Date: June 26, 2003
To: Pier Fishing In California Message Board
From: jkim
Subject: Catching Spotfin Croaker
Anybody here have any experience catching spotfin croaker? I live in Carlsbad and was thinking of trying the various lagoons and jetties here instead of the surf perching that I usually do. Reading a recent article in Western Outdoors about spotfins really piqued my interest.
Posted by caffeinehigh
Personally, I've never caught a spotfin croaker....but I’ve seen one caught...they are good fighters...Use fresh mussels on an incoming tide...summer's here and so are the big ones. Good luck
Posted by sk8nmike5000
I have only caught one and it was in Leucadia. I caught it from shore on a strip of squid on a high low rig. This one was caught near the peak of high tide and yes it fought very well. mike
Posted by fishingrod
I saw two huge spotfins at Torrey Pines last Saturday in this guy's bucket. One was so big its tail was sticking out of the bucket. He was using worms he dug out of Mission Bay I think.
Posted by jkim
Thanks guys. It's good to know that they are around.
Posted by corbinaholic
Jkim, Try the lagoon by the power plant on Tamarack. Inside the "incoming" jetty, we used to catch spotfins all the time. Ghost shrimp, blood worms, mussels are the usual suspects. Good luck.
Posted by Mikey
Thanks for your post, I live in that area as well. The power plant lagoon in Carlsbad is the best place around for Spotfin. I've weighed a few 7 pounders at work in the past few weeks. Most of them are being taken on fresh mussel and ghost shrimp. Fish the incoming or outgoing tide as was previously stated, around calmer areas of the lagoon, closer to the actual power plant. Yeah, I also read that article, and was surprised that there were no pictures of truly large fish...they should’ve come to my shop and asked for pictures or details. Good luck to you, Mike
Posted by Ken Jones
Fresh mussels, ghost shrimp, innkeeper worms, and bloodworms/pile worms/lug worms are usually the best baits. And if you find one, you will often find more. Try to find the croaker holes. Newport Bay is a hot spot but most coastal beach areas will also produce some fish.
Posted by longliner
The only spotfin croakers I've ever caught were in the surf from Tamarack to Cherry St there in Carlsbad on sand crabs. Never tried worms in the lagoon though. It's getting too crowded.
Posted by Camaros
I've caught a few spotfin croakers in Newport Bay, with the largest one being 7 lbs. I usually fish 3” curly tail grubs on either a 1/8 or 1/4 oz. jighead (depending on water movement), but the best color for me has been a "homemade" color. I take a couple of handfuls of "motor oil glitter" plastic grubs and mix in with them a handful of "solid white" grubs, making sure the white are completely
covered by the motor oil. Let them sit a few days and the white ones become a "tan to light brown" color (the longer they sit, the darker they get, experiment),I call this color "clam". Then just fish them on the bottom by bouncing them with your rod tip. When you feel a tap, cross his eyes ha ha. Good luck and keep us posted.
Posted by pkjoe
Can someone post a pic of a spotfin?
Posted by Ken Jones
Posted by bayfisher86
That’s a TOAD Ken,
Posted by pkjoe
Thanks for the post.
Posted by jkim
Thanks for all of the replies. Now to put some of this info into action. I'll keep you guys posted.
To: Pier Fishing In California Message Board
From: jkim
Subject: Catching Spotfin Croaker
Anybody here have any experience catching spotfin croaker? I live in Carlsbad and was thinking of trying the various lagoons and jetties here instead of the surf perching that I usually do. Reading a recent article in Western Outdoors about spotfins really piqued my interest.
Posted by caffeinehigh
Personally, I've never caught a spotfin croaker....but I’ve seen one caught...they are good fighters...Use fresh mussels on an incoming tide...summer's here and so are the big ones. Good luck
Posted by sk8nmike5000
I have only caught one and it was in Leucadia. I caught it from shore on a strip of squid on a high low rig. This one was caught near the peak of high tide and yes it fought very well. mike
Posted by fishingrod
I saw two huge spotfins at Torrey Pines last Saturday in this guy's bucket. One was so big its tail was sticking out of the bucket. He was using worms he dug out of Mission Bay I think.
Posted by jkim
Thanks guys. It's good to know that they are around.
Posted by corbinaholic
Jkim, Try the lagoon by the power plant on Tamarack. Inside the "incoming" jetty, we used to catch spotfins all the time. Ghost shrimp, blood worms, mussels are the usual suspects. Good luck.
Posted by Mikey
Thanks for your post, I live in that area as well. The power plant lagoon in Carlsbad is the best place around for Spotfin. I've weighed a few 7 pounders at work in the past few weeks. Most of them are being taken on fresh mussel and ghost shrimp. Fish the incoming or outgoing tide as was previously stated, around calmer areas of the lagoon, closer to the actual power plant. Yeah, I also read that article, and was surprised that there were no pictures of truly large fish...they should’ve come to my shop and asked for pictures or details. Good luck to you, Mike
Posted by Ken Jones
Fresh mussels, ghost shrimp, innkeeper worms, and bloodworms/pile worms/lug worms are usually the best baits. And if you find one, you will often find more. Try to find the croaker holes. Newport Bay is a hot spot but most coastal beach areas will also produce some fish.
Posted by longliner
The only spotfin croakers I've ever caught were in the surf from Tamarack to Cherry St there in Carlsbad on sand crabs. Never tried worms in the lagoon though. It's getting too crowded.
Posted by Camaros
I've caught a few spotfin croakers in Newport Bay, with the largest one being 7 lbs. I usually fish 3” curly tail grubs on either a 1/8 or 1/4 oz. jighead (depending on water movement), but the best color for me has been a "homemade" color. I take a couple of handfuls of "motor oil glitter" plastic grubs and mix in with them a handful of "solid white" grubs, making sure the white are completely
covered by the motor oil. Let them sit a few days and the white ones become a "tan to light brown" color (the longer they sit, the darker they get, experiment),I call this color "clam". Then just fish them on the bottom by bouncing them with your rod tip. When you feel a tap, cross his eyes ha ha. Good luck and keep us posted.
Posted by pkjoe
Can someone post a pic of a spotfin?
Posted by Ken Jones
My dad and a spotfin.
Posted by bayfisher86
That’s a TOAD Ken,
Posted by pkjoe
Thanks for the post.
Posted by jkim
Thanks for all of the replies. Now to put some of this info into action. I'll keep you guys posted.
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