Monthly Archives: January 2013

Border Water Bass – Catching Smallmouth Bass

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The sky was just overcast enough to give the feeling the fishing was going to be exceptional, but not enough clouds to cause any immediate concern for rain gear. The July air was heavy. The water was crystal clear and as it tumbled over the rocks it looked a lot colder than it was. A trout fisherman at heart, the colder the better is often my thought when it comes to summertime trout fishing. It was a good thing I wasn’t trout fishing because the water warm enough to wet wade.

All spring, fly fishermen from throughout the east make the trek to the Upper Delaware River hoping to catch one of the glory hatches and maybe a few of the hard fighting wild rainbows or browns that make the river their home. On their way, many fishermen drive by another stretch of the river that has its own challenging wild fishery. The area I’m talking about is between Narrowsburg and Port Jervis, NY and the fish is the smallmouth bass.

On this day, my good friend and fellow fly fishing guide, Wayne Aldridge and I decided to meet up and take a break from the mediocre trout fishing caused by low water flows and warm water. We slipped the drift boat off the trailer into a stretch of the Delaware that over the last thirty years or so had become one of my favorite smallmouth haunts.

Late in June with the spawn complete and the rising water temperature increasing their metabolism, the smallmouth return from their honeymoon with a ravenous appetite. If you’re a smallmouth fisherman you look forward to this as much as trout fishermen anticipate the spring Hendrickson and Quill Gordon hatches. For trout addicts, this fishery is a great quencher for the dog days and doldrums of warm, low water trout streams.

We strung a few six weights to provide a mix of ammunition as we started out. I chose to try my luck with a sink tip line and one of Dave Skok’s mushmouth saltwater flies, while Wayne drifted a hellgrammite he tied from Bill Skilton’s recipe with Bill’s wooly bugger marabou chenille. It wasn’t long before we were each into bass, scrapsters, but none the less smallmouths.

A few fish later and it was time to change flies, and change flies we did. It was now time to play “let’s see if they’ll eat this”! I didn’t keep count, but I don’t think there was an unused fly in the boat by days end. I also can’t remember not catching a fish on everything we threw. That’s one of the fun parts of this sort of fishing. Zonkers, E-Z Zonkers, Wooly Buggers, Sneaky Pete’s, Trim Jim’s, Stone Flies, Clousers, Crayfish, Leaches and others I just don’t recall, all had their hooks connected to fish.

This stretch of the Delaware encompasses over thirty miles of prime smallmouth habitat and is part of the nearly seventy-five mile long Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River. We were fishing an eight mile piece of it. The most use this part of the river sees is by recreational canoes and rafters who enjoy its swifter currents and relative remoteness from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This more or less knocks out weekend fishing unless you don’t mind the traffic, which isn’t too bad if you stick to early mornings and evenings. The greatest fishing pressure this part of river sees is during May when mostly spin and some fly fishermen are chasing American shad.

I have to say, like with all fishing, the most fun is when a fish comes to the top to eat your bug. Skipping Sneaky Pete’s and Trim Jim’s across the riffles gave us almost non-stop action on smaller fish, while propping the deeper water with streamers and hellgrammite flies gave up the bigger fish. All we needed to do was to keep our fly in the fishy looking stuff.

Smallmouth bass habitat is easy to recognize. Simply, it looks like trout water, just warmer. Deep pools, boulder strewn runs, rapids, riffles, cuts and ledge pools are home to what many call the “hardest fighting, pound for pound, freshwater game fish”. Although native to the Great Lakes and Ohio River drainage, the smallmouth bass has either accidentally or intentionally made it way into waters throughout North America. Most would agree that he’s been a welcome transplant to the Delaware and has established a secure wild population.

The best time for smallmouth fishing is late June through October. The flies you select change with the season, but basically it’s a match the hatch game, with the hatch consisting of baitfish, hellgrammites, leeches, baby lampreys, crayfish and the like. Huge selections of patterns aren’t necessary, but you will want to have a good number of each of the patterns you have. One rule of thumb in fishing is that the fly that’s working the best is the one you only have one of. And then you lose it!

A good mix of wooly buggers in black, brown, white, and olive along with white zonkers covers you for the baitfish imitations. Not that others don’t work. They do, so don’t hesitate to experiment. I’ve had some really nice fish take deceivers, mushmouths, crease flies and other saltwater patterns. But to be successful you really don’t need a huge variety of flies, although it does add to the fun.

