Monthly Archives: December 2017

Clams and the MLPA

CLAMS AND THE MLPA

Fishing with clams and clearing the water

This time of year always brings me a laugh.  A few years ago when my son was on the surfing team he came home one day with a story about a young surfer who was thrown from her board, hit the bottom, and came up with a face full of clams.  I hurriedly drove him to school and made my way to the beach where I caught a handful of spotfin croaker right at her clam spot.

October and November have always been great months for fishing with clams for corbina and spawning spotfin croaker.  By this time surf fish are stuffed with sand crabs and as fall comes around they tend to search for other bait to forage and prepare for winter.  Clams spawn at this time of year and become one of the favorite foods for surf BAIT 12 11fish.  But besides being used for fall surf baits clams may also be one of the answers to improving our fishery and eventually limiting MLPA closures.

Here’s the truth:  The MLPA closures were put in place with very little science to back the claim that decreasing fish stocks were created by fishermen.  In fact, nothing scientific or plausible was put forward to explain the decline at all.  What’s worse is that the program is so woefully under-funded that there is not nearly enough money for ongoing research to determine if the closures are working and making the resource more productive and sustainable.

The dirty little secret that politicians and activists don’t discuss is that the recreational angler has nothing to do with a decrease in fish stocks or habitat.  It’s not fisherman but unbridled growth that has lead to diminishing the clarity of local waters and therewith fish stocks along the coast.

Both Los Angles and Orange County have a long history of dumping.  From 1892 until the completion of full secondary treatment on November 23, 1998 the Hyperion Plant located in El Segundo dumped billions of gallons of untreated raw sewage each year directly into the Santa Monica Bay.

littleneck clams (2)In addition, every time it rains millions of gallons of oil, radiator fluid, gasoline, trash and other carcinogens are washed off the streets from every county in Southern California and sent untreated into the ocean.  Even without rain the Hyperion plant discharges enough treated sewage everyday to fill the Rose Bowl to the rafters!

South of the Hyperion, the Orange County Sanitation District works to complete their secondary facilities but still dumps enough primary treated sewage into the ocean off Huntington Beach to fill an area the size of Newport Beach’s back bay.  Most of the sewage there is treated with bleach, which is also discharged into the ocean.

These water quality issues and the removal of natural marine estuaries mean it’s not the fisherman’s fault. The fisherman didn’t create this problem. It’s the result of water pollution, urban sprawl, inept management, corruption and neglect that have put our ocean at risk.

So why is water quality so important?  In the 1930′s most of the Santa Monica Bay’s water was crystal clear but as effluents from sewage and urban runoff filled the bay the water became turbid.  Because of the lack of light that reaches the bottom, the basic building block of marine environments (simple marine algae) is unable to grow.  As a result, there is less food for the smallest of marine creatures so they move or die off.  In return, the larger bait fish and other marine creatures leave the area to find a new place to forage.  So once the essential building block of the ocean is gone most fish leave with it.

LITTLE NECK CLAMSBy allowing sewage (treated or not) and urban runoff to find its way to the ocean, turbid water rather than clear water, does not provide enough sunlight to sustain the fragile marine environment.  Over fishing has very little to do with a lower biomass of marine creatures as does the toxic nature of the runoff.  The biggest culprit by far has been the increased turbidity that does not allow light to penetrate the ocean in order to spawn basic algae–the essential building block of any marine environment.

Recently, scientists at both Stanford University and the University of Maryland have found that filtration from farm raised clams has contributed directly to a reduction in water turbidity, improvement in light penetration, increases in oxygen and the removal of nitrogen (a byproduct of gardening, agriculture and big cities).

The EPA has recognized the benefits of shellfish and the University of Rhode Island published a study last year in the Journal of Shellfish Research that shows the improvements to water quality also increase the diversity of marine life.

Bivalves like clams and oysters filter water at an average of about 15 gallons per day per.  So setting up fields of farm raised clams and oysters can have a dramatic effect on water clarity.  For example, a one acre parcel of ocean bottom lined with shell fish in polyester mesh bags would produce approximately 8,160,000 gallons of filtered water per day!

Besides their positive environmental effects bivalve farming would produce much needed food and jobs for California.  Aquaculture in Florida, just for bivalue farming alone, has produced more than $53,000,000 in revenue each year since 2012.

