Avalon 5/27-5/28

[EgoNonBaptizo]

Went to Avalon with a friend on Memorial Day. Took the 6 am boat, and immediately began fishing the Mole. I almost immediately caught two opaleye, a 11" sculpin and a 15" barred sand bass. My friend caught three whitefish on squid. Afterwards, fishing slowed considerably. At 12, we headed to the GPP. There were lots of opaleye that didn't want to bite. I caught quite a few calico, some close to 14". After checking into the hotel by 2 pm, we then walked to Pebbly beach. There, while my friend snorkeled, I fished. I caught four nicer sized whitefish, and released many smaller ones. We headed back around 7 pm, and began fishing the GPP again. We set out two heavy lines for bat rays, with no luck. We headed in around 10 pm due to the cold, and went to bed. The next morning, we woke up rather late at around 6 am. We began fishing the Mole again. We cast for bonito, but none seemed to be around. My friend then hooked into something big on a live smelt that broke him off only a couple feet from the pier. Fishing slowed again, and I scraped out one 14" calico and a halfmoon perch. We then went to the GPP at around 12 pm, and ate lunch there. There, I caught a couple near legal calico and lost at least three legals. At 3, we walked to Casino point, and fished the bay side of the jetty, which is outside the MPA. After an hour with only a couple bites, we headed back to the Mole. There, we split up, and I walked back to Pebbly beach. I fished there from 5 - 6:40 pm and caught three more nicer sized whitefish and a 16" sheephead. At the Mole, my friend had little luck. We then took the 7:30 boat home.

Notes:
- The water quality was worse than usual due to the rains
- More larger fish under the GPP
- Fewer calico at the Mole in general
- Fewer sheephead in general
- No bonito

 

[Reel Newbie]

Nice report. By any chance, what rigs and bait did you use?

 

[EgoNonBaptizo]

Nice report. By any chance, what rigs and bait did you use?

Mackerel on dropper loops for the sand bass, strips of squid and shrimp on dropper loops with sz 1 hooks for the whitefish, calico, sheephead, and sculpin, flylined peas using 4lb fluorocarbon leader and sz 10 hooks. At the GPP, I flylined whole squid in between the pilings for calico.

 

[Reel Newbie]

Thanks, hope the bonito come in soon!

 

[Brock Norris]

very nice thanks for the report good eating right there Brock

 

[muttfishr]

Looks like you had a good trip, I went out on a cattle boat to Catalina on Sunday, we started about half way up the island for small white fish on squid strips, i was casting yo-yo jigs, then we moved past Avalon and anchored up next to another boat who were picking away at yellow-tail fly-lining sardines, that was just outside a little stretch of "pebble'y" beach, maybe the one you mentioned, but we got there at the end of it, so no bites for me, glad to see you had a "fun" time Tho.

 

[Red Fish]

Went to Avalon with a friend on Memorial Day. Took the 6 am boat, and immediately began fishing the Mole. I almost immediately caught two opaleye, a 11" sculpin and a 15" barred sand bass. My friend caught two whitefish on squid. Afterwards, fishing slowed considerably. At 12, we headed to the GPP. There were lots of opaleye that didn't want to bite. I caught quite a few calico, some close to 14". After checking into the hotel by 2 pm, we then walked to Pebbly beach. There, while my friend snorkeled, I fished. I caught four nicer sized whitefish, and released many smaller ones. We headed back around 7 pm, and began fishing the GPP again. We set out two heavy lines for bat rays, with no luck. We headed in around 10 pm due to the cold, and went to bed. The next morning, we woke up rather late at around 6 am. We began fishing the Mole again. We cast for bonito, but none seemed to be around. My friend then hooked into something big on a live smelt that broke him off only a couple feet from the pier. Fishing slowed again, and I scraped out one 14" calico and a halfmoon perch. We then went to the GPP at around 12 pm, and ate lunch there. There, I caught a couple near legal calico and lost at least three legals. At 3, we walked to Casino point, and fished the bay side of the jetty, which is outside the MPA. After an hour with only a couple bites, we headed back to the Mole. There, we split up, and I walked back to Pebbly beach. I fished there from 5 - 6:40 pm and caught three more nicer sized whitefish and a 16" sheephead. At the Mole, my friend had little luck. We then took the 7:30 boat home.

Notes:
- The water quality was worse than usual due to the rains
- More larger fish under the GPP
- Fewer calico at the Mole in general
- Fewer sheephead in general
- The Vons is closed. The store space was completely cleared out. I didn't check if the Vons express was open.
- No bonito

View attachment 866

Thanks for the report. Nice calicos and sheepshead! Wow, Vons is shut down! Huh, there goes buying your own meals from the grocery store on the island option.
Did you fish with Adam, Hashem, or David?

 

[EgoNonBaptizo]

Thanks for the report. Nice calicos and sheepshead! Wow, Vons is shut down! Huh, there goes buying your own meals from the grocery store on the island option.
Did you fish with Adam, Hashem, or David?

Nope, didn't see any of them on the island, in fact I was one of the only anglers on the island as far as I could tell. There were a couple opaleye fishermen, but other than that nobody.