Giant squid run continues

Jim Niemiec

Schools of giant squid have moved into coastal waters and anglers

are loading up on these tasty critters all along the south coast.

The best bite has been just outside Newport’s twin jetties where huge

balls of squid, measuring over three feet in length, have been popping up

in water as shallow as 15 fathoms.

“I can’t remember when we have had such great squid fishing for the

local fleet and small boaters,” Howie Howerton, spokesman at Davey’s

Locker in Balboa said. “The daily fish count is numbering in the

thousands and those anglers with a little squid-catching savvy are taking

home their 35 fish limit daily on our 3/4 and half-day trips. Even the

twilight boat is loading up in squirters.”

Squid are attacking anchovies and pushing them to the surface where

they are easy to locate by the sport fleet.

According to Howerton, the best tackle to rig up with is 15-pound

mono, a light action, seven-foot rod and a white squid jig.

When squid are located, just about every angler on board gets bit and

these great eating sea creatures can put up a pretty good fight on light

tackle when they dive back into deep water.

Loads are light during the week, but if the squid bite continues, look

for most every boat in Newport’s sport fleet to be loaded with passengers

on Saturday and Sunday.

Captain Jon Taylor of Costa Mesa reports the six-pack charter boats

Bongos II and III operating from Bongos Sportfishing in Newport Beach

have been limiting out daily on squid ever since they popped up off the

coast late last week.

In addition to getting full bags of squid for anglers on board these

fast sportfishers, anglers are also boating big yellowtail.

Over the weekend, Scott Sneathen of Costa Mesa fished on board the

Bongos III and decked a 25-pound yellowtail that bit on a sardine while

fishing on the back side of Catalina Island.

According to Taylor, there were lots of yellows in the water and

boiling around the boat, but only 10 tails were decked, including one

monster that weighed a whopping 32 pounds.

White seabass are being caught locally despite cooler water temps

along the beach.

Don Fraizer of Costa Mesa landed an 22-pound sea bass and Lucas

Patrick of Newport Beach sacked a 15-pound croaker while fishing on board

the half-day sport boat “Western Pride.”

The seabass were hooked fishing live sardines in an area off the

Huntington Beach flats.

The marlin count for this season is way down, most likely due to

cooler water temps off Baja Norte and in the channel.

There were a few fish hooked earlier this week in the Classic BillFish

Tournament as boats worked the east end of San Clemente Island and other

high spots in hopes of hooking a marlin.

Dean Plant, owner of Anglers Center in Newport Beach, reported that

marlin fishing has been very slow this year, but added that warmer water

could be pushed up by tropical currants off Baja producing some good

marlin fishing towards the end of the season.

Ron Johnson of Newport Beach captained his private Yacht “Showdown”

out to the 277 Spot with Reed Miller of Newport Beach on board to compete

in the Los Pescadores Marlin Tournament over the weekend.

Miller held a hot stick as he battled a 370-pound swordfish for 12

hours and then caught and released a striped marlin to take home most of

the awards for the popular billfish tournament.

Albacore have moved a little farther out and not as many all-day boats

are making runs to the longfins out of Newport.

According to Buzz Brizendine of the sport boat Prowler running out of

Fisherman’s Landing in San Diego, there are still big schools of longfins

off Baja and the veteran skippers expect these fish to move up the coast

and be fishable all the way through October.

At the Katmai Lodge on the Alagnak River, west of King Salmon, big

river salmon were in the river, and rainbow trout, were being targeted by

fly fisherman as expert guides knew where to take anglers to runs that

held these trophy bows.

Katmai Lodge caters to fishing families and is a great destination for

those looking to catch plenty of fish and see wildlife on every bend of

the river.

According to lodge owner Tony Sarp, next season should be excellent

for all species of salmon.

“We have our biggest runs in even-numbered years and the 2000 season

should see huge schools of spawning Chinook, cohos, silvers, chums and

sockeye move through the river in front of the lodge starting in late

June and continuing through September,” Sarp said.

Local lake fishing is fair for bass and catfish as cooler water temps

have slowed the bite on these warm water species.

Jack Anthony of Newport Beach fished Oso Lake earlier this week

catching and releasing 15 bass on spinnerbaits and small plastics.

Oso Lake is open to the public, fishing only by advance reservations

that can be made by calling (949) 858-9313.

Saturday is “Free Fishing Day” in California. no fishing license will

be required to any kind of fishing, but all anglers must abide by DFG

rules and regulations.