[PE SEARAY30]

This is my first post although I've been enjoying the great comraderie and info for months. Hope this works!

If fishing from the Newport area where would I go to catch sanddabs?
Huntington Flats?

Any suggestions on rigging?

Anyway, though I prefer "gamefishing", I read last week that local fishing for sanddabs was wide open. When I was a kid, we used to fish Monterey Bay and catch 3-5 on every drop, then go home and sautee up these tender delicious morsels.

I have a couple of kids that love to be on the water and catching anything really makes it a stellar day. However, they have been disappointed when we've released mackerel and leopard sharks and wonder if anything is really edible out there.

We bought our boat a year ago and have fished out of Newport for the last year but, red tide or whatever it didn't seem to be a very productive year for us (I've been fishing locally for 10 years, mostly out of Dana). Until this last year I've had success with local sandy's, calico's, occasional WSB and halibut and tuna in season, but I've never seen sanddabs in Orange County waters.

 

[Peashooter]

Hey Matt,
Welcome to the boards. Though I have never fished them I believe the 9 mile oil rigs off Huntington have been known to produce pretty well on the dabs. I know there are some regulars here at AC that will have more info. The topic has come up a few times in the past. Good luck and remember rockfish are out of season.

 

[Guest]

For me, I fish for them at MDR because they are a great fall back fish on a slow day, kids seem to have a great time catching them, and my wife and I love the yummy little guys. I have excellent success in water 200' or deeper, flat bottom, near structure seems better, but not necessary. I use a Sabiki, and tip the hooks with very small bits of squid. If the Dabs are there, they usually jump on board immediatly, smaller ones thrown back seem to go right back down.
Good luck, have fun
Don T

 

[nexusenv]

Peashooter is right on the money. Head out to the rigs and stay on the north-west side of the oil rigs that are joined by a catwalk. The water is roughly 200 feet deep and the bottom is loaded with sanddabs. If you get shallower than 150 feet you will start to catch a lot of tom cod; the sanddabs are still there but get beat out to the bait. Use a typical rockcod rig with small strips of squid. The current will dictate how much weight you will need to get the rig to the bottom. The bite is instant. Be sure to stay in the shallow end of the rigs and use small pices of squid so as not to catch to many rockfish. You should be able to get the kids into fish within minutes.

Chris

 

[blackfish]

pshooter and dfish are right on.

Go between the middle and the farthest south outer rig in 200-225 feet...sand bottom...sabinki rig will work fine, ....make sure it is stronger test line then your typical small bait version,as you may get hung up on some small structure and get busted off. or small hooks on dropper loops with squid strips, and a 5-8 oz sinker

 

[jb4lcm]

I'll salute your first post with more data on da dabs . . .

If you should find yourself at Catalina, they are all along the East side as well. I have found them THICK in 200+ feet of water south of Long Point. I've even heard of a dab rig that used a friggin bicycle rim with 15 hooks hanging off it and one heavy line in the middle crankin it to the surface! However, I don't know about the legalitites of such a contraption . . .

I've even gigged em with a hawaiian sling while snorkling in the rocks in South Laguna. (And YES - I kicked my wallet all the way to NORTH Laguna before I picked it up! )


Have fun!


JB

 

[Big Tin]

More details on the dinner preparation please? Did you fillet them or cook them whole? If whole, were the bones a problem?

 

[jb4lcm]

I always fillet them - just like a butt. No bones about it, it's work - but well worth.

Hot skillet, butter, fresh garlic, squeeze of lemon and a dash of pepper, 30 seconds a side and yer DONE!

JB

 

[Pelagic Hunter]

It's easier to cut the heads off, dip em in flour, throw them in a hot pan with olive oil in it. They do have a lot of small bones, but they are tastey.