Laguna Niguel Lake Update and More Great Fishing Places

Get out and get fishing!

Laguna Niguel Lake

Right here in our backyard catfish remains the focus of most anglers with the best bite in the early mornings and evenings. Besides the cats, there is still some fair bass fishing as well as lots of bluegill and crappie. The Lake has regular youth fishing clinics so the kids can get a leg up on catching more fish.

Catalina and San Clemente Islands

A few yellowtail and good calico bass fishing at San Clemente Island with hit and miss white seabass fishing at Catalina. The calico bass bite at Catalina has been good also.

Seagull Rescue at Pierpoint Landing

Hats off to M.C. Pierce and Edgar Rodriguez from Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach for rescuing two sea gulls tangled in kite string early Saturday morning. The birds were high a top a palm tree when the duo were notified. After a lot of work, the birds flew away safely to the cheers of a small crowd that had gathered. 

Morro Bay Albacore
Southern California anglers love tuna fishing more than anything. With the tuna no show in San Diego so far this year, it may be time to turn our attention to the Central coast where commercial fishermen have been seeing and catching a few albacore.     

Shark Week
It’s which makes it a good time to think about how we can be responsible shark anglers.

Shark populations worldwide have been decimated, and it has had a catastrophic effect on our ecosystem. A recent study concluded that with the population of large predator sharks declining, their prey are free to feast on lower organisms like scallops and clams, which in turn depletes valuable commercial stocks.

Patrick Douglass from the Shark Diver is convinced that the reason anglers now see more Humboldt squid in the local waters is the lack of sharks.

“There used to be a giant buzz saw near Cabo San Lucas in the form of lots of sharks that are gone now,” he said. “The squid have an open door now with nothing left to stop them.”

Many anglers believe that the recent sand bass and barracuda drought was a direct result of large numbers jumbo squid in Southern California. They point to the fact that there were no Humboldt squid here this year—and this has been the best local fishing year in at least five years.

Tom Raftican from the Sportfishing Conversancy in Long Beach said it’s time for anglers to do their part to help the predators of the deep.

“We need to employ our best fishing practices to help ensure a healthy shark population,” said Raftican.

Here are a few things that shark fishermen can do:

1. Take only what you intend to eat.
2. Avoid catching large, pregnant females.
3. Minimize fight time by using heavy tackle and a fighting harness.
4. Use circle hooks to increase the likelihood of a mouth hooking your catch.
5. Maneuver your boat to follow a hooked shark and gain line whenever possible.

Raftican recommends visiting the Pier Institute website for more information.

This weeks Patch video fishing was shot at Sunset Beach where surf fishing has been excellent. Billy Dang from Seal Beach caught 8-barred perch and one nice California corbina. Billy was using clams for bait and making long casts with a 2-ounce sinker. 

Surf fishing continued good from San Clemente, Newport and Laguna Beach, Corona del Mar, as well as Redondo and Hermosa Beach.