Posted by on March 11, 2005 at 08:00:42:
Nothing like the season's first grunion run to ignite nearshore ocean fishing, and that should happen tomorrow night and early morning.
High tide, a 5.7, ushers in the season's first grunion run, which is expected from the start of high tide tomorrow at 10:34 p.m. and lasts till 12:34 a.m.
Fishing already has been very good for big white seabass, yellowtail and an occasional halibut off La Jolla.
Doug Moranville of the Branding Iron in La Jolla nailed a 30-pound white seabass from his boat on Tuesday, the day after kayaker Dennis Martino checked in a 43-pound white seabass at Squidco Fishing in San Diego.
Moranville used a Tady A2 multicolored jig for his fish. He said he yo-yo'd it in 120 feet of water that read 61 degrees. He fished at the spot called Northwest, where kayakers and private boaters often park.
"I caught one but missed another," Moranville said. "We'd been hearing about white seabass, yellowtail and halibut being caught by the kayakers out there, so I jumped on my boat and tried it. A friend of mine went out and caught some small bonito and nice calicos."
Moranville said most of the fish are coming from deeper water, and anglers are using heavier jigs like a Salas 6X Jr. in blue and white to get deep and get their fish.
Joey Simeon at Squidco Fishing said Vito Busalacchi landed a 28-pound white seabass from his kayak.
"The kayakers say there's a lot of life out there," Simeon said. "With those giant squid out there, there's smaller squid inside, and that seems to be attracting the bigger fish. It seems every few days we get a nice yellowtail brought in here, and now the white seabass are showing."
Combine the arrival of those wildly spawning silversides to what looks to be an endless squid run, and look for some incredible inshore action in the next few days. The grunion beach frenzy goes to Tuesday (early Wednesday morning).