Dana Wharf Fish Report: Halibut Derby Officially Open, Continues Through March

By Zach Cavanagh

The 11th annual Halibut Derby opens, and rockfish and bass are still going strong at Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching.

In his weekly report, Captain Brian Woolley said that the bonito fishing began strong the previous week but tailed off as the week progressed. Woolley said it was a day-by-day prospect.

While the three-quarter and half-day trips couldn’t find bonito, they still hit big on rockfish and bass. The trips set up on the deep hard bottom to pull in rockfish. Woolley said the bass fishing on those trips was also fun.

Woolley also praised the clean water over the weekend that ran about 67-68 degrees. On the weekend trips, anglers pulled in a good haul of skipjack and a 32-pound bluefin. On a Saturday trip outside the harbor, marlin were also spotted slashing around.

As of Nov. 1, the Halibut Derby is off and running. The first two weekend drift trips are already sold out. Woolley suggested reserving a Friday or Sunday drift trip in advance for those interested in getting in on the over $6,000 in cash and prizes that will be awarded for the November to March competition.

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Here are the latest fish counts out of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching:

Oct. 31 – 3 boats, 56 anglers: 56 skipjack tuna, 3 calico bass, 2 sand bass, 22 sheephead, 4 whitefish, 35 rockfish, 70 vermilion rockfish, 24 bocaccio, 1 trigger fish, 1 sargo, 43 bass released.

Oct. 30 – 3 boats, 67 anglers: 41 skipjack tuna, 4 bonito, 15 calico bass, 14 sand bass, 2 sheephead, 7 whitefish, 24 rockfish, 54 vermilion rockfish, 16 bocaccio, 161 bass released.

Oct. 29 – 2 boats, 45 anglers: 1 bonito, 1 halibut, 22 calico bass, 19 sand bass, 14 sheephead, 14 whitefish, 45 rockfish, 102 vermilion rockfish, 9 bocaccio, 130 bass released.

Oct. 28 – 4 boats, 136 anglers: 1 blue fin tuna, 6 bonito, 1 lingcod, 26 calico bass, 62 sand bass, 7 sheephead, 11 white fish, 68 rockfish, 173 vermillion rockfish, 53 bocaccio, 13 copper rockfish, 266 bass released

Oct. 27 – 5 bonito, 14 calico bass, 5 sand bass, 3 sheephead, 18 whitefish, 110 rockfish, 32 vermilion rockfish, 35 bocaccio, 161 bass released

Oct. 26 – 5 boats, 112 anglers: 22 skipjack tuna 10 yellowtail 7 lingcod 60 calico bass 8 sand bass 9 sheephead 160 rockfish 17 vermilion rockfish 4 bocaccio 14 bonito 187 bass released