Local fisherman still reeling ‘em in

Jim Niemiec

The fall fishing season for the Newport-based sport fleet is still

going on strong for the few anglers heading out on sports boats from

Davey’s Locker and Newport Landing Sportfishing.

Yellowtail have showed strong on the back side of Catalina Island all

week long and good weather is allowing party boats to anchor up in hot

spots where currents are bringing the tails into the chum line.

Captain Norris Tapp, speaking for Davey’s Locker in Balboa, reported that

the “Thunderbird,” skippered by Mike Bullard, worked a couple of hungry

schools of yellowtail earlier this week and returned to the dock with 35

big yellows.

On board the trip was Ivan Aldis of Costa Mesa, who decked a 22-pound

yellowtail while soaking a live sardine off the stern of the all-day

boat.

Harvey Ferrell of Costa Mesa was also on board and he fished his sardine

near the bottom and hooked into a 16-pound halibut to top off a good day

of fishing at the island.

As long as water conditions remain calm and strong westerlies don’t build

up in the channel, the yellowtail bite should continue.

The 3/4-day boat “Freelance” is moving from the beach to the island and

rewarding passengers with some pretty good catches of shallow water

sculpin and a few yellowtail when anchored up at the island.

This past weekend saw Jack Bear of Costa Mesa land a 19-pound yellowtail

on board the “Freelance” skippered by Chris Goble of Balboa.

Bait conditions are only fair with the bulk of the catch being sardines,

which is OK for fishing yellowtail and white sea bass at the island.

For local coastal fishing, anglers are rigging up with cut strips of

squid fished on the bottom and the catch of sculpin has been pretty

steady over artificial reefs between the Newport and Huntington Beach

piers.

There are still albacore being caught in outer waters by private boaters

and the San Diego-based sport fleet.

Albies are showing up in the daily fishing count from off Baja Norte

clear up north to Morro Bay.

If calm seas prevail this weekend, look ahead for boats from Newport to

head out and search for big albacore and bluefin tuna to fish either on

the edges of the Butterfly Bank or around the 43 Fathom Spot.

For an update on the albacore fishing scene, call Anglers Center in

Newport Beach at (949) 642-6662.

A few striped marlin are hanging around off Oceanside but the catch

hasn’t been anything to talk about.

Cooler water around the high spots will most likely move most of the

billfish out of selective private yacht fishing range before the end of

the month.

The total for this year’s sport catch of marlin has been very low, most

likely due to “El Nina” weather patterns that have kept the water temp in

the channel in the high 60s, with only a few spots of blue 70 degree-plus

readings this season.

Fishing off the East Cape is rated as fair with some pretty steady bites

of blue marlin taking place in the Sea of Cortez.

Water conditions are good and there seems to be plenty of big-game fish

off shore, but they haven’t gotten into a feeding mood as of late.

Perhaps the full moon will kick things back into gear for anglers heading

down to these waters for early winter marlin, tuna, wahoo and dorado

fishing.

For more information on fishing the productive blue waters of the Sea of

Cortez and booking reservations with the fast sport fleet operating out

of the new fishing resort Hotel Los Barriles, contact Pacific West

Sportfishing at 1-800-700-7022.

Locally the bass bite continues strong at Oso Lake, located off El Toro

Road in Trabuco.

Bass are averaging about 3 1/2 pounds per fish with bigger trophy fish

weighing up to eight pounds being caught and released on a regular basis.

Irvine Lake kicked out a pending state-record catfish over the weekend

when angler Ronson Somothers of Los Angeles landed a monster catfish that

scaled 89.6 pounds.

In addition to catfish, Irvine will begin its regular trout season on

Oct. 28 with a heavy stocking of trophy trout.

A fall turkey-hunting seminar will be held at the Turner’s Outdoorsman

store on Beach Blvd. in Fountain Valley Wednesday, Oct. 27, beginning at

7 p.m.

The informative evening will be hosted by professional turkey caller and

guide Jimmie Rizzo of Quaker Boy Game Calls and is co-hosted by the

Orange County Chapter of National Wild Turkey Federation.

With the popularity of turkey hunting continuing to expand in California,

and the fall season set to open on Saturday, Nov. 13, this seminar would

be a good one to attend for those planning on hunting a gobbler this

winter.

The charge is only $10 per adult, with the spouses and kids admitted

free.

For more details, contact Kelly Paden at (714) 536-7480.