By Zach Cavanagh
A rise in rockfish and the final weekend of the Halibut Derby highlight the week from Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching.
In his weekly report, Captain Brian Woolley said that rockfish have been the focal point for the three-quarter-day trips. The catches have been steady and productive despite any day-to-day changes in weather conditions or water quality. There was solid action for anglers using bait or jigs.
The half-day trips have not been as successful, with the kelp spots currently being without kelp. Woolley said the trips have fished the hard-bottom spots for solid sand bass and calico bass catches, with some sheephead and sculpin.
The Fury has seen quality catches on its overnight trips to the islands. This week, Fury was at San Clemente Island for rockfish and added some lingcod to the haul. Fury, which also makes trips to Catalina Island, has its schedule for the rest of the month posted on the Dana Wharf Facebook page.
Finally, it’s down to the wire in the Halibut Derby, which ends on March 31. There are only two Halibut Derby drift trips remaining on Friday, March 29 and Sunday, March 31. The current leader still sits at 26 pounds, 10 ounces. The top five catches are all at least 22 pounds, and the top 25 opens at 7 pounds, 6 ounces.
More information on the derby and prizes can be found at danawharf.com/halibut-derby.
Here are the latest fish counts out of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching:
March 27 – 4 boats, 105 anglers: 340 rockfish, 29 sheephead, 55 vermilion rockfish, 8 sculpin, 50 whitefish, 1 lingcod, 2 blue perch, 1 treefish, 6 sanddabs, 19 bass released.
March 26 – 4 boats, 185 anglers: 4 calico bass, 4 sand bass, 16 sculpin, 19 sheephead, 32 whitefish, 163 rockfish, 105 vermilion rockfish, 101 bocaccio, 1 lingcod, 1 blue perch, 32 bass released.
March 25 – 3 boats, 83 anglers: 4 calico bass, 3 sand bass, 14 sculpin, 42 sheephead, 36 whitefish, 76 rockfish, 139 vermilion rockfish, 89 bocaccio, 25 sanddabs.
March 24 – 6 boats, 143 anglers: 2 calico bass, 2 sand bass, 26 sculpin, 13 sheephead, 36 whitefish, 160 rockfish, 122 vermilion rockfish, 67 bocaccio, 7 blue perch, 2 Spanish jack, 45 bass released.
March 23 – 7 boats, 182 anglers: 3 calico bass, 1 sand bass, 45 sculpin, 17 sheephead, 82 whitefish, 255 rockfish, 110 vermilion rockfish, 84 bocaccio, 2 triggerfish, 6 lingcod, 68 bass released.
March 22 – 3 boats, 67 anglers: 3 sculpin, 67 rockfish, 26 vermilion rockfish, 35 boccacio, 10 mackerel, 16 bass released.
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