Flat Seas, Big Anchovies Lure Albacore, and Boats, to Morro Bay--for Now

Albacore, Southern California’s most coveted summer saltwater sport fish, have decided to make the calm, flat, anchovy-rich waters off Morro Bay their home--for the time being.

The powerful, fast-swimming tuna have been caught in considerable numbers on Morro Bay and Port San Luis partyboats for a week, in waters 20 to 30 miles off Morro Bay, and as close as 12 miles.

“We’ve got ideal fishing conditions,” reported Mike Fitzsimmons of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay. “We’ve got lots of albacore fairly close, calm-flat seas and, best of all, lots of five- to six-inch greenback anchovies--the big, lively ones.”

Virg’s is running limited party trips on its 65- and 90-foot boats for 16- to 18-hour albacore trips. Catches this week ranged from 2.5 to 10 albacore per rod. Albacore have averaged 20 to 25 pounds.

Ron Dotson, fisheries biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service in La Jolla, said that the main mass of migrating albacore hasn’t yet been seen in Southern California waters.

“Most of the sport catch is in the Morro Bay area now,” he said. “There are scattered albacore reports between Point Conception and San Miguel Island, but that’s about it.

“There’s always a chance albacore will move in from the west close to Southern California anytime between now and late September. But like the old commercial tuna fishermen tell you, when the 10- to 12-pounders don’t show up first, it’s not a good sign. So far, most of the catches have been in the 20- to 40-pound class.”

SAN SIMEON--22 anglers (1 boat): 220 red rock cod, 100 red snapper.

MORRO BAY (Virg’s Landing)--85 anglers (3 boats): 201 albacore.

AVILA BAY (Port San Luis)--55 anglers (2 boats): 91 albacore.

SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--50 anglers (2 boats): 16 albacore, 90 sand bass, 1 calico bass, 1 halibut, 1 bonito, 1 rockfish, 1 mackerel.

VENTURA (Ventura Landing)--45 anglers (1 boat): 75 sand bass, 150 red snapper, 5 bonito, 5 barracuda, 10 rockfish.

PORT HUENEME--36 anglers (2 boats): 91 calico bass, 90 whitefish, 115 rockfish, 1 barracuda, 35 blue perch.

MALIBU--76 anglers (3 boats): 65 calico bass, 3 sand bass 2 halibut, 243 bonito, 208 rockfish.

MARINA DEL REY--123 anglers (5 boats): 2 halibut, 47 calico bass, 242 sand bass, 122 rock cod, 205 bonito, 125 mackerel.

REDONDO--162 anglers (6 boats): 3 bluefin tuna, 247 bonito, 221 calico bass, 28 sand bass, 61 barracuda, 240 mackerel, 50 rockfish. 2 barges--210 anglers: 240 bonito, 7 bass, 4 barracuda, 10 shark, 1,490 mackerel, 45 rockfish.

SAN PEDRO (22nd St. Landing)--128 anglers (5 boats): 1 bluefin tuna, 1 white sea bass, 1 yellowtail, 1 halibut, 100 calico bass, 55 sand bass, 69 bonito, 30 barracuda, 437 rockfish. (Ports ‘O Call)--127 anglers (5 boats): 7 albacore, 5 yellowtail, 1 barracuda, 72 calico bass, 12 sand bass, 251 bonito, 37 rockfish, 180 mackerel, 2 halibut.

LONG BEACH (Queen’s Wharf)--139 anglers (4 boats): 19 bluefin tuna, 1 yellowtail, 5 barracuda, 127 bonito, 165 calico bass, 91 sand bass, 2 halibut, 280 rockfish, 180 mackerel.

SEAL BEACH--77 anglers (3 boats): 223 bonito, 146 sand bass, 300 mackerel, 23 rockfish, 2 ling cod, 17 barracuda. Barge--32 anglers: 75 mackerel, 3 sand bass, 2 perch, 3 barracuda.

NEWPORT (Newport Landing)--152 anglers (6 boats): 1 bluefin tuna, 1 yellowtail, 55 barracuda, 527 bonito, 100 sand bass, 74 calico bass, 11 rockfish, 566 mackerel. (Davey’s Locker)--300 anglers (6 boats): 153 barracuda, 786 bonito, 4 yellowtail, 6 rock cod, 6 halibut, 52 calico bass, 176 sand bass, 715 mackerel, 3 blue shark, 3 mako shark, 1 bluefin tuna.

DANA WHARF--268 anglers (9 boats): 320 bass, 776 bonito, 1 halibut, 8 rockfish, 760 mackerel.

OCEANSIDE--149 anglers (5 boats): 305 bonito, 148 calico bass, 44 sand bass, 1 halibut, 26 rockfish, 63 whitefish, 325 mackerel, 1 mako shark.

SAN DIEGO (H&M; landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--180 anglers (11 boats): 2 bigeye tuna, 5 yellowtail, 1 barracuda, 75 bonito, 560 bass, 185 rockfish. (Islandia)--225 anglers (7 boats): 449 bonito, 2 barracuda, 1 yellowtail, 48 sand bass, 37 calico bass, 140 rockfish, 453 mackerel.

Freshwater

WILLOW BEACH--Some limits of two- to three-pound rainbow trout upriver, limits of pan-size rainbows downriver.

