San Diego Bay Bonefish

When I think of Bonefish I think of crystal clear, shallow water somewhere off the east coast. Bonefish are a target species for fly fisherman in locations such as Florida, the Bahamas, and other geographic locations. Who would have known that Bonefish can be found in Southern California?! Well I can tell you one thing, they ARE here and I hope they are here to stay for a very long time. 

I first read about Bonefish being in Southern California on the internet where anglers talked about how such great fighters they are. I soon made it a goal of mine to catch one of these fish and see what they were all about. After catching my first Bonefish I automatically understood what all the hype was about. All I can say is that Bonefish are an amazing fish and if I were to describe them in one word it would be, FUN! In the past year I've had the pleasure of catching a decent amount of bonefish. I now know where to find them and how to catch them. 

In my opinion, Bonefish aren't too hard to catch. You just need to know where to find them because they aren't in every part of the bay. From my experiences in south San Diego Bay, all Bonefish were caught in very shallow water. I'm talking about approximately 5 feet of water. I can literally jump off the boat and my head would still be exposed. The key is to find sandy beaches in the bay and get as close as you can to the shore if fishing from a boat. Try and set up a nice drift so you run right along the shoreline. There you will find them. 

As far as bait goes, I've only caught them on Ghost Shrimp, a very effective bait for all types of saltwater species in California. I like to rig Ghost Shrimp on a drop shot rig with a size 4 bait holder style hook and a 1/2 ounce weight. You can also catch Bonefish on fly fishing outfits just like they do on the east coast. You can also use a carolina rig as well. 

To ensure a good time, I recommend a light spinning outfit with 4 to 8 pound fluorocarbon line so the fish don't see your line. Make sure your drag is set because they WILL pull hard and fast. 

Lastly, make sure you hang on tight! If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Go get em!

Night Fishing 101

Fishing at night is one of my favorite times to catch fish. If you're a night owl like me, you will find that night fishing is just as productive as fishing during the day, or even better. A majority of my fishing is done at night so I have my fair share of experience night fishing. Some of my best outings were at night, catching 15-20 fish in a couple of hours. Here are some tips that will help you that are based on my experiences on the water. 


Artificial Baits - Artificial baits are my go to option for night fishing. Swimbaits, swim grubs, grubs, worms, flukes, spinnerbaits etc. - they all work. One of my favorite go to baits is the Gulp! minnow on a drop shot rig. In my opinion, soft plastics are the way to go for bass, halibut, croakers and other bottom dwellers.

Black widow and midnight phantom
Big Hammer swimbaits

Colors - A general rule of thumb for most anglers is to use dark colored baits such as black for night fishing, because it brings out the silhouette in dark conditions. A lot of anglers swear by the "black widow" color that is common in swimbait and swimgrub products.  The all black color works great and I have caught a good number of fish on it. However, I've personally had better luck with colors such as blue/white and pearl white while fishing from shore. My theory is if your fishing from shore and there is a lot of surrounding light hitting the water, the lighter colors are a good option. If you're fishing deeper water on a boat or kayak I'd go with the darker colors.

Scents - Bait scents are a must at night. Fish are going to have a harder time seeing the presented bait, so scents will help steer the fish in the right direction. They will also leave a scent trail that will definitely attract fish. There are a number of good scents out there that have worked well for me. Check them out here

Techniques - When fishing at night I like to present my baits low and slow. I love using the drop shot rig because you can leave the bait in one place while still giving it action. The vibrations from the drop shot technique will entice fish. If your using swimbaits I like to use the stop and go retrieve. Slowly retrieve your bait three to four cranks, pause, and repeat. You can also slowly hop your bait back to you by lifting the rod top.

Live or cut bait - Ghost shrimp, mackerel, anchovies, squid, sardines etc. are great for a variety of species. Night time is great for sharks, stingrays, and bat rays using whole squid, whole mackerel or cut mackerel.

Safety and essentials - When fishing at night safety is very important. There aren't too many people around so it is important to have a fishing partner(s) with you. If going solo, be sure to have a cell phone or tell someone where you plan on going. Anything can happen.

