One question and some answers
Anybody tried clam digging? What are the regulations? legal sizes ? limits ? Where is a good location ? Any help is appreciated?
Its been a little while since I have logged on to the message boards here at FNN. I know most of you guys fish around the O.C. and I spend most of my time in North L.A. Since the last time I posted here I caught my first legal halibut from the surf. I was camping at El Capitan State Beach just north of Santa Barbara. I had anchovie halves on a drop shot about 30 yards out. It felt like seaweed hit my line and didnt really head shake at all. Nobody believed I had a fish because my pole was so still it felt like dead weight I thought maybe a shovelnose or something. But, once it got into the break I saw the white belly ( underside ) And I was thrilled. I cooked it and ate it there at our campsite it was awesome.
Other than the Hali I've been nailing perch all along the coast here in L.A. I found a fun place for shovelnose just north of Topanga beach. They hit like crazy right around sunset on anchovie halves I've even caught small leopard sharks and one other small shark ( I couldnt tell what kind of shark I think it was still too young to be easily Identifiable) most likely a Mako. Needless to say I catch and release at that location but they can be fun to fight. My fishing partner nailed a huge SNGF at least 48".
I have also tried hooping for lobster and crab off some of the local piers. Not much luck there, I ve only seen two guys catch a legal lobster from Santa Monica Pier. At malibu pier I caught one legal dungeness crab and a ton of huge spider crab (dont keep those spiders too ugly). I got a tip about crabbing off Port Hueneme pier in ventura county so I packed up and headed up there. That day I pulled up hundreds of baby dungeness crabs my nets were literally filled with the little guys. I even pulled up one female that had a ton of eggs on her belly. The place has to be some kind of spawning ground or something. It was frustrating to see some many crab and not get too eat any that night. While we were up there some of the locals saw us sorting throught the nets and throwing the small guys back and they asked us "you're not gonna keep those ? " I was like "Hell no they are too small !" . Then they asked us " can we have 'em? " I was pissed its people like that who are ruining the species.
Anyway as I said before I want to try to dig for some clams but I need some more info. It would be helpful If anyone could tell me a good location as well as regualtions (i.e. legal size, limits.) Thanks in advance good luck everyone.
Re: One question and some answers
Sorry I don't have any answers to your clam questions, but thanks for the reporting :) I'm going camping at Carlsbad State Beach this weekend with the intent of catching and eating a legal halibut at my campsite.
Re: One question and some answers
I think people still dig for calms in Pismo beach. I saw a Hewell Houser show on it awhile back.
TM65
Re: One question and some answers
Quote:
Originally Posted by Surf_Slayer
Anybody tried clam digging? What are the regulations? legal sizes ? limits ? Where is a good location ? Any help is appreciated?
I found a fun place for shovelnose just north of Topanga beach. They hit like crazy right around sunset on anchovie halves I've even caught small leopard sharks and one other small shark ( I couldnt tell what kind of shark I think it was still too young to be easily Identifiable) most likely a Mako.
I know that I have found some big clams in hermosa while digging for sand crabs, but I have no idea as to what type they were or the regs.
I think you probably caught a Grey Smooth Hound instead of a Mako. Mako's have BIG teeth and are blue water sharks, basically a smaller, thinner, and much faster great white. Grey Smooth Hounds on the other hand look identical to Leopards, but are all grey. Or it could have been a Soupfin shark. Here are links to all three:
http://www.sdnhm.org/kids/sharks/shore- ... hound.html <=== Smooth Hound
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... hoto9.html <=== Mako
http://faculty.palomar.edu/wkloetzer/ <===Soupfin