Placement of clam and oyster beds in river mouth areas like Ballona Creek and local harbor entrances will have an immediate effect by increasing water clarity and helping to mitigate urban runoff.  At some point sensible, well-funded marine life closures may help us better understand the nuances of the ocean.  But until we clean the water and provide a more sustainable environment marine life will not be able to achieve acceptable management levels.

LITTLENECK CLAMSSo, at least that gives us an excuse that until changes are made we’ll just have to use clams to catch surf fish.   Some of my favorite bivalves for fishing include little neck clams(Protothaca staminea), cockles(Clinocardium californiense) and Pacific razor clams(Siliqua patula).

Clams seem to work their best in the months of October through December.  As a clue to what fish are eating I look for beds of small orange and white bean clams (Donax gouldii) that form near the low tide mark in huge beds.  You can usually find these in October and although they are not the clams we use for bait, it lets us know this is what the fish are eating.

The best place to find these clams (with the exception of razor clams) is in inlet areas that are flushed by daily tides.  Harbors, inlets, estuaries and any marine environment where saltwater washes over rocks is a good place to look. Most clams occur near or under rocks.

I look for areas that have small rocks (about the size of a shoe box) and turn them over.  By using a small hand cultivator you can turn over the mud and sand near the rocks and find clams.  I use gloves and the cultivator because of the many barnacles on the rocks and sharp objects in the sand.

For razor clams stay away from the rocks and concentrate on sand and mud flats inside harbors and estuaries.  This is where you will find razor clams anywhere from one to three feet below the surface.  By using a shovel you can cover a larger area and sift through the muck to find razors for bait.

CLAM SPOTFIN wonThe best tide to find clams is always low tide. This allows you to harvest an area that is covered by water at high tide.  As with collecting most types of bait, go down to your local harbor or inlet to explore and dig around at low tide.  You will be amazed at what you find and you’ll know exactly where to go when you next need bait.

When you’re finished hunting the elusive clam replace the rocks and try to leave the spot as undisturbed as possible.  Just
take what you will need for a couple of days of fishing.

Clams will last in your refrigerator for about one week.  Be sure they are in a tight container.  I open clams at the beach by crushing their shell with my pliers.  You may also open them at home the night before. Be sure to keep them in their own juice so they don’t dry out.

When you open clams you will find two distinct meats.  One meat is very soft and should be put on the hook first.  The other meat is very rubbery and is sometimes characterized by a bright orange color.  When using clams I like to employ the Carolina Rig.

Now it’s time to hook the clam.  Once you’ve opened the clam carefully pull out all of the meat.  First hook the soft part of the bait.  Then hook the rubbery (normally yellow or orange) section.  This will help the clam stay on your hook for a good cast.  Check your bait periodically to make sure it’s securely hooked.  You’ll find that clams are durable and work great for surfperch, corbina, yellowfin and spotfin croaker.

Fall months have always been a great time for using clams in the surf.  If you are collecting them yourself take a few moments to become familiar with the DFW rules by going to:  www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean .   Please take just what you need for bait and catch, photo and release whenever possible.

Candy Bait for Corbina

Candy Bait For Corbina

When spring rolls around corbina have been hole-up in bays, harbors and estuaries.  As the water warms they know it’s time to leave these safe confines and make their way to the beach.  As they spread out along the shore corbina search for the fine odor of fertile sand crabs and gorge themselves.  Weeks, then months go by and all they eat are crabs—wonderful crabs.  But like any good diet even the best foods get a bit dull and that’s where ghost shrimp replace prime crab rib with lobster.

GHOST SHRIMP BAITGhost shrimp have always been known as the “candy bait” of the surf.  Available in stores for decades shrimp are now flown in from half-way across the world or caught at your local estuary.  Although very few stores now carry ghosties you can still find them with a little patience and perseverance near harbors, bays and estuaries.

Ghost shrimp can be found in many places along the Southern California and Northern Baja coast.  Adult shrimp grow to about 4.5” and males tend to have one claw that is considerably larger than the other.  Most shrimp are from clear or even white (as with a grass shrimp) to orange and brown in color.

Shrimp enjoy living in sandy and muddy intertidal zones, bays and estuaries.  They call home inside burrows, which they share with other fish and invertebrates.  Their main meals consist of plankton and “detritus,” which consists of small pieces of organic plant and animal waste.

