With the cost of gas and all, I have resolved to fish closer to home more often. So today found me frequenting my old stomping grounds at Dana Point. Got a late start and launched at around 7:15. The water was 65 degrees and quite turbid. Visibility is around 3-4 feet, or maybe even less. A modest uphill current, which was welcome indeed, since I wanted to target bass. Light offshore wind, that clocked around later and started to build around 11:00. Mid-sized swell and minimal wind chop.
Went to some structure that I have marked over the years. Sure enough, the bass like the same old places they always did. Had a slow pick for a couple of hours that included some calicos and 2 juvenile WSB. Most of the bass were around 15-16 inches, and the WSB were more like 17 inches. Did hook into one really nice bass, so I brought him on board for a photo opportunity:
I estimate him at 20+ inches and 5+ pounds. Biggest bass I've caught in a while. I suspect I enjoyed the picture more than he did, but he seemed pleased to rejoin his scaley friends and maintain the brood stock.
Everthing caught on a lead head with curly tailed grubs, in either off-white or chartruse. The fish were up in the water column, sometimes taking the lure on the drop, and sometimes on the retrieve.
Back to the harbor by 11:00, so I missed out on the building wind.
It's nice to see that the warmer water has brought some of the bigger models out to play.
David