Bass Are Biting in Newport Waters

Anglers targeting bass have been getting some good action in the waters around Newport Beach.

Captain Jimmy Decker with two anglers fished outside of Newport Harbor on Tuesday. They caught and released 40 calico bass, ranging from 1.5  to 4 pounds using artificial lures at 30 to 50 feet.

Decker said the water temperatures have stabilized and that bass are moving up into kelp and stones from Huntington to Dana Point.

Jeff Overall of Newport Harbor Kayak Fishing reported that his guides fished Saturday and Monday hooking spotted bass and one short halibut. 

Overall said one of his trips went outside to the Corona del Mar kelp line but paddled back inside the harbor because it was a slow bite in the kelp. Overall said one of his regular clients told him that he fished Newport Harbor on Friday and hooked 22 spotted bass in two hours.

J.D. of J.D.’s Big Game Tackle on Balboa Island said the annual migration of bonito, barracuda and sand bass has not started in the waters outside of Newport Harbor. Anglers, he said, have been catching halibut and spotted bass in Newport Harbor and that one fisherman reported hooking a white sea bass but lost it on light tackle.

The Newport party boat fleet out of and targeted rockfish this week .

The Nautilus running local half-day trips reported a mixed bags on its two Monday trips with one halibut, 31 sculpin, three sand bass and nine perch.

The Patriot, fishing Catalina Island on Monday with 44 anglers aboard, caught 81 rockfish, 15 salmon grouper , six red snapper and 45 sand dabs.

The Thunderbird, with nine anglers aboard, fished San Clemente Island on Sunday and hooked 1 lingcod, 78 red snapper and 12 boccaccio.

I took my kayak out in the back bay on Saturday with Elaine and some blood worms and we caught a nice spot fin croaker and a corbina before the wind chased us off the water.

The weather is improving, so get out and fish.