Warm Weather Could Lead to Stronger Surface Bite

Good rockfishing and a sprinkling of fair surface fishing provided anglers with good catches this week. The Enterprise out of Long Beach Marina Sportfishing reported limits (10 fish per angler) or near limits of rockfish on most of her trips.

“It’s been steady fishing for a variety of bottom fish,” skipper Frank Savino said. “Most people have been walking off of here with a fat bag of filets.”

Other landings and private boaters reported much of the same as they await more seasonal game fish like bass, yellowtail and barracuda.

The Pacific Star from Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach has been fishing the outer islands on their weekend trips and catching easy limits of rockfish.

“These are some of the finest eating fish in the sea,” Don Ashley said. “A limit of rockfish means anglers are going home with 20 beautiful fillets.”

Todd Maris, a private boater from Huntington Beach, found good sand bass fishing around the Long Beach breakwall.

“It has been really steady,” said Maris, who reported taking limits (10 bass per angler) on a few nights. “We seem to be getting closer and closer to a good surface bite.”

Maris has been fishing weekly with a group of private boaters from Performance Tackle in Los Alamitos. Most all the anglers are fishing with swimbaits instead of live bait. A swimbait is a lure made of soft plastic and is highly detailed. When retrieved, these lures look like they are swimming, hence the name swimbaits. They are highly effective in taking sand and calico bass.

Two halibut were taken in the Pot of Gold Halibut Derby at Long Beach Sportfishing this week. Aurturo De La Cruz Jr. from Downey caught a flatfish that weighed 11.60 pounds while Dina Mazzocco from Riverside boated a 4.10-pound halibut. The derby days are Wednesday through Sunday onboard the Native Sun. The boat departs at 9 a.m. and returns at 4 p.m. The cost is $58 and includes a day's fishing and entry into the derby.

One of the most important factors for a good surface bite is water temperature. The recent warm air temperatures have sea surface temperatures above 60 degrees in many areas.

“Sixty degree water is what one needs for a chance at good surface fishing,” Ashley said.

Capt. Savino reports great conditions for an anticipated surface bite.

“There is plenty of bait and the water is getting warmer every week,” Savino said. “It should happen any day now.”

Shawn Morgon from Big Fish Tackle in Seal Beach says surf fishing has been steady for barred perch. Surf fishing was good again around 14th St. in Seal Beach as well as Dog Beach at the Huntington Cliffs.

“We are seeing lots of corbina but the water just has to get a little warmer for them to bite,” Morgon said.

He said the beaches remain loaded with sand crabs and they continue to be the best bait for perch.

The Palos Verdes kelp forests are loaded with white sea bass. Anglers have yet to experience a big bite but that might change as water temperatures on Wednesday were higher than 60 degrees at Rocky Point.

Last Wednesday, Frank Gray left his home port of King Harbor and headed for Rocky Point. On board was free diver and spear fisherman, Mike Lariva from Long Beach. Lariva was in the water for six hours waiting patiently when a school of six white sea bass approached. He got off a shot and bagged an estimated 40-pound white sea bass.

Free divers continue to shoot several white sea bass every week here. In fact, Gray was back to Rocky Point the following day and saw a spear fisherman get an estimated 25 and 50-pound white sea bass.

The Redondo Special is running a special white sea bass on the water seminar this Friday. The cost is $40 and includes a half-day of fishing and expert instruction from Capt. Larry Moore and his staff on how to catch the enigmatic and elusive white sea bass. Great for beginners and pros, and with warming water temperatures, this could be the first good white sea bass bite of the year. Make reservations by calling 310-896-6753 or e-mail capt_larry@hotmail.com.