Went to OB this morning to stock up on bait. The end of the pier was completely dead. Plenty of people trying for bonito/macks, but I didn't see any caught. I dropped my bait to the bottom and caught one small scorpionfish.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4336/37275196301_5f0043720b_c.jpg)
Switched to the middle of the pier around high tide and saw people catching a few mackerel. It took me longer than I'd like to admit before I got one.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4370/37245900022_059639cb32_c.jpg)
I lost a few macks to my sabiki hooks being bit off. The hooks were too small for mackerel, but they did succeed in hooking 3 or 4 anchovies, which is a new lifer for me. (#477) :D
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4360/37275195971_59b2672b5c_c.jpg)
I also caught 3 or 4 small topsmelt. Everything went in the cooler to be used as bait for something in the future. The macks disappeared, and I had to go move my car, so I took a break.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4422/37245899052_cc50bbc0d8_c.jpg)
When I came back I decided to poke around the rocks and tidepools near the base of the pier. I fished along a concrete retaining wall and loaded up on about 10 opaleye. I really do hope they work as shark bait, haha. I also caught 3 largemouth blennies, the species that just recently showed up in CA waters. It's native in Mexico.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4433/37275195791_3afba1ea4c_c.jpg)
The tidepools were really cool. I ended up catching over a dozen sculpin and a few blennies and juvenile opaleye.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4500/37275195381_f32c31136a_c.jpg)
Here's a rockpool blenny, a species I caught last year.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4462/37019356820_e05a733bdf_c.jpg)
And an underwater shot showing the cirri on his head standing up.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4378/37245891552_ef1960321f_c.jpg)
Here's what the average sculpin looked like. I think the species is woolly sculpin. (#478)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4410/37019354810_d8332ede34_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4360/37245895812_cb22ebc5b1_c.jpg)
A few of them were bigger and darker though. I'm guessing they were breeding males of the same species.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4400/37245889142_8eb11efd83_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4466/37245890722_5a277b7562_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4489/37019355360_ef0897a3ec_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4392/37245889872_97bc2f8927_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4362/37019354420_a21b37640d_c.jpg)
I also did a few underwater shots. Here's my favorite.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4331/37019358030_24cbf00ed7_c.jpg)
Some fresh bait came home in the cooler (even though it wasn't much), and I added two new lifers. That's a successful trip in my book.
Great report. What are you taking your pics with?
Cool report Ben!
What gear do you use for the little guys?
Olympus TG-5 and Mustad #14 caddis fly hook with a little piece of shrimp.
http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/mustad-signature-caddis-fly-hook-model-c49s
8)
Thanks Ben!
Glad to see you made the most of your trip to the pier. Maybe the opaleye will turn out to be the exotic bait to catch next big shark. ;)
That's cool Ben! Those blennies are great bass and hali bait.
: Pinoyfisher September 24, 2017, 07:55:34 p
That's cool Ben! Those blennies are great bass and hali bait.
It would be pretty easy to load up a bucket/cooler with live ones and then take them to your fishing spot.
Great report Ben. You are going to fillin all the gaps for the Southern California list. I wonder how many SoCal species as a group (P-Soul) we could get if we grouped them all together?