North County trips.

[Everydog]

Back to Del Mar yesterday for several hours of afternoon incoming. Pretty good tide for there. It often fishes well around 2.5 to 4.5 feet; on other tides, it sets up well too. I stopped at H market to buy a few clams and two small squid. The waves weren't too big, but it was super churned up. I caught 1 perch on clams pretty quickly, then switched to a smallish piece of squid, and not too many casts later, hooked a big fish. It ran straight out, and it seemed like I turned him after about 30 yards. I made up about two yards, and it sawed me off. What fish bolts straight out fast for deep water that's much bigger than your typical fish? Not a great fishing day, other than that rush. Lots of bites on the squid, but probably mostly perch and little croaker. I know sharks and rays like it. To me, this fish shot out different from one of those, but still, good guesses. Now seeing some spotfin and corbina.

[Neuroshima]

I was at Del Mar yesterday too, fishing the morning incoming tide. My guess is that it was a corbina. I saw several of them swimming up cuts onto crab beds between 20th and 27th Street.

[Midnightpass]

Back to Del Mar yesterday for several hours of afternoon incoming. Pretty good tide for there, if fish are good around 2.5 to 4.5 feet, other times it sets up good. I stopped at H market to buy a few clams and two small squid. The waves weren't too big, but it was super churned up. I caught 1 perch on clams pretty quickly, then switched to a smallish piece of squid, and not too many casts later, hooked a big fish. It ran straight out, and it seemed like I turned him after about 30 yards. I made up about two yards, and it sawed me off. What fish bolts straight out fast for deep water that's much bigger than your typical fish? Not a great fishing day, other than that rush. Lots of bites on the squid, but probably mostly perch and little croaker. I know sharks and rays like it. To me, this fish shot out different from one of those, but still, good guesses. Now seeing some spotfin and corbina.

Usually the corbina I catch go up and down the beach, not so much straight out ... Maybe a big spotfin, but they usually do some bull dogging... A SNGF are mostly a hard strong pull, not so fast... How about a striper?... Go back with some heavier gear and give it another shot...
Butch

[Everydog]

Back to Del Mar yesterday for several hours of afternoon incoming. Pretty good tide for there, if fish are good around 2.5 to 4.5 feet, other times it sets up good. I stopped at H market to buy a few clams and two small squid. The waves weren't too big, but it was super churned up. I caught 1 perch on clams pretty quickly, then switched to a smallish piece of squid, and not too many casts later, hooked a big fish. It ran straight out, and it seemed like I turned him after about 30 yards. I made up about two yards, and it sawed me off. What fish bolts straight out fast for deep water that's much bigger than your typical fish? Not a great fishing day, other than that rush. Lots of bites on the squid, but probably mostly perch and little croaker. I know sharks and rays like it. To me, this fish shot out different from one of those, but still, good guesses. Now seeing some spotfin and corbina.

Usually the corbina I catch go up and down the beach, not so much straight out ... Maybe a big spotfin, but they usually do some bull dogging... A SNGF are mostly a hard strong pull, not so fast... How about a striper?... Go back with some heavier gear and give it another shot...
Butch

Likely bigger, I think, Butch. It was brute strength sensed on a rod with backbone. I agree, it could have been a very big one, though. My experience with losing big corbina and spotfin has been of the hook-pulling, not sawed-off variety. But we know, one can never claim a solid answer on these big ones that got away stories. You said "how about a striper", I have thought about that with this one and one that seemed stronger that broke off the same way, just above the hook, in that case, since I was out beyond the reef at low tide, grunion run day after, I thought it might have been a yellowtail or WSB... never know. I hope it happens a third time and I land one.

[Perch killer]

I was at Del Mar yesterday too, fishing the morning incoming tide. My guess is that it was a corbina. I saw several of them swimming up cuts onto crab beds between 20th and 27th Street.

Crab beds ? Big enough to piggyback on to a 6 or 8 ? I haven't seen any visible beds over the past several weeks at Mission or PB; still just micros under the pier. Thinking of heading north next time out.

[Mike A]

Thanks for the report. Seems like a bass more than a corbina in my 1 yr of fishing North County

[Everydog]

I was at Del Mar yesterday too, fishing the morning incoming tide. My guess is that it was a corbina. I saw several of them swimming up cuts onto crab beds between 20th and 27th Street.

How was the bite up that way? If you don't mind, what are you using for bait while the crabs are still small?

[Neuroshima]

I was at Del Mar yesterday too, fishing the morning incoming tide. My guess is that it was a corbina. I saw several of them swimming up cuts onto crab beds between 20th and 27th Street.

How was the bite up that way? If you don't mind, what are you using for bait while the crabs are still small?

I am fly fishing for them.

@Perch killer , The bait guys I came across were able to find decent size sand crabs that would fit on a size 8 hook. Not a lot though. The beds I saw had micro crabs in them, but I just kicked them up with my feet and not dig for them. The guys said they were not easy to find but they still had maybe two or three handfuls of grape size crabs.

One of them said he got nine corbina in the morning, and he spotted a monster bean.

[Midnightpass]

One of them said he got nine corbina in the morning, and he spotted a monster bean.

Nine corbina is crazy... I've had days like that, but not in years...
Butch

[Neuroshima]

One of them said he got nine corbina in the morning, and he spotted a monster bean.

Nine corbina is crazy... I've had days like that, but not in years...
Butch

I'd like to get nine in a season!

