thelog.com Sun sets at Irvine Lake


Chuck Aquistapace of Sylmar shows off a 10.3-pound bass he caught at Irvine Lake on Feb. 21. Irvine Lake, located in Santiago Canyon, bid farewell to anglers and boaters one week later as the inland waterway went dark on Feb. 28. Boating was recently discontinued at the lake due to insurance restrictions, according to the waterway’s website.


fishrap.com Southern California fishing news March 1 rockfish season opener does not disappoint By Bob Vanian


Southern California anglers eagerly awaited the March 1 opening of the rockfish season and the days of fishing following the opener have not disap- pointed. The fish are often eager biters and this year’s rockfish opener provid- ed good fishing and did not disap- point.


As an example of the fishing on


opener, Dolphin out of Fisherman’s Landing had two half-day trips with 54 anglers catch 158 rockfish, one ling- cod, three sculpin and two calico bass. Chubasco II with Chubasco 2 Sportfishing had 21 anglers on a half day trip catch 32 reds, 40 rockfish and two lingcod. On the offshore fishing front, there was a 45 pound class bluefin tuna caught incidental to fishing for yellow- tail while fishing the high spot off Punta Colnett on a 1.5 day trip aboard Pacific Queen out of Fisherman’s Landing. The catch was made on Feb. 27 but I know of no bluefin caught since that time. There have been reports of bluefin seen at around 130 miles from Point Loma while fishing outside of San Martin Island and bluefin have been seen within 60 miles of Point Loma at the 60 Mile Bank, the Upper Hidden Bank and the 43 Fathom Spot. Boats fishing 1.5 day trips to Punta


Colnett out of San Diego Bay and Mission Bay continue to do well on yellowtail and an assortment of rock- fish. Private boater Harry Okuda of Alfresco III fished the Punta Colnett high spot area while on a 1.5 day trip aboard Dominator out of Point Loma Sportfishing on March 5 and reported good fishing. Dominator’s fish count for the 1.5 day trip was 22 anglers catching 70 yellowtail, 70 rockfish, four lingcod and seven barracuda. The Punta Colnett yellowtail have been biting from drifting over sonar marks or fathometer marks and most have been caught on yo-yoed iron. Some yellows have also been biting on live baits such as anchovies, sardines or mackerel that are fished on a drop- per loop rig. Yo-yoed iron tends to be


Jackpot winners from the Izorline trip aboard Red Rooster IIIon Feb. 28 show off their prize catches: Herman Jones with a 221-pound yellowfin tuna in first, Knut Korbrekke’s 214-pounder was second, and Larry Brown (208.1 pounds) finished third. Red Rooster III’s total fish count: 153 yellowfin tuna, 40 wahoo.


the best and good choices have been Salas 7X heavy, Salas 6X and Tady 4/0 jigs in the scrambled egg color or in the Salas 7X’s red and yellow color pat- tern. Okuda reported that the yellow- tail were holding in the lower half of the water column and he suggested fishing the entire lower half of the water column with your yo-yo jig.


The fishing around Los Coronado


Islands has been producing good num- bers of assorted rockfish and there has also been a chance at scratching out a few yellowtail. Look for meter marks or sonar marks to locate the yellowtail and once located with the electronics, the best bets have been fishing the yel- lows with yo-yoed iron or with a sar-


Tight lines — By Parimal M. Rohit


Recreational fishing bill clears House of Representatives


What’s Up?: A federal bill aiming to pro- vide more opportunities for recreational fishing and other outdoor activities was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Feb. 26. The Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act proposes to expand public access to federal lands for anglers in an effort to promote conser- vation of natural resources and habitats. Representative supported the SHARE


Act (H.R. 2406) by a 242-161 vote. H.R. 2406, if ultimately signed into


law, would prevent federal bans of lead- based fishing gear if its use is compliant with individual state laws, require


anglers, hunters and recreational shoot- ers have access to Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands, and ensure a state or territorial fish and wildlife agency (such as California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife) is not prohibited from making management decisions about access to its marine waters. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Virginia), who


co-chairs the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, introduced the bipartisan legis- lation in 2015; Reps. Tim Walz (D- Minnesota), Jeff Duncan (R-South Carolina) and Gene Green (D-Texas) co- sponsored the bill. Wittman said the SHARE Act provides


opportunities for anglers while also pro- tecting Second Amendment rights by


expanding access to federal lands for hunters and recreational fishers.


The Bottom Line: The SHARE Act heads to the Senate for a vote. Several legislative actions are includ- ed within the SHARE Act, such as the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage Opportunities Act, Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act, and Preserving Public Access to Public Water Act. Wittman’s office stated at least 50 conservation groups have expressed support of the SHARE Act, including the American Sportfishing Association. There were nearly 1,000 amendments


to the House-approved bill, many of them administrative.


dine or mackerel that is fished on a dropper loop rig. Likely areas to locate a yellowtail meter mark or sonar mark around Los Coronado Islands have been the hard bottom along the weather side of North Island and the hard bottom into the north of North Island. Other areas that have been holding yellowtail over the past several weeks have been the Finger Bank, the Rockpile and the South Kelp Ridge. San Clemente Island has also pro- duced occasional surface fishing action with 3-5 pound bonito and 5-10 pound yellowtail biting. The fish have been located by finding meter marks or sonar marks that are often located 20-30 fathoms below the surface in areas where there are red crabs. Pyramid Cove, White Rock and Purse Seine Rock have been areas worth tak- ing a look at for a chance at the yellow- tail and bonito. The fishing along the San Diego


County coast has produced good fish- ing for rockfish since the season opened. Some of the better areas have been the hard bottom outside of the Whistler Buoy at Point Loma, the


See ROCKFISH page 39


The Log • March 11 - 24, 2016 • 37


Irvine Lake photo


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