Fishing Picks of the Week - San Diego - Southern Calif.

JIM MATTHEWS’ PICKS OF THE WEEK

     1. The San Diego tuna fishing is still our number one pick this week. The tuna bite has been good to excellent for the overnight to 2 ½-day boats fishing just 40 to 60 miles out of port, and the fish are all quality tuna. Most catches being mixed bags of bluefin, yellowfin, and albacore tuna, they are all averaging 25 to 35 pounds. Five-fish limits, sometimes of more than one species, aren’t uncommon on overnight and longer trips. Loads are light. Now is the time to go. For an update or to check on boat availability and costs, call Fisherman’s Landing at 619-221-8500, H&M Landing at 619-222-1144, Seaforth Landing at 619-224-3383 or Point Loma Sportfishing at 619-223-1627.
     2. Diamond Valley Lake’s topwater striped bass action has continued excellent again this past week. Lots of fish up into the 20-pound class have been landed on surface baits, cranks, spoons, or swim baits hurled into boiling fish, and scads of smaller fish are whacking the same baits. This bite is getting a lot of attention and even during the week rental boats are going fast. For an update on the action, call the marina at 951-926-7201 or Last Chance Bait and Tackle at 951-658-7410.
     3. All the picks are staying the same this week. The striped bass bite at Willow Beach on the Colorado River has been excellent for the past three weeks now, but getting relatively light fishing pressure. Lots of fish from 12 to 30 pounds have been reported, most on large trout-like plugs and swim baits in the mile marker 52 to 53 stretch of river. For an update on this bite, you can call the Willow Beach Resort at 928-767-4747.

FRESHWATER HOT SPOTS

     TROUT: Top trout bets in Sierra continue to include Bridgeport Reservoir, Lake Crowley, Silver Lake, South Lake, Lake Sabrina, and most of the Bishop Creek and Rock Creek drainage streams, Virgina Lakes, and West Walker River. No plants in Sierra this week, however. For fly guys, the East Walker River improved this week, but Bridgeport Reservoir and Crowley remain hot spots. At Crowley, the big browns on working perch minnows in the backs of bays with water inflows. In Southern California, there continues to be good action at just a handful of waters. Top bet is Big Bear Lake, but Green Valley Lake, Lake Hemet, and Lake Gregory are all fair at best.
     BLACK BASS: The largemouth bass action is fair to good just about everyone this past week with very good surface action a lot of places. Diamond Valley Lake has been wide open on topwater. Other good bets include Casitas, Castaic, Skinner, Sutherland, Otay, Irvine, Perris, Silverwood, Pyramid and Puddingstone. The smallmouth action on the Colorado River has been very good in the lower river stretches and Topoc Gorge, but slowish in Lake Havasu with only a few fish showing on the points. Further up on the Central Coast, Santa Margarita continues to improve, and Lopez is fair to good, too. The spotted bass are pretty fair in Nacimiento.
     STRIPED BASS: Top bets this week are Diamond Valley Lake and Willow Beach on the Colorado River for quality fish, but there are good bites in most of the region’s striper waters. Silverwood, Pyramid, Castaic, and Skinner all decent bets. San Antonio Lake is still good for six to 10-pound fish with a few into the mid-20s each week, but there were darn few reports from there this week. The California Aqueduct near Taft remains pretty good, too, with a lot of three to five pounders, but weed growth is a problem.
     PANFISH: Redear and bluegill bites are hot just about everywhere -- with Perris, Diamond Valley, Casitas, Lower Otay, Sutherland, and Puddingstone some of the top picks. Crappie are off most places, with only Cachuma producing any crappie of note.
     CATFISH: Good action just about everywhere. Corona Lake and Hesperia Lake both continued to crank out a few bigger fish and have very good action for pan-sized fish. Other top bets include Elsinore, Santa Ana River Lakes, Irvine Lake, Diamond Valley, and Henshaw. Silverwood, Skinner, and Casitas are also good with a lot of cats to eight pounds. Isabella has been fair to good for cats from 1-8 to three pounds. The channel and flathead action is pretty much wide open along the whole lower Colorado River, especially in the backwaters and irrigation ditches. This is the top bet for a quality fish over 20 pounds and big stringers of channels.

Contact Information:  Jim Matthews, Editor and General Manager

P.O. Box 9007, San Bernardino, CA 92427-0007

Office: 909-887-3444   Fax: 909-887-8180   E-mail:odwriter@verizon.net

Yellowtail vs Yellow Fin

Difference between a Yellowtail and a Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowtail off San Diego and Baja often get confused with Tuna. The main difference between the two fish is the California Yellowtail is a Jack and a cousin to the Amber Jack on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico and the Yellowfin Tuna is a Tuna. The Yellowfin Tuna is just one of many tuna's targeted from San Diego based sport boats. Bluefin, Big Eye, Albacore and Skipjack are all species of tuna in the same family as the Yellowfin (locally called "Ahi" in Hawaii) targeted from late Spring to Fall with best action usually from July to Sept. Large Yellowfin Tuna 200+lbs are referred to as "Cows" by the long range community and are usually caught as far north as Magdelena "Mag" Bay off the Baja Coast between Fall and Spring. The explosive fighting Yellowtail peak season is summer months just offshore San Diego for 1/2 day and 3/4 day sportfishing party boats and at the Coronado Islands but it's not uncommon for them to be within 3/4 day trip range until about mid January. Both Yellowfin Tuna and Yellowtail are excellent eating both as Sashimi as Wasabi or Hamachi. For more info on catching Yellowtail I wrote a article about them here- Rob -

