Thresher sharks make early showing off Newport coast

JIM NIEMIEC

Thresher sharks have moved into coastal waters off Laguna Beach and

with good fall weather it looks like this bite could develop into

some pretty good fishing for private boaters making the short run out

of Newport Harbor.

Todd Garrett of Newport Beach joined Bob Hoose, also of Newport,

aboard Hoose’s sportfisher Prospector last Sunday and both anglers

landed thresher sharks weighing in the 100-pound class. According to

Garrett water temps are holding in the mid-60s, which could indicate

that an El Nino condition will continue to build along the coast this

winter. Garrett and Hoose hooked their threshers on a trolled

Bait-O-Matic, rigged with a greenback mackerel.

Pat Holmes made the drive up to Newport, launched his kayak and

headed out to the nearby fishing grounds where he hooked into two

thresher sharks off Laguna trolling deep running Rapala lures. Holmes

released a small thresher and then weighed in a 106-pound thresher at

the Balboa Angling Club.

Surface fishing for the sport fleet operating out of both Davey’s

Locker and Newport Landing Sportfishing continues good despite light

loads heading out to coastal and island fishing spots. Dave Myers of

Costa Mesa, heads up the tackle department at Davey’s Locker, and

reports that bonito fishing is very good along the coast and added

the sculpin bite is wide open on artificial reefs north of Newport’s

twin jetties. Spots that are kicking out limits of 1.5 to 2 pound

sculpin include: artificial reefs, the 150 spot and Izor’s, located

just off the Huntington Beach power plant. Bonito weighing up to 8

pounds are being caught on half- and three-quarter day boats at the

oilrigs and pipe but aggressive sea lions are taking their share of

hooked boneheads before anglers can get them to the boat. The Cat

Special will be making runs to San Clemente Island as long as big

yellowtail can be caught in the area. Live bait conditions are good

with sardines and some anchovies in the receivers.

Fresh water fishing has been good at Irvine Lake and the Santa Ana

River Lakes for stocked rainbow trout. John Richards of Costa Mesa

landed a 6.5 golden rainbow at Irvine last week fishing from a rental

boat and using Berkley Power Bait as the enticer to finish off a five

fish limit. Both local lakes are stocking thousands of pounds of

rainbow trout weekly and fishing over the upcoming Holidays should be

very good.

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Duck hunting is picking up at Southland refuges and ducks clubs as

new flights of northern birds are starting to arrive. On Wednesday

Tyler Terry of Newport Beach hunted the Splatter S Duck Club in Prado

Basin and walked out with a limit of puddle ducks. The Splatter S

Duck Club is under the stewardship of Bob Sparr of Newport Beach and

his Riverside County Flyway Foundation.

The Balboa Club, a well-established duck club in Mazatlan, Mexico

that has hosted many Newport Beach anglers over the years, has opened

up its hunting package to individuals and groups of hunters. The club

shoots on thousands of acres of marshland, wetlands, lagoons and

fresh water ponds that are currently holding well over two million

ducks. This writer just returned from a fantastic duck hunt and can

attest to the quality of hunting and the professional way the club is

managed by huntmaster Fernando Contreras.

The marsh was pre-scouted by Contreras and I was joined in a dry

blind by Chappy Chapman, general manger of Anglers Inn at Lake El

Salto, we walked out of the marsh carrying full limits of puddle

ducks and pichigulias, for what had to be one of the better duck

hunts this writer has had in a number of years. The Balboa Club duck

hunting operation includes airport pickup, lodging at the Balboa

Club, field services, hot breakfast before the hunt and

transportation to and from the hunting area. Daily rental of Benelli

shotguns for $20 (optional) and only a $60 duck hunting license fee

makes for a very good gunning package when you can bag 20 ducks

during a morning’s gunning. For more information on hunting duck and

dove in Mazatlan contact Allen Foster at (202) 331-3102.