Newport harbor/costa mesa- tips & locations???

[Cochetrigo]

My father-in-law has a nice 50+ ft. boat we usually go out on to try and catch some fish. So far we haven't had much more that some SMALL white sea bass and always a few mackerel... I'm wondering if there is any way to pick out a location that might yield us something bigger. Most of the time we try to follow or stay close to the party boats but to no avail. The problem is we no longer have a live bait tank. Bummer. So when we fish it is with frozen bait or jigs, or cutting ups the mackerel.
Having said all that, I'd like to go out and land something worthwhile.

I'm not too sure what is running right now, where to go (if that is even a factor), or what bait/jigs/methods to use. When I have gone out in the past up north near Morrow Bay, I remember fishing for rockfish with shrimp jigs & bait on those hooks, and also using heavy torpedo shaped jigs and sending them way down to the bottom. I realize this is a totally different location though.
At any rate, I'd love to hook 'ol pops up with a nice fish since every time he obliges when I visit! Any help would be appreciated.

Are there any websites/resources worth looking into for additional help? Thanks my fellow anglers.

[DockRat]

Are there any resources worth looking into for additional help?
Invite Tunaslam Cory.
DR

[smokehound]

My father-in-law has a nice 50+ ft. boat we usually go out on to try and catch some fish. So far we haven't had much more that some SMALL white sea bass and always a few mackerel... I'm wondering if there is any way to pick out a location that might yield us something bigger. Most of the time we try to follow or stay close to the party boats but to no avail. The problem is we no longer have a live bait tank. Bummer. So when we fish it is with frozen bait or jigs, or cutting ups the mackerel.
Having said all that, I'd like to go out and land something worthwhile.

I'm not too sure what is running right now, where to go (if that is even a factor), or what bait/jigs/methods to use. When I have gone out in the past up north near Morrow Bay, I remember fishing for rockfish with shrimp jigs & bait on those hooks, and also using heavy torpedo shaped jigs and sending them way down to the bottom. I realize this is a totally different location though.
At any rate, I'd love to hook 'ol pops up with a nice fish since every time he obliges when I visit! Any help would be appreciated.

Are there any websites/resources worth looking into for additional help? Thanks my fellow anglers.Have you considered fishing boilers for piggie calico bass?

for 4-inch Big hammers, you'll want the following jighead size/weight: 3/8 oz., 1/2 oz. or 3/4 oz. 4/0 hook Hammer Head

for 5-inch Big hammers, you'll want these jigheads sizes: 4/0 or 5/0, use the weight that's appropriate for the current intensity. if the water is like glass, you can get away with lighter jig heads.


Try the following swimbait patterns: Red Calico hunter, Calico hunter, Hot Karl, Kelp Kritter, Clear/red flake, Bleeding Olive herring, redrum, fongfish, halloween.


You can also use the warbaits jigheads in the same sizes and weights, those have a weed-guard to help reduce snags.


You'll need heavy class baitcasting reels and 15 lb+ line for this, these calicos are monsters... Just cast right against the rocks and pray you dont get snagged.. Please CPR any bruiser calicos you catch, these fish are not migratory and stick around the same boilers for pretty much their entire life.

You dont have to use the big hammers, you can also use big 5-6 inch creature baits with a 4/0 Wide Gap Hook and T-rig it. Use a sliding sinker that's heavy enough to get it down to the bottom.