Leach patterns in black and olive work well when the baby lampreys have hatched, as does the standby wooly bugger. Clousers not only cover you in the crayfish department but add a different action as a baitfish fly too. Stonefly nymphs, and hellgrammites fished on a dead drift are very effective. Like trout fishing, detecting strikes often requires a good deal of concentration, but sometimes they just plain slam it as happened to Wayne numerous times that day. More than once, we could see his hellgrammite fly just sitting, well actually hooked to a rock, and a smallmouth would dart from behind a boulder and crush his fly. Very cool, and also very unusual but we were in the middle of an exceptional day of fishing.

Add in some Sneaky Pete’s, Trim Jim’s, Stimulators, deer hair bugs and Wulf style dries and you’re on the top too. White Wulfs are good durable imitation for the late summer white fly hatch.

The same tackle you use for trout is suitable for smallmouths, but just to be a little specialized, nine foot six and seven weights are ideal. Realistically, anything from a five to eight weight will do the job. My personal choice is a fast action nine foot six weight. The stiffer rod is a big help in driving the hook home.

Lines, leaders and tippets can be as assorted and as complicated as you want to make it. A floating line with a seven to nine foot leader down to 3X is a good start and one that would see the most use. Sink tips and full sinking lines have their place in the deeper pools and runs. Here, three or four feet of straight mono or fluorocarbon in the eight-pound test range works fine.

The time of day mostly affects the type of water you choose to fish and what techniques to use. In the early morning and late evening the fish often move into some pretty shallow areas where they hunt or wait for the currents feed them. In slower pools this can mean weed beds, rock rubble or submerged logs and the like. Underwater humps are another area not to be over looked. Many times you’ll find bass herding bait against the bank or wedging them against some structure. This mostly happens really early or really late and the fish are normally good ones.

During the middle of the day, the fish will take cover in the deeper ledge pools and fast running riffles and channels. The pools present a different kind of challenge since here you will need to use sinking lines and painfully slow retrieves to prompt a strike. Expect the take to be subtle and when it comes strike hard.

With the rivers banks on both the Pennsylvania and New York side of the river in private ownership walk-in access is limited, but there are several boat launches that allow float access. If you prefer to stay on foot just stay below the high water mark and you can wade wherever you like from these areas also.

On the New York side of the river access is from state route 97. This scenic road goes from Port Jervis, NY to Hancock, NY. Starting at its down river point in Port Jervis and traveling north, you will find five well marked public access points between Port Jervis and Narrowsburg, NY. The Pennsylvania side is a little trickier to negotiate since there is no one road that follows the river, but rather a network of roads that go to and from the river at various locations. A good map like a DeLorme gazetteer will simplify things a whole lot. A couple of the Pennsylvania accesses, such as Lackawaxen and Darbytown are also easily found from route 97 on the NY side.

A NY or PA fishing license is valid on the river or from either shore. Unless you’re a Pennsylvania resident, New York offers the best value for a nonresident angler. We never hooked into any big fish that day, a few fifteen to seventeen inchers won the pool, but we did have a blast with a bunch of smaller guys and over the years I’ve learned you never know when that four pound plus fish is going to grab your fly. So when the summer heat has your favorite trout water shut down, or if you’d just enjoy the fun and challenge of fishing for another game fish, the Delaware River has some feisty smallmouth bass waiting for you.

Florida Lake Talquin Fishing Reports

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Lake Talquin holds good populations of black bass, Striped bass, white bass, black crappie, bluegill, and redear sunfish. Lake Talquin is one of the best black bass lakes during the winter, But if you want to catch specs, bream, and redear sunfish Lake Talquin is the place to be! The Florida Fish And Wildlife Commission Maintains the population of Stripers by stocking. The striper ave. catch size is between 10 and 15lbs but very few stripers over 20lbs are ever caught. The good months for Stripers are normally caught during February, March and April.

Lake Talquin has an abundance of natural bait fish that keep the predator fish population very active. You can find Golden shiner, seminole killfish, sunfish, crayfish, threadfin shad and gizzard shad are the most common forage. Minnows such as sailfin mollies, pot-guts and a variety of others. You can also find Insect larvae, clams, mussels, frogs, tadpoles, leeches, sirens and water dogs that keep the fish on the move.

