[JSea]

Last night / this morning was the first time Larry has been able
to get the bait boat out in over 2 weeks. He worked with the MDR
sportfishing bait boat and the Redondo sportfishing bait boat to
cover the whole SMB. They even went around each corner outside the
north and south portions of SMB. Bottom line is no bait found at all.

There hasnâ??t been a sardine in the receivers for almost 1 month.

Larry told me the water temp is fine for this time of the year and
condition are the same as in years past, but thereâ??s no bait to be
found. I guess you really donâ??t know what you have â??til itâ??s gone.
I can definitely snag my own bait, but given the current SITCH this
might prove futile also.

So who is hiding the bait?

Will someone please do the fin-bait dance, sprinkle some Sardine
dust, and put a mojo on the conditions so the fin-bait will return
to SMB.

[blink]Fin-bait please comeback to SMB.
Fin-bait please comeback to SMB.
Fin-bait please comeback to SMB. [/blink]

Yes I just clicked my heels 3 times.

Anyone snag Smelt or Mackerel lately?
If yes, what the best location to find them?

John.
Parker 2320 'FloMar'.

 

[Peashooter]

John,
Last weekend I did run over what looked like anchovies near Topanga but I'm sure if Larry and friends couldn't find them it must be really bad. The bay should be teaming with life. What happened?

 

[Wideopen]

I don't know about SMB, but here is a shot from the Shell dock, in NB this morning, getting loaded up by the Pamela Rose, courtesy of JD.

 

[JSea]

Hey Bill . .

Can you find out if the load of bait was Anchovies or Sardines?

I know L.A. Harbor Bait was even having trouble finding Sardines for a number of weeks recently.

John.
Parker 2320 'FloMar'.

 

[Wideopen]

Just called, they have both, and Fuel is $2.69 for Red Dye.

 

[oceanjake]

$2.69? not too bad! (can't believe i just said that....)

during the derby we snagged all the bait we could need and then some. not sure if it's still available but we were able to raise nice 6-7" smelt thick enough to scoop with a bait net using a couple underwater lights in A basin off the back of the boat. while drifting for halibut we stumbled on a HUGE area about a mile square with sporadic mini macs breaking the surface. we probably put a hundred in the tanks and only stopped because we had more than enough.

my humble advice is this: when the bait situation is enough of an issue to hinder your fishing for REAL fish, there's nothing wrong with sweetening your ability to snag fish. in other words, put squid strips on your bait rigs and hang a chum bucket over the side to help raise bait.

oh....that large area of macs was right over the beginning of redondo canyon in about 120' of water.

good luck.

 

[JSea]

Thanks for getting the information Bill!

I hope to go fishing tomorrow.

YOU have a great weekend!

John.