NEW: Our Patch Fishing Columnist Debuts

Lingcod season opens on Friday for Southern California anglers, and that’s good news for Long Beach anglers. Lingcod range from Alaska to Baja California and are unique to the west coast of North America. They are a bottom fish, aggressive feeders with sharp teeth that will try to eat just about anything that will fit in their mouths.

They are prized by anglers because they are one of the hardest fighting bottom fish, grow to over fifty pounds, and are great eating. The National Marine Fishery Service says they are no longer overfished.

Kevin O’Leary from Long Beach Sportfishing said the phones have been ringing off the hook about the ling cod opener. Both Pierpoint Landing and Long Beach Sportfishing will have boats in search of lings and other bottom dwellers this weekend. The weather forecast is for calm seas and the rockfish bite in general has been excellent this past week.

Don Ashley from Pierpoint Landing says there are two baits that consistently catch more and bigger lingcod. “Sand dabs and mackerel are by far the best bait for lings,” said Ashley.

On a side note, Captain Jaime Ashley from the Long Beach Bait Company says that there has been more anchovies and sardines just off Long Beach than he has seen in many years. That suggests a healthy ocean and lots of baitfish usually means lots of predators in the not too distant future.

Ashley also noted that he has been metering more white seabass around Long Beach, San Pedro and Palos Verdes than he has seen in a long while. 

Private boater Dave Dodge from Long Beach has had some very good sand bass fishing at times during the past month. Fishing with live or fresh dead squid has produced limits (ten bass per angler) on several trips fishing just off Seal Beach.

Bob Osborn from Surfside is reporting very good surf fishing action all along the Surfside and Seal Beach areas. Great fishing for barred perch and corbina has been the rule lately. The best bait has been sand crabs which are plentiful all along the beaches now. The key as always is using light line. Four to six pound test, along with a # 8 hook, and a 1/4 ounce sliding egg sinker have been very effective. There have been reports from Bobby’s Big Fish Tackle in Seal Beach of several halibut taken recently in the surf.

The Palos Verdes kelp line is showing for early signs of life. Spear fishermen have taken white seabass to over forty pounds during the last few weeks. There have been a few more calico bass in the mix and even some under sized barracuda.

The water temperatures are in the high 50s now. For a consistent bite on the aforementioned surface species, water temperatures will have to climb up to sixty degrees. “I don’t think it will be much longer,” said Redondo Special skipper Eric Hobday. “I've been keeping a close eye on this zone and it’s any day for a white seabass bite,” he said. For now, good bottom fishing has also been the rule in Palos Verdes area.

The next grunion runs start April 3rd through the 6th. Remember, that you will need a California Fish and Game license to participate.