Ever since the Fred Hall Show it seems like surf fishing has been more than a bit slow. We've had some good reports of big slab perch being taken from Orange County up into Santa Barbara but it still has a way to go before it really gets going.

The good news is that there are a lot of perch in the palm size range and that the conditions have improved this week. A few warmer days and smaller surf has let the turbidity begin to settle out at the local beaches. Look for some improving tides throughout the week that may offer some good opportunities in the evening for a great surf bite.

So while I'm waiting for all heck to break loose at the beach I took some time off to do a bit of offshore fishing.

I was invited by friends to take a day off from surf fishing and head over to Catalina for a shot at some early Spring bass fishing.

Thanks to Mike on the Ocean Challange we had some great fishing and very comfortable accomodations. We toasted the evening with 15 year old scotch and filled our bellies with steak, chicken and fish. We woke up to calm conditions on Friday morning and headed down island from two harbors toward the squid grounds.

The wind was dead calm as was the current. Pulled into a nice area of cream aqua water and set the hook. Over the next two hours: 10:30am -12:30 the bite was outstanding on wsb, calico, sandbass, white croaker, yellowfin croaker, halibut, leopard shark, bat ray, shovelnose guitar fish, a small black seabass, blue perch, sheeps head and even a morey eel!!

We picked some lively squid up from the Carnage and fished a sliding sinker on 25lb mono.

Most fish were very shallow. With the biggest WSB hooked in about 10 feet of water.

Yesterday may the the last day of the year with only 4 or 5 boats fishing the island.

Seas were flat calm glassy on our way back past Avalon.

Today it's time for me to get on back down to the beach for some slab fishing and only dream about the next time I'm back over to the island.

www.fishthesurf.com

Home of the All-in-One Surf Tackle Kit

Eventhough the beach has yielded some epic views of snow on the local mountains it has yet to produce many quality fish since the last bout of rain and wind.

It's common for this time of year to turn slow at the beach. Cold, windy storms out of the North churn up cold water and put the fish in winter shock mode. They scatter and try to find a place to hide--as does their food--and we now just have to wait for better conditions and the bite will surely rebound.

Although we've seen some good perch fishing and a few halibut, yellowfin and corbina in the counts it may be another week before we get back to the business of catching lots of fish.

With the last two days we have seen a change in the wind direction, now from the southwest, that signals the coming of Spring. These winds will begin to push the warmer, cleaner water up from the south and the fish will move up with it. Additionally, a new swell from the South will also bring the "good water" our way and be sure to spark the corbina bite as it begins to fill in throughout the summer.

So while I sit and wait out the conditions it's always a good time to go inland and practic my skills on the local bass at Perris lake. Many of the techniques, rigs and tackle I use are almost the same for fresh water fishing and it gives me a chance to hone my skills when the bite at the beach is on the fritz.

Over the two days at the lake the two of us landed 13 fish (just two for me--ouch!). With my fishing buddy, Brad, catching the 5lb whopper.

We were delighted and privlidged to be joined on the spot by a veteran bass angler that put the wood to the fish. In less than two hours he landed and released 10 fish in the 3-6lb range. We were using a brass and glass rig and he was fishing the carolina. Our bait was a 6" worm curly tail in crawfish colors--his was a crawfish plastic with a rattle inserted inside. Boy, did he put on a clinic. Eventhough we saw many anglers that day we only saw one (besides us) catch a fish--while this guy just couldn't miss!!

This week we have some dismal tides but hopefully warming water and air temps will bring the fish back on the spots. Next week, we have some great tides (April 22-29) that will be sure to produce some quality fish.

Thanks to all the folks that came by the booth and to my seminars at the Fred Hall Show. I've added some seminars on the web site so if you have time it would be great to see you there!!

http://www.fishthesurf.com/

Home of the All-in-One Surf Tackle Kit