The best place to find shrimp (in addition to a few choice tackle stores) is along the shore of bays that contain exposed sand and mud flats.  Shrimp find it easiest to live in flats that are a combination of sand and mud–Most notably, an area where a 6” layer of mud has been deposited on top of a sand bar.  Low tide rising to a high tide seems to offer one of the best times to trap shrimp.

Look for shrimp under holes you find on the mud flats.  I like to try to find the holes that have a recent deposit of fresh sand around their opening.  Shrimp can be dug by hand, or most effectively, by using a hand suction pump.  You can purchase stainless steel pumps manufactured by Alvey, Australia, or you can build one yourself using parts purchased at your local hardware store.

Ghost Shrimp AquariumShrimp are best kept in the refrigerator inside a plastic container with or without salt water.  Look for them to live about 3 days without water and about a week with it.  I use a five-gallon plastic aquarium to keep my shrimp fresh.  Water can be kept cold by placing one or two frozen water bottles inside a five-gallon aquarium or by placing the aquarium itself in the refrigerator.

Rigging your surf fishing set up for a ghost shrimp is easy.  I like to use the Carolina rig tied to 6lb monofilament fished on an 8’ rod matched to a 2500 series-spinning reel.  The Carolina rig is nothing more than a sliding sinker, a bead, a swivel, 18”-36” of 6lb fluorocarbon leader and a super sharp hook.   I like to use a #4 kahle or #4 sproat hook for shrimp.  You can get a good look at the rig by visiting the “rigging” page on my site at fishthesurf.com.

Ghost shrimp are fragile and can be tricky to hook.  The biggest reason fishermen don’t use this bait is because it commonly flies off the hook while casting.  Here are a few tips to help you securely hook the shrimp so they can be easily delivered right to where the fish are.

Use a long shank worm hook or Kahle hook for shrimp.  Turn the bait on its back and insert the hook into the underside of the tail.  Carefully, feed the hook up the center of its body.  Exit the “business” end of the hook, to just above the barb, just below the shrimp’s head, (through the carapace between it’s legs).  This method of hooking does two things: First, it allows the bait to lie flat on your hook (When the bait is flat it doesn’t spin and looks natural).  Second, this helps to secure the bait to your hook and reduce the number of times the bait flies off during a cast.

When fishing for corbina keep in mind that they will be feeding very close to shore.  I find the best beach to fish is one that is sloping and goes from shallow to deep with a slight incline.  The best tide to fish for corbina is from low tide, up until high tide.  This way corbina ride each successive wave farther up the beach as it is covered by water in search of food.

I fish shrimp very close to shore.  Not only because you can’t cast them a mile but also because the fish are feeding in close.  As a result, I generally use a longer 4 or 6lb fluorocarbon leader (24”+) and a very light egg sinker.  Split shot or a sliding egg sinker up to ½ ounce (at the very most) is just enough to keep your bait in the zone.

After I cast out slowly retrieve your bait, always keeping tight to your sinker.  If you’ve found the right place to fish you have just cast over the inshore trough.  As you reel back toward shore your sinker will fall and “catch” the side of the trough.  STOP HERE.  This way your sinker is lodged in the shore side of the trough and your bait (on that 24”+ leader) is waving back and forth across the trough like a soldier on leave!  That’s a corbina super highway with a lobster thrashing in melted butter right in the middle of the road!

GHOST SHRIMP ALBINODon’t ever reel your bait in until you see the egg sinker hit the sand.  So many big ones have been caught in just inches of water and you don’t want to be the one who sees their corbina shrug it shoulders, wave a fin and swim away.

Finding Halibut at the Beach

 Finding Halibut at the Beach

ANDRE HALIBUTI’m often asked: what is the best tasting fish from the surf?  Well the truth is, I release all of my fish back into the water with one exception—the occasional legal halibut.  And it seems like I’m not alone.    California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (formerly Fish and Game) has stepped up their monitoring of halibut fishing this year in response to concerns about over fishing–All the result of so many anglers turning to halibut because of rockfish closures along the West Coast.

Fortunately, halibut fishing from the surf has been exceptional over the last four years.   In fact, it seems to be getting better every season.  In order to target halibut here are a few tips to help you find them at the beach.

Best Places to Find Halibut

Some of my favorite places to fish for halibut are along the open beach, around jetties and near estuaries and river mouths.

