By Zach Cavanagh
As summer heats up, the fishing is getting just as hot on Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching expeditions.
In his weekly report, Captain Brian Woolley says that the ocean temperatures off the coast have been at a steady 68 degrees, which has brought great bass fishing to the Dana Wharf fleet.
Anglers went with a strong crop of anchovy live bait, with sliding sinker set-ups, for productive half-day trips. There was a bevy of sand bass catches and a good number of sheephead in the clean water conditions. Woolley said the conditions also allowed for the first yellowtail catches in the Dana Wharf counts. The yellowtail were smaller, but still a good sign for the summer.
Woolley also mentioned the twilight half-day trips have pulled in some bigger bass in the later hours.
In the three-quarter-day trips along the coast, it’s been heavy on bass as well. A lot of the kelp hasn’t reached the water’s surface yet, but the boats have been able to chum the waters and bring up the catches. Live bait, rubber lures and waxwing have been on point, with bigger bass being caught on long casts to the edge of the chum.
The longer trips to the islands have been quite productive as well. At San Clemente Island, Fury anglers used squid bait in the early morning to pull in seabass and yellowtail, with the bass perking up around the kelp. Fury patrons also pulled in sheephead, bonito and bottom fish.
For more info on fishing trips, go to danawharf.com.
Here are the latest fish counts from Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching:
June 15 – 7 boats, 126 anglers: 16 yellowtail, 137 calico bass, 51 bonito, 36 whitefish, 26 sand bass, 13 sheephead, 12 sculpin, 9 rockfish, 8 barracuda, 1 blue perch, 1 treefish, 452 bass released.
June 14 – 6 boats, 92 anglers: 80 calico bass, 13 barracuda, 12 sheephead, 6 whitefish, 3 sand bass, 1 bonito, 495 bass released.
June 13 – 7 boats, 150 anglers: 2 yellowtail, 130 calico bass, 35 bonito, 18 whitefish, 11 sheephead, 11 sculpin, 5 sand bass, 292 bass released.
June 12 – 7 boats, 188 anglers: 66 calico bass, 13 sand bass, 13 sheephead, 6 rock sole, 6 sculpin, 6 whitefish, 4 vermilion rockfish, 2 bocaccio, 1 rockfish, 506 bass released.
June 11 – 12 boats, 275 anglers: 3 yellowtail, 239 calico bass, 38 whitefish, 33 sand bass, 33 sheephead, 8 triggerfish, 8 rockfish, 6 sculpin, 5 bonito, 3 blue perch, 2 Spanish jack, 843 bass released.
June 10 – 7 boats, 197 anglers: 3 yellowtail, 1 white seabass, 179 calico bass, 80 whitefish, 34 sheephead, 18 sand bass, 12 sculpin, 11 rockfish, 10 vermilion rockfish, 3 blue perch, 550 bass released.
June 9 – 4 boats, 79 anglers: 1 white seabass, 2 yellowtail, 31 bonito, 119 calico bass, 12 sand bass, 6 sculpin, 18 sheephead, 117 white fish, 109 rockfish.
Zach Cavanagh
Zach Cavanagh is the sports editor for Picket Fence Media. Zach is multiple California Journalism Award winner and has covered sports in Orange County since 2013. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @ZachCav and follow our sports coverage on Twitter @SouthOCSports. Email at zcavanagh@picketfencemedia.com.
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