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By Zach Kucinski
As summer creeps ever closer upon lovely Southern California, so does the fun surface fishing that our summers are known for. When the waters south of Point Conception begin to warm up, local surface fish become more active. Popularly targeted among our local fish, the Paralabrax clathratus, or more commonly known as Calico Bass, become more active searching for forage. It is presumed that during the colder months, Calico Bass spend their time in fairly shallow water and often hold tight to bottom structure to keep them safe. However, these bass move up and out in the water column as they feel the water temperature begin to increase. They no longer cling to the bottom, they instead find refuge high in the kelp beds where they wait for traveling bait fish, such as anchovy and mackerel, to swim by the outskirts of the kelp. At this point the Calico makes its move and darts from its hiding place under the kelp and lunges towards the unsuspecting baitfish.
Calico Bass are a favorite among anglers, partly because there are so many ways to target them. You can try a fly lined live bait, or a verity of lures, swim baits and jigs. Another fish that local anglers love to target are barracuda. These slender slimy silver spectacles make for quite a fun summer day. They, like the Calico, can be targeted in many ways but many prefer throwing iron jigs to entice a bite. Often more challenging are the local yellowtail who too often become more active in the summer months. These elusive creatures will really test your tackle and your fishing knowledge.
Summer time often implies that offshore fishing will be at its best! Usually this means that the early summer months provide offshore anglers with chances at kelp paddy yellowtail and as the summer rolls forward, more variety can be found. Kelp paddy fishing is one of the trademarks of the Southern California offshore season. When the water warms up locally, kelp(which grows near shore) begins to break away. These strands of kelp often drift into each other and intertwine thus creating a large patch of drift kelp, or “paddy”. these kelp paddies can be as small as a the size of basketball or as large as bus. Because paddies are not rooted to the sea floor, they are subject to current and wind. They can be found many miles from land in open ocean. Like a single tree in a vest desert, kelp paddies provide shelter for bait fish, but also attract larger game fish who want to eat those bait fish. Dorado, Bonito, Yellowtail, Bluefin tuna fish, Yellowfin tuna fish, Albacore, and even the occasional Opah can all be found on kelp paddies. Fishermen and fisherwomen know that a good place to start looking for game fish is to start looking for these fish hotels. Once found, a paddy can be dry or hold countless fish. This makes the effort put into locating these paddies even more rewarding!
With summer coming soon, anglers all over are looking forward to a great fishing season!
