Catalina Island’s many coves and reefs provide an amazing fishing habitat. Within the reefs there are school of bait fish like anchovies, sardine, and mackerel. The bait fish attract larger sport fish like White Sea Bass and Yellowtail. When the waters warm up you may even have a chance to catch Marlin, Bluefin Tuna, or Yellowfin Tuna.
Early fisherman at Catalina Island used heavy lines and could catch an abundant amount of Albacore which were considered inedible and were thrown to the seals. The tuna club was established by Charles Frederick Holder on Catalina Island in 1898. Holder was a respected angler from the east coast that traveled in search for large gamefish. Charles was the first to introduce rod and reel in big game fishing on Catalina Island. Rod and Reel game a fish more of a fighting chance making it more of a sport for some. Charles and his friends established the Tuna Club to promote sportsmanship and conservation on Catalina Island. In 1908 they built a clubhouse that created rules and regulations for fishing. It is one of the most prestigious sport fishing clubs in the world. In 1913, Catalina Island become incorporated as a resort community. Fishing became a popular activity for many visitors.
Fishing in the Spring:
 |
| Fishing off Catalina Island |
Spring fishing at Catalina Island starts picking up on March 1st when Rock Fishing season opens. You can catch any of the fish below, but will range from 1-6lbs, Lingcod can get up to 15-20lbs and Halibut and White Sea Bass can get up to 50lbs.
Rockfish – Rockfish is a commonly used name for a number of species. They have a regulated fishery which begins March 1st though December 31st.
Bocaccio – Also known as a Salmon Grouper. The Bocaccio’s main food source includes mackerel, anchovies, sardines, perch, squid, octopus, crab, and other small fish. You can usually find Boccaccio in deep rocky environments. Bocaccio are part of the rockfish family and is closed for fishing January 1st through March 1st. Bocaccio spawn between December and April.
Whitefish – Whitefish can be caught from central California to Peru. They are found on sandy, muddy or rocky seafloors. You can catch from depths from 30 to 300 feet deep. The largest Whitefish caught is 13lbs, but the average size would be around 4 -5lbs.
Sanddabs – Sanddabs are part of the flounder family. They have both eyes on the left side of their head. They are found in deep waters on a sandy bottom.
Sargo – Sargo are found close to land and can be cost mostly in waters up to 40ft deep. You want to fish for rocky bottom to sandy floors. You can catch Sargo in the summer months and you can use clams, mussels, shrimp, or cut bait.
Blue Perch – You can catch perch in shallow waters up to80 feet deep. Perch like to feed on plants most anglers can catch perch using anchovies or striped squid.
Vermilion Rockfish – Also known as Red Snapper. Young Red Snapper primarily feed on shrimp -like organism, while adult red snapper feed on squid, octopus, and other rockfish. The spawn season is from December to March. Red Snapper are considered a rockfish and is closed to fishing from January 1st and opens March 1st. You can fish for Red Snapper on any rocky bottom deeper than 100ft.
Cabezon – Cabezon feed on crustaceans, mollusks, fish, and fish eggs. Cabezon inhabit the tops of rocky ledges. Cabezon fishing is closed from January 1st to March 1st.
Sheepshead – Sheepshead don’t make long sustained runs like yellowtail or other gamefish at Catalina Island do, but they use every ounce of their body to try and pull you down into the rocks where they can break you off. Sheepshead love feeding on hard -shelled animals. Most anglers prefer using shrimp as bait drifting over reefs using a sliding egg sinker in shallow water and a reverse dropper loop in deeper water.
Sculpin – Also known as a California Scorpionfish. The sculpin’s main food source includes crab, squid, octopus, shrimp, and other smaller fish. You can usually find sculpin in shallow rocky areas. There spawning season takes place from April through August. Sculpin have poisonous spines on the top of their body which causes severe pain at the wound. There are many treatments, but soaking it in hot water seems to be the most effective.
Calico Bass – Also known as kelp bass. Calico Bass live in kelp forest. They range from 1 -3lbs but can reach double digits. Fishing for calico bass can be frustrating at times. If you not paying attention they will swim back into the kelp and wrap your line up which makes it difficult to get them out. Most people fish 15 -30lbs test for calico bass. Calico bass feed on anchovies, sardines, squid, and other small bait fish. Most people will use a flyline or sliding egg sinker with an anchovy or sardine. Another technique is using a leadhead with a Squid
Sand Bass – Sand Bass range from 1 -3lbs but can reach double digits. Sand bass can be found in 60 -100ft of water along sandy bottoms. Most people use 15 -25lbs line, but when fishing in structure it is nice to have heavier line. The most commonly use bait is anchovies and sardines with a small sliding egg sinker or no weight at all. You can also you fresh dead squid on a dropper loop or a leadhead.
Lingcod – Lingcod are extremely aggressive and predatory fish. The Lingcod habitat is a rocky bottom where there are massive boulders and cliffs with crevices. Lingcod lie in wait for their prey to swim by. Best technique for fishing lingcod would be fishing on the drift from the shallow water to deeper water to avoid snagging the bottom.
White Seabass – White Seabass can be found of the coast of Catalina Island around the squid nests. Best time to catch White Seabass is early morning. They can grow up to 60lbs, but the average is 20 -30lbs.
Halibut – Halibut are a large -tooth flounder and typically feed towards shore. They range from 6 -50lbs. You can fish for halibut using anchovies, sardine, squid, and mackerel. Most halibut are caught in 10 -80ft of water.
