It was so cold this morning (30°) there was steam rising from the Colorado Lagoon in Long beach, where at five o’clock I was able to harvest a full scoop of long stringy algae for use as opaleye bait at Marineland.  After I put the bucket in the back of the truck I had to relieve myself and aimed it underneath the vehicle, creating quite the obvious steam cloud.  As soon as I sat down and fired up the engine, here came a car aiming for me slowly.  As expected, it’s the police, on comes the white spotlight.

    I roll down my window, they ask what I am doing.  Not sure if they would believe me, I say I am collecting algae to use as fish bait for this morning’s trip.  They wonder where I got it, I said right down there in the pond.  Then they give me the bad news that the pond is closed until sunrise and I better not go down there at this time of morning anymore.  Are you done here?  Yessir, bye.  EEEOWWW I was out’o there.

    I looked in the mirror at my still-arising steam and expected them to make a U-ey and come after me but either they didn’t notice or didn’t care.

    Where I normally park is along Sixth St. on the golf course side where nobody else puts their cars, very conspicuous.  Next time to blend in I am going to park in the neighborhood on Monrovia Ave. and walk down so that my lily white truck won’t look like cop bait while I’m making bait in the early morning.

    Down the Opaleye Point trail, I was casting the Storm WildEye mackerel from the right side of the point at six while a couple handfuls of algae chum soaked.  As expected, there were no species available which would normally bite the lure, so I opted for the opaleye bobber algae rig.  At this early hour, as you can’t see the fluorescent red bubble, you have to feel for hits as you try to keep your line out of the rocks.

    The past week or more we’ve had heavy surf.  Today it is over six feet on west facing beaches but over here at Opaleye Point, which faces south, only the occasional three-footer roared in.  For me that was just perfect, not too calm, not too rough, keeping the fish out of their submarine caves and moving around.  I was hit several times with spray but with the full rain suit and parka donned, I was toasty and comfortable.

    I didn’t have my first bite until after sunrise but it was worth the wait, as the opaleye fought hard and looked to be three pounds as it lied there flopping on the rocks.  YES!  Here we go, more big ones to be had after I throw some more chum out there.

    Nice thought but it didn’t work out this time as in the next half hour I didn’t have anymore bite here.  I saw a bass jump out of the water twice right at the inside kelp line.  I aimed my WildEye out there for fifteen casts for naught.  Off to the next spot I trudged.

    Over at the Marineland Ledge I had more hits than earlier but it took another half hour to land my second and final opaleye of the day that weighed barely over a pound, or two tacos.

    I could see in the near distance ten or more porpoise thrashing jumping crashing the water where the bass had surfaced.  They were going at their baitball banquet for a good thirty minutes.  Once stuffed, they moved out to the northwest.

    As the six foot tide at seven o’clock zoomed out, I had hit after bobber dunking hit but no hook-sets, indicating little guys.  At ten I bailed to get home by noon.  I’m not sure if I should have stuck it out at Opaleye Point in hopes of a bunch of larger fish passing by and staying for the chum.  Them little guy hits at Marineland Ledge will drive you nuts.  Long Point is out of the question on a day like today due to that area always taking the brunt of any swell in the area.  I just don’t know anymore.

*****

From the Editor:

I purchased my 2007 fishing license today.  Here's the breakdown: fresh and salt, $37.30, ocean enhancement $4.20, second rod stamp (lakes and reservoirs) $11.55 for a total of $53.05.  Last year the same three cost $49.60.

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