Two Harbors Catalina

[fearlessfiasco]

I'm taking the sailboat and kayak up to Two Harbors area of Catalina soon. Anybody got any general sugestions as to where I should be spending my fishing time while up there?

[Iceman]

Nothing much happening over there yet, I'd head left, just because it would be quieter, up toward Parsons landing.

[taggermike]

I'm not an expert on fishing Cat but 1 recomendation I can make is the halibut fishing in Cat harbor. I used to work on the back side of the isthmus and we'd drift a few live smelt on the way back to the dingy dock at the end of the day. We usually did pretty well on 24-26 inchers but that area has put a some big ones too. Mike

[SoCalCJ]

Originally Posted by fearlessfiasco

I'm taking the sailboat and kayak up to Two Harbors area of Catalina soon. Anybody got any general sugestions as to where I should be spending my fishing time while up there?

Take a look at Eagle reef.

[LSmoot]

Hey Fearless,

I'm taking a sailboat & kayak there later this summer, and was wondering if you have done this trip before and can impart any wisdom. How long does it take to sail to Avalon vs. Two-Harbors, from Oceanside? Any idea how long it takes to sail from Avalon to Two-Harbors?

Thanks, and good luck catching fish. I've never fished there so can't tell you where the fish are, unfortunately.

[fearlessfiasco]

Moot, this will be my first time up to Catalina. I'll let you know how it goes. My general plan now is to go up to Mission Bay tomorrow when I get off work and then either Oceanside or ,if wind and weather allow, Dana Point on Wednesday. When get to Dana Point the boat will sit for a few days whole I go back to SD for work and then next Tuesday I'll head over to either Avalon or Two Harbors. I'll be at the island until the following Saturday and then it's back to Dana point for a day or so and then back to SD.

Hopefully the fishing is productive. The last few times I've been out have been slow. I need a good day or two for a pick me up.

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by fearlessfiasco

I'm taking the sailboat and kayak up to Two Harbors area of Catalina soon. Anybody got any general sugestions as to where I should be spending my fishing time while up there?

The problem with twin harbors is it's get's a ton of boat traffic and it's fished hard. Fish there early before the boats swarm in.

Catalina is hit or miss. Watch for condition changes as sometimes a slight change in conditions especially current can make all the difference. The best fishing close to twin harbors is a highspot just Northwest of Bird Rock. It comes up to 40 feet, but it's surrounded deeper water on three sides around 180 ft. There's a ridge running to it from bird rock, fish the down current side of the ridge and highspot. I've caught a lot of bass there, yellows and seabass to but it's mainly good for Calicos and you can also get decent rockfish on the north east edge.

Personally I like to anchor down the island closer to the west end. There is small cove at 33-28.26 118-31.861 It's really kind of a unique place and few people overnight there. Outside it's deep as hell but there is a stretch of sand in there at forty to sixty feet that holds an anchor. Never rocked, or drug an anchor in there, or had any issues with sea conditions that forced me to move. Even in wind it's a pretty safe bet.

Just outside the current rips by and it's deep so sometimes that shallow area fills up with bait, or even large schools of fish. I like to cast iron in there at anchor on the boat, and I have caught some monster barracuda and nice bass there. I've seen some unbelievably epic barracuda bites there and even woke up to wide open Yellowtail bites, where we limited without even firing up the motor.

It's my favorite place to anchor on the island, spent a lot of nights there. This is what it looks like on anchor at gray light from my small 16ft skiff.

That's looking due North towards arrowhead point.

Between the boat and the point is a narrow strip of kelp along the cliff. No-one ever fishes it because it's almost impossible to anchor and the current is usually ripping outside. Fish tight to the kelp with Mackerel or big plastics and you might catch some huge bass, and I've hook C-bass there as well. I'd use spectra because you have to be right on the edge of the kelp to get bit. When the current pushes the Kelp down you can catch Bass above it fishing surface Iron right on top, but be ready to pull them out of the kelp because they head straight down into it.

Around the point it looks incredibly fishy all the way Parsons landing. I've caught bass off the Kelp there, and some halibut fishing inside on the strips of sand in shallow but nothing epic. The water is so clear in close that you can see halibut chase your plastics which is pretty cool. I don't fish it much though, and a word of caution on that note. If the current is moving north around the point I would stay on the anchorage side. That current can really rip and you might have trouble getting back. Same thing if the wind swings around to the East. I'm not joking, it's a big concern so be careful.

Depending on your skill level and confidence with your ground tackle that's where I'd anchor, and if it's a weekend I like to get there early before dark before someone else does because it only really holds one boat in tight.

Jim

[Saba Slayer]

Be sure to pick up a map or the DFW booklet on fishing areas that are closed just to the east and to the west of Two Harbors.
Have fun...that part of the island is pretty magical!
Jim / Saba Slayer

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by Saba Slayer

Be sure to pick up a map or the DFW booklet on fishing areas that are closed just to the east and to the west of Two Harbors.
Have fun...that part of the island is pretty magical!
Jim / Saba Slayer

No doubt. I think the highspot off Bird Rock is outside the reserve, but I should check the maps as there is one just east of it.

