Albacore, bluefin tuna biting

JIM NIEMIEC

Albacore and bluefin tuna showed in the dock counts over the weekend

for a few sport boats and private yachts heading to off shore waters

out of San Diego. The season kicked off late last week as calm seas

allowed boats to venture out some 80 miles to the fishing grounds but

the winds picked up and shut off what had been a pretty decent early

bite on albies in the 15- to 18-pound class and a few toad bluefin

weighing to 40 pounds.

According to the latest fishing reports called in by Captain Buzz

Brizendine, owner/operator of the sportfisher Prowler, boats were

fishing an area 65 to 85 miles on a 175-degree course out of Point

Loma. Some of the boats posted some double digit scores on quality

longfins along with a few small yellowtail. Water conditions are

fishable with some slop, good color and water temps ranging in the 60

to 62.5 degree range.

As to the future of the pelagic tuna bite getting better or even

moving up the coast to reachable fishing waters for fast sport boats

running out of Newport, it’s all going to be weather related. If the

winds continue to blow, and they are predicted for outer waters this

weekend, then it will make it tough on boats to spot puddlers and

breezing schools of tuna. Windy conditions also make it rough to

swing on meter marks and keep trolling feathers in the water.

No one is making the call on whether these albacore, bluefin and

skipjack are hold over fish from last season, just a few small

schools that moved up off Baja Norte or perhaps an early migration of

fish that has moved into coastal waters from the west. Most veteran

captains are holding off making a prediction for this early in the

year as they wait to see what happens to this off shore fishery once

the northwesterlies blow through.

The Cat Special, made a trip over to San Clemente Island this past

weekend and anglers got into a very good showing of large yellowtail.

Captain Kenny Wager of Balboa, keyed in on diving birds over big

schools of breezing yellows and with a tank full of live squid it

didn’t take too long before rods were bent over with multiple

hookups. According Wager the hookups were equally split with fish

taken on squid and iron cast for a surface bite and on the yo-yo.

Yellows weighing in the 25- to 36-pound class were hooked and many

lost when bigger fish broke lines and spooled anglers who were not

rigged properly. Local anglers on board the deluxe over night

sportfisher who sacked big yellows included: Chris Climer from Costa

Mesa who decked his first ever yellowtail that scaled 26 pounds and

local area angler Rick Grande with a 25.5-pound tail. In other action

around the island when the yellow bite died down saw some deep water

rockfish action in 30 to 40 fathoms of water. Vince Cornett of Costa

Mesa sacked a 10 pound sheepshead and Steve Chumly of Huntington

Beach brought a legal halibut to gaff as the Cat Special headed back

to Newport.

Rock cod fishing continues good for the half and three quarter day

boats making daily trips to coastal reefs and high spots from both

Davey’s Locker and Newport Landing Sportfishing. Limits of rockfish

and whitefish are making up the bulk of the catch, but gunny sacks

are also being filled with tasty sculpin, red snapper, sheepshead and

ling cod.

The surface bite has been slow along the coast and at Catalina

Island with only a pick bite on calico bass and very few white

seabass being caught by anglers aboard sport boats fishing the

backside of the island. Hopefully, it’s only a matter of time and

little warmer water that will trigger the long awaited croaker bite

at Catalina.

Newport bay has cleared up from its algae problems and the water

is clean. Reports from anglers renting skiffs at the Balboa Pavilion

and float tubers are that there is a pretty good bite on spotted bay

bass around docks and moorings and that small (sub-legal) halibut are

stacking up inside the jetties. Small anchovies are the bait of

choice for halibut while fishermen casting soft plastics around

underwater structures are getting lots of attention from aggressive

spotties.