Pier Fishermen Are Getting a Shot at Big Game Fish

Shawn Morgon from Big Fish Tackle in Seal Beach is reporting some excellent thresher shark fishing for anglers from the Huntington Beach Pier. “One guy hooked and lost 4 (thresher sharks) because they were so big,” said Morgon. “He went back the next day with heavier tackle and caught two.”

Morgon said many of the tasty sharks exceeded 100 pounds with 40 to 60 pound threshers common. He recommended at least 40 pound test line with a 5-O hook and a mackerel or sardine for bait. Because there is no live bait on the pier, Morgon recommends that anglers snag baitfish with a sabiki rig to be kept alive in a bucket. “It’s not often that a big game opportunity presents itself for pier fishermen.”

Joe Davis and his wife Dawn were fishing just outside of Newport Harbor when Joe sardine was inhaled by something really big. Davis fought the fish to the surface and saw that it was a big halibut. Dawn scooped the 30.2 pound halibut up in a net to the cheers of many anglers fishing on the rocks. “It’s one thing to catch a trophy like this but to have the roar of the crowd too; priceless,” she said.

Barracuda fishing has been good off Huntington and Seal Beach for boats from Newport to San Pedro. There are some slow days but for the most part, fishing has been good. The ½ day boat Westerly out of Long Beach Sportfishing has recorded excellent catches of barracuda all week long. Ackley points out that anchovies have been much better bait than sardines and that fishing with blue and white lures remains red hot. “The key is to sink the lure down to the bottom and retrieve at a medium speed,” said Ackley.

The Westerly is offering a special white seabass trip with Captains Jeff Jones and Larry Moore on board in addition to the regular crew to act as seabass mentors. The trips is limited to only 16 anglers and is priced at $130. You can call Captain Moore at 714 329 3853.

Catalina Island white seabass remain inconsistent for most boats. There has been some excellent hits for the smaller 6-pack fleet at times with some boats catching their 3 fish limits. For the most part however, it has been very hit and miss. Stew Suenga from Los Angeles caught a giant 63.7 pound white seabass on boars Options out of Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach on Saturday. It was Suenaga’s biggest seabass ever. Earl McVicar from Torrance also caught a nice seabass on the Toronado.

Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach and Long Beach Marina Sportfishing start their kids fish free program on June 27th. Kids under 16 years of age fish free on ½ and ¾ day boats, Monday through Friday for the next month.

Captain Brian Dull passed away this week from undisclosed reasons. Dull attended USC on a baseball scholarship and was well known as Captain of dive and fishing boats like the Liberty.

Long Beach Captain Lance Stuart Ekberg lost his battle to multiple sclerosis on Sunday. He once survived a hurricane at Socorro Island and was saved by a passing ship. He was also a well known Captain around the Long Beach area. 

Surf fishing has been good most everywhere. The beaches in front of the Huntington Beach Power Plants have been good for corbina and barred perch. The bite has been as good around the Seal Beach Pier as well as the jetties nearby. Surf fishing near the Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan Beach Piers have also produced some excellent results for barred perch and corbina. Ghost shrimp and sand crabs have been the best baits.

Palos Verdes anglers have been catching opaleye perch as well as sand and calico bass off the rocks while freedivers continue to spear some big white seabass in the kelp forests. Anglers fishing near the rich Palos Verdes kelp forests have been catching a few white seabass, some barracuda and more and more calico bass. There has even been a few yellowtail cruising around.

Anglers fishing out of Redondo and Marina del Rey have been catching a few barracuda and sand and calico bass. When the surface fish don’t cooperate, rockfish have been plentiful and provide a fine eating meal. There seems to be a lot of barracuda around and with time, they should starting biting again with greater intensity.

The addition of In-Seine Bait Company in Redondo Beach has been paying off for anglers on the pier as well as in King Harbor. This 18 pound halibut was caught by Tim Fagen on on Tuesday fishing from a small boat in the harbor. Pier anglers can purchase live bait for $3 an hour or $10 for the entire day.

Alaska Tale

A Father’s day fishing trip out of Homer was quickly transformed in to a memory for a lifetime as Chad Aldridge, the son, caught one of the heaviest halibut ever taken on a rod and reel.

The monster weighed 350.8 pounds and put Aldridge in to first place in the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby. It’s the six heaviest halibut in the 25 year derby history. Aldridge caught the enormous flatfish on 80-pound-test line, and on a chunk of herring. It took him 45 minutes to subdue.The International Game Fish Assn. lists the 80-pound line class world record as a 413-pound specimen caught in 2002 off Unalaska. 

The IGFA lists the all-tackle world record as a 459-pounder caught in 1996 off Dutch Harbor, Alaska. But in all classes the IGFA lists only those two specimens as weighing more than 400 pounds, and only four surpassing the 350-pound mark.

 Ronnie Aldridge, the proud father did the harpoon honors. It took another 45 minutes for the fish to be calm enough to be dragged on board.

Philip Friedman Outdoors
Thursday night at 9 p.m., the controversial Ted Nugent joins Philip to talk hunting, fishing, the great outdoors, and clean and sober living. Nugent also takes on Paul Watson and Whale Wars. The show can be heard on Angels Radio, AM 830 or on www.AM830KLAA.com.