Tackle show kicks off start of fishing season

JIM NIEMIEC

The Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show will open its doors at the

Long Beach Convention Center March 3 and run through March 7. This

huge fishing show is the No. 1 family outdoor show in the Southland

and traditionally kicks off the saltwater fishing season. Every major

manufacturer in the fishing and boating industry will show off new

products and free fishing seminars covering all aspects of fresh and

saltwater fishing will be held hourly throughout the event.

The show is an important gathering spot for sportfishermen and

conservationists who seek to protect our inland, coastal and off

shore fisheries. According to show producer Bart Hall, 50% of the

proceeds of this show will go directly to create more fish, more

anglers, more boaters and a healthy industry that will protect the

freedom to fish. Highlights of the show include: the Berkley Kids

Fish Free Trout Pond, the latest is new tackle technology, casting

pools, Bongos Fashion Show, Skeeter Ultimate Sportfishing Video

Challenge, Lumberjack Show, displays of fine art, sporting dogs

demonstrations and recreational boats ranging from kayaks to deluxe

sportfishers.

Saltwater anglers planning on attending the show should make it a

point to look at new tournament reels recently introduced by Daiwa,

Penn, Avet and Shimano, check with landings to book a multi-day trip

off Baja this summer or take advantage of huge discounts offered on

fishing tackle and boating supplies by major retail chains.

Techniques in saltwater fishing continue to improve. The

introduction of braided fishing lines are enabling big game fishermen

to land giant yellowfin tuna weighing over 300 pounds on stand-up

tackle. This outdoor writer had an opportunity last week to field

test Stren’s new Super Braid fishing line with Captain Rob Delph who

anchored his fast SeaVee sportfisher Second Generation over a rocky

bottom and pinnacles in 200 feet of water. The trip produced hard

pulling amberjack weighing in the 40- to 50-pound class. The new

Stren line allows an angler to feel the bite and the line’s

no-stretch strength gets a hooked bottom dwelling fish quickly away

from rocks and jagged structure being fished. With the halibut season

just getting started locally, many anglers will be rigging up with

braided line and fluorocarbon leader material when competing in big

money halibut tournaments.

Rock cod season opens March 1 and based on catches made by “tag

and release” trips earlier this month, catches of assorted rock fish

should be outstanding. Davey’s Locker will be sending the sportfisher

Caliber out to San Clemente Island Sunday night to fish all day

Monday and it should be a wide open bite as the season has been

closed for months. For more details on the first trip of the season

call the landing at (949) 673-1434.

With a full moon phase coming up next weekend look to sport boats,

six pack charter boats and private yachts to be anchored up in

shallow water around Catalina Island hoping that the white seabass

bite will explode. It has been a picky bite due to weather, but there

is plenty of squid around and if the weather calms down anglers could

get in on some pretty decent early season croaker fishing.

The historic sportfishing exhibit at the Newport Harbor Nautical

Museum will end a four month run on Sunday. The extensive exhibit

focuses on the history of saltwater fishing off our coast and is a

must see for anyone who wants take a look into the past of how things

were in Newport and other ports along the south coast back in the

olden days of commercial cannery fishing and when local sportfishing

was at its peak. For information call the museum at (949) 675-8915.

The Catalina Flyer will host an all day whale watching trip off

Catalina Island this Sunday. The Orange County chapter of the

American Cetacean Society will journey from Newport Beach to the back

side of the island for a full day whale watching. Funds generated

will help the A.C.S.O.C. in their efforts toward research, education

and conservation of marine animals. An on-board naturalist will

narrate the excursion and a member of the Catalina Island Conservancy

will add more insight into the whale migration off the California

coast. The Catalina Flyer will depart the Balboa Pavilion at 9 a.m.

For more information or to reserve a spot phone (949) 675-9881.

Local lakes continue to kick out trophy class rainbow trout and

lots of full stringers. Irvine Lake is being stocked weekly with

trout weighing in the 15- to 18-pound class along with lots of 3- to

5-pound steelhead trout. Boaters trolling Rapala and Owner lures are

hooking lots of hefty trout while shore anglers are finding success

baiting up with Berkley Power Bait. Irvine Lake has been stocking

their Kid’s Fishing Lagoon with lots of trout and youngsters are

having a great time reeling in fish with a little help from their mom

or dad. Over at the Santa Ana River Lakes fishing has also been

steady for big bows and good numbers of catchables in the 1- to

2-pound class.