Opaleye Point 12/27
At the Colorado Lagoon slime pit in Long Beach, the perfect long gooey strands of algae bait are now bountiful. There was even another pair of bros down there at five thirty this morning collecting their own scoop. Here I thought I was the only scum-bucket in town.
The swell outside the Channel Islands the past couple days was up to ten feet, with six-footers hitting west-facing beaches. Today it was down to four, with the south facing coves of Palos Verdes having only the rare two-footer rolling in to go along with the six-foot high tide at 8:15.
To the right of the point, over to the ledge, I did the usual -- chummed a handful of bait into the opaleye honey hole then cast the WildEye five-inch mackerel out to the abundant kelp stringers.
Again no bass were available to inhale the lure. I might have discovered the reason as I filled my pale with water to rinse out a wad of algae. Sometimes when the air is frigid in the morning you put your hand into the water and it will feel warm. Not today. It felt really cold. The bass are probably hibernating. There was one gigantic something -- presumably a white seabass -- boiling and scattering minnows on the outside of the kelp line out of casting distance.
So too are the opaleye. I fished three likely spots in four hours, never even had a nibble. I could tell because every time I reeled in my bait was still wrapped around the hook. The past couple times I came down I only landed one or two each occasion but at least I had lots of bites.
The only excitement for the day was when what appeared to be a school of small bonito breezed by, slashing through a ball of minnows, which attracted hundreds of pelicans, gulls and cormorants, all diving head first to get their share. Again, they were outside the kelp line, too far for me.
Around eight a whole mob descended the trail and populated the ledge, which I fled an hour earlier. I haven't seen anyone down here in years.
I drove around the corner to the Terranea project (old Marineland) to find out when fishing and diving access will be available. The gate guard said June '09.
*****
From Marcelo:
Senor Mike,
Hope this finds you well....Please say hello to Timoteo for me...
I thought that you would appreciate this pic. Enrique and I went fishin' 10 days after the full moon in November, caught enough of these to stop fishing...
Maybe we can venture to Alfonsinas in 2009 together...
Word to your Momma
*****
Striped bass frenzy at Diamond Valley Lake.
New restrictions are intended to protect the delta smelt and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.