Holiday Surfishing and Warm Weather Offers Great Conditions

Tom Raftican from the Sportfishing Conservancy and Bob Osborne from Surfside are true fishermen. They were up at daybreak on Thanksgiving catching a variety of surfish. Osborne battled a guitarfish for more than an hour on 6-lb. test before catching and releasing the creature. The duo have a fierce yet amicable competition going on for bragging right on most holidays. There is still a great debate going on about who won this years' competition as Osborne claimed victory with his feisty guitarfish and Raftican claimed foul saying it was not a gamefish.

In the end, the two caught and released barred perch, spotfin croaker, corbina, and the infamous guitarfish. For a fisherman, there is little doubt that this is a great way to start off Thanksgiving.

Great weather is in the forecast and that should continue our fine rockfish bite. Boats from San Clemente to the Santa Monica Bay continue to take good numbers of bottom dwellers including lingcod. Lingcod season closes December 1, so now is the time to get out and catch one if you like. 

The Native Sun out of Long Beach Sportfishing is one of the best kept secrets in town. She is a comfortable and beautiful ride fishing ¾ rockfish this weekend where the local bite has been excellent.

“We have been catching lingcod at times along with a mess of other rockfish, “ said Captain Gabriel . “The great weather this weekend is only going to make it better.”

Boats from Marina del Rey and Redondo have also been catching excellent numbers of rockfish and lingcod but they have also had some excellent surface action at times. The Highliner out of Redondo was out this week for excellent calico and sand bass fishing. Live and/or fresh dead squid has been very effective for the late bass fishing.

More gray whales are moving through our local waters as they head for their calving grounds in the Baja lagoons.

“We are seeing more and more gray whales all the time,” reported Danny Salas from Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach.

In addition, there has been some huge pods of dolphin off Marina del Rey and Redondo as well as off Long Beach, Corona del Mar and San Clemente. You can hardly go wrong with a whale watching trip with the summerlike weather throughout the region.