Hello everyone, it’s been a minute hasn’t it? I’m soooo happy to be able to write again. I won’t get into it, but it’s been a comedy of errors with various technical difficulties related to the website. Hopefully, now that we’re back online, it stays that way and we can get into a regular groove.

I figured since it’s been awhile, I’d catch you all up via a Top 10 update. As a reminder, I created my Top 10 as a means to encourage people to step out of their comfort zone and enjoy all the various spots and types of fishing our fishery has to offer.

Let’s get into it…

#1 Yellowtail

After 2 failed Coronado Island trips, I caught my first yellows of the year aboard the New Seaforth morning halfie (above) which was pretty awesome. I only had a light bass setup (Fishing Syndicate FSG Inshore 800XL, Tranx 300, 30# braid to 30# fluoro), but made it work going 2 for 2 on the yellows with flylined sardines.

On July 13th and 14th, I went on an EPIC 2-day trip aboard the New Hustler out of Hook’s Landing in Oxnard, CA, with Capt. Jace Malone.

I caught 2 yellows the morning of Monday, July 13, including the first gamefish of the trip using a high dropper loop on 40# and live squid. But the highlight of the trip was catching this one on Day 2. We got into a ridiculous bite to end the trip that included me catching a halibut and a limit of white seabass.

I was done and I went into the galley to have a beer. As I was drinking it, I thought to myself, “I still haven’t caught a fluke seabass, I should give that a try.” But instead of hooking into a seabass, I hooked into this monster yellow. It’s only the second yellow ever that I’ve caught in the 40+ lb class!

Caught using the Fishing Syndicate S-Glass 90J paired with a Tranx 500. 1.5 oz leadhead with the Nomad Design 7″ Live Ops Jerksquid (below)

#2 Tuna

still chasing

#3 White Seabass

Again on that New Hustler trip July 14th, the first of 3 (3 for 5).

Caught using the Fishing Syndicate FSC 800M, Trinidad 16A, 30# mono to 30# fluoro high dropper loop setup on live squid

#4 Halibut

I had a prime opportunity to fish with Capt. Tucker McCombs of the Endeavor out of Ventura Harbor Sportfishing, during the Golden Window (3 days before and after a new or full moon) for white seabass. Tucker found the fish, but they just didn’t want to go. We netted out 2 bites for one fish for the whole trip. As a consolation though, I got the first gamefish of the trip when Tucker decided to switch up and do some halibut drifts. I didn’t want to re-rig my high dropper loop setup, so to compensate for the height, I casted out so that the angle lowered the height of the bait. It worked!

Caught using the Fishing Syndicate FSC 800M and Trinidad 16A, 30# mono to 30# fluoro, on live squid.

#5 Lingcod

Caught using the Fishing Syndicate FSC 800M, and Penn Fathom 25 Levelwind, 40# braid to 30# single dropper leader and a live mackerel.

Same trip on the Endeavor as the halibut. The seabass didn’t want to play, so Tucker went outside to do some rockfish drifts. Once we were full up on rockfish, Tucker took us to a lingcod spot and it produced. Pictured with my buddy, galley cook, Rob Kramer.

#6 Saltwater Bass

I rode the Thunderbird with Capt. Jeff Markland out of Davey’s Locker Sportfishing in Newport Beach, CA for the rockfish opener (April 1st). Once we were done on rockfish, we had time to fish the kelp off San Clemente Island. At one point, there were no sardines in the handwells, just a big ol’ salami mackerel. Never be afraid to fish the big bait! I pinned it on and was rewarded with this nice calico bass that weighed in at just over 4 lbs.

Caught on the Fishing Syndicate FSG Inshore 900L, Trinidad 14A, 40# braid to 30# mono.

#7 Corbina

Corbina aka the Ghost of the Surf, the only surf fish in the annual Top 10 list.

May/June is typically one of the best times to target halibut from the shore at Estero Beach (Ensenada). Unfortunately, there was a serious lack of fin bait in the water at that time. Reports were that all the bait was in the back of the estuary and a combination of halibut and spotfin croaker were getting caught back there.

Since halibut wasn’t happening off the beach, I decided to see if corbina and spotfin were cruising the dropoff at the edge of the beach. I had to import sand crabs from in front of my place in Rosarito, but the effort was worth it!

Caught using the Fishing Syndicate FSG Bass 800M, with a Daiwa Laguna LT 4000, 10# mono topshot to 6# fluoro leader, size 6 Owner Mosquito hook.

#8 California Sheephead aka That Damn Fish

May 1st, I rode the Grande with Capt. Tyler Winslow out of H&M Landing (San Diego) to chase yellowtail at the Coronado Islands. We only had one opportunity, the very first stop of the day. I dropped in a Salas 6x, hooked up and then somehow went light. When I reeled in, I found that the bottom hole on the jig where the hook was attached had broken (below). Ugh.

Towards the end of the trip, we did some rockfish drifts and I scored this sheephead for my consolation prize.

Caught using the Fishing Syndicate FSC 900L, Lexa 300 with 40# braid to a 30# mono leader, to a Nomad Design 80gram Streaker jig in pink/white.

#9 Barracuda

Monday July 27th, I rode on the Vendetta 2 out of H&M Landing (San Diego) with Capt. Ray Summer to chase yellowtail at the Coronado Islands.

One of the challenges this summer with El Nino really kicking in has been the spotty availability of sardines. There is a lot of anchovy around, but it’s been really small. This trip had no sardines. So while the anchovy is great to get fish boiling on the surface, the yellows were so keyed in on the small bait, that I couldn’t buy a bite on a full size jig. I tried to go smaller throwing a Nomad Design Ridgeback, but no takers.

At one point though, close to the islands, we got into a good cuda bite and I got a couple, on the jig (as required for the Top 10) to cross this fish off the list.

Caught using the Fishing Syndicate S-Glass 90J, Tranx 500, and a mint sardine Salas J-Pot surface iron.

#10 Rockfish

Nice red caught on the Thunderbird during the rockfish opener.

Caught using the Fishing Syndicate FSC 800M, Penn Fathom 25 levelwind, with 40# braid to 30# mono single dropper leader

So pretty good, 9 out of 10 heading into the last 4 months of the year. I haven’t even been offshore yet, so plenty of time to get a tuna and complete the list.

Good luck if you get out there.