It isn’t very often that Alijos Bank provides better tuna fishing than Alijos Rocks. Apparently that was the condition discovered by Shogun anglers on their just-completed visit to the area. The boat spent its last time fishing on the 50-fathom high spot, bagging the quality yellowtail and yellowfin tuna that were willing biters. Shogun will come home to Fisherman’s Landing Easter Sunday morn, April 4.

“Another day out on Alijos Bank; the tuna were a little late to show but then they began to jump on the hooks once again. Several kite rotations lasted less than 5 minutes. Fishing was hot.

“This afternoon the anchor came up and we began bumping our way toward home, Norman is planning to give Cedros a check. The wind has finally caught up with us although it should have blown out by the time we clear the North point of Cedros.”



Ready For Inspection, Sir!

“As we put the finishing touches on our mechanical work in preparation for our annual Coast Guard inspection,” wrote Royal Star co-owner Tim Ekstrom March 31, “all our systems and equipment are receiving final attentions in advance of this coming Monday. I snapped Captain Toussaint hard at it as we all continue the drive to maintain and improve Royal Star.

“Every season we improve the equipment and performance of Royal Star through the effort of our owners and crew members. This year is no exception and we are looking forward to getting back on the water in a couple of weeks. Enjoy your day and please take the time to check out the new section of our website featuring our new fish processing company Fisherman's Processing.”



Qualifier 105’s Going Fishing

“Phew, We are finished with the gnarly 5 year ABS inspection and hull sounding, keeping the Q 105 at the highest SOLAS safety standards for long range fishing,” said the latest report. “The boat is back at the dock and all the under water projects are finished. Prop polishing, shafts aligned, bottom paint and much more the eyes can't see.

“Now Joe/Jiro will concentrate on what the eyes can see. New deck, polishing the hull, stripping the wood and the list goes on. The Q looks great. Checking all of the systems and making sure everything is in top-notch condition.

“The guys are getting itchy to go on our first trip of the season. We leave April 10th with the goofy Coastside group. We still have some openings on the 16-day Accurate fly home trip. Come fish with Jack of Accurate. It leaves on April 27th. He brings about 80 Gs worth of gear for all to use free. Call the office at 619-223-2786.”



Catalina Croaker Trip: Pro Staffer’s Seabass Account

By Paul Lepore, Accurate ProStaff

The Long Beach Fred Hall Show coincides with the arrival of the white seabass migration at Catalina Island. Catching seabass from a private boat is often a good bet since smaller boats are quieter and can get into tighter spots than the larger party boats. My 30’ Skipjack Santiago, named for the old man in Hemmingway’s Old Man and the Sea, is the perfect vessel to target these fish. The boat is fast, economical, has a large fishing cockpit, a 5 KW generator, and five scoops of live bait.

The key to catching seabass is to find the live squid. These are not the large three-foot Humboldt squid that invade our waters and are eating everything in sight, but rather the smaller four to seven-inch market squid that migrate to our waters every winter to spawn.

Live squid can be caught by shining bright lights into the water in certain areas of the coast where squid are known to spawn. The squid spawn over sandy beaches and are drawn to bright lights. When the squid come to the lights, anglers are able to use a crowder (a 5 square foot section of net stretched between two poles) and a Braille net to catch the squid. Another option is to purchase squid from one of the commercial boats at a cost of $60 per scoop.

My tackle of choice includes a Calstar 800XL and an Accurate BX 400 or BX 400 narrow filled with 60-pound spectra to a 15-foot section of 40-pound fluorocarbon. On the business end I prefer an 8/0 Aki long shank and a ¾-ounce sliding egg sinker. The long rod allows me to make long casts and work the squid back to the boat similar to the way a largemouth bass fisherman works a plastic worm. The incredible freespool of the Accurate BX 400 reel allows me to make long casts. Being able to cast long distances is the key to fishing tight spots for white seabass.

