For anglers in Southern California, there are plenty of saltwater fishing opportunities. You can stick close to shore or head hundreds of miles away and venture into Mexico on a long-range trip. Both are fun and each of these bites is going strong this fall.
Long-Range Wahoo and More
One of the premier long-range vessels is the Vagabond, which departs out of Point Loma Sportfishing in San Diego, CA. Dominic Bassi and Mike Grieco, also known as "Blind Mike," help to organize trips on the boat each year.
They just returned from a 7-day trip and the wahoo bite was hot. They reported catching plenty of them, along with a good number of dorado, yellowfin tuna, and yellowtail.
"We were way down in Mexico, 300 miles away fishing a place known as 'the ridge,' said Bassi. "The wahoo bite was excellent and we were trolling the 8 ¼-inch Yo-Zuri Bonita. The hot colors were 'Halloween,' which is orange and black, purple black, and wahoo."
There are several other wahoo trolling plugs on the market and they all look pretty similar, but Bassi likes the Yo-Zuri Bonita because of how well it holds up and because it runs true.
"You can tie it on and fish; you don't have to tune it to run correctly," he said. "It's hard to find one that runs correctly. The Yo-Zuri Bonita has the right action right out of the package and drives wahoo wild."
With the extreme speed and strength of the wahoo, Bassi said gear selection is critical. When trolling, the preferred rod was an Axis 7202XH, a 7-foot, 2-inch extra-heavy model needed for the hard-hitting wahoo. They utilized 100-pound Yo-Zuri HD Pink Fluorocarbon along with a wire leader for the line.
"The line is very strong and has good abrasion resistance, which is very important for wahoo," he said. "It also crimps really well, which makes it easy to use. We used it for everything from fly lining bait to trolling for wahoo and it held up great on the trip."
Bassi and crew do a three and seven-day trip each year aboard the Vagabond. You can find details on how to join the trips on the Vagabond Sportfishing and Phenix Rods websites.
Short-Range for Calicos and Sand Bass
Plenty of closer options are available if taking off hundreds of miles for a week at a time isn't in your wishes or schedule. One of the best options is the calico and sand bass. Bassi focuses his efforts on the Long Beach to Catalina Island area and says the bite for both species is good right now.
"During this time of year, the fish are starting to transition from the kelp to deeper water, but you can still catch fish shallow," he said. "You can fish the kelp, riprap, and docks and catch fish. It's a bite that will continue until the water starts to cool more."
There are several ways to target these fish shallow and one of Bassi's favorites is the 6-inch Yo-Zuri Hydro Minnow LC.
"It's an erratic stick bait that swims really good," he said. "You can fish it with a fast, steady retrieve or a wind and pause. A lot of times, they want it to be moving fast. That's when they want to eat it best."
Bassi says several colors shine, but he has his favorites. Another reason that bait works so well is because of the quality components.
"I like bone, sardine, and yellow mullet," he said. "What's cool about these baits is they have great hardware and you don't need to change the hooks. They are very good hooks and you don't need to spend money to upgrade them because they are ready to go right out of the package."
Bassi likes to fish them on a Phenix Ultra Swimbait 800H or M1 820H and 30 to 40-pound Yo-Zuri HD Pink Fluorocarbon. "These fish are mean and have teeth and that fluorocarbon does an excellent job at standing up to the abrasion," he added.
Right now, the Hydro Minnow bite is going strong, but soon Bassi will turn his attention to another great bite with an Alabama Rig.
"The deeper A-Rig bite starts about now and goes throughout the winter," he said. "We fish them with Optimum OPTI Shad swimbaits, Picasso jigheads and 80-pound Yo-Zuri HD Pink Fluorocarbon."
Saltwater fishing in Southern California is so good because you always have options. There is always an excellent bite to chase, giving anglers variety throughout the year. Right now, two of the best choices are going on a long-range trip to Mexico for wahoo and other species or sticking closer to the harbor and targeting calicos and sand bass.
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