Provided by Dana Wharf Sportfishing
Great week again and definitely feeling the spring vibe in the air. Water temps are still in the low 63–66° range, and that’s been helpful for the local bass fishing. This unseasonably warm water has really been impressive, and we’re excited to see where this goes over the next few weeks. The rockfish opener is quickly approaching on April 1, but again, this warm water seems to be showing signs of a great season starting earlier than expected.
Our half-day trips have been seeing bass action on mixed approaches. Flyline fish are being caught on smaller sardine bait, and those rigs have been best on days with good water movement. On days with less current, sinker setups have fished well. Sinker rigs using sliding egg sinkers and reverse dropper loops with 2–3 oz torpedo sinkers have been productive too. Small-profile rubber lures, like fluke-style baits fished on light 1/4 to 1/2 oz lead heads, have also caught some nice calico bass. Cut baits and strip baits on the bottom have worked well for sand bass and sculpin. We’ve also seen some standout sheephead for anglers fishing near the bottom using shrimp and clam.
We’ve continued to see great sculpin fishing in deeper water, around 200–240 feet. Classic sculpin setups incorporating rubber lures on dropper loops have really been the best option. Some sculpin have also been caught on cut baits like squid and sardine, but again, the rubber lures have been the top producers.
The Fury has its April schedule up and online. They’ll be fishing San Clemente Island for bass, rockfish, and yellowtail, with the first open party trip departing Wednesday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m. They should see great bass fishing, and rockfish looks promising as well. The possibility of some early-season yellowtail is encouraging too, and we’re eagerly awaiting their first trip to see how things are shaping up at the island.
