Some Recent Catches

Here are some recent notable catches I've caught within the past week.

Sargo caught in Carlsband beach using ghost shrimp

Same fat perch 

Fish Report: Finally a Sargo

During my work vacation me and my friend Tony pumped some ghost shrimp and headed out to the San Diego Bay. We were finally able to catch a nice incoming tide for once, which is a great time to fish. The weather conditions were fairly nice with a little wind coming at us.

I began casting into a spot where I know there's some nice structure where fish like to hang around. Within my first couple casts, BOOM! My rod bends and I set the hook. As I'm fighting the fish I knew it was either a Sargo or a Croaker because of the way it was fighting. The fish was pulling drag on my reel and when it finally surfaced it was a Sargo. I suddenly had a big smile on my face because I had made the Sargo number one on my most wanted list. Sargo have some nice power to them which means a fun fight, especially on light tackle.

I also caught  some nice yellowfin croaker and spotted bay bass as well. All fish were caught on ghost shrimp on a drop shot rig and a 1/2 ounce torpedo sinker.

Storing Ghost Shrimp

Knowing how to store your ghost shrimp overnight is a good thing to know. Whether you are saving them for a future date or you have some left over, these tips will help you keep them alive.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic container of some sort 
• Paper towels or anything that will absorb water
• Ice or ice pack

1. Soak one the one of the paper towels in saltwater or water from the sink. I prefer saltwater though
2. Lay the damp paper towel in the plastic container or on a flat surface
3. In the middle of the paper towel, put about 10-15 ghost shrimp in there trying not to overcrowd them too much. You must allow space for flaps to fold over the ghost shrimp
4. Fold the flaps over the ghost shrimp
5. Keep repeating the process. There should be layers of paper towels in your plastic container
6. Throw the plastic container in the refrigerator or in a cooler with ice/ice packs

The most important thing to keep in my when storing ghost shrimp is to keep them COOL. You don't want them to be too cold either. This method should keep the ghost shrimp alive for a couple of days. When you look at them the next day they may look dead, but once you touch them they should become lively again. You'll know when they are dead because there will be a strong odor and they will be soft and mushy to the touch. Try to keep them cool even when transporting and when your out fishing. 

Shovel nose guitar fish

Shovel nose guitar fish caught in Imperial Beach, CA on Ghost Shrimp

Report: My first Corvina

Me and my buddy Tony decided to have a change of pace and soak some ghost shrimp on the Coronado Ferry Landing pier in Coronado, CA. I heard of anglers catching big Sargo and yellowfin croaker at the pier, so we gave it a shot. The tide was very low when we got there and it was still dropping, but we still made the best out of it. We didn't catch any of our target species (Sargo), but we did manage a nice little variety of fish. I also scored my first Corvina which made be pretty happy. My technique of casting the ghost shrimp out and slowly reeling it back worked out for me.

Bait of choice: Ghost Shrimp, drop shot rig, 1/2 ounce torpedo sinker, #1 size baitholder style hook

Fish Count: 4 Spotted Bay bass, 1 Calico bass, 2 Sculpin, 1 Lizard fish, 1 Sand bass, 1 Corvina

My first Corvina. Not too big but I scratched one off the list

 The View

Increase your chances : Bait Scent

Using scent is a great way to increase your chances when fishing in salt or freshwater. In my opinion, bait scent makes a world of a difference when fishing artificial baits. There are plenty of different scents on the market from krill to squid. So, if your not using bait scent you should start. You won't regret it.

My current scents. UniButter and Gulp Alive shrimp flavor

Why use bait scent?

• It eliminates human scents such as lotions, sunscreen, cigarettes and cigars
• It leaves a scent trail that will attract a fish from a distance 
• When fish bite they stay on the bait longer because it tastes like the real thing, which means better chances of landing the fish
• Leaves a nice slimy coat on your bait
• Keeps your bait from drying up, leaving a more life like action

Some popular scents

• Uni Butter - Most powerful scent in my opinion
• Hot Sauce - Another effective scent
• Berkley Gulp! Alive - Powerful scent that comes in easy spray bottle
• Eagle Claw - Many different flavors from squid to anchovy with glitter
• Pro Cure - I have never tried them but have heard good things. Tons of different flavors

Personally, my favorite go to scent right now is Uni Butter because of it's powerful smell and it's ability to increase my fish count. However, other bait scents like the ones listed above can be just as effective. It' s really up to you. The thing I like about the Berkley Gulp spray bottle is that it is easier to apply and less messy. Just be careful to not touch your face after handling bait scents unless you want to smell it all day long =p. That's the only thing you'll regret about using scents. 

Fish Report: 5/4/2011

Today I was able to head out into San Diego bay with my friend Tony and his dad on their boat. Overall, it was a great day on the water. We each caught a number of quality spotted bay bass and sand bass. Heres the report. Enjoy!

Location: San Diego Bay 
Time: 8:15 am  - 12:00 pm
Conditions: Perfect. Beautiful Southern California weather. About    80 degrees
Tide: Nice incoming tide 1.83 ft to 3.36 ft
Baits: 3" big hammer swimbaits in clear red flake matched up with red 3/8 ounce lead heads, T&C Lures swimgrubs in aquamarine and ghost shrimp colors. 
Fish Caught: Spotted Bay Bass, Sand Bass, Mackerel, Lizard Fish