Coast Guard beach
 

Planning of hitting Newport Wed afternoon 330p till O-dark-thirty. Launching from C.G. beach. Yellow tarpon 160.

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

Good luck JC!!! Send a report. I plan to be out there Saturday evening myself. Bass fishing has been excellent the last few visits there.
Hank :brews

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

3 baracuda, and 2 sandies. The baracuda where at the mouth of the harbor on a silver and black frenzy minnow. The sandies where around the docks on a 3inch christmas tree big hammer.

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

Thanks for the report JC. The weather looks a bit ominous for tomorrow but I'll play it by ear. Good to see some Barries hanging around.
Hank

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

Out at Coast Guard Beach this AM about 7:20, fishing toward the Grand Canal on Ocean side of island. Blown off water by 10:30 (actually I came in before it got very bad). One mack on Gulp smelt and one unidentified on cut sardine. If I were in Caribbean I would say it was a sqirrelfish.. Somewhat mack type mouth, pinkish lateral thin-line stripes, Much longer than deep (2.5 to1?). Any ideas?

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

Was it similar to these fish or do you have a pic?
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/Mrd/mspc126.jpgKelpfish
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/Mrd/mspc048.jpgChilipepper (Red Snapper)

Hank

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

Thanks - not either of these - I first looked at the F&G color print in reg book. Closer in body form to the chilipepper - much thinner and tall part of body continues much closer to tail.

No, I did not get a photo. My first thought was a different species of Mackerel then though more like a perch streched out.

Been fishing California waters since about 1959 and marine bio degree so this is not one of the common species.

Steve

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

Seaslug,
It could have hitch-hiked with the warm water currents we had a short while ago from down south of us and forgot to return home again. Maybe something listing the common fish caught in Mexico may shed some light. However, if it has three eyes it may be from around San Onofre :D

You still liking your wheels??

Perry

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

Found it! Salena Xenistius californiensis "often mistaken for a juvenile Striped Bass"
http://seaslug.com/salema.jpg

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

Sea Slug,
Was it a Salema?

Heres a link on FishBase http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/Spec...ry.php?id=3570


Perry :coffee

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

Right you are Perry!

Mine was about 7 inches long.

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

Seaslug,
Some of the guys that fish Cherry Beach for halibut will catch their bait at the pier beforehand. They will keep salema's and queenfish if they catch them, and my friend says they are some prime halibut baits.

Perry :coffee

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

I used to fish Belmont Pier a lot - never saw a salema. How big a bait will you use for Halibut?

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

I like the baits to be about 5 or maybe 6 inches long. Most of the 'dines and smelts will be in this range, and they work good. Live bait may have the edge for 'butts, but I still like using plastics for them.

Perry :coffee

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

Yeah, the Salema make great halibut bait.

I've caught them off Belmont pier and used them in HH. I've used some of the larger ones 7-8" and have had halibut maybe 12" or so hitch a ride all the way back to the yak.

Ed

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

Sounds like Ling Cod. I have had big Lings eat smaller lLings which were eating a small fish on the hook. Have not seen Halibut hitch hiking.

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

I've had big halibut "hitch hike" all the way up to the boat only to let a smelt or sardine go at the surface.

Those flatties can be somewhat frsutrating in their habit to bite and hold on to (vs. fully swallowing) even the smallest of baits (and yet fully engulf a huge bait) .

Ed

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

I certainly have had them fight for 3 or 4 minutes then brought back in a chewed smelt - love those trap hooks - the 27 pounder I got several weeks ago came in on a number 4 treble trap hook.

Re: Coast Guard beach
 

I've had lotsa halibut, legal and otherwise, let go 4 feet or so from the yak! They see the boat, and it's" Bye-bye! " That's why people usually take a while to let a halibut chew it. I usually count to 100 slowly, say three to five minutes! I also use a trap hook so they can get stuck when they're foolin around with the tail end of the bait! I use a size 6 or size 4 treble rapala red or chrome saltwater treble! Piranha;) :rolleyes: