What You'll Catch?
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Largemouth Bass - San Diego is famous for it's giant Largemouth, with bass
in the teens caught regularly. The spring time is your best chance of
getting a wall hanger, but these Florida strain bass are smart. Fishing
here is slower than the rest of the country, but there are some weeks
during the year that the lakes really shine. If you like the hunt and
accomplishment that comes from chasing the smartest bass in the country,
then the San Diego Lakes are for you.
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Halibut - Found in the bay year round, the halibut also migrates in and
out of the bay to spawn. Usually April and May are the best months to catch
them in numbers in the bays, but water temperature can affect the timing.
They will eat everything from live bait to artificials. They average 16 to
22 inches, with 22 inches being the legal size limit to keep them. They can
reach 20 to 30 pounds in the bay and are great eating.
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Spotted Sandbass - Spotted Bay Bass is another name for these scrappy
fighters. Usually fished for on light tackle or fly gear, they average in
weight from 1 to 2 pounds, but although rare, can reach 3 to 4 pounds.
Compared to their freshwater cousins as saltwater smallmouth, they fight
like freight trains and don't give up fighting until released. They can be
caught on most lures used for freshwater bass, such as crankbaits,
spinnerbaits, grubs, etc. They are found in the bays year round.
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Barred Sandbass - Larger cousin to the Spotted Sandbass or Grumpy as they're
affectionately called by the fishermen who chase them. There are always
some of these bass in the bay year round, although they migrate in and out
to spawn. They average 1 to 2 pounds, but in the winter, when they are in
from spawning, there are quantities of larger fish in the bay. It's not
uncommon to catch fish up to 4 or 5 pounds regularly from November thru
March, with the possibility of a trophy to 8 pounds.
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Calico Bass - This plaid colored bass is a hard fighter in his own right,
living out towards the mouth of the bays around rock or kelp. Averaging 1
to 2 pounds in the bay, this bass also can grow to 8 to 10 pounds and a
giant being caught in the bay is not totally out of the question. Lures
are usually swimbaits, but a lot of regular freshwater baits work as well.
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Croaker - Spotfin and yellowfin croaker are regular incidental catches and
are scrappy fighters. Mostly caught on bait these fish will take plastic
grubs and small spoons as well. They average 1 to 2 pounds with some
reaching up to 4 pounds.
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Incidental Catches - Bonefish, White Seabass, Shortfin Corvina, Bonita,
Barracuda, Mackerel...the list goes on and on. You never can tell what you
might hook up with in the bay. With one of the largest sportfishing
landings in the world, you never know what they might bring back and let go
in the harbor.
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