LAKE MEAD--Good top-water fishing for striped bass in most lower basin areas for fish in two- to three-pound class, some to five. Good night catfish action in coves. Largemouth bass spotty.

BULLHEAD CITY--Good night trout fishing on Lake Mohave for one-to three-pounders. Stripers on river of two to five pounds. Good for catfish on lake, river.

LAKE CACHUMA--Deep-water fishing at dam productive for trout with cheese, nightcrawlers. Catfish good in Cachuma Bay. Bass slow.

LAKE CASITAS--Good trout action in 60- to 90-foot depths at dam, trolling or cheese baits. Good catfish stringers for fishermen working coves at 10-foot depths. Bass slow.

LAKE PIRU--Fair for trout, trolling 10 colors or still-fishing with basic baits. Good catfish activity, ends of coves with mackerel, cheese baits. Bass fair.

LAKE SKINNER--Good catfish results at dam, inlet with mackerel, nightcrawlers. Some bass, crappie with worms, spinner baits.

LAKE CASTAIC--Slow.

LAKE ISABELLA--Good for catfish at Camp 9, Hanning’s Flat, Kissick Cove.

SAN DIEGO LAKES--Otay: Slow overall, but some big bass, catfish caught this week. Miramar: Fair for channel catfish, otherwise slow. Sutherland: Good for catfish, bass slow. Hodges: Excellent for bluegills, 4,935 caught last weekend. Catfish, bass fair to good.

IRVINE LAKE--Catfish best bet. Good daytime crappie action.

BIG BEAR LAKE--Good trolling for trout. Catfish good mornings, evenings. Mackerel baits best.

VAIL LAKE--Bass limits reported all this week. Good for crappie, catfish, too.

LAKE SILVERWOOD--Good striped bass fishing all week. Numerous limits reported. Most caught still fishing with anchovies in Miller’s, Cleghorn canyons. Catfish good same places.

LAKE HENSHAW--Channel catfish, bass best bets. Crappie fair.

BISHOP AREA--South, Sabrina lakes producing good rainbow trout fishing. Tyee Lake No. 5 good brook trout fishing--Ray Johansen, Ontario, 2-6 brookie. Good fishing for pan-size fish in South, Middle forks of Bishop Creek. Lower Owens River running low. Good fly-fishing with caddis hatch underway. Naomi Warren, Placentia, 4-8 brown trout with nightcrawler at Pleasant Valley Reservoir. Crowley slow for trout, but good for Sacramento perch.

CONVICT LAKE--Good fishing, trolling seven colors for trout near inlet. Limits reported by shore fishermen using eggs, cheese. Back country fishing good at lakes Genevieve, Edith, Mildred.

JUNE LAKE LOOP--Good trolling, bait fishing at all June Loop lakes.

BRIDGEPORT--East Walker River improved, with some 6-0 browns reported this week. Olive matoukas and woolly buggers, black-white marabous all working, along with pale morning dun, light Cahill patterns. Caddis fly hatch underway evenings. Improved trolling on Bridgeport Reservoir. Good bait fishing in Buckeye Bay. Twin Lakes: Big browns being metered at 80 to 100-foot depths, downriggers needed. Good fly fishing in Green Lakes Basin.

Trout Plants

A list of waters scheduled to be planted by the Department of Fish and Game, weather and road conditions permitting, by counties:

LOS ANGELES--Big Rock Creek, Bouquet Canyon Creek.

SAN BERNARDINO--Big Bear Lake, Gregory Lake, Silverwood Lake.

SAN DIEGO--Cuyamaca Lake, San Luis Rey River.

KERN--Kern River (Democrat Dam to KR1 powerhouse, Borel powerhouse to Democrat Dam, Isabella Dam to Borel powerhouse, KR3 powerhouse to Lake Isabella).

TULARE--Kern River (South Fork), Kern River (Fairview Dam to KR3 powerhouse, Johnsondale Bridge to Fairview Dam), Peppermint Creek (Upper), Tule River (North, South forks of Main fork, Cedar Slope Area).

INYO--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middle, South, Intake II), Georges Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Lower Owens River (below Tinemeha), Pine Creek Rock Creek (Rock Creek Lake to end of road), Rock Creek Lake, Shepherds Creek, South Lake, Taboose Creek, Tinemeha Creek, Tuttle Creek.

MONO--Bridgeport Reservoir, Buckeye Creek, Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Deadman Creek, Ellery Lake, George Lake, Glass Creek, Grant Lake, Green Creek Gull Lake, Hilton Creek, June Lake, Lee Vining Creek, Lee Vining Creek (South Fork), Little Walker River, Lundy Lake, Mamie Lake, Mammoth Creek, Mary Lake, McGee Creek, Mill Creek, Upper Owens River (Benton Crossing, Big Springs), Reverse Creek, Robinson Creek, Rock Creek (Paradise Camp to Tom’s Place, Tom’s Place upstream to Rock Creek Lake), Rush Creek, Saddlebag Creek, Saddlebag Lake, Sherwin Creek, Silver Lake, Swauger Creek, Tioga Lake, Trumbull Lake, Twin Lakes Bridgeport, Twin Lakes Mammoth Lakes, Virginia Creek, Virginia Lakes (Upper, Lower), West Walker River (Chris Flat campground to town of Walker, Leavitt Meadows campground to Sonora bridge).