QUESTION: RE : Seal Beach / Bolsa Chica Wetlands
- Thread starter TheGDog
- Start date
I've always done pretty good walking around Balboa Island casting lures between the docks there. Not a lot of size usually, you probably won't get a legal one, but you'll get some action on sand bass, spotted bay bass, and halibut. It's sort of like freshwater bass fishing. Best lure, if you can find some, where the small 1/8 oz Scrounger in brown or chartreuse (however I don't think they make those anymore). Also, small swim baits and small curly tail grubs work well. Those little bass give a good fight if you use light gear like you would for trout.
Yeah, that is the "Unofficial" dog beach. The reason it exists at all is it's kind of a no man's land between Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. It belongs to Orange County and they don't bother enforcing the leash and no dogs on the beach laws there and NB and HB can't because it's not in either of their cities. If you want to fish there, no problem (just realize the Santa Ana River drains all the crap from Big Bear Lake on through San Bernardino, Riverside and so on all the way down to there, plus all the dog crap that people leave there - not a good place for sure after a rain, for quite a while).
surfcity
I don't play nice with baby killing gun grabbers
Howdy:
I know I am WAY late to the party here. The most deadly thing I use fishing at bolsa chica/Huntington Beach area is "Sand Crabs" for Perch, Croaker and Corbina . You don't even need to bring anything with you except a Trout rod and a Carolina rig with a red bb against the leader using a black swivel 8lb test works peachy. about a 4ft leader. #4 circle hook. You want the Sand Crabs to be "soft" like when you push on a beer can soft and carrying roe. You will know it when you see it. You want the Sand Crabs to be about 1/2 to 3/4s of an inch in size. You get them close to the surfs edge as the waves roll back into the ocean. Take a garden shovel with you or a $1 beach shovel and fill a laundry bag that has 1/4 to 3/8s holes. Dump a couple of shovel fulls of wet sand in it and rince the bad boy out in the surf. You end up with a sack full of Sand Crabs and you are SET for the DAY! Here is your super surf fishing tip of the day Keep the ones you don't use and freeze them the shell on them get SOFT so the next time you go you don't have to dig through a 1000 of them looking for the perfect sand crab. You cast RIGHT into the waves for perch. I like to cast over the wave into the channels that are created by the current. Look for Rip Tides also.. another tip Cast to the side over the first or second break of the waves the rip tide produces lots of fish. Tides make a difference catch an incoming tide. You are gonna get wet. A lot of guys walk the beach. I like to just hang in one spot where I have found a good size Sand Crab Patch. ONE last surf fishing tip. It seems like the perch love to eat at night. The one big bummer behind all of it is Seaweed. if you have lots of debri in the water don't bother you will spend more time untangling see weed and re rigging. Kelp is BRUTAL on a trout rig. Good Luck and I hope this helps anybody out. I know this, there is nothing like a corbina ripping through the face of a wave while you are hauling him in, its a HOWL and a Half. Set the drag accordingly for a fight you soon won't forget. Lastly if you dig down deep enough you will find your own sand worms also deadly to surf fish. If you are coming from out of town directly across from the powerstation on PCH is where a record corbina was caught using ghost shrimp, that's a little more involved but if you have the gear and know where to get them make sure you bring them. Its almost guaranteed to catch a fish on EVERY CAST. Its very active fishing to say the least. You can take this to almost any beach in SoCal and hammer fish all day long. Incoming tide is the best. Happy Fishing Boys and Girls
