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Fishing San Diego Bay
By Captain Bill Schaefer
Photo by Schaefer Photo
Matt Servant of Matt Lures shows off the kind of bass it will take to win the San Diego Bay Tournament this year.
As we entered winter we were all wondering if the delayed September spawn of the sand bass off Imperial Beach would affect the move of the fish to San Diego Bay. Usually, the sand bass move in great numbers into the bay in October, but would they still be hanging outside? Well, I can tell you from fishing a few tournaments and just out having fun, that they are in the bay strong this winter!
This strong showing of sand bass will bode well for the participants of the 2012 San Diego Anglers Bay Tournament. Weights should be up and fishing should be fun! I expect all the hot areas from the mouth of the bay to the far reaches of the back bay will hold fish this year. Many of you know what a great event this can be and whether you are fishing or not you need to make it out for this giant celebration.
If you have never been to this event then you need to make it a habit. Even if you don’t fish the event, you can stroll through over a hundred boats, talk to pros, maybe even get some secrets, and attend a raffle, barbeque, and award ceremony that it out of this world! There are entrants from rookies to old time hard core professionals, but this event is definitely categorized as fun. For the most up to date information check out the San Diego Anglers’ website sandiegoanglers.com.
So you are probably wondering what all these pros and fishermen do to catch all those big fish. Well, I can tell you that it takes a little skill for the tournament, but for fun fishing the techniques are not that far off the mark. I’ll breeze over some of the important bits of knowledge you might need to just to have fun and catch some fish in the southern California bays.
One of the most important things you need to know is that tidal movement plays a big part in if the fish are in a feeding mode. The tidal movement starts up the entire food chain in the bay until finally it reaches the target sand bass you are after. Tides in southern California can range from 1 foot of movement to 8+ feet of movement. I feel that, generally, 3 to 5 feet of movement is optimal. Get yourself a tidal calendar like the Tidelines monthly calendar for ease of interpreting the tides. It has a line on it across the days that goes up and down as the tide does. Flat line, no tide, squiggly line good tides.
So now that you’re out on the bay where do you start? If you like calico fishing, the plaid bass usually hang out more towards the mouth of the bay, living around dock pilings and rocky jetties. There is also the natural boiler rocks off the tip of Point Loma. Also, make sure the docks you fish are not part of the Navy owned areas or you may get a visit from the Naval Police.
Calicos can be caught on everything from light to heavy tackle. Swimbaits are the most popular weapon of fishermen. There are so many companies out there to try; Big Hammer, MC Swimbaits, Western Plastics, Reebs Lures, Optimum, YUM, and FishTrap to name a few. They all make great products that you should carry an assortment of baits. Each company makes their tails beat with a certain thump and you never know what vibration will get the calicos, or sand bass, to bite.
The plaid bass also love some of the baits their freshwater cousins go for such as spinnerbaits, crankbaits, soft and hard jerkbaits, as well as an assortment of plastics. Don’t be afraid to experiment with various baits. You may find a new favorite lure in your old freshwater tackle box. It can a great way to gain confidence in a lure as well.
Last year the tournament was won with calicos, but sand bass are the main target of all the fishermen. The sand bass in the bay can reach 8 pounds and 4 to 6 pounders regularly come into play in the tournament. There are also teams that target spotted sand bass. The entire bay gives you a chance at sand bass so don’t feel you have to fish where everyone else is.
The sand bass eat the same plastic swimbaits as the calicos and the colors they love can vary from browns to clears to orange to chartreuse, so experiment and find your favorite. Most the anglers use the wind-n-grind method of fishing them. That is, you let out about a half of spool of line, then wind it in. If it gets heavy that’s a fish. Set the hook! Vertical jigging and trolling can also be effective.
