Bring on the Spring Fishing Conditions

Spring breakers and locals over the weekend boarded the boats that depart from Newport Beach to get in on improving spring fishing conditions at the islands and along the coast.

Chris Moss at reported that the Thunderbird's overnight trip Saturday was very productive, with 27 anglers bringing up 63 rockfish, 97 red snappers, 54 salmon groupers and a nice lingcod at San Clemente Island.

The Freelance is running Catalina Island trips daily catching sheepheads, boccaccio, and blacksmith and blue perch. On Saturday night's twilight trip, the Freelance put 23 anglers onto 28 sand bass and 20 sculpin.

The Western Pride, running half day trips out of Davey's Locker, landed a nice 12-pound halibut fishing the local spots.

Robert Woodbury of reported that 15 anglers aboard the Nautilus—skippered by Rob Ellingboe—landed 10 Calico Bass, two sand bass and 45 rockfish on the Monday half day trip.

Newport Landing and Davey's Locker both credited the availability of anchovies from the Newport Bait Barge as a major factor in the unproved bite this week.

Jeff Overall with Newport Harbor Kayak Fishing reported that water temperatures in the harbor had jumped three to four degrees over the last two weeks and bass were starting to get active. Overall said a kayak trip caught a 13-inch spotted bass using Berkley's Gulp bait on the outgoing low tide.

Overall's tip for kayakers is to fish the outgoing tide because it is warmer.

The Newport Pier was the hot spot for catching mackerel last weekend with skilled anglers using multiple hook bait rigs to pull in six fish at a time from the end of the pier.

Cooler weather is expected to move into Newport Beach over the weekend. But with warmer water and anchovies in the bait tanks, spring fishing will be kicking into high gear in the next couple of weeks,