Provided by Dana Wharf Sportfishing
The water has been warm, holding steady between 72° and 74° along the beach, and that has really got things moving for the local half-day and three-quarter-day scene. The scattered hard-bottom spots have been producing some nice sand bass. Rubber lures and live baits fished on dropper loops have been working really well. You do have to sort through some shorts to find the keepers, but when the conditions and current line up, the fishing has been good.
The calico bass fishing in the kelp has been more of a day-to-day deal, with success really depending on the conditions. Small sardines and anchovies have been the best live baits for reactivating the bass. There has also been a lot of surface action on hard baits and artificials, which keeps things lively.
Some bonito have pushed in as well, adding another fun element for the guys fishing light line and looking to score a fast limit. Small sniper-style jigs or other little flashy lures have been effective, and live anchovies have been the perfect bait for these smaller 1- to 2-pound fish.
Over at San Clemente Island, the Fury has had mixed success on yellowtail, with fish ranging from 12 to 25 pounds. A few nice halibut and even an occasional seabass were in the count earlier in the week. The calico bass fishing has also heated back up with the warmer weather, which has been a welcome addition. Sinker setups have been producing sheephead and whitefish for anglers looking to fill the sack.
Offshore, the LexSea had a couple of days with decent bluefin fishing. Fish were taken on the flying fish and kite setups, along with a few bait and troll fish in the mix.
Right now, we’ve got a solid mix of anchovy and sardine in the tanks for live bait, and that sets things up well for a good week ahead.