14 Dec 2004 by rmailly

Freshwater Picks of the Week- So Calif. Catch report

JIM MATTHEWS PICKS OF THE WEEK

     1. Diamond Valley Lake is having an epic topwater largemouth bass bite. The reports are for 15 to 40 topwater fish in a morning as the fish boil all over the lake. “Epic” is not used lightly here. This bite is epic. Guys will refer to this bite for years: “Remember the 2010 summer topwater bite at DVL?” Lots of two to four-pound fish on a wide range of surface baits or near-surface cranks and swimbaits resembling shad tossed toward boils. Even if there’s not a boil, toss the same baits around structure and the bass are blowing up on it. This is one of the best bites of the year. Go. Even during the week, rental boats are going fast. For an update on the action, call the marina at 951-926-7201 or Last Chance Bait and Tackle at 951-658-7410.
     2. OK, a week of heat like this is enough to remind us that we live in the desert. So a trip to the Sierra for a weekend cool-off is completely understandable. The fact that a lot of the region is seeing its best trout fishing since May is also a good reason to go. There’s not one spot in the region that stands out, but a lot of solid candidates that are just wide open. Some of the top picks are South Lake in the Bishop Creek drainage, Crowley Lake for fly anglers (perch minnows), Silver Lake (getting Alpers fish each week now), Saddlebag Lake out of Lee Vining, and Bridgeport Reservoir.
     3. The bluegill and redear action at Lake Perris actually got better over the past week, but so did several of the other good panfish bites in the region. More Perris fish over a pound were reported this week than the week before. The bigger fish are all in 20-feet of water or more and the best spot has been off the north and west sides of the island. Full limits have not been uncommon for anglers fishing crickets, meal worms, or wax worms. Jigs tipped with one of those baits are as good or better. Other spots nearly as good at Perris have been Diamond Valley and Lower Otay. For an update on the Perris bite, call the marina at 951-657-2179.

FRESHWATER HOT SPOTS

     TROUT: Top trout bets in Sierra continue to include Bridgeport Reservoir, Lake Crowley, Silver Lake, Rush Creek, South Lake, Lake Sabrina, and most of the Bishop Creek and Rock Creek drainage streams, which are getting heavily planted each week. Virginia Lakes has also been wide open on fish to two pounds, and the West Walker is very good now. For fly guys, the East Walker River is tougher this week, but Bridgeport Reservoir and Crowley remain hot spots. At Crowley has more and more fish are working perch minnows in the backs of bays with water inflows. In Southern California, there continues to be good action at just a handful of waters. Top bets are Green Valley Lake, Big Bear Lake, and Lake Hemet with all three pretty fair and improved over the previous week. Deep-water trollers at Cachuma are still getting quite a few fish, but no one is trolling Diamond Valley for its big, holdover rainbows, and this is staying our sleeper trout pick.
     BLACK BASS: The largemouth bass action has improved just about everyone this past week with surface action turning on a lot of places. Diamond Valley Lake has been wide open on topwater -- as good as this kind of fishing can get. Other good bets include Casitas, Castaic, Skinner, Sutherland, Otay, Irvine, Perris, Silverwood, Pyramid and Puddingstone. The smallmouth action on the Colorado River has been very good in the lower river stretches and Topoc Gorge, but slowish in Lake Havasu with only a few fish showing on the points. Further up on the Central Coast, Santa Margarita has continued tough, but Lopez improved with fair action. The spotted bass are pretty fair in Nacimiento.
     STRIPED BASS: Striper bites are generally pretty good everywhere, with Silverwood, Pyramid, Castaic, and Skinner all decent bets. San Antonio Lake is still probably the best fishing for six to 10-pound fish with into the mid-20s each week but it was a little up and down this past week. The Colorado River is finally seeing some good reports on boiling fish at Lake Havasu the first hour of light, and there’s always a chance for a big fish at Willow Beach. The California Aqueduct near Taft remains pretty good, too, with a lot of three to five pounders.
     PANFISH: Henshaw and Cachuma crappie bites are both fair but hanging on with some real whoppers at Henshaw (over two pound!). Lake Isabella’s crappie bite finally died. Redear and bluegill bites are hot just about everywhere -- with Perris, Diamond Valley, Casitas, Lower Otay, Sutherland, and Puddingstone some of the top picks.
     CATFISH: Simply good action just about everywhere. Hesperia Lake, Henshaw, Elsinore, Corona Lake, Santa Ana River Lakes, and Irvine Lake have been the hottest spots in Southern California with a lot of fish landed at all six. Elsinore, Skinner, Silverwood, and Diamond Valley are also good with a lot of cats to eight pounds at these four. Isabella has been fair to good for cats from 1-8 to three pounds, and the California aqueduct near Taft has also been good, too. The channel and flathead action is pretty much wide open along the whole lower Colorado River, especially in the backwaters and irrigation ditches. This is the top bet for a quality fish over 20 pounds and big stringers of channels.

