FISHING
THE COAST IS CLEARING AS MORE BOATS ARE ABLE TO HEAD OFFSHORE, SOUTHLAND SALTWATER FISHING SHOULD BE WIDE OPEN
With California’s restrictions for fishing starting to loosen up, anglers who can get aboard a boat heading off the Southern California coast should have a plethora of species to target. The yellowtail bite looks like a good bet in June. (BILL SCHAEFER)
By Capt. Bill Schaefer
S
o another month of coronavirus lockdown has passed and things are loosening up in regards to fishing. Even as restrictions and regulations are constantly changing and keep coming in waves, leaving us to ask questions, what we can focus on now is that we can all just go fishing in one way or another. At this writing we still could only fish with family members, even though many were adopting their fishing buddies as relatives, but hopefully as you read this that is finally over because summer beckons. Sport boats will have the next hurdles
to make when they’re able to book charters. As we finally got to go in boats out on the bays and the Pacific Ocean, there were some issues with the worst red tide seen in years. Red tides are an algae bloom that chokes off the oxygen in the water. Since it only goes down about 20 feet, the fish tend to go out deeper. Inshore bass could be found in about 75 to 100 feet of water on rock piles, along with good-eating rockfish. So I stocked up for fish tacos. Calicos were biting 1.5-ounce jigheads with brown bait swimbaits I threw at them. Squid, shrimp and tons of anchovy – as well as red crab and sardine
– are everywhere off the coast of Southern California right now and attracting hungry diners. The water temperature will be up to 70 degrees and higher, and as soon as the red tide dissipates completely, the fishing should explode.
YELLOWTAIL HAVE BEGUN BITING around all the islands adjacent to the coast. The Coronado Islands in Mexican waters just south of San Diego have been a major hot spot. Some yellows have been taken off floating kelp paddies as well. Tuna are starting to hit the decks of the private boats that can now chase them. Bluefin have been the main
calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2020 California Sportsman
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