JIM NIEMIEC
Northwesterly winds blew pretty strong in outer waters this past week
and shut down albacore fishing. Counts for the local fleet took a big
drop, but if the wind dies down this weekend we could see good scores
posted by the over night fleet of sport boats operating out of
Davey's Locker, Newport Landing Sportfishing and Dana Wharf
Sportfishing.
There are huge schools of big albacore holding about 160 miles
below San Diego and conditions are right for these albies to move up
the line. A trip on the 93-foot First String, operating out of H&M
Landing, found this writer in the middle of one of the best monster
albacore fishing stops I can remember while covering the salt water
scene for the past 35 years.
Captains Brad Phillips and John Stratton located the school of
albies while on a Daiwa sponsored multi-day trip and the slammers
were filled with limits of albacore weighing in the 35- to 45-pound
range. It was classic blue water tuna fishing as the longfins crashed
the corner and every bait in the water resulted in a boil or hooked
longfin. Now would be the ideal time to book a trip on a sportfisher
to get in on the good action. For information on the First String
call (949) 498-6149.
Locally fishing has been wide open for log barracuda right in
front of Newport while the sand bass fishing has been steady between
Box Canyon and the Huntington Beach flats. John Casey at Angler's
Center in Newport Beach reported catching limits of big sandies and
barracuda while fishing aboard the all day boat Fury during a
wide-open bite.
Calico bass fishing is fair at Catalina Island along with an okay
pick on white seabass on the backside of the island. Over at San
Clemente Island the water is warm with lots of life with small
schools of big yellowtail breezing along the front side of the
island.
Marlin still haven't moved into local waters but with water
temperatures in the low 70s off the east end of San Clemente Island
the first spikebill of the season could be posted at the Balboa
Angling Club by this weekend. A few swordfish were spotted off
Oceanside earlier this week but no hookups were reported.
*
This outdoor writer was joined last week by my wife, Toni, and
son, Brook, of Newport Beach for a family vacation to Tony Sarp's
Katmai Lodge located on the Alaskan Peninsula. Fishing was nothing
short of fantastic as the Alagnak River was loaded with huge King
salmon, tremendous runs of sockeye salmon and every riffle in the
braids section of the river held good numbers of trophy class