Largemouth bass can be caught in drop-offs and channels. Anchor your boat in 6 to 8 ft of water and fish into the deeper channels using Texas- or Carolina rigged plastic worms. In the spring fish the grass flats in 4 to 7 feet of water. Make sure you search along the river and creek channels for spawning habitat. Minnow imitations and plastic worms are effective where the creeks empty into lake Talquin.

You can catch Stripers all year round on lake Talquin, but one of the funnest times for fishing is in the fall. The striper school in open water and feed on vigorously during the fall and winter. You can spot them by watching the birds. If the birds are diving on bait the open waters, chances are the there are strippers schooling and feeding on threadfin shad. Fish any artificial bait that imitates these shad. Some suggestions would be to fish Minnow imitations and chugger-style topwater lures. They seem to work well on stripers that are feeding on Shad.

The best live bait for shellcraker and bream is grass shrimp. Shellcraker and bream are very active during from april through may and you can get some great catches. Catch Black crappie in the winter months by drifting or slow trolling open water. spider rigging is most effective. Make sure you vary depths until you find the schools of crappie. They will be suspended.

Area #1 Talquin Fishing Lake Report Picnic Point is a sandbar in one of the widest sections of the Ochlockonee River. There is heavy cover on top of the bar and 5-foot depths along the edge that drop to about 22 feet at midchannel. A jig or crankbait like a Big N worked down the drop is most effective.

Area #2 The Smokehouse area off the mouth of Hunter Creek is a flat about 4 feet deep with good spring bass fishing. Stumps and vegetation along the channel provide great cover for both forage and largemouth bass. When the water is running, use deep-diving crankbaits. Plastic worms are also good bets throughout the year. There is good spring fishing when rainfall allows access to the shallows.

Area #3 Lake Talquin Fishing Report The Iron Post, also known as the Talquin flats area, has a deep hole at the end of an old submerged channel. Work auger tail and paddle tail worms along the ledge of the adjacent flooded flats for big bass. Topwater stick baits such as the Bomber Long A take smaller, schooling bass during summer and early fall.

Area #4 A bend in the river channel directly across from Coe’s Landing is a prime largemouth spot during the winter months. The water drops from 5 feet to 18 feet in the channel. Cast plastic worms and deep-running crankbaits in the stumps and nearby flats. Be careful of stumps.

Area #5 This minor creek channel on the Coe’s Landing side is at the southern tip of what local anglers call the Iron Curtain. Bass hold on sandbar drop-offs along the tiny creek. Using plastic worms along the creek drop-offs, which runs almost to Williams Landing, is effective for winter bass. Target schooling bass here in the summer.

Area #6 The deep channel at High Bluff provides excellent winter fishing for striper and largemouth on live shiners or deep-diving crankbaits. Fish the creek channel that runs from Double Creek to the old wooden pier. Fish the creek channel and pier pilings for big bass and striped bass. For stripers, cast small crank baits, vibration lures, plastic worms, and stick baits in pockets of open water surrounded by lily pads.

Area #7 A 20-foot drop-off near the small island holds winter largemouth that will take plastic worms dragged along bottom and down the drop. In the heat of summer, if bass are not schooling on the surface nearby, a jigging spoon can sometimes entice fish from the depths. A plastic worm, rigged Carolina style, is effective along the edge of the river channel. Bend the hook back into the worm to prevent snags, then drag it back, imparting no movement, through the stumpy drop-off. This is one of the most productive big bass spots on the lake.

Area #8 Lake Talquin Fishing Report Fish this delta-shaped inlet with old docks for black bass. Work the shallow drop-off into the cove, a small spring-fed channel called Cootermill Creek, and the nearby Ochlockonee River channel, which averages about 22 feet deep. Fish plastic worms and jig spoons in the holes and drop-offs, and toss crankbaits along edges of the channel. A floating worm snaked through the lily pads in areas with cypress trees and stumps may draw a strike.

Area #9 Plenty of shellcracker beds, sometimes more than an acre of them, are found just off the High Bluff area around mid-April. The sandy flats remain loaded with beds for about 3 months. Move in carefully over the stumpy-area. Fish the edges of the flats with spinnerbaits and floating worms for bass. In close, cast small Beetle Spin lures or switch to shellcracker rigs and use crickets or worms.

