Fishing Outside of NewPort Harbor - Tips On How To Do It

[jruiz]

Originally Posted by OCPhisher

With no fishfinder that's a sound strategy. Just head out past the buoy (100 yds or more) drop a line and drift. If no nibbles then reset your drift but go out 50 yds further (deeper).

I'd make sure to have up to 8 or 10 oz sinkers with you too just in case current is ripping. But I'm typically using 4 to 8 oz.

I seem to get more bites south of the harbor opening too.

I've never used live bait (mostly gulp mullets and squid strips for bottomfishing) but last year I know some folks were catching nice sized lings on live bait. I've tried pinning a lizard fish (bycatch) on a hook and sending down but haven't caught anything exciting yet.

You can also troll live bait inside the harbor. I know of some decent sized halibut caught doing that. But you'll have to contend with the sea lions.

Good luck!

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If you go far enough you'll be fishing >360ft for rockfish. I hear the deeper the tastier.

If you don't have a fishfinder, at least be familiar with the area you are fishing. You can be in the canyon less than a mile from the mouth of the harbor and be illegally fishing for rockfish.

[OCPhisher]

Originally Posted by jruiz

If you go far enough you'll be fishing >360ft for rockfish. I hear the deeper the tastier.

If you don't have a fishfinder, at least be familiar with the area you are fishing. You can be in the canyon less than a mile from the mouth of the harbor and be illegally fishing for rockfish.

Excellent point. Thanks for posting that. I've got FF and haven't ventured further out than getting to around 290 ft or so.

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[Edwardduran117]

Thanks for the info!! I'm trying to target lingcod next time I go out do you guys know any specific spots to land on them?

[DPevin]

Check the surf report before you go. There is suppose to be some swell this weekend. But it might miss newport.

[doggmann]

Illegally fishing for rockfish?

[YakDout]

Originally Posted by doggmann

Illegally fishing for rockfish?

Depth restrictions for rockfishing.

[doggmann]

Take is prohibited seaward of the 60 fathom depth contour (360 feet), defined in Federal regulations (50 CFR Part 660, Subpart C)