Once I hook a fish, the twin drag enables me to put the brakes on the fish before its powerful tail can make it to the nearby kelp. I can pull as hard as I need to with 60-pound spectra and 40-pound fluorocarbon and an 8/0 hook without worrying about a tackle failure. The heavy line keeps me from getting bitten off by the seabass’ sharp and abrasive teeth.

Successful seabass fishermen know that there are three keys to success. Each component must come into play for the private boater to be rewarded. First, the weather must cooperate. Since most of my fishing is done in the backside of Catalina, weather is a huge factor. The backside of the island is very exposed to the Pacific Ocean.
Picking good weather days is a must. I find buoyweather.com a huge advantage in picking the days I can fish. The next hurdle to overcome is finding live squid. While fresh frozen will also work, I prefer having the live squid. Lastly, and most importantly you must know where to fish.

I had been watching the weather and I had a couple of days off from work and wanted to squeeze in a trip and target my first seabass of the season. I rounded up my crew of one (Chuck Fedak). While I prefer to take at least three guys to split expenses, everyone had other commitments. We left Dana Point harbor at two pm armed with frozen squid. The plan was to fish the afternoon with frozen squid and make squid that night and fish the next day.

We arrived to the island and found perfect conditions. Seabass prefer off-color, milky water where they can remain stealthy. My favorite location is where the milky water reaches a kelp line. I also like the middle of a sandy cove that has kelp lines on either side of it. The seabass swim the shallows (anywhere from 5 to 50 feet of water) to look for food.

I pulled up to my favorite kelp line that sits in 6 fathoms. I checked the water color and noticed the off color, milky water. I looked at the direction of the kelp stringers and saw them pointing downhill toward the east end of the island. I dropped the anchor in eight fathoms and slid back to a kelp line keeping my stern a good 100 feet from the kelp line. The plan was to make a long cast toward the kelp line and let the downhill current pull our baits into the kelp. It was important to stay far enough away from the kelp to not spook the fish, and to have a chance of being able to stop a nice seabass from getting into the kelp once hooked.

Seabass fishermen know the importance of patience. You must realize that you are fishing for a trophy. It’s also important to make sure you have all aspects of the equation. The water color must be right, the temperature, and the current. It is not uncommon to watch as the conditions develop. I often sit in one of my favorite spots and wait for the right conditions to develop. The reward is a beautiful Catalina Island white seabass.

We waited for the conditions to develop. Initially the current was just a trickle. The boat swung back and forth on the anchor making fishing tough. As time passed, the current strengthened. The smaller calico bass, sargo and other assorted bottom grabbers became active. We continued to fish hard while continuously changing our baits. I believe the smaller fish create a commotion that the seabass are attracted to. The tap, tap, tap of the smaller fish is unmistakable, but when a seabass bites there is no doubt that it’s the right kind.

We waded our way through the little guys. Finally Chuck says, “I am bit and it’s the right kind.”

I looked at his spool and I could see the fish steadily taking line off his spool. He let the fish run for a five-count and he slammed the hook home. His rod bent. The fish took him to the bow and around the anchor line. He swiftly negotiated his rod around the line and came out on the other side. I saw a silver flash confirming it was the “right” kind. I sunk the gaff home and we had our first Catalina seabass of the 2010 season. I knew we were in the right spot and the conditions were getting better.

Now it was my turn. Instead of the tap, tap, tap, from the little fish, I felt a huge clunk on the end of my line. The pressure increased and I could feel the weight of the “right” kind. I set the hook and the fish headed straight for the kelp. I had set the drag pretty tight since we were fishing on the kelp line. I pulled hard and could feel the kelp rubbing on the line. By keeping contestant pressure on the fish I was able to pull him out. He changed his tactic and headed for deeper water. I kept pressure on the fish and in a few minutes Chuck was able to get a nice gaff shot in a 25-pound Catalina seabass.

White seabassing off the California coast is a great way to spend the winter months. I am looking for another three months of seabass fishing, until the migratory tuna, marlin and Dorado arrive off our coast.