Open beaches offer a challenge when targeting halibut. When you reach the beach find a high spot near the water’s edge and look up and down the beach for signs of fish.  Because surf fish congregate near areas of jumbled or foaming water look for small rip currents that form just off shore.  Another area to target is offshore structure including holes, troughs, kelp beds and reefs.   Once you spot these areas, cast your bait or lure along the edge of a rip current, structure or where rocks meet sand–this is where fish will be waiting to ambush bait.INSHORE_TROUGH_1_op_800x599

Halibut also congregate in the offshore troughs that are built just below the waves.  These troughs are easiest to find at low tide and run parallel to the beach.  One trough will form outside where the waves break farthest out from the beach, another trough will form where the waves break (during high tide) near the shore.  Cast over and drag your bait across these troughs to entice halibut to bite.

Open beaches that have a rocky point adjacent to them are also great areas to target fish.  Find where the sand meets the rocks and fish along this area.  Halibut commonly lie-in-wait to forage along these edges.

Jetties also offer some great opportunities to catch halibut because they provide both habitat and a food source.  As with open-beach fishing, it’s always smart to cast along the edge of rock where it meets sand to find the fish.  But there are some subtle differences to also look for when fishing along a jetty.

When approaching the base of the jetty, where it meets the sand, look out to sea and make note of the direction of approaching waves and swells.  If the waves are approaching the jetty from the right, a natural eddy will be generated on the jetty’s opposite side (left side).   If waves are coming from the left, an eddy will form on the jetty’s right side. JETTIES_op_800x603

Eddys are much like a rip current and are characterized by swirling, foaming off-colored water.  Fish congregate in an eddy where moving water churns up bait and allows them to stay hidden while they wait to ambush food.  Once you find the eddy, fish along its edges and cast through the middle to find the fish.  Don’t be surprised when the tide or swell direction changes and the opposite side of the jetty becomes the best place to fish.

Estuaries and river mouths are almost always connected as a way for fish to run from the warmer breeding grounds of the estuary out to the open ocean.  The California coast was once littered with hundreds of natural estuaries that acted as rockeries for growing fish stocks.  After unprecedented development and growth many of these breeding grounds were filled or closed off to ocean circulation.  Still there remain a few in almost every beach community that offer fantastic surf fishing.

When approaching an estuary and river mouth area use the same rule of observation as with jetties—determine the direction of the swell and current and how it effects water movement. Tidal flow will have a much bigger effect on fishing the river mouth.  A high going to a low tide will pull water out of the estuary and toward the open ocean.  A low going to a high tide will push water and waves up into the estuary and change the direction and movement of fish.

Again, look for the formation of eddys.  On an upcoming tide, an eddy may form just inside the river mouth.  As tide recedes, an eddy may form just outside the river mouth in an area of open-ocean.  Fish your bait along this edge and allow it to be pulled by the tide and current into the strike zone.  Try to stay away from areas where the water is moving quickly as fish here will not be able to catch up with your bait.

The best way to become familiar with good fishing areas is by looking up your favorite strip of coast at: http://earth.google.com/ and mapping out a strategy for fishing.   At this site you’ll be able to zoom into any coastline on the planet and find the best spots to fish.  Look for areas where jetties and river mouths meet the beach.  You can also find areas where there are large inshore holes or sand bars, points, kelp and reefs.   Take some time to research your areas and you’ll have a lot more luck with a lot less gas!

Next time we will look at the best times, tides and baits to use for catching halibut in the surf.  Until then, I’ll see you at the beach.

Extra info for the readers?    Hot Surf Tip: The best time to fish for halibut is just after the grunion run.  As grunion come ashore so do halibut to feed.  A good run holds halibut near shore for up to two weeks as they search for bait, spawn and digest what they have found.  Grunion, anchovy, sardine and many spoons and hard baits work great at these times.

Halibut Facts:  The current pending record for California halibut is held by Frank Rivera of Camarillo, CA.  His fish was  67.3 pounds and landed on Friday, July 1 off Santa Rosa Island while fishing aboard the Mirage out of Oxnard.

Know your regulations:  28.15. HALIBUT, CALIFORNIA.  Limit: Five in waters south of a line extending due west magnetic from Point Sur, Monterey County, and three in waters north of a line extending due west magnetic from Point Sur, Monterey County.  Minimum size: 22” in total length.

