Palos Verdes 10/30
We had our first rain of the season the ninth of October, which means a week later the ulva intestinalis opaleye green bait would have been be ready for harvest. I set my alarm for 3am 10/16 but was too lazy to get up. I wanted to fish P.V. for bass in September but the swell was an unfishable three feet or higher every time I had a day off.
Today, on the other hand, it all came together. I was up at three and a quick check of the Swell Chart informed me of perfect two-foot surf hitting all beaches below Pt. Conception. A one-foot swell isn’t big enough to stir up the fish; three-foot is too tough to fish. Two-foot is perfection, the fish are active and the rocks are easily accessed without all the frustration or danger a higher swell can deliver. The only thing slightly off is the tide will be in early; five feet at 07:15. It is better to have an incoming tide peaking around 9 to 10am so that you can fish the outer rocks early for bass, then as the tide rises, fish for opaleye nearer to shore where they come in to graze ulva-covered stones. Even San Pedro sport fishing boats have been getting into the opaleye action lately.
Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach had plenty of green bait, although some was already three weeks old and past its prime. It took several tests with the rake to find two clumps of the long and strong variety.
I pulled up to the curbside parking spot at 2829 Paseo Del Mar at 05:15, walked down the bluff trail, turned left and headed over to my favorite rocks, which are now a thirty minute hike. A few years ago we used to park in the lot on Via Vicente right above but nowadays a rent-a-cop kicks out anyone hanging out there before sunrise, which is way too late for my tastes.
And that is because today I was making my first casts of the session before twilight using the five-inch WildEye Sardine with not much success until just before sunrise when I nailed a nice two-pound calico bass over fifteen inches.
Five minutes later I was on again, this time it was a slightly shorter calico of 14 inches. The California D.F.W. increased the length limit for all three of our local paralabrax species this year from 12 inches to 14. This is now the rule for kelp bass (aka calico), barred sand bass and spotted sand bass. The fish scientists say paralabrax can spawn three times when they reach 12 inches, the new regulations allow two or three more.
By now skies were brightening enough to render my headlight unnecessary. I kept casting the WildEye just in case but I knew at 7:15 it was already past prime time for bass, and the tide had just peaked, better switch over to opaleye.
But first I tried a new trick. Back in the day we used ghost shrimp for bass and opaleye here along P.V. and also at the breakwall. I was over at Bass Pro Shops in Cucamonga earlier this year taking inventory and I found a bag of Berkely Gulp! ghost shrimp that look very authentic. I spent thirty minutes casting one of those under my bobber to several spots with no luck. This bait will prove itself to be more effective in the summertime, I’m sure.
Look at that over there on the next set of rocks to the south, something I rarely see down here on a weekday, a fellow angler.
While the tide was still high I cut off that hook and went with the standard Owner 1/0 live bait model to be used with the green bait. For the past hour I had been chumming this one likely looking opaleye area with the shorter strands of the ulva. Even though the waves were small, the top of the water was rough, making it difficult to distinguish the bobber being wiggled by hits or slapped around by ripples. One thing that led me to believe I was getting bit is that each time I reeled in, my bait was missing.
I sorted through my pile of green bait looking for the longest strands, finally finding such in a small wad. I wrapped a sixteen-inch string around my hook and tossed out. Not a minute later my bobber disappeared and I was on to a big one. I don’t know what has gotten into these opaleye around here the past two years but they seem to be fighting stronger than I can remember. In 2011 I had three brutes break my fifteen pound Berkeley Big Game line. Alas I was able to tire this guy out, grab the net and scoop out a beauty only a few ounces shy of three pounds.
By now the tide was speedily on its way out as evidenced by the sight of more and more tops of rocks poking out of the water. Back in the day when we would skin dive we noticed the majority of any opaleye school always hanging out behind the line where the wave broke. As the tide moves out the fisherman must too in order to keep that line within casting distance.
I hopped out to a now safe outer rock and cast again. Thrice more I reeled a good sign in an empty hook and re-baited with another long strand for the re-cast. This time I saw my bobber just barely submerge half way, I gave the rod a swing and I was on once more, only this time the opaleye felt smaller and sure enough it was a pound less than the previous but nonetheless worth two tacos.
By nine the bite washed out with the tide but I still gave another hour’s effort fishing more outer rocks but only had little guys nibbling the bait off the hook.
I was quite happy at home with my sink full of four fish and thoughts of next Wednesday when the tide will be a perfect six-and-a-half feet at ten.
*****
Fish News:
In July the worst monsoon I ever saw over the Sierra moved in. I left a day early and good thing because highway 395 closed the next day.
Inyo County likes rain but not this much.
Lower Owens River fish kill due to flash floods.
Inyo County suffers millions in road damage due to flash floods.
High mountain trout access might be limited due to frog problems.
Sterwardship plan for high country frog habitat.
Dude jumps in to revive C & R bull shark
Sea lions washed up in Malibu were shot