Balboa Angling Club member hooks first striped marlin of season

The first striped marlin of the season, for a Balboa Angling Club

member, was caught July 25 by Kathy Ecklund while fishing aboard the

yacht Hooker captained by her husband, Stan. The fish was hooked 1.5

miles off the east end of Catalina Island in the area commonly called

the “Slide.” The billfish jumped on a trolled marlin jig and was

released after the catch was tagged and documented. Bill Kingsmill of

Dana Point hooked and released the first marlin for the Dana Point

Marlin Club last weekend and then earlier this week caught the first

broadbill swordfish of the season while fishing aboard his private

sportfisher, Wild Bill, the fish weighed in at 165 pounds.

Water conditions in the channel continue to warm up and there have

been areas of 72-degree water around traditional marlin fishing

grounds. Sources at Angler’s Center in Newport feel the outlook for

the summer marlin season is very promising. Boats are seeing lots of

tailers, jumpers, sleepers and feeders, but when it comes to getting

a billfish to take a bait or crash on a lure the catching has not

been so good. The commercial swordfish fleet is enjoying a great

season with lots of spikebills being harvested off the east end of

San Clemente Island.

The latest word on albacore is that they are starting to make a

move north. There are some longfins still being caught inside the

Cortez Bank and on Friday there were reports of schooled up albies

southwest of the east end of San Clemente Island. The weather has

calmed down and good fishing should be on tap for anglers heading to

the outer banks this coming week.

Shark fishing is also improving with the warming of the sea temp

and an abundance of bait. Shane Robertson of Newport Beach, fishing

on board the six pack charter boat “Tail Chaser” operating out of the

Bongos Sportfishing Fleet in Newport, landed a 125-pound Mako shark

on Sunday. Makos have been sighted by private boaters and the

sportfishing fleet when heading out to the islands. Most of the Makos

have been small fish and captains are asking their passengers to

release any Mako weighing under 75 pounds and also suggesting that

all blue sharks be released no matter how big they might be in the

best interest of conserving the shark fishery off the Southland

coast.

Albacore are still stacked up along the 1000 Fathom curve all the

way up the Baja coastline, but they just are not in any hurry to get

within one day range of over night boats departing from Newport. This

outdoor writer headed to San Diego to join up with the Dana Wharf

Lady Anglers on a trip hosted by Daiwa aboard the deluxe mini-long

range sportfisher, First String. Captain Bradley Phillips targeted an

area about 155 miles south of Point Loma where it was limit fishing

during wide open stops on albacore weighing in the 25- to 30-pound

class. The sonar in the wheelhouse of this sportfisher was lit up

like a Christmas tree with all the fish around the boat. As far as

the eye could see there were foaming meatballs of albacore, bluefin

tuna on huge schools of anchovies making it a once in a lifetime

fishing experience for all anglers on board the limited load three

day trip. For booking reservations on a multi-day trip this season

call (949) 498-6149.

Sand bass are still being targeted by the sport fleet running

daily trips out of Davey’s Locker and Newport Landing Sportfishing.

The bite has been wide open now that the bass have moved into

shallower water. Twilight trips have been providing anglers with

limits of sand bass weighing up to 8 pounds and these evening trips

are a good way of getting out of the heat.