FISHING : Anglers Discover High Tide Is the Best Time to Catch Calico Bass

Anglers have been catching calico bass at the Federal Breakwater wall using colorful lures or cut squid. Fishing has been best in late afternoon at high tide.

Charles and Charlene Harwood of Wilmington have been fishing from their skiff Wave Hopper when the tide is the highest.

“We drift along the outside of the L.A. Harbor wall and always cast a line toward the rocks,” Charles said.

“You have be ready when they hit as calicoes will head to the rocks and you have to bring the fish toward the boat or the fish will break off.”

Last weekend the Hardwoods hooked nine bass and landed four. The largest weighed 4 1/2 pounds.

Garth Mildner and Wendy Ward of Wilmington recently fished from Mildner’s skiff Putt Putt. They were drifting along the wall using cut squid for bait and catching legal size calico bass and perch. As twilight approached, the anglers decided to reel in and put away the fishing gear.

As Ward was reeling in, she felt a hard strike. She set the hook and the fish headed toward the rocks.

Mildner moved the boat away from the wall as Ward was battling the fish. Mildner eventually reached out with a net and brought aboard a legal size white sea bass.

It was the first sea bass Ward had caught. It weighed 11 1/2 pounds.

Several South Bay anglers returned from successful trips.

Returning from a 16-day trip to Baja were San Pedro fisherman Ed Kurtz, who caught a 298-pound bluefin tuna, Torrance fisherman Jeff Traina, who caught a 243-pound yellowfin tuna and San Pedro fisherman Gary Taylor, who caught a 241-pound yellowfin.

Phil Friedman, the voice of 967-TUNA, played host to a surf fishing trip to San Quintin, located 100 miles south of Ensenada, Mexico.

Bob Alveres of Torrance, Scott Thomas of Redondo Beach and Mike Thomas of Manhattan Beach each caught 10-fish limits of perch in 30 minutes.

Friedman said they used a variety of baits and could not get through the perch bite to hook other species of fish.

South Bay Catches: Kirk Thompson of West Los Angeles, fishing Santa Monica Bay aboard the Spitfire, caught the whopper of the week, a 34-pound halibut.

Mike Haddad of Long Beach, fishing at the rigs aboard the Southern Cal, caught a 31-pound halibut.

Soon Ho Lee of West Los Angeles, fishing Santa Monica Bay aboard the Aquaris, caught a 26-pound halibut.

Gus Panganiban of San Pedro, fishing aboard the Matt Walsh at horseshoe kelp, caught a 19-pound halibut.

Notes

Fish Reports: Halibut are starting to get active again in Santa Monica Bay and anglers are still reporting excellent catches of bass and rock cod off outer islands.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire fished the bay and returned with 100 sand bass, 13 calico bass and eight halibut.

The Happyman, on a half-day trip, returned with 15 sand bass and 11 halibut.

The Sumo trip to Santa Barbara Island resulted in a catch of 75 rockfish, two sheephead and a halibut.

The Betty O rock cod special returned with 275 rock cod and six cow cod.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The City of Redondo, on two half-day trips to Santa Monica Bay, returned with 225 rockfish, 10 halibut, eight sheephead and six barracuda.

The Blackjack worked Santa Barbara Island for 150 rock cod, 12 lingcod and five cow cod.

At 22nd Street Landing: The New Image trip to Santa Barbara Island resulted in a catch of 283 calico bass, 39 whitefish and 24 calico bass.

The Freedom fished Santa Barbara Island for 375 rock cod and 15 lingcod.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Pacifica worked the cherry bank and had a catch of 268 rock cod and 18 cow cod.

The Matt Walsh, on a half-day trip, returned with 47 salmon grouper, 11 whitefish, six sculpin and two sheephead.

The Shogun’s trip to San Clemente Island resulted in a catch of 192 calico bass, 70 sheephead, 29 whitefish and two lingcod.

The Annie B Barge had a weekend total of 900 mackerel, 140 jacksmelt, 90 kingfish and 72 bonito.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Southern Cal, on a half-day trip, returned with 52 rock cod and 10 whitefish.

The Toronado worked Santa Barbara Island for 406 rock cod and two lingcod.