I know I am WAY late to the party here. The most deadly thing I use fishing at bolsa chica/Huntington Beach area is "Sand Crabs" for Perch, Croaker and Corbina . You don't even need to bring anything with you except a Trout rod and a Carolina rig with a red bb against the leader using a black swivel 8lb test works peachy. about a 4ft leader. #4 circle hook. You want the Sand Crabs to be "soft" like when you push on a beer can soft and carrying roe. You will know it when you see it. You want the Sand Crabs to be about 1/2 to 3/4s of an inch in size. You get them close to the surfs edge as the waves roll back into the ocean. Take a garden shovel with you or a $1 beach shovel and fill a laundry bag that has 1/4 to 3/8s holes. Dump a couple of shovel fulls of wet sand in it and rince the bad boy out in the surf. You end up with a sack full of Sand Crabs and you are SET for the DAY! Here is your super surf fishing tip of the day Keep the ones you don't use and freeze them the shell on them get SOFT so the next time you go you don't have to dig through a 1000 of them looking for the perfect sand crab. You cast RIGHT into the waves for perch. I like to cast over the wave into the channels that are created by the current. Look for Rip Tides also.. another tip Cast to the side over the first or second break of the waves the rip tide produces lots of fish. Tides make a difference catch an incoming tide. You are gonna get wet. A lot of guys walk the beach. I like to just hang in one spot where I have found a good size Sand Crab Patch. ONE last surf fishing tip. It seems like the perch love to eat at night. The one big bummer behind all of it is Seaweed. if you have lots of debri in the water don't bother you will spend more time untangling see weed and re rigging. Kelp is BRUTAL on a trout rig. Good Luck and I hope this helps anybody out. I know this, there is nothing like a corbina ripping through the face of a wave while you are hauling him in, its a HOWL and a Half. Set the drag accordingly for a fight you soon won't forget. Lastly if you dig down deep enough you will find your own sand worms also deadly to surf fish. If you are coming from out of town directly across from the powerstation on PCH is where a record corbina was caught using ghost shrimp, that's a little more involved but if you have the gear and know where to get them make sure you bring them. Its almost guaranteed to catch a fish on EVERY CAST. Its very active fishing to say the least. You can take this to almost any beach in SoCal and hammer fish all day long. Incoming tide is the best. Happy Fishing Boys and Girls
Yes I have tried that a few times.
I must be picking the wrong sand bugs lol. It was tough on week ends with people walking in front of you.
The see you but still walk in your way. Lol
I must be picking the wrong sand bugs lol. It was tough on week ends with people walking in front of you.
The see you but still walk in your way. Lol
I fished both jetties in the picture on Saturday morning, incoming tide no bites at all, there were people fishing the surf on the dog beach side and a few on the rocks as well. I watched them for a while, didn't see anybody catching anything either. The jetties north of Seal by the Marina may be a better option.
I use to go with a General Dynamics Convair partner. We would fish the late afternoon. At OB beach, except off the jetty. Surf City is right about the incoming tide. The sand bass woul go up the San Diego river as the salt water would go up river.
They would be macking on ghost shrimp, and worms.
We would nail them on white tails with squid. Let the tide carry it in.
Catch our limit.
They would be macking on ghost shrimp, and worms.
We would nail them on white tails with squid. Let the tide carry it in.
Catch our limit.
surfcity
I don't play nice with baby killing gun grabbers
I had a German Shepard grab one of my trophy Surf Perch while I was pulling him out of the water the owner looked at me like it was my fault..I was in total disbelief. Anyhoo he was the first German Shepard rd I know that has a lip piercing... Doh....
surfcity
I don't play nice with baby killing gun grabbers
surfcity
I don't play nice with baby killing gun grabbers
I have never gone down there and fished and been skunked. However I will admit that middle of the day tides have been the worst output for me
My contempt for this type of Dog-Owner runs deep.
This is the same kind of owner that just stands there... shootin the shizzle with other large-breed owners... not giving a *what* about where their dog is at or what they are doing... while I have to repeatedly shove their dog away from my little one... again and again... then... when I've had enough of their Dog being a stupid lil prick and not respecting my reactions I'll have to pin their dogs neck to the floor in submission with my other hand.. you know.. while protecting this lil under 5 Lbs dog... with the other hand... they go and give you the side eye and kinda want to lose their shizzle... but they know they can't because anybody with half a lick of sense can see the dude needs to step up and regulate, and they're epically failing in that regard.
