signs are similar to those of most off- shore fisheries — pods of dolphin, bird activity, flotsam and our unique kelp paddies — and can all be prime indica- tors or attractors of bigger fish. To help spot these signs, many boats have a “tuna tower” or “belly hoop” to help get anglers elevated for a better van- tage point. On larger sport-fishers and big charter boats, you’ll often find the crew using “Gyros.” These are high- dollar, high-performance binoculars that have an internal gyroscope that stabilizes the image. This stability allows anglers to use higher power optics and still pick out even a single bird at nearly two miles away. Once the fish are located, the cap-
tain will usually troll the area hoping for a “jig strike.” Once one rod is bit, the captain will leave the boat in gear for about a five-count, hoping to load up more of the rods. While this is hap- pening, a designated crew member will immediately toss a scoop of live bait behind the boat to draw the school in closer. Many times this causes instant eruptions of fish in the corners of the boat. While the troll fish are being fought, other anglers will “drop back” live baits into the fray that are often inhaled as soon as they hit the water.
If the fish are cooperative and the
chumming is steady, it’s possible to keep the fish under the boat for hours. Many times a single jig strike will turn into a 10- or 15-fish stop. When the fishing is really hot, you might be lucky enough to have a “one-stop-shop” where every angler catches his limit without ever moving the boat.
GET IN ON THE ACTION The gear used for this kind of fish-
ing is fairly basic. Trolling rigs consist of lever drag reels with a 40- to 60- pound top shot. Bait rigs are usually a 7- or 8-foot rod with a 16-class reel loaded with spectra and a 20-40-pound fluorocarbon top shot attached to a 2/0-4/0 circle hook. While the fish will readily eat an “iron” lure (another SoCal staple) or a popper, most anglers stick to live bait. To get in on the action, you can fish
with friends from a private boat or take one of the excellent charter boats in the area. Our charter fleet is made up mostly of larger “party” boats ranging from 50- to 100-feet in length, and a trip will cost between $100 and $400 depending on the duration of the trip. For more information on party boat
fishing, visit Seaforth Sport fishing (
seaforthlanding.com) or Fishermen’s Landing (
fishermanslanding.com). These landings post all the trips avail- able, as well as the latest fish counts from recent trips, on their websites. If you’re looking for a more private
experience, we have a fleet of great six- pack charter boats that will take small- er groups. A couple of the top six-packs boats are The Impulse (
danalanding.com) and El Gato Dos (
seaforthlanding.com). All of these boats will provide the nec-
essary gear, coaching and fish processing to make sure you have a great trip. Next time you’re headed out this way, carve out a day or two and take advantage of our unique and awesome fishery.
Capt. Ali Hussainy caught his first fish,
a trout, with his grandfather at the age of 3, and that sparked a fire in him as he chased the next bite all over the Sierras. He now chases saltwater fish wherever they swim. His passion for fishing led to the creation of the fishing forum
www.Bloodydecks.com, which he co-founded with Jason Hayashi in 2003. In the wintertime, you can usually find Ali in the field or a duck blind, pursu- ing upland game or waterfowl. Ali is pres- ident of BD Outdoors — contact him at
Ali@bdoutdoors.com.
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