Yellowtail – Spring yellowtail fishing usually begins in March at Catalina Island. ¾ day boat and overnight boats are able to target these fish during this time. Fishing in a warmer season Yellowtail like to feed on fin bait such as sardines, anchovies, and sometimes mackerel, but during cooler years you may need to use live squid to get the yellowtail to feed.
Fishing in the Summer:
Summer fishing at Catalina Island can bring a lot of excitement for the day. You can catch a variety of fish from Bass to Yellowtail, Tuna, and Dorado. Most summer fishing is done of the surface using Irons, Flyline Live Bait, or Sliding Egg Sinkers. The first gamefish that starts biting is usually Yellowtail when the water gets around 65 degrees.
Yellowtail – Summer yellowtail is known for huge quantities of yellowtail being caught from Overnight trips to ¾ day trips and even on half days sometimes. During the months of June, July, and August you can catch yellowtail in a number of different area from Floating kelp paddies, to local islands, to coastal areas and reefs. You can catch yellowtail on live bait, artificial jigs, or Iron jigs.
Bluefin Tuna – Bluefin Tuna are caught in the early months of summer usually starting in June off the coast of Catalina Island. Bluefin tuna are one of the most sought out gamefish there is. Bluefin Tuna can get over 100lbs, but the average you will see is 20 -50lbs. Bluefin tend to be a surface fish that tend to feed on live bait or jigs. You can also fish for tuna in waters deeper than 100ft using a dropper loop technique.
Yellowfin Tuna – Yellowfin Tuna are caught later in the summer in July and August off the coast of Catalina Island. They range from 8 -50lbs. Yellowfin Tuna can be found offshore of Catalina Island around the 14 mile bank. You can find them on meter marks or off of kelp patties. You can fish for yellowfin tuna with live bait or jigs.
Skipjack Tuna – Skipjack Tuna are caught usually mixed in with Yellowfin Tuna and range from about 5 -10lbs.
Dorado – Dorado can be caught off the coast of Catalina Island in the late summer when the water temperature is the warmest. Dorado are known for their aerial acrobatics and their ability to change colors. You can see Dorado in a vibrant gold, yellows and greens flecked with blue. These colors changed on the fish’s mood. They tend to be yellow and green when they are exciting, but when they get onto the boat they quickly loose there color and revert back to their silver -grey color.
Barracuda – Barracuda can be found in the shallow waters off of Catalina Island. You can find them in huge schools on the front side of Catalina Island. Barracuda are extremely aggressive fish and will bite almost anything. The two most efficient way are live bait and irons. When using live bait most people will recommend using a wire leader, so that the barracuda can’t bite through the line. Using just monofilament brings a better chance for the barracuda to bite through the line and break free. Fishing the Iron can be exhilarating as you are winding the iron in you may get a bite at anytime
Bonito – Bonito can be found in any warm water area. You can catch them off the pier of Catalina Island or anywhere off the coast. Bonito feed on small bait fish such as anchovies.
Calico Bass – Calico Bass can be caught in the shallow waters around Catalina Island. Best method for catching Calico Bass is to use live bait while flylining.
Striped Marlin – Striped marlin is found in warm tropical waters. They can reach u to 420lbs and can get up to 13ft long. They feed during the day in the top 100 meters of the water column often near the surface. One of their chief prey is sardines.
Blue Marlin – On average blue marlin usually reach 11ft in length and weigh up to 200 -400lbs. Females can grow to be 3 times larger than males. Most Blue marlin are caught trolling of the coast of Catalina Island. When trolling you want your lure anywhere from 20ft to 100ft depending on the boat you are on. You also want to make sure you have a staggered pattern of fish so it looks like a school of fish behind your boat.
Fishing in the Winter:
Winter fishing around Catalina Island can be pretty tough at time. When fishing in the winter at Catalina Island you really need to get when the weather is perfect and you have the correct bait. Your best chance would be getting live squid from a bait barge or being at the Island in the middle of the night to make bait, but if you have the right bait you can make a day out there catching Calico Bass and Blue Perch and sometimes even Yellowtail depending on the water temperature. The average water temperature in the winter is 59-65 degrees.
Calico Bass – Calico Bass can be caught off the coast of Catalina Island, but are usually not as active because of the cooler temperature.
Blue Perch – You can catch perch in shallow waters up to80 feet deep. Perch like to feed on plants most anglers can catch perch using anchovies or striped squid.
Locations:
Church Rock – Church rock is in an area known as the East End of Catalina Island and encompasses the area from the Southern California Edison power plant east of Avalon and to Catalina Island’s southeast point. Barracuda, White Seabass, and Yellowtail start showing in local waters here and many will stay for long periods. The underwater seamount off the rock face and the kelp bed make great areas for fishing.
Farnsworth Bank – Farnsworth Bank is a Marine protected area that prohibits the taking of all living marine resources except the recreational fishing for Bonito, White Seabass by spearfishing, Marlin, Tuna, and Dorado by rod and reel. The rocky reef, kelp forest, and emergent rock habitats support specials of invertebrates, plants, fish and marine mammals.
14 Mile Bank – The 14 mile bank like its name is just 14 miles from the entrance of Newport Harbor. The 14 mile bank has been known to produce good amount of Marlin, as well as Tuna in the summer months.
For more fishing or travel information about Catalina Island, Check out our website:
