Angling for Fresh Bait in Newport

It’s early morning, and the clouds still hang over Newport Harbor. But already, it’s rush hour in the water at Newport Bait Co.

Sea lions exchange barks with Zuke and Kilo, the dogs that protect the bait barge from swooping, hungry gulls.

The barge, as it always does during the warm months, bobs in the channel between the rock jetties at the harbor entrance. And as usual, the fishing boats line up, waiting for sardines, anchovies or mackerel.

John Cunningham, part-owner of Newport Bait Co., scoops bait from one of the barge’s six tanks and carefully empties it into a customer’s bait tank.

Today, it’s a sardine-anchovy mix, $30 a scoop.

Zuke stands by, waiting to devour any sardines that might slip from the net. He doesn’t eat anchovies or mackerel, just sardines. Kilo guards the barge’s perimeter.

“Kilo, get the birds! Go! Get ‘em, get ‘em!” Cunningham tells the Chihuahua. Though much smaller than his Labrador sidekick, Kilo is a worthy match for the gulls. Pelicans, though, are another story.

“Kilo hates pelicans,” Cunningham says.

Since it opened in 1984, the bait company has been a provider for the serious and amateur angler, those heading out to sea for the big fish and those content to putt around the harbor.

The original bait barge, bought and refurbished in 1983 by owners Tony and Steve Greyshock, was wooden and had four tanks to hold the bait. Three years later, the company bought a larger barge, a 72-by-26-foot steel vessel with six wells for the live bait. Cunningham went to work for the bait company in 1988 and now shares ownership with the Greyshock brothers.

Each morning, the barge receives a daily supply of anchovies, sardines and mackerel from Pamela Rose, Steve Greyshock’s fishing boat. Pamela Rose does the fishing, the barge does the selling.

“Those are the primary baits that people use to go fishing. A lot of people like anchovies for local fishing, like bass. A lot of people want the sardines for the bigger game,” Cunningham says. “But it’s ideal to have both.”

The beginning of summer marks the bait barge’s return to the entrance of Newport Harbor and another busy fishing season.

This year, the barge put down anchor June 17 and opened for business -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The convenience store-like schedule is designed to accommodate boats traveling overnight to the Channel Islands or more distant fish banks where yellowtail and tuna can be found.

“People like to leave at night. They get to the fishing grounds right at daybreak and that’s the best time to put the lines out,” Cunningham says.

In the middle of the barge, wooden steps lead to a white shack with green trim. With the barge open for business around the clock, employees take turns spending nights in the shack. A cushioned bench doubles as a bed, an arrangement that allows employees a view of the harbor and nearby Big Corona.

Mike Greyshock, Steve’s son, has worked many late shifts on the bait barge. Although late-night customers have been scarce this season, he says it gives him time to himself.

“I like being on the water; it’s a nice spot to be,” he says. “Plenty of time to read, and the fishing is pretty good.”

Between his work on the bait barge and his love of fishing, Mike Greyshock has come to appreciate the variety of fish available in Newport Harbor and the ocean beyond the jetties.

“Inside the harbor, people fish for sand bass and halibut. Outside the harbor, most of our customers fish for bass and barracuda,” he says. “My night customers go for tuna and yellowtail.”

Regardless of what anglers hope to catch, the quality of bait used to hook a fish can make or break a fishing trip, Cunningham says.

The condition of a sardine, for example, is affected by factors beyond the control of an angler, such as tidal flows, warm water, seals and the surge of surf. Where the angler can improve the odds of reeling in a big one is in the handling of bait.

“I tell customers to treat the bait like they’re butterflies,” Cunningham says. “When you’re fishing, if you have a beat-up fish and a fish that is perfect, a lot of times the fish that you are trying to catch will only go after the perfect fish.

“Fish are smart.”

Over the years, Cunningham has given anglers in the harbor many fishing and bait tips. For customers heading out on long fishing trips, he recommends cured bait, which has been in a tank for more than two weeks and has acclimated to its conditions.

“It gets stronger, better. It’s a higher-end product,” Cunningham says. “Like a 30-year-old Scotch versus Budweiser.”

As the morning drags on, Zuke jumps into the water for a swim. This is his 12th year on the barge, which makes him one of Newport Bait Co.’s most experienced employees.

“He has made Employee of the Month more than any other employee on the barge,” Cunningham says.

Come December, the barge will return to its off-season mooring in the harbor in accordance with the company’s agreement with the city of Newport Beach. Until then, Cunningham, with help from Zuke and Kilo, will continue to supply bait to the hopeful.

“When people come down to the bait barge, 95% of them are in a good mood because, even though their boat may have fallen off of the trailer on the way here, once they get to the barge, they can see the goal line and they’re pretty happy.”