Area #10 Talquin Lake Fishing Report The mouth of Mews Creek is a good year-round area for schooling bass. Work plastic worms for largemouth where Mewes Creek and Ochlockonee River channels merge. Cast toward the bank then work the creek channel

Area #11 The bends on Little River average about 12 feet deep and hold crappie during winter. One method is to use a rake or paddle to scoop a hole in the floating hyacinth, and then check for minnows. If bait is present, crappie are generally below. Drop a live minnow or small jig through the hole in the weed canopy. In the summer, bass and striper school are here, feeding on thick populations of shad. Near here an old boat house collapsed into the water, creating a good spot. This is also a spawning area, from February through May.

Area #12 Pre-spawn bass provide excellent action in the back of Little River Arm. The depth varies from 12 feet in the river channel to 7 or 8 feet along the edge. Work shad-colored crankbaits along the channel during early spring. When there’s a flow, move up the creek and work likely areas with a plastic crayfish or 1/4-ounce, lipless crankbait.

Well I hope the 12 areas identified in this Florida lake Talquin Fishing Report will help on you plan your next freshwater fishing trip to Florida. Lets Go Fish’in!

Surf Fishing Lures – 3 Lures Every Surf Angler Should Have

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Surf fishing lures are a topic of much debate among surf anglers. The multitude of different sizes and colors make choosing the right one a little confusing. Here are three surf fishing lures that every surf angler should have in their bag.

Metal Spoons

The object of the large metal spoon is to resemble a large bait fish such as menhaden or mullet, and most are chrome or bright silver. When using a large metal spoon most surf fisherman will be after bluefish, but almost any fish will take them. These streamlined 2 to 4 ounce spoons will reach most outer bars with ease. Jigging the spoon on a medium fast retrieval tends to bring good results. If you are after bluefish remember to attach a 12 inch wire trace before the lure.

Lead Head Soft Plastic Tail Jig

The great thing about this type of lure is the variety of combinations available. The action of the lure on retrieval will vary with your choice of tail, so always carry a few different colors and sizes in your bag for a quick change. Changing your choice of tail is a simple matter and can be done quickly and easily. You can use many types of retrieval when using the combination jig, but employing a slow and steady retrieve will see the most takes. Heavy mono-filament line will effect the jigs performance so try and use a short length of light weight leader.

Small Metal Lures

The smaller metal surf fishing lures are great for use with light spinning tackle, a 7 to 9 foot spinning rod and a reel loaded with 10 to 12lb mono-filament main line will allow you to use this type of lure to its full effect. The lure itself is designed to resemble a minnow and when used on a fast retrieve will attract small to medium sized bluefish. A very slow retrieve keeping the lure close to the bottom will produce trout and smaller striped bass.

Fishing Boats

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When it comes to fishing there are two sorts that are regularly undertaken, recreational fishing and commercial fishing. As such there is a wide range of types of fishing boats that are used in the fishing process.

When it comes to commercial fishing boats most people will think of trawlers scouring the oceans for fish. Trawlers basically pull a trawl net though the water catching fish in the way. As with most forms of commercial fishing the nets are often considered bad for fishing as they are indiscriminate in the fish caught. Trawlers will either drag their nets along the bottom of the ocean or at a depth dependent on the type of fish being hunted. Normally solo craft some trawlers do work in teams.

The other best known forms of fishing boats are the drifters, these are commercial vessels that send out and take in drift nets. These vessels are the most controversial of fishing boats, as the nest are blamed for the deaths of turtles and dolphins in huge numbers. Drift fishing is now banned in international waters and most national waters only allow limited usage of the nets. There are often limits on the size of the nets, although 2.5km for a net still seems like a huge length for a net.

There are also other forms of boats including Seine fishing boats also known as seiners. These boats operate nets that hang vertically in the water and fish are basically circled into the net. There are also factory ships that operate as fishing boats, these vessels are basically trawlers, seiners, drifters etc that also operate as a factory, processing and freezing their catches of fish.

Most recreational fishing is normally undertaken by the river or lake side, although it is not unknown for fishing boats to also be utilized. Most people would normally associate charter boats with recreational fishing. There is though no common type of charter boat, and depends on the type of fishing being undertaken. In the Caribbean the boats are more like private yachts, whilst in England the vessels are more likely to be traditional fishing vessels.

There are though other smaller forms of recreational fishing boats, including Kayak fishing vessels and pontoon boats. Both of these types of boats are normally for one or two anglers that can fish in areas of lakes and rivers that larger boats cannot get to.

How to Get a Fishing License

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No matter whether you are a freshwater or saltwater fisherman, you will enjoy fishing in Virginia. The state offers resident senior citizens free fishing licenses, while providing active duty military personnel with fishing licenses at a reduced rate. Find out more information on how to get a resident or non-resident fishing license in Virginia.

