Rock Fishing Is Good This Week

Good rockfishing and a sprinkling of fair surface fishing provided anglers with good fishing this week. The Enterprise out of Long Beach Marina Sportfishing reported limits (10 fish per angler) or near limits of rockfish on most of her trips.

“It’s been steady fishing for a variety of bottom fish,” said skipper Frank Savino. “Most people have been walking off of here with a fat bag of fillets.”

Other landings and private boaters reported much of the same as they await more seasonal gamefish like bass, yellowtail and barracuda.

The Pacific Star from Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach has been fishing the outer islands on their weekend trips and catching easy limits of rockfish. “These are some of the finest eating fish in the sea,” said Don Ashley. “A limit of rockfish means anglers are going home with 20 beautiful fillets.”

Todd Maris, a private boater from Huntington Beach has been looking for some good sand bass fishing around the Long Beach breakwall and finding it. “It has been really steady,” said Maris who reported taking limits (10 bass per angler) on a few nights. “We seem to be getting closer and closer to a good surface bite.”

Maris has been fishing weekly with a group of private boaters from Performance Tackle in Los Alamitos. Most all of the anglers are fishing with swimbaits instead of live bait. A swimbait is a lure made of soft plastic and is highly detailed. When retrieved, these lures look like they are swimming, hence the name swimbaits. They are highly effective in taking sand and calico bass. You can drop by Performance Tackle on any day for some inside tips on how best to use swimbaits.

Two halibut were taken in the Pot of Gold Halibut Derby at Long Beach Sportfishing this week. Aurturo De La Cruz Jr. from Downey caught a flatfish that weighed 11.60 pound while Dina Mazzocco from Riverside boated a 4.10 pound halibut. The derby days are Wednesday through Sunday on board the Native Sun. The boat departs at 9am and returns at 4pm. The cost of $58 includes a day of fishing and automatic entry in the derby

One of the most important factors for a good surface bite is water temperature. The recent warm air temperatures have sea surface temperatures above 60 degrees in many areas. “Sixty-degree water is what one needs for a chance at good surface fishing,” said Ashley.

Captain Savino reports great conditions for an anticipated surface bite. “There is plenty of bait and the water is getting warmer every week,” said Savino. “It should happen any day now.”

Shawn Morgon from Big Fish Tackle in Seal Beach says surf fishing has been steady for barred perch. Surf fishing was good again around 14^th St in Seal Beach as well as Dog Beach at the Huntington Cliffs.

“We are seeing lots of corbina but the water just has to get a little warmer for them to bite,” said Morgon, who added that the beaches remain loaded with sand crabs and they continue to be the best bait for the perch.

The Palos Verdes kelp forests are loaded with white sea bass. Anglers have yet to get a big bite but that might change as water temperatures climb.

On Wednesday, temperatures on the water at Rocky Point were reported at  more than 60 degrees.

Last Wednesday, Frank Gray left his home port of King Harbor and headed for Rocky Point. On board was free diver and spear fisherman, Mike Lariva,of Long Beach. Lariva was in the water for 6 hours waiting patiently when a school of six white sea bass approached. He got off a shot and bagged an estimated 40 pound bass. Free divers continue to shoot several white sea bass every week here. In fact, Gray was back to Rocky Point the following day and saw a spear fisherman get sea bass estimated at 25 pounds and 50 pounds.

The Redondo Special is running a special white seabass on the water seminar this Friday. The cost is $40 and will not only include a half-day of fishing but also expert instruction for Captain Larry Moore and his staff on how you can catch the enigmatic and elusive white sea bass. Great for beginners and pros and with warming water temperatures, this could be the first good white sea bass bite of the year. Make a reservation by calling 310-896-6753 or e-mailing captlarry@hotmail.com .

Photos

Roger Ogata hold up an estimated 40 pound white seabass shot by Long Beach free diver, Mike Lariva. Photo credit Frank Gray

Anglers on the Pacific Star (last year) show off some nice rockfish.

Photo credit, Philip Friedman