FISHING
GET TO THE DEPTHS CALICO, SAND BASS ARE AVAILABLE FOR HEARTY OCEAN ANGLERS By Capt. Bill Schaefer
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o, you want to go calico bass fishing but the weather is not cooperating. Storms are starting to hit the Southern California coastline and water temperatures are cooling off. Don’t give up because calicos and sand bass are just sliding out onto deeper structure. Last winter brought some great fishing for me and my friends as we worked artificial reefs, drop-offs and even sunken boats off the coast. You too can enjoy this type of fishing; you just have to search for the correct areas to fish.
FINDING COVER You see, up and down the coast are man-made structure such as pipes that are covered with giant boulders. Over time they have become reefs that hold all types of life, supporting the food chain. There are also old bridge pilings, concrete pieces and sunken boats, as well as the natural contours of the bottom. Rebar can make them tackle takers, but just use a weedless jighead and it should cut down on having to retie all the time.
BE A DIGITAL SLEUTH If you have enough of these targets/ reefs stored in your mapping unit, then you have what you need to fish all winter and be successful. You will,
With a match-the-hatch mentality and using a fish finder to track down schools of fish in deep water, clever anglers can really score big on saltwater bass this winter. (BILL SCHAEFER) calsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2022 California Sportsman
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