Step 1

Make sure you need a fishing license in Virginia. Children under age 16 and Virginia residents over the age of 60 are exempt. Locate a complete list of exemptions at Virginia Fisheries website.

Step 2

Know what type of fish you want to catch. The State of Virginia has a basic fishing license and a separate trout license.

Step 3

Know where you are going to fish. There are separate fishing licenses for fresh and salt water. An additional license stamp is required to fish in Virginia’s national forests.

Step 4

Figure out who will be fishing with you. In Virginia, anyone age 16 or older must have a license to fish.

Step 5

Gather your basic identification information. Some license sites require photo identification or your fishing license from the previous year.

Step 6

Pick your location. Large retail stores like Wal-Mart and K-Mart issue fishing licenses in Virginia. Some convenience markets also offer this service. Licenses can be purchased online as well from the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. There is no turn-around time, licenses are issued on site.

Step 7

Decide if this is to be a long-term pastime. Life-time fishing licenses are available in Virginia, but they must be purchased through the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in Richmond.

Archery Hog Hunting

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Archery hog hunting is a great choice for the hunters looking for an additional challenge, and I good meal. Archery hog hunting is one of the most popular forms of bow hunting. Bow hunters by nature are looking for a challenge by not choosing to hunt with a rifle. Bow hunting takes more physical effort, skill, and patience. The challenge of archery hog hunting can also be dangerous, because wild hogs are aggressive animals: particularly when wounded or cornered.

Hog hunting is legal year-round in many places, because wild hogs are considered a nuisance to their environment, people, and other animals. They also have high reproduction rates, with six to ten people litters. These hogs can destroy land and carry along diseases. The long amount of time that hogs are legally allowed to be hunted adds to the popularity of the sport. Another reason that hog hunting is popular is because wild boar meat is considered a great meal. The danger of hog hunting also attracts many archers.

The prime time for hog hunting is in the late afternoon to early evening. This is when the hogs are most mobile and increases hunters’ chances of spotting one. Many hunters set up still hunting spots. These spots can be baited trails to attract the hogs, and a successful method is by setting up corn feeders. Hunters can wait around the feeders and ambush hogs when they appear. A more demanding method may be by stalking hogs. This can be extremely physical, as it often requires crawling under brush and prolonged walking. When stalking hogs, hunters may use a calling device or travel near known hog trails and feeders. Whichever method you choose, just remember that archery hog hunting can be as dangerous as it is challenging.

Hunting these animals is not for the faint of heart. Hogs can weigh several hundred pounds and some male hogs have large tusks. Hogs are also difficult to kill with an arrow, because they have around two and a half inches of cartilage beneath their skin. This may prevent the arrow from penetrating enough to kill, and may only wound the animal. Hogs are naturally aggressive and will only be angered when wounded. The hunter must be careful to pull away from the animal and hide. If a wounded hog is approaching, the hunter should fire another arrow when the animal is five to six feet away. Many hunters have been wounded while hunting hogs, so it is important to be careful.

Archery hog hunting is a fun and demanding sport than can be a proud kill for any archer. However, even experienced hunters must be careful when hunting these animals.

Bass Fishing? What About Real Worms

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Now this by no means is any kind of secret the worm has been used for fishing for who knows how long. But with an array of plastics lining the shelves of your favorite tackle outlet fishing with a live worm seems to be a lost art. There is a reason for all kinds of sprays and goop out to put on these plastic/rubber creatures and the reason is they constantly get spit out. Now put yourself in the fishes fins, you see a nice big fat worm you slowly creep up on it and start to slurp it down only to notice that the texture isn’t quite right and it has some kind of funny taste… Yuk out it goes. Yes a lot of Bass are caught on these plastics but how many you think are not caughtall

As a bass gets older and wiser so does its keen sense of smell. Did you know a mature Bass can smell 1000 times better than your hunting dog!!!! Research has shown that for every bass that will grab your fake worm 20 will just swim by. This is a little stat that the tackle manufacture doesn’t want you to know. So armed with this new found knowledge why not give a real worm a shot? Well what the disadvantage is that the real worm is harder to keep on the hook, it takes a little bit of change in the way it’s fished. First you just can’t drag it through all kinds of thick vegetation, second is placement of your cast must be more accurate or you will be spending more time putting worms on your hook than fishing with them. The live worm must be casted and allowed to fall and sit and sit and… sit. Retrieving of your worm must be slow and even slower than that. Also when you feel a pick up let him gulp it down, BASS DO NOT SPIT OUT REAL WORMS.

