Newport Bay

[Bendo]

Went to the Harbor for a Float Tube Session with my Buddy Ian. I have 63 years on this Harbor and have it mostly figured out. If I say they are hitting 5 inch ZMan Streakz in Mud Minnow, on a 1/4 oz Jighead and I have some if you need one, you should prolly take it. He wanted a Halibut. In early January. I figured we were lucky to get a bite much less a few Bass flipping the docks. So Ian started fishing with a Drop Shot and a small Pearl Fluke and I got in the water with my Jig. I got hit on the First cast and my first Fish for 2026 was a Calico Bass. Not a monster by any means but it was the First of the Year for me. After that I landed 8 nice Spotted Bay Bass including two that were over 16 inches and fought like Fish twice their size. I fished inside and out in the Channel, but the fish were tight to pilings and seemed to hit the Jig after a lift and let fall to the bottom. Sometime I let it sit for 10 seconds before a hit. Ian followed up with Two Spotties if his own, but neither of us got an Early season Halibut The Santa Ana Wind picked up and blew us off the water after about 2 hours. It was in the forcast but we went out anyway, just in case it wouldn’t be fierce. It was, and started blowing the tops off the whitecaps in the Bay, blowing spray on my glasses a few times. We got off the water and had a quick coupon Lunch at Dell Taco, nothing better than after Tube lunch at 2/1 prices! All that kicking certainly leaves you calorie deficient.