Fished Saturday and Sunday at San Clemente Island.
Small Yellow, Halibut, all you want Bass and Rockfish
Made sardines with nacho and missed out on the squid, which would have changed our plans to Catalina... as such we decided to try SCI due to the nice weather and talk of big Yellows around NW harbor and backside Dunes area.
Made the crossing without exception, nice grease coming into the Lee and tons of chovy and fish boiling... mostly mackerel and bass up tight to the island ( less than 90 ft). Hit NW harbor and metered some good marks but nothing stuck so we moved down the island, just on the legal side of Wilson cove metered more bait and what looked like bigger fish but they didnt bite. Kept moving down and found a spot we call the Target, an old RV sitting on the hill with an underwater high spot tight to the beach. Anchored East of it as the current was going uphill. Spent the rest of the day fishing there and chasing bird schools for big Mackerel. At the mid day tide, the fish started to wake up and several nicer bass on frozen squid and chovies. Got a small yellow, maybe 8 lbs or so and one of logans friends lost another bigger fish as he pulled too hard on the main line. Kids learning to throw irons off the bow... After the 5th birds nest.... on a tranx!..... the wind started moving down the isle from the North so we moved to White Rock, but it wasn't too nice so we boogied down to the Cove. It was scheduled to be closed the next morning at 6 am which never really happened, but a nice night on the hook. Logan got a nice Halibut. Anchovy in the Cove and Squid at night. My squid light died so with Deck lights, we had squid swimming around, but couldn't get them to find a jig...
Next morning we ran back to the front and found similar conditions but more wary yellows as we had a few follow the bass up but no biters. Saturday had birds and bait all over the front side with mammals playing with the endless anchovy. Same for Sunday with just a bit more texture on the water. The big mackerel are all over the front side. 66-71 degrees.
Rolled over into the deeper water and loaded up with Rock fish to end a fun trip for the boys. ...thanks to new member Dale Yamasaki for the help on this trip.
some cbass at Catalina were caught and I expect bigger numbers soon off the backside. Squid was being made by Long beach carnage throughout the weekend and Kinley Marie at Ben Weston, they had it late and didn't do a good job of telling everyone, so they were heard trying to sell bait all the way back to the dock in the afternoon. Previous weeks, the bait was at China point in 15 fathoms or so but maybe different this week.
Hope this helps others to get out... the water is very warm with 70 coming across in the afternoon with nothing less than 65. Green off color water most of the way, over and bluer closer to Clemente. I'm sure there is fish for those who will put the time into it. Maybe even some marlin. Swordfish were seen by other boats.
get out and fish!...
J and L. and Dale...
Dana Angling Club