05-23-2003, 04:10 PM
With waters pushing over 60 degrees, summer is starting up and so is the fishing. The highlight being the current large schools of barracuda being caught off La Jolla. On Thursday, some 25 students from Bonita Vista Middle School (and 4 from the high school) landed 130+ barracuda. The fish were average 3-5# lbs. with the largest pushing 8.3 lbs. fishing was wide open on jigs (for the extreme few who could cast them). The colors that produced best for me were Salas 7x lights in a sardine color (aka bird shit). The larger jigs have been producing more fish, and a good note to remember is to wind at a slower retrieve for barracuda. Make sure that the jig or lure you are using "kicks" at the speed of your retrieve. Barracuda when in a frenzy will hit almost any lure thrown at them, but a slower retrieve on larger jigs generally will produce larger barracuda. The smaller barracuda will make suicidal attacks on lures that go ripping by them, whereas "logs" will wait for something slightly slower to come across their paths.
If you're heading out this weekend on a private boat here are some areas to check out. For the large schools of barracuda, they have been out off of Crystal Pier about a mile out. To locate the school look for groups of diving terns scattered from off the point of La Jolla Cove, all the way to off out of mission bay. Or just look for the half day boats, but remember to give them their space. For barracuda out of San Diego bay check the bouy line (around #3 to the whistler) if not there hit off of IB (off the "Elephant Cage" down all the way to the border) The current was almost slack, but it was going down and slightly in, and the wind was light.
Good Luck Fishing-
~ShortStike~
[signature]
If you're heading out this weekend on a private boat here are some areas to check out. For the large schools of barracuda, they have been out off of Crystal Pier about a mile out. To locate the school look for groups of diving terns scattered from off the point of La Jolla Cove, all the way to off out of mission bay. Or just look for the half day boats, but remember to give them their space. For barracuda out of San Diego bay check the bouy line (around #3 to the whistler) if not there hit off of IB (off the "Elephant Cage" down all the way to the border) The current was almost slack, but it was going down and slightly in, and the wind was light.
Good Luck Fishing-
~ShortStike~
[signature]