Hi all...

I am new to this board...But already I can appreciate the exchange of info...

I fish both conventional and fly gear (as of late, I really have been fly fishing almost exclusively). I love both equally but I can appreciate the learning curve on the fly gear and it has actually been cheaper for me (after acquring gear of course) which is helpful because of $$$ probs lately.

Here is a report of my last trip:

Yesterday we rented skiffs out of Rocky Point Skiffs (King Harbor). Not the cheapest way to go but worth it because of the ongoing bonita bite. We did the usual as we filled the provided bait sled with live ones from the reciever and gave the guy an xtra 5 bucks. On this trip and last trip (24th) it has been all sardines with three or four anchovies mixed in somewhere...

We first headed towards the harbor opening near the end of the jetty and my buddy hooked up almost immediately on a nice bonita but got wrapped up in the kelp (which, BTW, has been geting nice and thick lately). Shortly, a big dog came and scarfed it down (sea lions have also been very thick lately) so we moved. Lots of short calicos here at times...

We trolled on up to the shoal/yacth club area and we found what we thought was a nice stable spot of mackeral. I decided to flyline a bait to see what was around and hooked a nice bonita. My buddy was hooking up on mackeral every other cast on the fly. So I switched over...Mackeral were easy but no bonita. After several mackeral, I flylined a bait again and another bonita - a three pounder. So back to the fly and again, mackeral but no bonita. Swithed lots of patterns, but no bonita. Finally, I put on a big, rabbit fur streamer and caught a nice 3 pounder. The trip rounded out with a couple more bonita on the fly, several on the flyline, and lots of mackeral.

We used several variations on the clouser minnow and some tres generaciones for fly patterns. Flylining a live bait was the hot ticket for consistent bonita, but if you could find an anchovie in the mix, that was a guarantee...

In the end, we landed dozens of mackeral, and about 8 bonita in four hours...I can honestly say we would have landed dozens of bonita had we fished bait but we were on a mission. They are thick right now...If you fish stand up locally and are used to flylining baits, it is no different here...Once you find them, they will smack the baits. Sometimes you have to soak one a bit, but I got bit on almost every live bait.

For flyfishing, the bait serves primarily as chum and we use it also to search for fish if blind casting with flies does not seem to be productive...You can also troll flies or rapalas, swimbaits to find them too...

Monday befor XMAS was similar. Interestingly, we saw a breezer of about 100+ large bonita rush by and not a single fly or bait we were trolling got bit...

Thunnus,

I have also been Flyfishing King Harbor with some friends from Santa Barbara (One guy has gone 11 straight Saturdays!) We have been using our own skiffs and fishing the same areas mainly. However, reports are that the bonita seem to be in bigger numbers outside the harbor just off the jetty. Unfortunatly I don't think you can take the rentals outside, but action can also be fair right at the mouth.
As far as flies go, a small (2"-3") olive and white clouser seems to be the ticket. Hope the action holds a little longer! Have fun.

P.S. About the dogs... If you let them eat your fish once they
grab it they will usually give you back the head with your
fly in it. If you try to wrestle your fish away you break a
lot off and loose your fly.

Thunnus,

I forgot. I wanted to mention a great site you might want to check out about saltwater flyfishing, if you are not already aware of it. Try, http://www.danblanton.com/bulletin.html . It's a great BBS for flyfishing, both fresh water and salt. Later...

Muchas gracias...

Yes...the olive and white has been a great standard. I had all sort of mixed days this season...sometimes the sparse clousers, and sometimes some big, bushy anchovie patterns I tie have worked. But it seems that the sparse flies seems to be better on the average.

Also, I found when the water is off color and a bit murky, brighter colors or more contrasts seems to get bit better. But I think I might have to keep a log and look at data over lots of trips before I can really begin to find pattern behavior...

I am looking at the URL as I write..


tight lines

I have been watching the threads of some guys on the dan blanton guestbook about King harbor and am impressed. I travel to LA frequently for business and have been trying to squeeze in some flyrod time. Mostly in Long Beach. I don't see how I could fish the harbor,but I sure enjoy the reports from there. I'm coming down there in Jan to Long Beach and will probably fish Anaheim or Alamitos Bay. I was going to hit Belmont Shore for some surf fishing. Any advice? Mark C

I don't know how much time you have, but you can rent skiff in the harbor for just 1/2 day...And they have a bait reciever that sells bait...The skiffs have a bait sled that rides alongside the boat...

I flyfish for bonita often in the harbor...I have seen some incredible days...Lately, there have been some bigger bones in there...I will be fishing on Saturday specifically looking for the bigger specimens...

If you are short on time, you could surf fish the belmont shores area (both on the marina side and the exposed side).

King Harbor is about 25 minutes from LB without traffic...

Good Luck...

-Mike Chung

Hi Mark,

I floattube and fish from the surf in Long Beach from 72nd.St.Jetty to Island Grissom. I always see fly fishermen around 67th. st./Ocean blvd. Near the 72nd. st. jetty. They also fish for corbina on the Alamitos Bay side. My best advice to you since you are a fly fisherman is to use the best fly for Halibuts. They are in right now.

Kiyo
www.baytubers.com

Hey Thunnus, couple of quick questions for you, how much were the skiffs to rent and how long can you rent them? (1/2 day, 3/4 day?) Also, do you need anything in particular to rent them (drivers license, deposit, etc...) Any info would be helpful.

Side note: Landed a couple of bonies from the sportfishing pier throwing a chrome krocadile.

Boj

Might be fishing King Harbor this weekend. Did it quite a bit growing up.

Thunnus, could you tell us about price for the skiff rentals? Possibly a phone number for the rental place?

Thanks,

Hi Mr. Tree and Kingboj...

Here are some details...

Rocky Point Skiff: 310-374-9858

rental rates for skiffs with outboard motors:

1/2 day (4 hrs): 45.00
full day (7am-4-pm): 60.00

$10.00 cash deposit which is refunded if you bring back a clean boat

THEY ARE CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS!

They provide a bait sled to hold live bait

Pacific Bait Co. Receiver is mid harbor...

1/2 scoop: 15.00
full scoop: 20.00

last two trips they had small sardines, with a couple of anchovies mixed in...

They have not asked to see drivers licenses or credit card if you leave cash deposit...

The harbor patrol and DFG do check for licenses regularly in harbor...They only sell one day licenses at the rentals...

Write me for more info: scombridae1969@hotmail.com

tight lines

-Mike Chung

Thanks a lot Mike, the info is much appreciated. Kinda pricey like you mentioned, but seems worth trying to me.

Boj