Shelter Island

[Rufus]

Army Guy...it's the craziest thing. There are spots in SD Bay (and everywhere else) that consistently produce fish for me. And then there are the surprises.

I fished the bay last weekend with nice choivies. Worked my ass off with a beautiful incoming tide for some shorts and barely legal bass, butts and the proverbial lizard fish.

In three hours I was out of chovies, then the tide went slack. I was screwed, so I started throwing plastics on my way back to the SI ramp. In short order I had half a dozen dinner fish. All caught within a 1/4 mile of the ramp. Go figure.

You know, I used to have a diesel boat and would think nothing of running down to the 425 or to the 181. Then I got smarter and stopped running over fish to find fish. Then I got real smart and sold the big boat and bought a yack. Now I work every inch of water under my yack and enjoy the livin' shift out of my time on the water.

Ya, there are honey holes in SD Bay, but for the most part I've caught just as many dinner fish were and when I wasn't expecting them.

Work the water, don't ignore areas because you've never caught any fish there. Change baits often. You'd be surprised at what you'll catch. And most of all, enjoy your time on the water!

[Mad Daddy]

Change baits often. You'd be surprised at what you'll catch. And most of all, enjoy your time on the water![/QUOTE]

X10

[jorbon]

I've been catching huge sand bass in the area in front of the pier. I would paddle out past the pier west of it, and drift past the pier using flukes. No shorties so far!

[Aaron&Julie]

Just a note, the new law has the minimum length for all bass at 14 inches, with no more than 5 kept total, i.e. 3 sand bass+2 calicos, etc.
Have fun.

[J.Mac]

I've never eatin a spottie and I wouldn't reccommend it either. Sd harbor is one of the dirtiest. Very little water circulation. And if eating fish is why youre out there, it's probably cheaper to buy a couple filets at the grocery store than it is to fish that day (all expenses included)

Catch n release

[chuckt]

Eating halibut from SD bay must be even more toxic than bass because they stay right at the bottom where bad stuff or chemical accumulate. I guess if you don't eat them everyday that should be ok. At least, bass is not yet on the sign at the pier as "no eat" fish ( tom cod, mussle.. etc..)

[Zed]

Originally Posted by chuckt

Eating halibut from SD bay must be even more toxic than bass because they stay right at the bottom where bad stuff or chemical accumulate. I guess if you don't eat them everyday that should be ok. At least, bass is not yet on the sign at the pier as "no eat" fish ( tom cod, mussle.. etc..)

They do spend a lot of time on the bottom being a flat fish, but they migrate a lot. A spottie won't leave the bay but halibut move in and out.

[EntropyFletch]

Originally Posted by J.Mac

I've never eatin a spottie and I wouldn't reccommend it either. Sd harbor is one of the dirtiest. Very little water circulation. And if eating fish is why youre out there, it's probably cheaper to buy a couple filets at the grocery store than it is to fish that day (all expenses included)

Catch n release

Sorry but this statement is untrue. The only place with bad water circulation is the back bay and the fingers. The main channel and main offshoots actually have quite good water circulation. In addition SD Bay is not considered one of the dirtiest...any more. It is exponentially cleaner than it was decades ago and getting better each year. While I generally practice catch and release in the bay, I frequently eat halibut and corvina caught in the main channel. If I'm fishing from the Independence back, generally I do not eat those fish. Just my .02 but coming from a biologist so take it as you please...

[LawDog]

Originally Posted by J.Mac

I've never eatin a spottie and I wouldn't reccommend it either. Sd harbor is one of the dirtiest. Very little water circulation. And if eating fish is why youre out there, it's probably cheaper to buy a couple filets at the grocery store than it is to fish that day (all expenses included)

Catch n release

No circulation... have you ever fished there? The current can get wicked strong. I'm not opposed to the occasional one or two bass every couple months. But they take a long time to grow to maturity.

[alanw]

The amounts of fish you should eat from SD Bay is very low. For women and children most fish from there should not be eaten at all. http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/so_cal/sandiegobay.html