This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Large bass caught near Santa Catalina Island


fishrap.com


Frank Wong, a local saltwater bass profes- sional, caught a 10 pound calico bass off Santa Catalina Island on July 18. The fish was caught using a custom swimbait, Seeker rod and Daiwa Lexa 300 reel. The catch comes after Wong recently caught his personal best calico bass in a Salt Water Bass Anglers (SWBA) event that weighed in at 8 pounds 5 ounces.


SAN DIEGO REPORT


Offshore fishing produces abundant mix of yellowfin, bluefin tuna, yellowtail, dorado


ing working tern birds. The action came while fishing along a current break outside of the 43 Fathom Spot at 40 miles 264 degrees from Point Loma. Private boater John


Left: Greg Emoto basks in the glory of his bluefin success aboard the Royal StarJuly 22. Right: A pair of anglers show- case their prized bluefin.


By Bob Vanian It is hard to imagine that the off-


shore fishing could get much better, but who knows what surprises might be in store as we forge ahead into the final summer and fall months of 2014? This just has the feeling of being the type of year where schools of 100 pound bigeye tuna could show up or where something crazy could happen like having wahoo migrate into local offshore waters. In a season where a tuna was caught inside of Newport Harbor, anything could happen. Enough fantasizing, the reality is


that there is excellent offshore fishing going on right now for a mix of yel- lowfin tuna, yellowtail, bluefin tuna and dorado. Medium sized bigeye tuna have also been a reality with a few 40 pound class bigeye tuna reported. Most of the yellowfin tuna have been in the 12 to 30 pound range and the bluefin have been running from 15 to 100 pounds with a good number of 30 to 40 pound bluefin reported in the mix. The dorado have been running from 10 to 30 pounds and the yellow- tail have ranged from small throwback sized fish on up to 30 pounds. The one bit of sour news is that fishing for bluefin tuna in Mexican waters has been closed for the remain- der of 2014. The offsetting good news is that there are bluefin tuna biting on the U.S. side of the border. It is amazing how far and wide the


area of good fishing ranges with fish biting from the Catalina Channel all the way down to the offshore banks outside of Ensenada. The best areas in recent days have been fishing around and about the 267 Spot, the 209 Spot, the 181 Spot, the 43 Fathom Spot, the area 6 to 12 miles outside of Pyramid Head at San Clemente Island, the Corner, the 9 Mile Bank, the 178 Spot, the 182 Spot, the 224 Spot, the 302 Spot, the 371 Bank, the 425 Bank, the 238 Spot and the 295 Bank. The stops have been coming from blind jig strikes, drifting around spots of working tern birds, drifting near spots of breaking fish, porpoise schools, meter marks and drifting around kelp paddies. Capt. Scott Meisel of Condor out of


Fisherman’s Landing reported about a recent 1.5 day trip where they caught 40 bluefin tuna, 14 yellowfin tuna, two dorado and 47 yellowtail. Meisel said the bluefin tuna were quality sized fish with most up in the 30 to 40 pound range. Capt. Sean Davidson is going to


start running 4 pack charters aboard Copout. Davidson took a group of friends out on a recent trip and had a good day of fishing while working a current break located above and out- side of the 43 Fathom Spot. They caught 12 yellowfin tuna and one bluefin tuna and found their action on slow trolled live baits and by drifting live baits at spots where they were see-


Carroll of Huachinango reported fishing a recent trip to Los Coronado Islands and the 425 Bank


and catching limits of yellowtail at Los Coronado Islands and three yellowfin tuna while fishing offshore at the 425 Bank. Carroll started the day at Los Coronado Islands and found excellent yellowtail action while drifting the edges of the kelp beds at the South Kelp located below South Island. Capt. Billy of Efishnsea reported


fishing a recent trip to the upper end of the 9 Mile Bank. He said they looked at spots of breaking bluefin tuna and yellowfin tuna throughout much of the day and that most of the fish were not interested in biting. They did catch one bluefin tuna on the day and it was a nice sized 30 pound fish that bit a mackerel at a kelp paddie located at 11 miles 248 degrees from Point Loma. The fishing at Los Coronado Islands is outstanding for yellowtail and also includes some good mixed bag fishing for bonito, calico bass, barracuda and rockfish. The yellowtail are stealing the show and near limit to limit numbers


of yellowtail have been reported in recent days. Productive areas for the yellowtail have been the South Kelp, the South Kelp Ridge, the 5 Minute Kelp, the north end of South Island and the Middle Grounds. The fishing along the San Diego


County coast remains good for a mix of calico bass, bonito, barracuda, sand bass, yellowtail and rockfish. Kelp bed areas are producing most of the action with the kelp beds at Point Loma, La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Leucadia, South Carlsbad, the Barn, San Onofre and San Mateo being top spots. Capt. Joe Cacciola of Sea Star with


Sea Star Sportfishing in Oceanside reports very good fishing for calico bass and sand bass while working kelp bed areas below Oceanside Harbor and says that some barracuda, bonito, rockfish and yellowtail have also been in the mix. Cacciola fished a recent offshore


three-quarter day tuna trip where he had a family group of nine anglers catch 42 yellowfin tuna, eight bluefin tuna and three yellowtail. The biggest bluefin was estimated to be up in 35 to 40 pound class and most were in the 15 to 25 pound range. Their yellowfin tuna were running from 15 to 25 pounds. There is some great fishing going


on. Make sure to get out there and get in on the action. Keep on fishing and I hope to see you out on the water!


Bob Vanian is the voice, writer and researcher of the San Diego-based internet fish report serv- ice called 976-Bite which can be found at www.976bite.com. Vanian also provides anglers with a personal fish report service over the tele- phone at (619) 226-8218. He always welcomes your fish reports at that same phone number or at bob976bite@aol.com.


Yellowtail, bluefin plentiful off San Diego coast


SAN DIEGO — On July 23, anglers aboard Royal Star off the San Diego coast had a solid morning of plentiful yellowtail. “Fish in the 18 to 30 pound class were


downright voracious for a couple of hours, hammering everything from any- way presented,” Tim Ekstrom said. “That kind of production adds up quick—just how we like it.” A highlight from the first two days of


the voyage came when anglers targeted bluefish. Gary Kawaoka (pictured) reeled in an 85-pound bluefin late one after- noon.


fishingvideos.com


fishingvideos.com


fishingvideos.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52