Albacore stirring

Tropical currents pushing into channel waters and brought along

big schools of albacore and bluefin tuna. The bite started late last

week off the east end of San Clemente Island and continues steady for

the sportfishing fleet and private yachts.

Bait conditions are good and the water temperature is holding at

about 65 degrees, which is ideal for albacore.

Another tropical storm that developed below Baja is expected to

bring even warmer water off the coast with a good chance that the

bluefin tuna bite will get going by this weekend.

Drew Lawler of Bay Shores took his young son, Ryan, out for his

first albacore trip about the Reel Salty, a 48-foot Pacifica owned by

Harvey Hunnitcutt. Jigs were dropped in just a few miles off the east

end of the San Clemente Island it didn’t take more than five minutes

of trolling before one rod bent under the pull of an albacore.

Ryan was first to the rod and after a short battle, decked a

16-pound longfin. Drew cast out a bait rod and instantly got bit on a

sardine as the father and son team scored on back-to-back albies.

Stop after stop produced quality fishing for all the boats

trolling in this area despite a rather bumpy ocean as the fish were

eager to jump on a variety of jigs, plugs and deep-running lures and

it didn’t hesitate to come strong to the boat and bite live bait.

The fish count for five anglers for the day was a total of 21

albacore, of which 10 were landed by 12-year-old Ryan.

It appears that good fishing off the coast should continue

throughout the summer. There were spots of 70-degree water between

the islands, lots of bait and clean water should combine to keep

schools of tuna around as they make their annual migration off

Newport’s coastline.

Grant Rawlins lives in Newport Beach and celebrated his ninth

birthday aboard his father’s deluxe yacht, the Mahalo, an Ocean 55,

on Saturday.

Grant invited some of his friends along to share in a day of

fishing off the Huntington Beach flats.

On board with Grant were fellow Newporters Jonathan Keedy, Mike

Moorhead, Jake Hall, John Davenport, Ryan Lawler and their fathers,

as well as hostess Lucy Rawlins for the birthday party.

Skipper Brandon Birtcher of San Juan Capistranco headed the yacht

up the coast to look for fish. It was a great day of fishing for both

kids and adults as sand and calico bass bit well, along with a wide

variety of other small game fish that brought plenty of smiles to all

the youngsters on board.

There is quite a show going on in Newport’s upper back bay. On the

right high tide silver mullet are dancing all over the water and can

be seen from Jamboree Road and the path just above the high tide

mark.

Some fish are jumping as high as four feet in the air, while

others are splashing across the surface of the shallow back water.

It’s not unusual to see mullet jump in Newport Bay, but to see so

many fish explode into the air in such a concentrated area is

something that this outdoor writer has never witnessed.

Most likely mullet are doing this show of acrobatic maneuvewrs as

part of an annual mating ritual, but whatever the reason, it’s worth

taking a short drive to see the dancing waters.