12-26-2002, 10:53 PM
[cool] It's a long swim from Long Beach, but if you take your craft over on a boat it's great. On the lee side of the isand there are several beaches you can can get out of the boat and launch your donut dinghy. If you have access to a vehicle on the island, almost anywhere the road meets the water you can find a spot to launch.
It's protected in the main harbor area, so you have to get away from all the activity. I used to do well around the Isthmus Kelp. Lots of calicos, with occasional bonito and barracuda. Even a stray yellowtail once in awhile, if you get lucky and have the right lure on at the time. Also some big nasty sheepshead and lots of catalina perch. I love to light tackle them with small jigs...or flylining a small piece of squid on a size 4 or 6 bait hook. Squid is also good to tip small jigs with.
For calicos, go with big plastic scampis or swimbaits. Most of the fish will be small, but there are a few toads around. Throw blue and white or chrome hardware for the speedsters. Bounce anything that looks like a squid or anchovy on the bottom and you could hang either white seabass (daybreak best) or a big flattie or two.
The problem with hand to fin combat with big fish from a float tube or 'toon is that you got no lift. Bigger fish will tow you around. I've been spooled by a couple of homeguard yellows. The others will just play in and out the kelp fronds until you break off.
I take several rods in my rod rack...from 6# medium light spinning, to 20# on a 7 ft. fast tip conventional rig, for tossing iron and yo yoing. I use bass sized baitcasters spooled with good 10# for most fishing.
Watch out for big bull sea lions during mating season. Also, there are still a few big black sea bass that can scare the heck out of you when you see one looking up at you through that clear water.
Two words of advice. Don't go alone and pay attention to the weather and the tides. Normally you don't have to sweat wind or currents if you stay close on the lee side, but if you get out into a current you can get a long lonely ride that you can't kick your way out of. The fishing is best in close anyway, and you will get a shot at a lot of fish that don't get molested much by the boating fraternity.
Hope that helps. Be happy to address any specific questions.
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It's protected in the main harbor area, so you have to get away from all the activity. I used to do well around the Isthmus Kelp. Lots of calicos, with occasional bonito and barracuda. Even a stray yellowtail once in awhile, if you get lucky and have the right lure on at the time. Also some big nasty sheepshead and lots of catalina perch. I love to light tackle them with small jigs...or flylining a small piece of squid on a size 4 or 6 bait hook. Squid is also good to tip small jigs with.
For calicos, go with big plastic scampis or swimbaits. Most of the fish will be small, but there are a few toads around. Throw blue and white or chrome hardware for the speedsters. Bounce anything that looks like a squid or anchovy on the bottom and you could hang either white seabass (daybreak best) or a big flattie or two.
The problem with hand to fin combat with big fish from a float tube or 'toon is that you got no lift. Bigger fish will tow you around. I've been spooled by a couple of homeguard yellows. The others will just play in and out the kelp fronds until you break off.
I take several rods in my rod rack...from 6# medium light spinning, to 20# on a 7 ft. fast tip conventional rig, for tossing iron and yo yoing. I use bass sized baitcasters spooled with good 10# for most fishing.
Watch out for big bull sea lions during mating season. Also, there are still a few big black sea bass that can scare the heck out of you when you see one looking up at you through that clear water.
Two words of advice. Don't go alone and pay attention to the weather and the tides. Normally you don't have to sweat wind or currents if you stay close on the lee side, but if you get out into a current you can get a long lonely ride that you can't kick your way out of. The fishing is best in close anyway, and you will get a shot at a lot of fish that don't get molested much by the boating fraternity.
Hope that helps. Be happy to address any specific questions.
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