SeapointFlyGuy
09-20-2011, 03:37 PM
Inspired by gutierrez’s Saturday report, I hit the outer Newport harbor today with the 8-weight flyrod in my kayak. I have been looking for a decent sandbass bite since spring, and here it is getting to be late September - and I am happy to report that they have finally showed up! I launched at the Coast Guard station around 10:30 and spent three hours paddling and casting in that general area. Lots of fun.
Conditions were calm and overcast and near-glassy when I started. It just felt fishy. Lots of individual baitfish jumping here and there all over the place. Saw two junior barracuda jump out of the water chasing them; one did a somersault in the air. Noticed a boat working the wedge-side wall in the entrance channel getting plenty of hookups.
While I was unable to entice any cuda, I did get about a half-dozen great fun-sized sandies into the yak (including one on my first cast), a couple smaller calicos, and two hard-fighting mackerel. Now throw in another half-dozen hookups plus a few more missed strikes and it is pretty much the best session I have had there. I only used two patterns, a brown/white clouser and a tan/orange one, both pictured below.
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/1045/znph003.jpg
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6945/znph001.jpg
Conditions were calm and overcast and near-glassy when I started. It just felt fishy. Lots of individual baitfish jumping here and there all over the place. Saw two junior barracuda jump out of the water chasing them; one did a somersault in the air. Noticed a boat working the wedge-side wall in the entrance channel getting plenty of hookups.
While I was unable to entice any cuda, I did get about a half-dozen great fun-sized sandies into the yak (including one on my first cast), a couple smaller calicos, and two hard-fighting mackerel. Now throw in another half-dozen hookups plus a few more missed strikes and it is pretty much the best session I have had there. I only used two patterns, a brown/white clouser and a tan/orange one, both pictured below.
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/1045/znph003.jpg
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6945/znph001.jpg