First sport-caught albacore landed

JIM NIEMIEC

Water conditions in the channel looked good to Captain Joe Bairian of

Newport Beach on the afternoon of Cinco de Mayo and he made a call to

this outdoor writer to join him aboard the fast sportfisher Bongos

III for an exploratory trip to the fishing grounds.

This unscheduled trip of the young season might have produced the

first sport-caught albacore for a Newport Beach sport boat. And there

was an even better chance we may have hooked into a yellowtail pulled

from under a kelp patty.

The weather on the bay was ideal as I waited for the Bongos III to

pull up to the dock at Davey’s Locker for the scheduled 9 p.m.

departure. There was no wind, the full moon was coming up and it was

great to finally see the Balboa Pavilion’s new Harborside restaurant

now open and serving dinner.

Captain Bairian backed his deluxe six-pack charter boat into the

slip and topped off the bait tank with several scoops of lively

sardines.

The ocean was a bit on the sloppy side for the first couple of

hours, then laid down flat upon arriving at a spot just inside the

Butterfly Bank fishing grounds. The water temperature was holding at

63 degrees, there were lots of bait marks on the meter, and, as the

sun rose, birds began showing up from the east.

Trolling rigs were not out for more than 15 minutes when both

outside rods bent double and we reeled in two big bonito weighing

more than 10 pounds. Not a bad start in an area that had not been

explored in more than three weeks.

Captain Bairian kept on his course to the Butterfly and the

outside starboard rod got bit. I was standing next to the trolling

rod and informed the veteran skipper that it wasn’t shaking its head

and most likely could be an albacore.

It only took a few minutes to get the fish to first color -- it

flashed brilliant silver -- and I told Joe it must be an albacore.

Captain Logan Braun of Huntington Beach was standing by ready with

the gaff and, as the albie circled the boat, Braun stuck the fish and

the first sport-caught albacore of the 2004 season, in U.S. waters,

was brought on board, weighing an estimated 14 pounds. There were

high-fives all the way around but there was more fishing to do.

Captain Bairian continued on his 169-degree heading into a break

of warmer water when three trolling rods got bit. With only three

fishermen on board, it was difficult to chum, gaff and put a live

sardine in the water at the same time. But that spot produced six

more albacore.

So went the early morning bite as two more triple-jig strikes

produced four more decked albies. Captain Braun spotted a kelp patty

off the bow and before the Bongos III slowed down, a jig rod got bit

and the kelp produced three quality yellows that weighed in the 11-

to 15-pound class.

On the way back to Newport, Bairian checked out other kelp but the

bite was off by mid-morning and the Bongos III ended the day with 11

albacore, four yellowtail and two bonito. Not bad for only three

anglers.

For information on booking a trip or joining an open party charter

with Newport Beach-based Bongos Sportfishing phonel (949) 673-2810.

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Fresh-water fishing in nearby lakes continues to produce very

consistent catches of rainbow trout, largemouth bass, crappie and

catfish.

Irvine Lake was stocked last week with California Golds trout and

Richard Lewis of Newport Beach was one of the first anglers to test

his skills on this unique trout, that weighs up to 5.5 pounds.

David Heine of Costa Mesa pulled a 9.45-pound rainbow out of

Irvine and Steve Ballew of Costa Mesa topped off his limit with a

3.5-pound steelhead.

The catfish bite at the Santa Ana River Lakes continues strong for

stocked whiskerfish weighing up to 12 pounds.

*

The Pamela Rose went on the rocks south of the Newport jetties

early Sunday morning. The live bait boat had been supplying the

harbors two sportfishing landings and bait receiver with anchovies

and sardines.

“Arrangements with the bait boat Retriever, operating out of San

Pedro, have been worked out and there should be ample live bait for

the entire sport fleet this season,” Davey’s Locker spokesperson,

Captain Norris Tapp said.

Just when the Pamela Rose will return to service is not known.

It’s an all-steel hull and an expert was called in to survey the

damage to the vessel.

One problem the replacement bait boat will have is where it may

moor in the harbor. There is a five-year waiting list for mooring a

large boat inside the bay.