And sometimes, doesn't happen much, but sometimes... you'll get one that is really stubbornly persistent... Huskies often fall into this category... doesn't happen much... but every once in a blue moon.... they'll require a little 3" punch to their heads that nobody sees, that doesn't hurt the dog... snaps 'em out of it and they realize "Oh.. she's with you player? My Bad!" and they finally turn away and piss off. Usually it's a young one that the guy hasn't invested the time to socialize 'em right. You know the kind... their dog wants to raise up and paw at your shoulders or thighs and all that mess.
surfcity
I don't play nice with baby killing gun grabbers
My elders used to tell me the dog reflects the owner. And when you think about it, its spot on. I have had them pee on my tackle before.. dig through my backpack and run off with my sammy, during this time of year is the WORST
Yup Yup... I tell people when they meet my two and comment on how sweet and loving they are... "Love in... Love out!" And they are well behaved, because I put in the time and massive amounts of work in the beginning to put in the foundational training/conditioning.
Hey... Question Man... where's the best place to park near that Bolsa Chica inlet in order to more easily go their and try hitting that place up?
I see this Seapoint St. ...are there places on the streets hangin' off that one where a fella can park and walk-in? Or is the only option parking in that State-Run Parking on the Beach and just walk over that way?
Hey... Question Man... where's the best place to park near that Bolsa Chica inlet in order to more easily go their and try hitting that place up?
I see this Seapoint St. ...are there places on the streets hangin' off that one where a fella can park and walk-in? Or is the only option parking in that State-Run Parking on the Beach and just walk over that way?
I built a fishing rod holder for my beach cruiser when I lived there. Park at dog beach and ride my bike up.
I usually would walk up that way along the shore though too. It just depended on how much time I had to fish.
surfcity
I don't play nice with baby killing gun grabbers
Yeah that is my issue. parking down there. I buy a parking pass for the HB Beach side. And if I have the gumption I will hump from Dog Beach to the bridge and cross over to the state park side.... Or by a state pass for the year. There isn't any parking for free with in a mile of the water. One guy I know parks on Seapoint and rides his bike down to the beach. Then you gotta worry about your bike.... It shouldn't be that hard to go to the beach but it is.....There is that turn out half way down the state beach for the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. I haven't done that yet.
Naw man... don't park in that Bolsa Chica Wetlands parking... you WILL get busted. That place is filled with grey-hairs with nothing better to do. (Or semi-grey-hairs who want to practice their glassing skills
)Ok so next time I go visit our friend that lives on 7th and Orange, I'll swing up Seapoint first for a bit and scope it out for potential parking spots. Thanks.
surfcity
I don't play nice with baby killing gun grabbers
So ... It was hot in the house, the kids are in the pool the wife is pitter pattering the house getting ready for her week and its 6:40pm I decide to head to the beach. Had to wait for a parking spot at the 2nd dog beach parking lot in Huntington Beach it was packed for about 10 minutes..finally started fishing at around 7pm with the high tide starting to peak. Alls I had was a my rod , box of hooks 1 oz sinkers swivels and some red bb's a garden shovel and one of my wifes 16x16 laundry sacks in my backpack. Thats it. Dug up some sand fleas and attached one to my line. after about 10 minutes EVERY cast was a fish....one fish snapped my line below the the sinker on my Carolina rig....I didn't dig up enough sand fleas, I had plenty, however I like them to be an inch long to 3/4s with roe and a soft shell. Any way tossed back the little ones (one little perch took it to the belly had to keep him) I kept 2 nice yellowfin croaker for the wife. In about 40 minutes it was none stop and the only reason why I stopped is I couldn't SEE! The last hook up I got snapped my line. I wasn't prepared for the darkness. Didn't even think about it. Just got up drove 2 miles and started fishing, basically just to get out of the house and get some cool ocean air...I should have known.. The water was perfect during the tide change. I have know idea what in the hell would snap my 8lb leader line on a SANDCRAB! It was a mighty tug and then SNAP I could not believe it. I was bummed about that but seriously bummed about not being able to tie a fish knot to keep fishing...teeth were a chattering, wet, cold and I can't see. That ended the derby. Don't hoodle me two bad.... I used a .223 for some length detail
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surfcity
I don't play nice with baby killing gun grabbers
Get down there and Fish! The tides are perfect for late evening. Bring a head lamp...duh....and something more than a Stupid t-shirt