The most important tool you can have is a flashlight or a headlamp. A headlamp will soon become your best friend at night. There's nothing worse than trying to rig your line or get a hook out of a fishes mouth
blind. I prefer a headlamp because it frees up your hands.

Goals for 2012

2011 was an overall good year of fishing for me. I put in a lot of time on the water and it really paid off. I learned some new things and caught a couple new species such as bonefish, sargo, and pile perch. I caught tons of fish especially over the summer, but I was missing something. QUALITY! Don't get me wrong, I love catching tons of fish in one outing, but I wouldn't mind giving up a fish or two for one really nice quality fish. I'm expecting 2012 to be a great year for me not just with fishing, but life in general. I'm really looking forward to trying new things and continuing to grow as an angler and as a person.

My Fishing Goals for 2012

• Catch a Spotfin Croaker
• Catch BIGGER fish
• Start targeting and catching BIG Leapord Sharks and Bat Rays
• Catch a topwater Corvina
• Catch at Halibut bigger than 22"
• Catch a fish on my Lucky Craft Flash Minnow
• Find new fishing spots
• Catch a freshwater Large Mouth Bass
• Catch a freshwater Striped Bass
• Keep learning and sharing 

Shimano Stradic CI4 2500F Review

My latest addition to my tackle selection is the Shimano Stradic CI4 2500F spinning reel. I purchased this reel from Turners Outdoorsman here in San Diego, CA. At 199.99 retail, the CI4 is at the higher end of Shimano's spinning reel line up. The Stradic CI4 is just under the Sustain and Stella spinning reels, which are at the top of the list. I knew before I even bought the reel that I would not regret it because at least three Turners employees came up to me and said, "you're going to have fun with that reel, that thing is sweet!" Those comments only made me want to hurry up and get this reel some action!

First Impressions: From the first time I set eyes on this reel I automatically could see what makes this reel different from the others, because of it's black/charcoal grey and red colors. It's very different from the usual silver colored reels. The reel just has a stunning appeal to it. The other dramatic difference I noticed from other reels is that the CI4 is very very light. The difference in weight makes a world of a difference and I knew it was going to be a great drop shot reel.

Weight Comparison: At 7 ounces, the CI4 feels great in your hand. Compared to other reels of the same size the CI4 seems like a feather. The ultra-lightweight design of this reel makes fatigue not an option. You can fish this reel on a light weight rod for hours at a time without feeling fatigue on your wrist.

Drag: The drag on this reel is silky smooth. I had the pleasure of catching a handful of Bonefish (drag pullers) when breaking in this reel for the first time. All I can say is I never thought I would break off on a fish because the drag was so smooth and comfortable. The CI4 has a waterproof drag system that comes in handy especially for saltwater anglers like me.

Design: CI4 stands for Carbon Interfusion with the 4 referring to the number of electrons in the carbon atom. In other words, it means the CI4 is reinforced  carbon fiber. It is over one and a half times stronger  than the XT-7 graphite, which makes it stronger and lighter. Another plus for saltwater anglers is that the CI4 is impenetrable to rust. The round eva grips on the handle feel very comfortable on your fingers. It is cushiony as opposed to other hard plastic handles on other reels.

In conclusion, this reel is awesome! I highly recommend this reel if you have the extra money to spend. I am confident that you will have just as much fun with this reel as me. It has everything I would want in a reel, especially for drop shot fishing. Matched up with the right rod it makes for a very comfortable, fast and lightweight fish killer.

For more info and features on the Shimano Stradic CI4: Stradic Ci4

Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 110 - Metallic Sardine

A couple months ago I did a little bit of research on using hard baits for surf fishing. Come to find out, there is a very popular hard bait used amongst Southern California surf anglers, which is the Lucky Craft 110. From my research I found that this lure catches BIG fish in the surf, such as Barred Surf Perch, Yellowfin Croaker and Halibut. Usually surf anglers use this lure to weed out the small dinky fish and target the bigger species. The Lucky Craft 110 does great for catching halibut in the surf, which is a very uncommon catch using traditional surf baits and rigs. The bait looks very realistic and has some nice flash to it that will attract fish.

