Night Fishing Malibu 06-10-2014

Having been five days since I last fished, I was ready to hit the water. After solidifying my partner (non-fishing) for the night, Mr. Doug, we headed to Malibu, CA to to some fishing during the nearly full moon. We arrived around 7:15 PM and I set up and started fishing. High tide was a +5.65' @ 7:52 PM and low was a -.062' at 3:06 AM on 06-11-2014. Notice I was fishing the outgoing tide, which is not my preference, but sometimes you just have to fish when you can ;).

Fishing was super slow all evening. I had a couple lost hook ups (large cabazon and medium shark are my guesses based on the way the bit and fought while I had them on) throughout the evening, but for the most part I found myself just soaking in the beauty while trying to find where the fish were hiding. I did reel in a very small spiny lobster at 9:09 PM which flapped like mad when I tried to remove it from my hook and I wisely let it fall off (they have very sharp tails) and it hunkered down in between some of the rocks I was standing on which you can see in three pics below (you can only see it's antennas and head).

The first and only fish landed on the night was a nice fat 14" or so yellow fin croaker which I caught at 10:39 PM. Not being a fan of the species due to it being a close relative to the white fin croaker, which is on the DO NOT CONSUME (PDF link) list I released the fat guy even though I have heard they are delicious.

We packed it in around 11:15 PM and headed home with nothing but memories and photos, which is just fine by me on occasion ;) Bait was squid as usual.

Night Fishing Malibu 05-19-2014

Trying somewhat to make up for the almost two months I went without fishing I headed back to Malibu, CA to do some more sunset / night fishing since the moon was still fairly large. I arrived at 7:56 PM, just before sunset. Low tide was a +2.25' @ 7:50 PM, high tide was a +4.48' @ 1:39 AM and bait was squid. Weather was great, ocean was nice and calm, bait was nice and fresh but the fish were just not around (or I did not find them) or just weren't interested in eating. I fished up and down coast, all the holes I know of and a plenty of other spots, but it just was not meant to be this night. I packed it in at 12:45 AM and headed home resigned that I was gonna have to take a skunk this time...grrr, lol. Still great to be out on the beach soaking in the ocean air. I will get em the next time ;).

Surf Fishing Malibu 01-29-2014

Having not fished in five days, I had the itch. So I checked the tides (and it was after a new moon) which were a low of -1.47' @ 2:32 PM and a high of +4.12' @ 8:47 PM. So headed for my favorite city Malibu, CA and arrived at 2:06 PM, about a half hour before the low. I love this particular spot at minus tides as I can walk out to where I am often fishing and scope out the terrain for future trips and I can cast way further out than I usually can.

Thinking the fishing would be hot because of the new moon, I was disappointed for the first three hours of not getting anything. But the whole day was changed at 5:02 PM when I miscast over a rock. When this happens I typically reel in fast as to not get snagged, which I did this time as well except I waited a second and my bait got HAMMERED. I knew right away it was a nice fish, either a big calico of medium sized shark, but I also knew I had to get whatever it was over that rock I cast over so I started reeling in like a mad man (like I usually do really, lol). This sucker fought me the whole way in trying to rock me and not coming to the surface, so I knew it was a Calico. After the battle was over and I climbed carefully to shore from the rock perch I was casting from I was able to celebrate and soak in the beauty I had just caught. A 20+" Calico Bass that weighed 4 pound 2.2 ounces after bleeding when I weighed it at home. What a fish! Biggest Calico I have caught to date for sure!

No more fish after that, but that one fish was enough for the day for sure. I was also treated to another gorgeous sunset and took a lot of "terrain" pictures while out knee deep in the trenches, lol. I headed home from one of my little paradises in Malibu, CA / sunny Southern California at 6:47 PM a very satisfied and happy fisherman. Bait was squid as usual.

Sunset Surf Fishing Malibu 01-10-2014

Wanting to redeem myself from my miserable showing the day before in Central California, I headed to familiar stomping grounds, one of my spots in Malibu, CA. Ahhh, nice to be home :). I arrived around 12:30 PM and left around 6:00 PM. I caught the last hour of the outgoing tide and fished the majority of the incoming tide, low tide was a 0.27' @ 1:31 PM and high tide was a 3.07' @ 7:44 PM. Bait was squid as usual. Not long after my arrival redemption was reeled in in the form of a small 6" or so grass rockfish, small but it's a fish, lol. Fishing was pretty slow all afternoon / early evening with me catching my second and last fish for the day which was another small, 8" or so, grass rockfish at 5:42 PM. Happy with catching two fish and breaking no rods, I left shortly thereafter a happy man. Both fish obviously released.

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