Contact Information:  Jim Matthews, Editor and General Manager

P.O. Box 9007, San Bernardino, CA 92427-0007

Office: 909-887-3444   Fax: 909-887-8180   E-mail:odwriter@verizon.net

Help Restore Billfish Stocks

	Help Restore Billfish by Ending Commercial Overfishing of These Threatened Iconic Sportfish Send a letter to your U.S. House of Representatives Member urging him or her to support the Billfish Conservation Act of 2010 The SituationMarlin, sailfish and spearfish, collectively called billfish, are some of the world’s most majestic marine fishes. In the U.S., billfish are highly esteemed by recreational anglers, who practice catch-and-release fishing while generating substantial income to the economy.  Unfortunately, stocks of these magnificent big ocean fish have been greatly depleted in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as a result of commercial overfishing, primarily from foreign countries. On July 21, 2010, Representative John Shadegg (R-AZ) introduced the Billfish Conservation Act of 2010 (H.R. 5804), which will prohibit the commercial harvest, sale and importation of billfish throughout the United States. It is currently illegal to harvest or import Atlantic-caught billfish into the U.S., but Pacific-caught fish come into U.S. markets in substantial numbers.  According to a study commissioned by the International Game Fish Association, the U.S. is the world’s largest importer of billfish, buying about 3 million pounds of marlin in 2006 - or between 10,000 and 15,000 fish a year – for sale in restaurants and grocery stores. The Billfish Conservation Act would close U.S. commercial markets to billfish, preventing their harvest and importation. It would have a negligible impact on the commercial industry in the U.S. while increasing billfish abundance and thus the value of the recreational fishery, which brings in billions of dollars but has a minimal impact on billfish populations.   How You Can HelpIn order to ensure this important bill is passed, we need your help! Please click here to send a letter now to your U.S. House of Representatives member asking him or her to support the Billfish Conservation Act of 2010. You are encouraged to personalize the letter as you see fit. Thank you for your taking the time to help to Keep America Fishing!

Tuna Fishing off San Diego - On again - Off Again

It appears that the tuna fishing for Albacore and Blue Fin has started in the San Diego Area, off-shore anywhere between 120 to 180 miles South West. But it is a hit or miss type fishing. When it is on it is on big, but when it is not it is scratch at best. I would say if you are going, go for at least a 3 day or longer trip. The 1.5 day trips have been getting them but if the bite is slow you will need that extra day or 2 to get limits.

Cool Tuna - Jeff

Action Alert - MLPA So. Calif.

Action Alert Urge the California Fish and Game Commission to Hold a Series of Scoping Meetings for the South Coast Phase of the MLPA The Commission plans to railroad the process and hold just one meeting for the entire South Coast Background In order to gather information essential to the development of Environmental Impact Reports for the implementation of marine protected areas (MPAs) along the Central and North Central Coasts, the California Fish and Game Commission held a series of scoping meetings under the state's Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). The purpose of the scoping meetings was to solicit input from other agencies, the public, stakeholder organizations and other interested parties on issues related to the potential environmental effects of the MPA proposals being considered.   This is not the case with the South Coast. In an attempt to meet rushed and arbitrary deadlines, the Fish and Game Commission plans to hold only one scoping meeting for the entire South Coast at a date, time and location to be determined. Given the complexity and heightened controversy surrounding the South Coast process, multiple public scoping meetings are essential to ensure that all the potential impacts of MPAs throughout the South Coast region are heard.   What You Can Do Send the letter below to the Fish and Game Commission urging them to hold more than one scoping meeting on the South Coast MPA Project Environmental Impact Report. Without stakeholder input, the Commission will continue to unnecessarily accelerate the process and ignore the need for further input. Send your letter today!

Local Bass Tournaments _San Diego 2010

Director: Dave Brantley Contact Ph: (619)448-0988 Contact: Dave Brantley Assistant Director: Contact Ph: Local Division Web Site Entry Fees: Divisional Qualifier: $70.00 (includes big bass) Divisional Championship: $140.00 (includes big bass) Payout and more information click here
Special Message from Director: Download the 2010 Division 63 Flier (PDF) Click Here

2010 Season Division d063 Schedule

	Date	Lake	Ramp	Days	Register
3442	2009-10-25	El Capitain	Main	1	Register
3443	2009-11-22	El Capitain	Main	1	Register
3444	2010-01-17	El Capitain	Main	1	Register
3445	2010-02-28	Otay	Main	1	Register
3446	2010-03-28	Hodges	Main	1	Register
3447	2010-04-25	Otay	Main	1	Register
3448	2010-05-30	Sutherland	Main	1	Register
3449	2010-06-27	Hodges	Main	1	Register
3450	2010-07-17 2010-07-18	Otay	Main	2	Register