Specs:
Length - 4.5 inches
Weight - 5/8 ounces
Depth - 1 to 2 feet
Buoyancy - Suspending

The only downside of this lure I have found is that it's a bit on the pricey side, and can be hard to find in tackle stores and on the internet. At the price of 19.99 per lure you don't want to see this lure go flying into the ocean on your first cast.

How to fish: So far from what I've researched, fishing this lure is fairly simple. It's a simple cast and slow retrieve. You can also add in a couple pauses or jerks in between. From what I hear, the bite feels very aggressive and you'll know if you have a fish on. It is important to use heavier line than usual when using this bait to help prevent losing it. There are certain times and conditions where this bait truly performs, but I have yet to figure that out yet. Its something that I have to figure out myself and put time in on the water to see what this bait is capable of.

Surf Fishing 101

Surf fishing is most definitely my favorite type of fishing to do. The open ocean, crashing waves, scenery and ocean breeze make surf fishing an enjoyable outdoor activity. In addition to the great scenery, surf fishing is endless. You will probably never run out of spots to surf fish because of the hundreds of miles of beaches. I'm now going to provide some tips and techniques that I have learned over the past couple years. These recommendations will have you catching fish from the surf in no time.

Rigs - The carolina rig is the most common surf fishing rig used on the West Coast and is highly recommended. This is the carolina rig in order from top to bottom: Egg sinker, bead, swivel, around two feet of fluorocarbon line and hook. It is a simple yet effective rig that will definitely work.

Rods - For fishing the surf, I do not recommend anything under 7' because you will need a rod long enough to keep your line over the waves that will be crashing right in front of you. Many surf anglers use rods from 7' to 9'. I currently use a 7' Shimano Clarus rod that works fine, but I will eventually change that to 7'6". Use a rod that has a medium-light to medium action that will give you enough backbone to fight fish in the surf. The rod should have a fast to extra fast taper so you are able to set the hook effectively. Overall, you want a long, sensitive rod that has the ability to fight a big fish.

Reels - I recommend using a 2500 size spinning reel for surf fishing. In my opinion, the 2500 size is a nice light sized reel that won't tire out your wrist very much.

Sinkers - Depending on the surf conditions, you want to use sinker sizes from 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce. Strong currents and big waves call for heavier sized weights. I almost always use sizes such as 3/4 ounce and 1 ounce. 

Hooks - Smaller size hooks are recommended for surf fishing because some of the most common surf species have small mouths. You don't want a big hook that will have you missing bites all day. I like to use size #4 baitholder style hooks or size #2 Owner Mosquito hooks. In my opinion, these size hooks do the very well in the surf. 

Line - I almost always use 8 pound fluorocarbon line. Using light line makes fighting fish more fun and is strong enough to land them. You can use line sizes from 6 to 12 pound test in the surf. I recommend using fluorocarbon line for the leader because it is virtually invisible under water. Light line equals more fun, but you run the risk of loosing the big one. 

Bait - Ghost shrimp, sand crabs, mussel, Berkley Gulp Camo Sand Worms "CrAcK", Perch grubs in motor oil red flake (MORF) color. They WILL all work great!

                                                      

Basic Tips - When your ready to cast you want to time the waves. Wait for the waves to crash then cast over them into the flat water. I like to have my rig starting in between the breaks. The waves will eventually start moving your rig towards you. Just make sure to ALWAYS keep your line tight so you can feel the bite. You can either let the current or waves take your rig or you can cast out and slooowly reel it back towards you. Sometimes you may feel like your getting bit but it can be the waves crashing down on your rig, so be sure to pay attention. The usual perch bite will feel like a shock or a really fast tapping feeling.

P.S. You'll be surprised how close the fish really are to the shore. Go get em!

Corbina caught on a sand crab

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