The anchorage and area I fish to the west is now in the Arrow point to Lion head point SMCA


Arrow Point to Lion Head Point SMCA


Permitted/Prohibited Uses:

• • Recreational Fishing:
    • Allowed Species: All living marine resources EXCEPT invertebrates.
    • Prohibited Species: Invertebrates.
  • Commercial Fishing:
    • Allowed Species: None
    • Prohibited Species: All

Effective as of: January 1, 2012


So closed to commercials, no lobster but still legal for finfish. You got to laugh at that one. The only reason that got closed for commercials and lobstering is there is a lucrative mooring business along that stretch and the don't want squid lightboats and lobster guys keeping up the yacht crowd on their expensive moorings.

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by Saba Slayer

Be sure to pick up a map or the DFW booklet on fishing areas that are closed just to the east and to the west of Two Harbors. .....

Just checked: Blue Cavern SMCA western boundary apears to run right over bird rock so the highspot the the Northwest is still open to fishing. I never fished East of Bird rock anyway, and shiprock is clear of the reserve as well. Shiprock, the rock way outside can be good for Bass and Rockfish. The reason I would not recomend it is it's not a good place to anchor for the big boat, and a long way to kayak from the anchorage. It's also directly downwind from Twin Harbors which can be a big issue in the afternoon. In fact the whole twin harbor area can be extremely windy in the afternoons. Wind from the west get's funneled in by the cliffs on the other side of Cat Harbor and it becomes a wind effect area like a mountain pass. It's no big deal if you take a mooring, but I've seen full on yachts loose anchor and get blown out to sea there, that's why I like to anchor further west, to get behind the cliffs and out of the main force of the wind.


Blue Cavern SMCA info..

http://www.californiampas.org/pages/...cavernsmca.pdf

http://www.californiampas.org/pages/...avernsmca.html

Blue Cavern SMCA (no-take)

Permitted/Prohibited Uses:

• Recreational Fishing:
  • Allowed Species: None
  • Prohibited Species: All
• Commercial Fishing:
  • Allowed Species: None
  • Prohibited Species: All
• Other Regulations:
  • Except as pursuant to Federal law, emergency caused by hazardous weather, or as provided in this section, it is unlawful to anchor or moor a vessel in the Blue Cavern State Marine Conservation Area. The director of the Blue Cavern State Marine Conservation Area, or any person that the director of the conservation area has authorized may anchor or moor a vessel or take, for scientific purposes, any fish or specimen of marine life under the conditions prescribed in a scientific collecting permit issued by the department.

Effective as of: January 1, 2012

[Fiskadoro]

Watching the weather the last few days I hope you never made the trip

These last few days are the exact conditions you want to avoid in Catalina Channel. Trust me I've learned the hard way more then once. Spring and fall wind events can really destroy you out there. 20 miles seems like nothing until your in a eight to ten foot washing machine.

[fearlessfiasco]

Currently tied up at the Dana Point Yacht Club. Been great sailing on both of the legs. Yesterday's first leg from MB to Oceanside was awesome. Today's leg form Oceanside to Dana Point was great as well. Lots of sailing and not much motoring.

The boat will be in DP until Tuesday. That's when I'll head over to Two Harbors.

Saw lots of bird action and dolphins off San Onofre area. Must have been some fish in the area.

Will be drifting the DP channel in a little bit for butts. In the morning I'll work the pipeline area over before I take the train back to SD for a few days of work.

[fearlessfiasco]

The boat and I are back in SD and a good sailing trip was had. The fishing didn't work out for me to well (1 Sculpin and 1 Whitefish) but I still enjoyed being out there.

Thanks to all for putting info out and sharing your numbers and knowledge. It was definitely appreciated.

I will say that while diving on the boat to clean the bottom I saw a bazillion little hali's. I also heard another guy in Two Harbors talking about them. There will be a real nice hali bite out there in the future.

[LSmoot]

Originally Posted by fearlessfiasco

Currently tied up at the Dana Point Yacht Club. Been great sailing on both of the legs. Yesterday's first leg from MB to Oceanside was awesome. Today's leg form Oceanside to Dana Point was great as well. Lots of sailing and not much motoring.

The boat will be in DP until Tuesday. That's when I'll head over to Two Harbors.

Saw lots of bird action and dolphins off San Onofre area. Must have been some fish in the area.

Will be drifting the DP channel in a little bit for butts. In the morning I'll work the pipeline area over before I take the train back to SD for a few days of work.

Fearless, had you done MB to DP in a single day, how long would that take? We are debating whether we should go from SD Bay to O-Side or DP on the first day.

[fearlessfiasco]

Originally Posted by LSmoot

Fearless, had you done MB to DP in a single day, how long would that take? We are debating whether we should go from SD Bay to O-Side or DP on the first day.

I have done MB to DP in a single day in the past. With the right wind conditions its a great day of sailing. I did that last year in April and left MB at 0630 or so with light NE winds and motorsailed WNW until the wind started filling in from the W. That happened around 1000 or 1100 and by then I was directly S of DP. I motored N on a line directly for DP and after that hour the wind was enough for me to shut it down and sail at 6knts for the rest of the day. I arrived at DP just about the time the sun was coming down and for that night I anchored in the West Anchorage. FYI, my motor is an old Volvo MD2B and I baby it. I only motor at 4knts.

For this trip, going to Oceanside was something I wanted to do and something that worked out for the best. DP didn't have a reciprocal berth at either of their yacht clubs that day and Oceanside YC did. OYC also happened to be having AYCE carnitas tacos that night for $6. That worked out REAL well for me.

The winds also worked out well for me. On the Oside to DP leg the winds were 8-12 out of the NE all morning. It allowed me to leave at 0700 and sail most of the way to DP arriving at 1130.