Shark bite for real off Newport

JIM NIEMIEC

Warm water currents and lots of bait schools have attracted thresher

and Mako sharks to coastal waters. The shark bite exploded over the

weekend off Laguna Beach for sportfishers heading out of Newport and

Dana harbors and if sea conditions remain good, this shark fishery

could last through Memorial Day. It’s a short run to the fishing

grounds located about three miles off the beach with the hot spot

being an area called the Canyon. Calm seas are allowing small boaters

to get in on the shark action, but there were 65-foot yachts also

fishing the same area on Sunday.

The Balboa Angling Club reported weighing in a number of huge

thresher sharks over the weekend. Terry Kaser of Westminster, fishing

aboard the Wide Open, weighed in a 252-pound thresher shark that set

a new BAC club record for 20-pound tackle. Scott Muller of Huntington

Beach had his 230- pound thresher hoisted up on the club’s scale and

Mike Davies of Dana Point, fishing on board the yacht Bill Fisher,

got on the BAC board with his 182-pound thresher.

This outdoor writer accepted an invitation to check out the shark

fishing action on Sunday aboard the deluxe six-pack sportfisher

Bongos II. Co-captains Skip Driggers of Dana Point and Logan Braun of

Huntington Beach pulled away from Davey’s Locker and in less than 45

minutes we were on the fishing grounds as the sun tried to pop

through a gray sky. Balls of bait were being metered as schools of

porpoise worked the surface with terns, seagulls and pelicans diving

into the ocean. The area looked alive. Our first strike came

unbuttoned as a thresher smashed the starboard rig, but other boats

were more fortunate and were securing big threshers to the side of

their boats.

The action continued good all morning with most of the hookups

coming on slow trolled mackerel rigged behind Bait O’Matic trolling

rigs. Captain Driggers called over to the sportfisher Sea Horse,

which operates out of Dana Wharf Sportfishing, for an extra mackerel,

which was passed off a few minutes later. The mackerel hadn’t been in

the water 20 minutes when the skipper turned on a bait mark and the

starboard rod again bent double under the pull of a big fish. This

writer got to the rod as the shark ran away from the boat, splashing

on the surface and pulling line off the reel. After things settled

down, the deck was cleared and the shark was pumped toward the stern

of the Bongos II. As it came to color, the crew determined it was a

large Mako shark, weighing in the 85- to 90-pound class and a great

catch for spending only a few hours fishing.

There are reports of blue and Mako sharks showing up on high spots

in the channel and this fishery can only improve with the summer

fishing season just a couple of weeks off. Sport boats that are now

booking “shark fishing only trips,” practice catch and release

fishing for blue sharks and little Makos. Most of the fleet fishing

for sharks are releasing smaller fish in the best interest of

conserving this fishery.

New schools of albacore popped up below San Diego on Sunday and

there were even reports of scattered albies caught clear up to the 43

Fathom Spot. This weekend could produce pretty good counts on

longfins if weather conditions permit over night boats running out of

Davey’s Locker and Newport Landing Sportfishing to get to the outer

banks. There is no problem with bait for boaters running out of

Newport as the bait receiver is now in full operation inside the east

jetty.

Catalina Island has been very slow for seabass and yellowtail, but

calico bass fishing has improved. Heavy boating pressure is expected

all around the island this holiday weekend. The Navy closed down most

of San Clemente Islands last week but hopefully anchorages and

fishing spots will be open soon.

Surf fishing has been fair for barred perch and small corbina

along the coast from 15th street clear up to the mouth of Los

Alamitos bay. Sand crabs and bloodworms are the baits of choice when

fished on an incoming tide. The water temperature is holding at 67

degrees, which makes for a pleasant morning or evening fishing the

surf.

Local lakes have switched over to stocking of channel catfish as

the warm water season begins at Irvine, the Santa Ana River Lakes and

Laguna Niguel Lake. Trout continue to bite well at Irvine, which is

holding at an unusually high early summer level and the largemouth

bass bite continues to improve. No fishing license is required when

fishing these heavily stocked lakes, but when heading out to a county

park, make sure that all anglers 16 years of age or older have a

valid fishing license.