Catalina Island

[tubeN2]

[cool] Hey there fellow anglers! I am heading out to Catalina Islands this coming weekend and would like to know if someone has some pointers on catching Calico Bass and Sheepshead.

What kind of rig?

What kind of bait?

What are the size restrictions?

What are the legal limits?

Thanks for your help. I will truly appreciate it.
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[DH_tubinjoe]

calico bass limit is 10 i think.[:/] they must be 12 inches to keep. but please dont catch your limit and keep all of them. i really think that is a bad thing to do. calicos grow at a very very very slow pace! but go ahead and keep some. they are great table fish!

you CANNOT keep sheephead right now. they closed them about a week ago. i dont know why.

that calico subject brought something up. some guy on the monte carlo caught a calico around 10 pounds!!!!! thats a trophy fish!! the thing is, i think he kept it. i didn't see it on the fillet board, so i am not really sure. anyways....

catalina island is pretty much dead right now. i would try fishing the horseshoe kelp! big yellowtail, decent bass fishing, decent barracuda fishing, and lots of bonito. i would stay away from alot of that dirty water that is out there. thats where we caught most of our fish. and lots of yellows!

as for bait, the fish are eating every thing right now exept the iron. we caught very few fish on the iron. one yellowtail and a couple of bass. the fish are biting the plastics, sardines of all sizes, and anchovies. i would go with bait.



joe



joe
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[fishfather]

[size 2] I concur with Joe, and not because we have the same name[][/size]

[size 2] Here is some old info that is effecting recentley:[/size]

The Fish and Game Commission adopted new emergency regulations on Dec. 20, 2002 which will affect the commercial fishery for cabezon, greenlings, and California sheephead (CGS) beginning in January 2003. The statewide commercial fishing season for CGS will be open in January and February, closed in March and April and open from May through December or until the total allowable catch level has been reached.

This action serves to align the CGS fishing season with new federal seasons for nearshore rockfish in most areas. Consistent fishing seasons for CGS and nearshore rockfish allows fishing for both groups to occur at the same time which will minimize bycatch that might otherwise occur.

In addition, cumulative trip limits have been established for CGS fisheries statewide for the January-February 2003 time period to ease catch rates and allow for a longer fishing season. Each individual nearshore fishery permit holder will be limited during the two-month time period to: Cabezon - 200 pounds, Greenlings (kelp and rock) - 50 pounds, and California Sheephead - 400 pounds.

The new regulations also require that each permittee keep copies of landing receipts in his/her immediate possession throughout the cumulative limit period and for 15 days thereafter.

These regulatory changes modify Sections 150.06 and 150.16, Title 14, California Code of Regulations. Federal regulations which define fishing seasons and trip limits for minor nearshore rockfishes and California scorpionfish will continue to be published in the Federal Register. Additional regulatory changes for the nearshore commercial fishery are currently being considered by the Commission for adoption in 2003.
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[JapanRon]

Hi there tubeN2,

Advice for Calicos only!

I was going to Catalina 3 times a week up to a month ago when the water got dirty, cold and the boats wouldn't go! ha ha

I would go whatever...... but if the sporties don't go, I'm outta luck. I assume you're going on a 65 footer party-boat/charter boat. If you're going the private boat route it's a WHOLE different story.

I get my reel kicks at Catalina from pulling in big numbers of Calicos from the kelp on the frontside around big rock or ship rock and back around the west end corner where the squid boat always hangs out.

I love the plastics preferably the whams, blams, AA's, Kalin's or the Big Hammers in 4 and 5 inch lengths, Channel Island chovie color is really good. Problem with that color is that the bonito and barracuda love them too. Good thing is that I caught my first two yellows this season with the Kalin on a 1/4 oz head casting to and along the kelp beds and kelp stringers.

I do mostly catch and release as it takes five years for a calico to reach 12 inches and closer to spawning age.

I use circle hooks on either a carolina rig or fly lining an anchovie. I suggest you use regular bait hooks as it takes a good while to get the knack with the circles fly lining. Some guys do good with a texas rig too. It's kinda like bass fishing with live bait. If you catch 50 or so you've had a pretty good day. There will be lots of shorts so be kind. A freshwater bass rod (Heavy flippin' stick and a good HD reel holding at least 100 yards of line) setup should be OK. Have an extra backup reel filled with line too. I usually fish with 12lb and go up if they don't seem to care about line or there's yellows breezing by.

If you're going on a private boat, you're fishing buddies going on the trip should be you're best source of info.

JapanRon
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[tubeN2]

[cool] Hey guys, thanks for the heads up on the Sheeps heads. I don't want any protected or off limits species. I am going there with my son and we will probably just be fishing off of the pier there in Avalon.

As you have probably read some of my threads in the past, I do alot of C&R. My family wanted to go there on Sunday "just to get away from it all". I told my wife that would be a perfect place to go.

I used to go there quiet a bit with a friend of mine but haven't been there for several years now. We would exchange instructional lessons. Since he had a small airplane and I was doing alot of skin diving we would fly over to Catalina and go diving there.

We would marvel at the enormous kelp forrest that was there at Lovers Cove in Avalon. The water was generally warm and waveless in that area. The visibility was generally around 80 feet underwater. And there was nothing more beautiful than to see the Sheepshead, Calicos and the Girabaldis all comingling there. Lovers Cove just so happens to be a wildlife preserve. They don't allow anything to be taken from there except for pictures.

Several yards North of there is a fishing pier and thats where the action begins. I wish that I could go out there on a charter to one of the Lagoons on the back side of the Islands.

I used to fly around the whole islands in search for a spot that I would like to come back and fish later on. It is really kind of hard to fish out of a single engine Grumman Tiger. ha ha.

Anyway, thanks guys for your usefull information. I may keep one or two Calicos at the most if I keep any at all. I am just trying to get my son broken in slowly to some saltwater fishing. I figure it is best to start him off on a sturdy surface such as a pier before I help him develope his sea legs on a boat. Besides, we are going to Castaic on Saturday and trying for my little friends over there.

I will keep you posted as usual. Thanks again and Happy Fishing.
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