White Seabass Break Open For Long Beach Boats

Anglers from Long Beach are jumping for joy as the much anticipated and tardy white seabass bite appears to be on. 

The white seabass bite broke wide open at Catalina Island on Wednesday as three boats from Pierpoint Landing limited out on white seabass. The Toronado, Options, and the Mardiosa took one fish limits of the delectable croakers in wide open fishing. 

Toronado Skipper Ray Lagmay reported that he never saw another boat when catching his seabass suggesting a wide area of fish. “It was as good as it get’s said Lagmay. “We had everyone on the boat hooked up to 20-40 lb white seabass.”  

Most of the seabass were taken in 70-80 feet of water on the weather side of Catalina. Twenty-five pound test with a 3-O hook and a four ounce torpedo sinker was the preferred rig. Also effective was a heavy white jig tipped with fresh dead or live squid. 

Squid remains problematic at Catalina Island. The Long Beach Carnage and the Pacific Carnage scoured Catalina Island Tuesday night and found no squid. There was such a lack of squid at Catalina Island that the two bait boats didn’t even leave port. That could create a potential problem as squid is the preferred bait for white seabass.

There is also a white seabass tournament this weekend for private boaters and kayakers. First place gets you $7,000 prize/cash payout. You can check in at Dana Point or Catalina Island. For details, check www.wonews.com or call Pat McDonell, director of the event at (949) 366-0030, ext 33 or e-mail him at pat@wonews.com.

Kids 15 years and under can fish free at participating landings this Saturday and Sunday on ½ and ¾ day boats with a paid adult. Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach, 22nd St. Landing in San Pedro, LA Harbor Sportfishing, and Marina del Rey Sportfishing are all offering this great deal.

There was great fishing on the Horseshoe Kelp, located 4 miles from Angles Gate on Friday when the Toronado caught 150 barracuda, 50 rockfish, 1 lingcod, and 12 sand dabs. Some of the barracuda were in the 7-9 lb class while the lingcod taking the jackpot.

There has been some sand bass taken on the Huntington Flats as well as some barracuda. Sunday’s gale force winds induced a precipitous drop in water temperature and subsequent stop to the bite. Water temps are almost back to normal and that should really kick things in to gear.  

The rocks around Palos Verdes continue to provide good opaleye perch fishing along with more calico and sand bass. Anglers do need to pay close attention to high surf warning as fishing from rocks and jetties can be very dangerous.

There has been some corbina and barred perch taken next to the Redondo Pier. Sand crabs and ghost shrimp have been good baits with 6 pound test and a number 6 hook best. An occasional leopard shark is still being caught on chunked mackerel off Rats Beach.