OFFSHORE SoCal Style
California is known for many things, but its stellar offshore fishery is an under-appreciated prize.
Text and Photos by Ali Hussainy W
HILE CALIFORNIA IS KNOWN for being the home of movie stars, Mickey Mouse, Shamu and countless
palm trees, it’s not often thought of as a great offshore fishing destination. Nothing could be further from the truth. SoCal is home to the largest fleet of modern sportfishing boats in the world and a fantastic offshore fishery that is fueled by one thing — live bait.
The California off-
shore season typically begins in early
June with schools of yellowtail
migrating north. Here in California we are blessed
with a fleet of bait companies that pro- vide the lifeblood of our sportfishing industry. These bait boats locate schools of anchovies and sardines along the coastline using side-scan sonar and then employ a purse seine net and a skiff to “wrap” the bait. Once wrapped, the baitfish are pumped into holding tanks below deck and trans- ported to a bait barge to be pumped back out. Bait barges are located in the calm
waters of our bays and consist of a series of “bait boxes.” These boxes look like a section of dock with folding lids. Below the surface they feature a wood bait cage that holds the bait until it’s ready to be sold. This leaves a box full of hearty and healthy baits for anglers to take offshore. Nearly every trip,
TIDE
from an 18-day long range or a run to the local kelp beds, starts at the bait barge. To accommodate and care for all this
prime bait, most of our sportfish boats feature large cockpit-mounted bait tanks. These tanks are designed here on the West Coast and feature a special baffle that directs water into a slow, steady swirl to keep bait healthy and swimming in an organized circle.
ONE STOP SHOP The California offshore season typi-
cally begins in early June, with schools of yellowtail migrating north. These yellowtail will take up residence under floating mats of kelp that have broken off the Northern California coastline and attracted bait and other sea life as they drift southward. Yellowtail are a hard-fighting jack similar to their cousin the amberjack, and average about 15 pounds in our local waters, although fish close to 40 pounds are not uncommon.
www.joincca.org In late June, the yellowtail will be
joined by bluefin tuna or albacore tuna (in cooler water years). As the season progresses, the bluefin and “albies” are replaced by yellowfin tuna, dorado (dolphin fish or mahi mahi) and striped marlin. Our local tuna range anywhere from 12 to 60 pounds, with the average fish being sporty, 20-pound models. This great mix of fish will typically
hang around through October giving SoCal anglers a solid five month season of excellent offshore action. Early or late in the season we typically make runs of 40 to 80 miles one way in search of the bulk of the offshore migration. These longer runs are usually made at 7-10 knots, departing the night before. As the season progresses, the fish will swarm our local banks and a normal day consists of a 15- to 40-mile run, usually departing the same morning. The west coast fishery also differs
from other locations in the techniques we use to catch our quarry. A typical day of offshore fishing begins at grey light with crews deploying a spread of trolling lures or jigs. The average spread might consist of two or three tuna feathers, a cedar plug and diving plug like a Rapala CD18. Once the lures have been deployed,
the crew will begin trolling areas that have nice looking temperature breaks or around an offshore bank. Our “banks” are actually underwater moun- tains that rise out of the extreme depths (3,000-6,000 feet) to within roughly 2,000-feet of the surface. While the tops of these mountains are still deep, the upwellings they create drive nutrient- rich water upwards and attract an entire food chain of life. While trolling, anglers will scan the horizon for any sign of life. Promising
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