I just got back from Dana Point Harbor with 2 small catches. Being new to fishing, I really have no idea what kind of fish this is. I’ll post some pictures up, but in brief:
I went around 9:30PM during the low tide and used squid as bait. Tied a 1.5 oz. sinker to the end of the line, and a hook about 24" away. I cut up the squid into 1" pieces.
At first, I was casting further into the harbor without much luck. Caught a ray/skate over the weekend by casting further into the harbor. Today I tried the same thing without much luck, but decided to cast into the shallower end and was able to catch this fish:
Can someone please help me identify this fish?
Also, are there any other techniques associated with fishing in a harbor (or if you have direct experience with Dana Point Harbor, have any pointers?)
Well thanks for reading. I may head out again tomorrow an hour or two before high tide to test out my luck.
That fish is a young Barred Sand Bass, hope you let it go because they have to be 12 inches long to keep. There are Spotted Sand Bass in the same areas of the harbor, that look similar but with dark black spots all over. I wish everybody would just throw those back because once they settle on a spot they stay there until somebody kills them , then no more fish there . Maybe for years…and because they feed so heavely on Razor Clams they are full of Mercury and other heavy metals
If your casting is good, then you can use leadheads and plastics. 1/4 to 3/8 oz lead heads are the best size. 3 or 4inch FishTraps or Big Hammers are good. Channel Island Chovy work good in that area as well as Halloween. The Calicos will hit nice on Chartruese and clear with red pepper flake.
