Opaleye Point 12/21
In October our opaleye trip was very successful and counts for the specie were up at the San Pedro docks. Two weeks later on 11/9 I again went to fish the big rocks to the right of Long Point, Palos Verdes, where we had the same conditions; a six foot morning high tide coupled with a calm swell. I stood there for over four hours using the opaleye algae bobber rig and never had a bite. I’m not sure what the issue was but I saw the water was Tahoe clear, which might have caused the fish to become line shy. Historically I don’t remember this to be a problem.
Two weeks ago on 12/9 I hit up Long Point again and encountered the exact same conditions as listed above. The bite was slow but the fish were big. The first one I hooked at 7:30 and right away I could tell it was bigger than the four-pounder I landed in October. I couldn’t budge it by cranking on the reel so I just held on and gently attempted to tire it out. The gently part did me in, as the fish pulled hard right into some rocks, breaking the line. Oh man that was a pisser, I don’t remember ever getting rocked by an opaleye.
An hour later I hooked another of over three pounds. This one I got up to where I was standing but before I could dip the net the hook popped out. Dam, what’s goin’ on here? I stayed a few more hours but never had another hit.
Today the Colorado Lagoon slime pit in Long Beach once more offered plenty of fresh dark green algae. I couldn’t fish Long Point due to the four-foot swell pounding in there. Instead I ambled down the Opaleye Pont trail and hiked over to the old Marineland ledge, where I started the day at sunrise casting a five-inch WildEye sardine into calm water interrupted every fifteen minutes by a set of two-footers. Ten casts into it I felt hits and landed a descent fifteen-inch calico bass. I fan cast all over, from the outer kelp to the inner shore of the cove but only felt one more hit that resulted in zero hookups while using the lure.
At seven o’clock I tossed the opaleye algae rig from a spot midway out on the ledge and immediately the bobber went down, resulting in the sacking of a two-pounder. I was seeing plenty of hits as the bobber danced atop the water when it disappeared again. This one felt bigger than the last and as I lifted it out of the water with the net I saw it was a solid three-pounder. For an hour the bite was real good with the landing of five more, two of which were valued less than two tacos and released. The other three were all of the three taco variety.
High tide was before six this morning, meaning by eight the water ebbed rapidly, taking the bite with it. I walked out to the far end of the ledge and fished around the kelp bed for two hours but never noticed another hit.
Field Test
I needed a new pair of breakwall boots, something not very expensive because they’ll be soaked with salt water every trip and you don’t want your $200 Red Wings to unravel as the crystals weaken the materials. Big-5 came through with a pair of Outdoor Gear Hunter 1046 boots for under $50. They’re water proof, contain Thinsulate and are heavy duty with soft outer soles. Even though they are not Vibram waffle, they gripped wet rocks extremely well and were very comfortable. Two thumbs up.
*****
Family was over for Thanksgiving
Details of Mexican pot smuggling near my opaleye hole
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Fish News:
Dude lands giant brown trout from the Little Truckee River
Scientists studying fish movements along the Palos Verdes shelf
Salmon swim across road in Washington
*****
From Chuck P. 10/26
Nice Mike- just got back from our tuna
run - not too good - Norm and I got two yellowtail only -
small to smalller - biggest 8 lbs smallest 2 1/2 lbs.
Jackpot was a nice 25 lb yellowfin only one on bait five others on the
trollers.
Huge haul two days before -- weather water and lots of sealife - just
no big bite and very few kelp paddies - thats fishin - headed up
to June Lakes Nov 7-10 - will drop a line for trout for end of season
try.
Chuck