Fish Report for week ending March 13, 2017

Fish Report:

The fish report for this week shows fishing was productive for bottom fishing consisting of mostly Rockfish and Whitefish. The Rockfish are on the small to medium sized at the local grounds meaning the local islands Anacapa and Santa Cruz or the coastal spots in Malibu or Ventura. The outer islands Santa Rosa and San Miguel however are putting out some nice sized Rockfish. Most of the Lingcod in our counts are also coming from the outer islands but there have been a hand full caught on the local grounds.

This week we also caught our first Yellowtail of the season. It was caught at Santa Cruz Island on the Sea Jay while they were targeting shallow water Rockfish. There have also been a couple ones that got away that were reported to be Yellowtail.

So, apparently there are some game fish around but they are big and difficult to land unless you are geared for it. The one Yellowtail we did land was 35 pounds.

As for the weather, it has been kind to us. Little to no wind or swell and the sky has been clear and sunny. The water temperatures are still hovering in the mid to low 50’s but the sun is warming the upper water column 4 or 5 degrees by the end of the day.

The season is still young and everything is looking good for a great fishing season here at the Channel Islands. For now we will continue to focus on tasty bottom fish and when the water warms up, we will start looking around for game fish.

Until then, enjoy the bounty. Bottom fishing is productive, meaning you will catch fish, plus they are great eating. Get the freezer stocked before summer!

Whoppers of the Week:

1) Sophia Huynh from West Hills caught a 13lb Lingcod on a full day trip aboard the Aloha Spirit.

2) Brandan Sheehey from Redondo Beach caught a 35lb Yellowtail on a full day trip aboard the Sea Jay.

3) Marvin Kenny from Los Angeles caught a 12lb Sheephead on an overnight trip aboard the Seabiscuit.

4) Raul Orozco from Orange County caught a 12lb Lingcod on an overnight trip aboard the Pacific Islander.

Please feel free to give us a call at 805-382-1612 for any information, live bait or to make a reservation.

You can also book your trip online at https://ciscos.fishingreservations.net/sales/

Daily Fish Counts – http://www.channelislandssportfishing.com/fish-count

Let’s Go Fishing!