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Thread: Renting a skiff at Newport Harbor, tips?

  1. #1

    Default Renting a skiff at Newport Harbor, tips?

    Hi,

    Just started fishing a couple months ago, any tips for fishing around NPH?
    Also, any recommended rigs or setups? lures?

  2. #2

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by dlock View Post
    Hi,

    Just started fishing a couple months ago, any tips for fishing around NPH?
    Also, any recommended rigs or setups? lures?
    I would say try these if you have them:

    Trolling - Deep Diving Crank Baits ( Green or Blue color) Firetiger works great!
    Target Fish- Spotted Bay Bass, Halibut, Sand Bass, and White Sea Bass(small)
    Tip - Stay were all the boats are parked and troll slow to match the lure speed.

    Plastic Worm/ Swim bait - Color Redish orange or Green/blue. Personal preference.
    Target Fish- Spotted Bay Bass
    Tip - Drop shot Rig, Toss right next to the pillars that's holding the private docks.

    Live Bait( Bait Barge) -
    Target Fish- Bass(SBB,WSB,SB, Calico), Barracuda, Bonito, Halibut
    Tip - Fish the bottom ( Alabama rig, Carolina Rig- Personal preference) Fish several feet away from the bait barge since all the larger fish stay away from the sea lions hanging around the barge.

    I hope this helps

    Samurai

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Long Beach, CA
    Posts
    295

    Default

    Newport offers lots of opportunities... in fact, I plan to tube it tomorrow. I'm going to kick out to the jetties and try fishing a jerk bait for macks/bonito and also try bouncing a swim bait around the rocks for bass. I'm a light tackle guy who fishes artificials, so for top water, I like fishing a Lucky Craft Flash Minnow and for swim baits, I tend to use 3 or 4 in Big Hammers that mimic sardine/anchovy colors on 1/4 oz lead heads. I also like using a drop shot rig with a small torpedo sinker on the end of the line and a circle hook about 18 inches up from there.

    Inside the harbor, you're generally more likely to find spotted bass around structure (docks, boats, rocks, whatever), with sand bass and halibut in the more open areas.

    You can also watch the drift and set yourself in a position where the wind/tide will move you across the bay and you can use a drop shot rig to bounce your bait of choice near the bottom as you drift quietly along. I use Gulp anchovies with a drop shot, but lots of guys use live bait or frozen squid. I'm sure there are guys here that kill it in Newport on live/natural bait, so hopefully one of them will weigh in for you.

    The biggest mistake I see rookies making is simply not being quiet. Think of the bottom of the skiff as a speaker, transmitting your steps/bumps/scrapes directly into the water. I see guys noisily pull up to a spot, stomp around the boat and scrape their tackle boxes around getting ready, and then drop a line straight down and expect to get a bite. Think stealth mode. Stay quiet and stay back a bit from the area you want to fish and cast into it. Newport gets a lot of fishing pressure and you have to be on top of your game.

    Just two cents here... but you say that you're new to fishing, so no offense intended, but if you've been catching fish from shore, then your skills should be ready to "move up" to a boat, but if you've been struggling to catch fish at all, then being in a boat probably isn't going to work very much to your advantage. Best to keep it cheap and fish from shore until you start to get it dialed in.

    Whatever you decide, good luck!

  4. #4

    Default

    Wow! thanks for all the information!

    I'll probably try all the advice given to me. (just got some crank baits, and I'll probably stop by the tackle store again after work.

    I used to go fishing often with my dad when I was a kid.
    Recently picked up fishing again, and I go every other weekend to Balboa pier at night, looking for something a little more.. adventurous I guess.

    But thank you again for all the info. Much appreciated!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Loudon TN
    Posts
    2,835

    Default

    Pitch and flip the docks. Getting under them and skipping your bait / lure and hold on tight dude.

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