FISHING You already have that freshwater bass gear in the garage, so as the largemouth bite slows down, give saltwater bass a try. Sand bass love your tackle box’s spinnerbaits, but spotted bay bass and calicos will attack them too. (BILL SCHAEFER)
SALTY BASS ARE JUST AS SWEET SWITCH FROM LAKES/LARGEMOUTH TO BAYS/CALICOS, ETC., TO KEEP THE BITE GOING IN WINTER By Capt. Bill Schaefer
B
ass fishermen, unite! Yes; that’s what I said. Right now, largemouth fishing can be a little slow with temperatures cooling lakes around Southern California. But if you’re a freshwater angler who hasn’t taken advantage of our bays, you should really consider it. I know, I know; it’s hard to envision putting your bass boat in saltwater. But wash it down thoroughly afterwards and you should be good to go. Tackle might be a different story, as some reels with magnesium components shouldn’t be used around saltwater. But fishing the different bass available to you in the bays will keep you in tune for the next freshwater fishing trip you take, as the salty bass
eat a lot of the same lures.
MAKING THE SWITCH Several freshwater bass fishermen already have taken on the salty bass and never looked back. They’ve discovered the fun and similar action they can have with the saltwater variety. The Southland’s bass include the spotted bay, a bass that is built like a river-run smallmouth and fights like one too. Spots grow to about 3 pounds but run 1 to 2 pounds on average, though when hooked you’ll think you have a much larger fish on your line. Barred sand bass can grow to 13 pounds but are rarely found over 5 or 6 pounds in the bays. A hard fighter as well, this bass is shaped more like a largemouth.
And then you have the calico. This bass – usually found more towards the deeper mouths of the bays, on docks and rocks – fight hard in its own right. The record fish is about 14 pounds, but they are rarely caught over 5 to 6 pounds, as well, in the bays. Also shaped like a largemouth, calicos are the big prize for bay anglers.
PICK A BAIT, ANY BAIT So what do bay bass eat? Just about anything in your freshwater tackle box. “Oh, I haven’t ever done this. How do I figure them out?” you might ask. Well, close your eyes to the shoreline and surroundings, pretend you’re on your favorite lake, and attack it as if you were fishing freshwater instead of saltwater. All the bays of Southern
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