Fishing Report: No albacore yet, but September was a better month for it last year

What’s the forecast for the Central Coast albacore season in the wake of Sunday’s blanking?

The skippers and crews of four boats crisscrossed such tuna waters as The Elbow, The Donut, plus the 1978 and the 1908 areas. Indicators pointed to these waters holding albacore. None were found.

So what’s the outlook?

In 2010, anglers out of Patriot Sportfishing didn’t catch albacore until Sept. 13 when eight fishermen aboard the Pacific Horizon caught 63 tuna.

The Admiral out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay had its first successful albacore quest Sept. 15 when 28 anglers caught 46 fish.

Private boat owners embarking out of the Sports Launch in Avila did not have an albacore catch capture Whopper of the Week until Sept. 19 when Pablo Chagolla of San Luis Obispo weighed a 27-pound, 3-ounce longfin.

The tuna outlook for this weekend is not promising. But, September is only a week away.

Port San Luis Boatyard

Arroyo Grande’s Charles Tenborg earned Whopper of the Week with the catch of a 451⁄2-pound white seabass Aug. 18. Sixteen white seabass were caught, It was the fifth consecutive week that a white seabass has captured the weekly award.

Ninety-six boats were launched last week. The catch also included 87 lingcod, 18 halibut and one sheephead.

Paul Vuocolo came in with four flatties in the 20-pound range Sunday.

Virg’s Landing

Insufficient reservations caused the cancellation of this weekend’s overnight trip. Such trips are offered on the second and fourth weekends of the month. The next overnight trip is scheduled for Sept. 10-11. Participants may catch two limits of fish. Departure will be at 3:30 pm. Sept. 10 with return between 4 and 6 p.m. Sept. 11. Cost is $205. Call 772-1222 for reservations and more information.

Jackpot winners last week included Sean Lindsay, Paso Robles, 14-0 ling; Jordan Head, Cambria, Paul King, both 9-0 lings; Joe Hesh, Bakersfield, Hank Ka, Morro Bay and Josh Burns, Bakersfield, all 8-0 lings. Last week’s catch by 288 patrons included: 51 lingcod, 1,087 red rockcod, 1,399 assorted rockfish and 246 coppers.

Patriot Sportfishing

The lingcod count passed 1400 on Tuesday. Highlighted last week were the harvest of 29 lings aboard the Pacific Horizon on Sunday. The previous day, 18 lings were caught aboard the Patriot and 14 on the Pacific Horizon.

On 16 trips last week, 121 lings were caught. Big fish of the week was a 15-pound, 6-ounce ling caught by Bakersfield’s Harold Ogan on the Pacific Horizon on Sunday.

A shallow-water, light-tackle trip is scheduled for Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fishing will be in 90 feet of water or less. The adult fare is $66. For reservations, call 595-7200.

Other jackpot winners last week were Marty Malon, Tulare, 12-6 ling; Nick Burnett, Bakersfield 12-4 ling; Kevin Varine, Taft, 12-0 ling; William Crawford, Sequoia National Park, 11-0 ling; Brandon Evans, Visalia, 9-0 ling; Alvin Hamen, Bakersfield, Haylee Campbell, North Edwards, Cory Berkfield, Bakersfield, A.C. Dunn, Los Osos, and Paul Coburn, Bodfish, all 8-0 lings; Mark Ratley, Roseville, 7-0 ling; Patrick Brasil, Hanford, 6-0 ling; Richard Windham, Lake Isabella, 6-0 copper; and Wesley Hull, Media, 5-0 ling.

Last week’s catch by 432 passengers included: 121 lings, 1,379 red rockcod, 1,486 assorted rockfish, 829 bolina, 18 cabezon, and 10 bocaccio.

Central Coast Sportfishing

The Rita G ran one trip out of Patriot Sportfishing last week. The 35 anglers on board caught four lingcod, 190 red rockcod, 149 assorted rockfish, one cabezon and 10 bocaccio. Paul Coburn of Bodfish took jackpot honors with an 8-pound lingcod.

For reservations and trip schedules, call 772-3474 or 704-2084.

Santa Margarita Lake

Bass fishermen Paul LaPointe of Paso Robles and Richard Capper of Atascadero caught two limits of bass fishing by the dam Saturday. They were using Ugly Bug jigs with trailers. LaPointe had the big one. Marina manager Don Lopez said it weighed just under 12 pounds. Bass, catfish and bluegill are the most catchable species.

Lake San Antonio

The marina’s Ryan Roth said that 2- to 3-pound catfish are being caught along the south shoreline between One Way Beach Road and the Day Beach. Anglers are using cut bait or nightcrawlers.

Lopez Lake

Anglers using white jigs are catching bass by the bridge. Meal worms are working for crappie and redear.

Nacimiento Lake

The marina’s Ivan Mendoza said that white bass and smallmouth are being caught in Bee Rock Cove. Bluegill are being taken near the restaurant. Anglers using crappie jigs and nightcrawlers are catching white bass and crappie near Cantina Creek.

Cachuma Lake

Marina manager Ken Hemer said limits or near limits of catfish are coming from the backs of most shallow coves with creek channels.

Baits of choice are mackerel, chicken livers and packaged dough. Bluegill are plentiful around any stand of bulrush using floats and meal worms. Catching bass has been tough.

A few fish are being caught at main lake points early mornings. Texas-rigged plastics, deep-diving crankbaits and spoons are working best. Crappie action has slowed but some fish are coming out of The Narrows and Harvey’s Bay on mini jigs tipped with crappie nibbles or nightcrawlers. Trout are being taken near the dam in 50 feet of water by drifting or paying out eight or nine colors of lead core line.

Whale Rock

In the 84 days the reservoir has been open for fishing, 67 trout have been caught by 15 different anglers. Last week, eight rainbows were caught by three of the nine anglers who turned out. Using lures, Joe Reynolds caught four fish Saturday. They measured 11, 13, 14, and 16 inches. Gary Collier did not specify how he caught two 15-inch fish on Aug. 17. But he used PowerBait for an 11-inch trout Saturday. A newcomer, Chris Dotson, used worms to entice a 17-inch trout Saturday.

Collier has caught 19 trout, experiencing success in 11 of the 17 weeks the reservoir has been open. Reynolds has caught 17 fish but none until he caught five July 23 and five July 24. He has caught fish during four open periods.