You must take an ample supply with you but here is a big advantage. After you purchase your worms and give them a nice comfy home not only will they grow to about 6 inches long they will double in numbers every 3 months. Before you know it you will have a lifetime supply and probably be able to sell them. So don’t forget about the Super Red Worms on your next fishing trip and oh they will catch just about anything that swims.

Fishing Lures

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There are many types of fishing lures to choose from if you are a fisherman. You will find that fishing with the right lures will allow you to catch more fish and make the most of your day out on the lake. Conversely, selecting the inappropriate lures will cause you to spend hours fishing and yet come home with few, if any, fish. Learning the different lure types will allow you to be a better fisherman and have a more productive day out on your favorite lake.

The first main type of fishing lure you have is the hard bodied lure. These lures are made out of hard materials such as plastic or wood. They are painted in different patterns in order to imitate small bait fish that a larger fish may want to eat. They also come in various sized and shapes. Some of these lures skip across the surface of the water when they are fished. Other types of hard bodied baits dive down as you retrieve them.

The next type of lure is a soft boded lure. These lures are also called soft-plastic baits. That is because they are made of a plastic compound that is not hard, but is actually very rubbery. These lures come in many more shapes and sizes than do hard baits. They are often fished along the bottom of the lake and usually imitate worms or reptiles. There are even some soft bodied lures that are made to look just like a frog.

Perch Fishing Onboard the Edward John on Lake Erie

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The Edward John is a 52′ vessel built right here in Erie, Pa. The boat is equipped with all the state of the art equipment needed to operate a boat on the Great Lakes. The Edward John can take up to 40 fishermen out on the lake at a time. If you are over 16, you will need a PA. fishing license. The license is available onboard the Edward John.

On the day we were onboard, the Captain was Gary and the First Mate was Todd. We had a great crew for our trip out onto Lake Erie for Perch.

We left the dock in Erie, Pa., near Dobbin’s Landing a little after 7 AM and ran east toward North East, Pa.. We ran for about 1 hour and 20 minutes to an area where the perch have been hanging out. We were looking forward to loading up the buckets with two limits of Jumbo Perch. We are having a fish fry at the campground in September and everyone will be donating fish.

I think the perch have an aversion to the frying pan and were all over the lake. I believe this was due to an approaching storm. We did start catching some perch. Others were also catching fish, just not the numbers we were all hoping for. This was my first time out fishing for perch and I had a GREAT time. I even caught a double of two jumbo-sized perch.

The BEST part of the trip was my son Danny catching the largest yellow perch of the day. He won a really nice Edward John t-shirt. Thanks Gary and Todd for a super day fishing Lake Erie. We will be going again before the end of the perch season. Lake Erie is famous for the Walleye and Perch fishing.

If you are coming up to Erie, or for that matter a resident of the area like my son and I, you can’t go wrong going out with the Edward John Head Boat. It’s super fun and the crew is top-notch. They even have fishing rods you can rent, or you are welcome to bring your own lucky rods and reels. Minnows are FREE and they are the bait that perch enjoy.

Our trip ended somewhat earlier than expected, due to a fast approaching thunderstorm. We did get a little bit wet on the way in, but due to the diligence of the crew, we were off the lake before the lightning and thunder hit. NOW that’s what I’m talking about!

Be sure to bring the appropriate clothing for the day along with the cooler for your catch and a camera to remember the day!

You can reach Poor Richard’s for info at 814-881-7611 .

California Ocean Fishing – All About Calico Bass

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Calico Bass (Paralabrix clathratus), or more properly called Kelp Bass are the mainstay of the Southern California inshore recreational fishery. This grouper-like sea bass is popular for excellent table fare and for the skill required hooking and landing them consistently. Easily recognized by the squarish white spots all over the fish, Calicos are the most numerous fish inhabiting the extensive kelp forests of Southern California. Any half-day party boat in the summer months will generally target either Calico Bass or their cousins, Sand Bass.

