the only one fishing this spot, at least from the shore since every time I go there I’m the only one there. Also a couple of the guys living on their boats have told me that I’m the only one who fishes there. Lol. It’s a really nice spot and I have pulled out a couple really nice spotties from here.
So now the start of the report. Started about a month ago when I was fishing the public docks on Balboa peninsula. First time hitting this spot in a long time. Since that first trip I have been back to NPH 6 times, the last time being yesterday. I usually start really early in the morning, around 5:30am and fish til 10:00am. The bite seems to be early morning and then shuts off closer to the afternoon, regardless of tide. I fished peak high tide and low tides and it didn’t change the bite, just changed the location on the docks that the fish were holding. Seems to be my own little honey hole of fish. Here is a couple pics of the fish that I have pulled out of there.
1st day, April 6th.
Fished the public dock with some cut bait and plastics. Got a few rays, a short hali and a small sandy. Also saw some dolphins that buzzed right by the dock, literally 5 feet away from me. Cool experience and the start of my month long fishing bug.
2nd day,April 10th
Wanted a little bit different experience so I brought out the lighter gear, 5’ U.L. Trout rod. Wanted to really have a fight on my hands with some smaller rays and went back to the public dock. Caught a small ray on the Trout rod and had a great 10 min fight with it. Got it up and released quickly. Some guys on a rental skiff docked up and were unloading some gear. They asked me if I wanted some live bait, not having a place to keep any live I told them I would take a scoop of some fresh dead. Threw on a chunk of the new bait, and within 10 minutes the little rod goes bendo. Feels much bigger than before, but not like a ray, distinctive head bumps. Im thinking hali, and I was right. Get the hali to the dock and he bolts back out taking line. Did this 6 times pulling him in and he would spook off. The last time I get his head to the dock and go down to get my hands on him, he gives one good head thrash and breaks the 2lb line. Oh well, good fun and 15 min fight. Thing looked big too, either legal or really close to legal hali.
3rd day,April 17th
First day that I started fishing my old and favorite boat docks. Looking for the spotties, using only plastics and I found them. 4 spotties all caught on 3in plastic, 1/2ounce jig head. Colors: Clear/red flake, and Green/Red flake.
4th day, April 21st
Started at the boat docks, caught another couple of spotties. Same setup as before and same colors. After a couple hours at the docks I moved to the peninsula and started throwing the lc sardine along some of the harbor beachfront near Bay Island. Got myself another short hali.
5th day, April 30th
Another day on the docks early morning. Got myself three more spotties. This place is really producing some nice fish. While throwing the plastic out into the harbor I got myself a nice surprise. I was reeling back kinda fast just testing different depths in the water column and got slammed. Set the hook and it was fish on, just as suddenly the line goes slack, I reel down really fast to see if the fish is still there, get it right to the dock and feel the fish, suddenly this thin silver bullet jumps out of the water, spits the hook, winks and smiles at me and dive back into the water. Small barracuda, maybe 18 long and really thin. First time I’ve ever caught one from this area, “I say caught cuz im counting him throwing the hook as a dock side release” haha. If you can see the leader it’s a catch. Called that my day and went home.
6th day, May 3rd
Last but not least, yesterday. Started back at the docks.Got some more spotties throwing the plastics, also caught a couple sandys and a mack. My last spottie of the day was the biggest and I almost left before I got him but decided to hit one more area before going back home. Lucky me. He taped out at 14” and was super chunky.
Thanks for reading. All fish were safely released to catch another day.
Heres a couple pics of the fish that were caught. Couldnt upload all of them but here are some of my favorites.