Jackpot Jimmy
07-10-2011, 12:49 PM
We headed out of the harbor shortly after 6am with 23 anglers on board. The guys had made 12 to 14 scoops of live squid the night before, so we thought we’d have a decent shot at some exotics that have been around locally. But the water temperature had dropped a few degrees in the bay, so instead we were headed for Catalina!
Most shot the breeze on the way over while some elected to catch up on some sleep. Once there we found a spot with some fair conditions and dropped anchor. Those fishing the stern immediately started to catch some nice calico bass on the live squid. The light leadhead definitely trumped the sliding sinker as the key rig at this spot. After a while we swung just enough where you could reach the kelp from the bow, which prompted me to throw plastic. I threw a 3/8 oz. swimbait head with a rainbow trout-colored Zoom, and it was wide open fishing on that for a while – all on the sink. The key was to sink it out in front of the stringers, and the calicos would voraciously attack the plastic, and if they would miss it, I would twitch the line with my fingers, and they would usually come back and grab it all the way.
The calico bass fishing was as good as it gets. A couple of guys had their limits of calicos within 20 minutes of dropping the anchor. After a couple hours we were still catching fish, but we moved on.
At the next spot I decided to fish a dropper loop as it can be a great spot for sheephead and other bottom grabbers. On my first drop I ended up catching my biggest calico of the day (on a small strip of squid, go figure, but not the first time that’s happened). After unhooking the fish I released it, and it swam away happily. Meanwhile others were catching more bass back in the kelp, and then one angler hooked the right kind. He fought it up the side and it stayed up on the bow, performing its death spiral. Capt. Steven stuck the gaff in it, and up it came, a nice 22 pound, 12 ounce yellowtail for Mark Berridge of Tujunga.
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/007-60.jpg
After that excitement the calicos continued to bite, but not as well as in the morning. However there were some bass like this one that came up of nice size.
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/008-52.jpg
For the afternoon we tried fishing on the backside at a shot at a seabass or a halibut, but none were caught. But I got a few more calicos on plastic, bringing me to a total of 10 legals for the day for me. The calico fishing was the best I’ve seen in a long time, and I hope it continues the way it is, with a few more exotics mixed in. Great times, great fishing!
I also went on twilight and got a couple nice grumpy sand bass. The twilight fishing is showing some potential, and I’m sure it will pick up once the water warms up a little more in the bay.
Most shot the breeze on the way over while some elected to catch up on some sleep. Once there we found a spot with some fair conditions and dropped anchor. Those fishing the stern immediately started to catch some nice calico bass on the live squid. The light leadhead definitely trumped the sliding sinker as the key rig at this spot. After a while we swung just enough where you could reach the kelp from the bow, which prompted me to throw plastic. I threw a 3/8 oz. swimbait head with a rainbow trout-colored Zoom, and it was wide open fishing on that for a while – all on the sink. The key was to sink it out in front of the stringers, and the calicos would voraciously attack the plastic, and if they would miss it, I would twitch the line with my fingers, and they would usually come back and grab it all the way.
The calico bass fishing was as good as it gets. A couple of guys had their limits of calicos within 20 minutes of dropping the anchor. After a couple hours we were still catching fish, but we moved on.
At the next spot I decided to fish a dropper loop as it can be a great spot for sheephead and other bottom grabbers. On my first drop I ended up catching my biggest calico of the day (on a small strip of squid, go figure, but not the first time that’s happened). After unhooking the fish I released it, and it swam away happily. Meanwhile others were catching more bass back in the kelp, and then one angler hooked the right kind. He fought it up the side and it stayed up on the bow, performing its death spiral. Capt. Steven stuck the gaff in it, and up it came, a nice 22 pound, 12 ounce yellowtail for Mark Berridge of Tujunga.
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/007-60.jpg
After that excitement the calicos continued to bite, but not as well as in the morning. However there were some bass like this one that came up of nice size.
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/008-52.jpg
For the afternoon we tried fishing on the backside at a shot at a seabass or a halibut, but none were caught. But I got a few more calicos on plastic, bringing me to a total of 10 legals for the day for me. The calico fishing was the best I’ve seen in a long time, and I hope it continues the way it is, with a few more exotics mixed in. Great times, great fishing!
I also went on twilight and got a couple nice grumpy sand bass. The twilight fishing is showing some potential, and I’m sure it will pick up once the water warms up a little more in the bay.