Calico Bass range in size up to nearly two feet long and 18 lbs. Any fish over about four pounds in California and seven pounds in Baja is considered a real trophy. They range from Central California to central Baja but are common only from Point Conception to Punta Abreojos. Some of the better Calico Bass spots include the kelp beds near the offshore islands in Southern California and the Mexican Islands of Guadalupe, Cedros, and the San Benitos island group. Along the coast, the kelp beds near La Jolla and Point Loma, near San Diego are the best places north of the border for Calico Bass. South of the border, along the seldom fished, desolate, Mexican coast, any of the near shore kelp forest stands can be extremely good for Calico Bass fishing. Though Calicos are predominantly a summer fish, they do not migrate and can be caught all year round near many of kelp beds. The farther south you go, the less seasonality the fish seem to show. Catching Calico Bass

Kelp Bass are voracious feeders. Many a fisherman has had the experience of tossing an 8 or 9 inch long brown bait (herring) right into the fringes of the kelp bed thinking he would hook a trophy sized bass, only to have the huge bait inhaled by an 11 inch fish (too small to be kept). Calicos readily take any of the more common live baits including anchovies, sardines, brown herring, and squid. In certain times of the year, they’ll eagerly snap up strips of cut squid as well. Most Calico fishermen fly line for bass, that is use no weight, simply a hook tied to the end of the line with a frisky live bait hooked such that it will swim easily. This is gently tossed to the fringes of kelp beds and allowed to take line freely.

In addition to kelp beds, Calicos often inhabit shallow water reefs and can be caught at many of these techniques by using a sinker to get bait down into the structure. Sunken ships are great places to locate Calicos. They also frequent the seawalls in and around harbors and many bays where moorings or other bottom structure provides suitable shelter.

As for lures, many fishermen toss heavy iron, that is, candy bar or bone jigs along the fringes of the kelp beds to lure the bashful bass from their leafy homes to snap at a well presented jig. In addition, lead headed rubber swim baits, particularly the single tailed shad bodied lures in blue & silver or green and white are an excellent choice for Calico Bass. The effectiveness of such lures is improved by the addition of a long thin strip of squid to the hook of the lure. A thin strip will usually outperform a chunk, since it doesn’t restrict the natural swimming action of the lure.

Some fishermen use swimming plug lures such as Rapalas, Rebels, and the like, for these bass. They take these artificial lures readily. A few private boat fishermen who use tackle and techniques very similar to fresh water bass fishing have some success, toss and crank, toss and crank, but most ocean fishermen seem reluctant to abandon their tried and true salt water techniques.

There are a number of old pros at Bass fishing that use small boats and trolling techniques running right close to rocks and underwater structure and really catch lots of quality fish. The secret is to keep your trolling line short, like maybe 15 feet or so and slow troll as close as you can to rock walls, boiler rocks, semi submerged wrecks, etc. – anywhere where there is shallow structure and places for Calicos to hide. Rapalas, jointed Rebels, and other swimming plugs are the best ticket for this type of fishing. This is not for the faint of heart and the bashed up bottoms of the aluminum boats these fishermen use are testament to the caution needed.

Kelp Bass also take flies. Larger, blue and white streamer flies imitating anchovies such as Clouser minnows and Lefty’s deceivers seem to do the best coupled with a shooting head, sinking line. Though they’ll sometimes boil on the surface to feed they usually prefer to stay from a few feet below the surface to the mid water depths. Calicos are ambush feeders unlike many surface fish who run down heir prey. Calicos tend to sit in cover waiting for an unsuspecting prey to happen by, so the most effective technique when fly fishing is by presenting the fly as a nervous but unsuspecting bait fish with twitchy but slow movements as opposed to fast ripping retrieves so many other ocean fish seem to enjoy.

Preparing Calico Bass

Calicos are almost universally filleted. They’re rarely cut into steaks owing to their small size and low oil content. For this reason, they’re generally not prepared whole since the belly meat, head, collar, and other parts contain little worthwhile. The roe is hardly worth picking out of the viscera.

Eating Calico Bass

Calico Bass is considered tops eating by many people, especially those who like extremely mild, low oil content fish. They’re probably best fried since oil is added during the cooking. They’re also great baked, especially when butter or olive oil is added. Sauteing is another great option since it, also adds flavorful oil. You can eat them raw as sashimi, especially if the fish is filleted and iced down quickly to tighten the meat, but it’s too mild for many a sushi aficionado’s palette, and it will pickle as in ceviche, but again, the low oil content makes then a bit mild for this also. For the same reason, they don’t smoke very well. Stick with frying, sauteing or baking for best results.