[bdb74]

5-1-26. South of the South jetty of the North entrance to Hedionda Lagoon. There was structure, a trench about 8-10" deep a few feet from shore. There was one bed of sandcrabs. I dipped my hand in at random and pulled up 3. One was the size of a large thumb, the other 2 good bait size. I saw a stingray and something brown or gray, about 18". No bites. Almost every cast came back with grass or stuff that looked like red lettuce. The 18 incher followed my rig and then veered away. The lure had a spot of red lettuce on it on that cast. I was using a C-rig with 1" curly tail grubs. 5-2-26 North of the North jetty of the North entrance to the lagoon I caught 1 4" BSP off the jetty. The seaweed was so awful I had to look down and cast to sandy looking spots. We need a good big tide to wash this seaweed away or it's not worth going.

[bdb74]

5-3-26: Most of the seaweed was gone but only two bites, felt like perch.

[Mike A]

Went out yesterday afternoon about 2 pm with the wife just to go to the beach. Passed a guy leaving, he said seaweed was relentless. Got up to the water, saw a small bed of crabs. Grabbed a couple of dime size crabs. Set up chairs and then walked back to the car to get a rod. Had a 7’ rod with 6lb test in the car. Seaweed was brutal. Tied on a longer C-rig to keep seaweed near weight away from hook as best I could. Caught 1 small perch after about 15 minutes. Couldn’t take the seaweed any longer. Took about an hour break. Couldn’t find any more decent size crabs. Used camo gulp, another small perch. Hardly could see him with the seaweed draped on him.

[jwacky]

Went out yesterday afternoon about 2 pm with the wife just to go to the beach. Passed a guy leaving, he said seaweed was relentless. Got up to the water, saw a small bed of crabs. Grabbed a couple of dime size crabs. Set up chairs and then walked back to the car to get a rod. Had a 7’ rod with 6lb test in the car. Seaweed was brutal. Tied on a longer C-rig to keep seaweed near weight away from hook as best I could. Caught 1 small perch after about 15 minutes. Couldn’t take the seaweed any longer. Took about an hour break. Couldn’t find any more decent size crabs. Used camo gulp, another small perch. Hardly could see him with the seaweed draped on him.

Yuck, that's the worst. Glad you were able to catch a few, though!

[Midnightpass]

Went out yesterday afternoon about 2 pm with the wife just to go to the beach. Passed a guy leaving, he said seaweed was relentless. Got up to the water, saw a small bed of crabs. Grabbed a couple of dime size crabs. Set up chairs and then walked back to the car to get a rod. Had a 7’ rod with 6lb test in the car. Seaweed was brutal. Tied on a longer C-rig to keep seaweed near weight away from hook as best I could. Caught 1 small perch after about 15 minutes. Couldn’t take the seaweed any longer. Took about an hour break. Couldn’t find any more decent size crabs. Used camo gulp, another small perch. Hardly could see him with the seaweed draped on him.

You got a couple on a tough day... Well done...
Butch

[Everydog]

Real quick, it was nasty at Del Mar yesterday, so yes, Skunk. The water was so churned up and current ripping, with bad seaweed, especially closer to reefs; it might have been better north. I was at 11th to lifeguard tower 15, and it was cleaner near the tower. The crabs are plenty and small, but would be usable in calmer, cleaner water. I didn't see a single fish in skinny water.
Normally, I would have screened this day out using Surfline, but some out-of-town acquaintances wanted me to take their son fishing. I ended up cutting his hook off and giving him casting lessons and practice, and he had fun at that. The visit with his parent and his enjoyment of becoming an angler saved the day.
No other anglers out there, and that makes total sense.
Better days are coming. Tight lines.

[Midnightpass]

Real quick, it was nasty at Del Mar yesterday, so yes, Skunk. The water was so churned up and current ripping, with bad seaweed, especially closer to reefs; it might have been better north. I was at 11th to lifeguard tower 15, and it was cleaner near the tower. The crabs are plenty and small, but would be usable in calmer, cleaner water. I didn't see a single fish in skinny water.
Normally, I would have screened this day out using Surfline, but some out-of-town acquaintances wanted me to take their son fishing. I ended up cutting his hook off and giving him casting lessons and practice, and he had fun at that. The visit with his parent and his enjoyment of becoming an angler saved the day.
No other anglers out there, and that makes total sense.
Better days are coming. Tight lines.

You get lottsa attaboys for helping the boy out….
Butch

[Mike A]

Went this morning. Waited to rain to go thru. Started fishing about 6:30. I thought I was so smart. Didn’t see a lot of salad on the beach, yes incoming tide. Tried LC for 3 casts, plenty of salad. Went on the hunt for crabs. Found a few beds with mainly small crabs. Managed a few big enough for a crab meatball. Caught only 1 perch. Left about 8:30. Saw 3 others fishing, didn’t notice them catch a fish. Rainbow was pretty cool,

[Midnightpass]

Mike, the rainbow was worth wading through the slow fishing…
Butch

[bdb74]

A few recent trips have resulted in a few nibbles and one 4" BSP. I worked a reef at Tamarack for two hours with 1 and 2 inch curly tail grubs in a number of colors for 4 nibbles. There is very little structure in the sand. The sand crab beds are small and the crabs are the size of a medium pillbug. I saw only one other angler and he was getting nothing. The waves were pretty bad this past week and there was enough seaweed to be annoying but not a major problem. No bites fishing from the jetty. I did see a stingray feeding on sand crabs when it passed a few inches from me on its way to deeper water. No birds eating fish, no sea lions.