Another halibut falls for the lucky craft!

Another halibut falls for the lucky craft!

Bait Presentation at the Beach

Bait Presentation At The Beach

INSHORE TROUGH

      I’ve always said that the most important thing in surf fishing is having a sharp hook.  So the second most important thing must be bait presentation.  Presenting your bait in the most natural manner so that fish don’t know the difference between a bait with a hook in it and one without a hook is guaranteed to catch you more fish.  More importantly, hooking your bait so it looks like it just crawled out of the sand will not only help you catch more fish but is sure to help you catch big fish too.

Here are a few rules that I like to follow that help me weed out the small ones and attract the biggest fish to my bait:  Make sure that your bait is correctly positioned upon the hook so it does not spin.  Check your bait frequently while fishing and adjust it when necessary.  Always place your bait so it lays flat on the hook.  Any curve in your bait will make it spin and therefore much less attractive to fish.  After hooking your bait pull it through the water in front of you to make sure it doesn’t spin.

Match your bait (both natural and artificial bait) in both size and color to what is currently living in the area you fish. This will mimic the natural size and color of forage. If the crabs in the area are green and brown or the clams orange and red, try those colors.  To be most effective, always carry more than one type of bait and know how to use them.SIDEWINDER_CRABS_07

Fan cast:  cast straight, cast right and cast to the left at multiple angles to cover the largest area as you search for fish.  It’s always easier for the fisherman to find fish than it is for fish to find you.

Use the sharpest thin wire black hook possible.  Always be sure you are using the sharpest hook possible. I said that twice because it’s soooooo important!  I like to use the following hooks for surf fishing: For small baits like crabs and grubs I like to use a #1, 2 or 4 Owner mosquito light, Gamakatsu split shot or Mustad ultra point octopus hooks.  For longer baits like worms or ghost shrimp I prefer a #2, #4 Mustad sproat or kahle hook.

The night before your surf fishing adventure take a little time to tie several lengths of leader placing them on a leader holder.  Use four or six pound fluorocarbon leader, a small black barrel swivel and a sharp hook.  This way you’ll be ready once you hit the beach and not wasting time tying leaders while the fish are biting.

After casting out, always be sure to keep your line tight to the sinker by reeling up any slack.  This will help you to feel the bite and catch more fish. It will also help prevent your line from fouling in the surf and give your bait a much more realistic presentation.

Once you’ve cast out, try reeling the bait in slowly using a stop and start motion with your reel.  Vary the speed of your retrieval.  When using lures try a very fast and slow retrieval speed as well.  Also, utilize a sweep to the side motion, then reel up slack and repeat.  This stop and start motion entices fish to follow and strike.  Let the fish tell you which retrieve style to utilize.  Once you get bit remember what action it was that convinced the fish to strike.

You will always catch more fish if your line is tight and straight in front of you.  If there is a long-shore current, pulling your line up or down the beach, try this technique:  Cast your bait up into the current and let the drift push your bait down the beach.  As your bait moves down the beach walk along to keep the line in front of you by reeling in any slack.  Once the bait comes too close to shore, reel in, walk up the beach and repeat. Be aware that fish will frequently be foraging in the inshore trough that may be just a few feet in front of you. Don’t give up on your retrieval until you see your bait on the sand in front of you.

If, after fan casting an area you don’t find fish, move down the beach.  I usually move about 100 yards, observing the water as I go for indications of fish, structure or eddy currents.  I try fan casting and moving until I find biting fish.  Remember, fish move frequently and may congregate in schools to feed; you’ll also need to move for improved success.

Check your main line and leader frequently for knots and damage that may occur from contact with rocks or structure as well as the abrasion that catching fish produces. Also inspect your knots after catching a large fish. There is nothing more disappointing than hooking into the fish of a lifetime only to loose it due to a line or knot failure. If you find any damage, replace the leader, as it is your direct connection to the fish.

Be continuously observant about exactly what you were doing when the fish took your bait. How far out, what angle, speed of retrieval, any currents present, is there a trough, sandbar or structure, color of water, etc.

By using a few simple presentation techniques your bait will take on a more natural look and become more effective for catching the bigger fish in the surf.  Treat every outing as a learning experience and you are certain to become a more proficient angler while all the while increasing your enjoyment of this great sport.