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Forum nameSaltwater Fishing in California
Topic subjectSouth Orange County Flaot Tube Report
Topic URLhttp://www.calfishing.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=4&topic_id=7998&mesg_id=7998
7998, South Orange County Flaot Tube Report
Posted by Quietman, Mon Oct-14-02 08:07 PM
I finally got to fish Sunday morning after two weeks out of the water. I launched from Dana Harbor and fished near the shore to the south of the harbor. I know this is a pier/jetty/shore board, but hey I was almost in casting range of those places the whole time...

I caught a couple of barracuda a small halibut and a croaker in the harbor on my way out, then nothing trolling back to the shoreline, then;

Sat in a school of sand bass in about 15' of water and caught many 12-16" sand bass and a couple calicos. Also a big sculpin. I headed in even closer to shore and started picking up halibuts. Legal ones. Like four of them. Then something hit one of my trolled rods that I had secured half-way along the length of the rod with velcro to the tube. The rod snapped in half at the velcro on the hit, then in my frenzied attempts unsnap it and grab the broken ends I lost the whole rig over the side. Then I had a double hook-up on my remaining two rods. Both 30"+ halibuts, both lost when they broke the line while I tried to net them. I am going to buy a gaff! Then several more halibuts right around legal size, including one ~ 25" one that broke me off at the tube, I cast out my other rod, got bit on the sink, and when I went to remove the jig from this 25" flattie I noticed my first jig in it's mouth, so I got it back!

The spot with all the flatties had a guy fishing there with an inflatable kayak. He said I had found his secret spot and that he had caught several halibut in the 30-40 pound class from that area. I believe him.

about this time I noticed the wind had started to blow, coming from the direction I needed to return. I also noticed my left side pontoon was losing air. Not cool. I made it back in time, however.

Totals:

SAND BASS: lots, I was getting them every cast for many casts in a row, and only stopped catching them when I moved on down the coast line. I kept four 12-14" ones for my father-in-law. All four had gotten the jig down deep, and might have died anyway.

WSB: Two, both about 26", released.

CALICOS: like three or four 12-14" + one toad, released.

Halibuts: something like 6-7 of 18-25" ones, several smaller ones and a couple that were too big for me to boat without help or a gaff. Also had a pole broken and pulled overboard at this spot, presumed to be a BIG halibut.

Various barracuda to 24" a couple of reef/rockfish and a couple croaker.

All fish were caught on 6# and 4# P-line using swimbaits.

All other fish except the four sandies mentioned were released-
or farmed!

Quietman



JR.