Zad and I made another
Coastal Charters trip to Catalina Island with Captain Benny Florentino. During
difficult conditions and a tough bite, a window of opportunity opened.
By Derrek Stewart 5/22/24
When you identify a bite that becomes a
pattern, you're casting on prime water, and the right conditions are present, it's
time to get into the zone. Being in the zone is a mental state of focus and
concentration, allowing you to dissociate your mind from distractions and
anything irrelevant to the goal of catching a fish. You see only one thing and
nothing else.
Confidence and the Zone are formidable duos.
With conscious confidence, you gain the power to act without overthinking. It's
about believing in your skills and instincts and letting them guide you to
success on the water.
A vast thick kelp mat, tight to shore, and facing the open ocean.
Isolated kelp stringers near a rocky shoreline.
A
Pattern Emerges
While targeting Catalina Island's Kelp Bass, we identified a
pattern. The Bass were staging at kelp patties, but only some kelp patties held
biters. For the ones that did, the primary bite happened at the leading
up-current edge of the kelp.
The bites occurred away from the outside edge of the patty,
typically halfway back to the boat. Sometimes, you would hook up on the initial
strike, often multiple short strikes would develop before coming tight.
Frequently, we could see the action occur as retrieves neared the boat.
The
author has a nice Kelp Bass.
The Bass provided several clues. Reading these signs provided
critical information to help capitalize on the circumstance. Often, multiple
strikes occurred before hooking up. The multiple bites indicated that more than
one Bass may be involved. The situation was confirmed by seeing multiple Bass
tracking the lure or swarming on a hooked bass boat side.
Zad
with a nice Kelp Bass!
When a missed strike occurred, the anticipation for another
strike was palpable. The thrill of the chase was still on; it's crucial to
maintain the presentation throughout the entire retrieve. On this day, rarely,
if ever, did a strike occur within the kelp patties or directly on the outer
edge.
The Bass were not simply roaming out in front of the kelp
patties. They were strategically holding within the kelp on the outer edge,
then moving to track our presentations before they committed to an attack. So,
by making a long cast and paralleling the outside edge of the kelp, remaining
in the strike zone for essentially the entire retrieve, the odds for success
increased tremendously.
When we encountered a particular kelp patty holding the most
aggressive and largest Kelp Bass of the trip, I entered Beast Mode, the Zone.
By lining up all the elements of this pattern, I went on a ten-fish, quality
fish streak. It was a tournament angler mindset, laser focused on exceptional
casts and the prime pattern. I knew I was going to draw a bite, and how to
capitalize. The sheer satisfaction of this success was unmatched.
The
Strategic Advantage of casting Behind a Hooked Fish
Kelp Bass tend to group during feeding situations. This day was
no different. After a Bass is hooked and coming to the boat, you will often see
multiple Bass darting in and around the hooked fish. Presumably, they are
trying to take the deception, the lure, away from the hooked Bass.
This situation presents a strategic opportunity. When one angler
is hooked up and playing the fish, a second angler can seize the moment by
pitching their lure into the action. It is a move that can be executed with
relative ease; just be sure you don't interfere with the angler already hooked
up. Following the guidance of Captain Benny, Zad successfully executed this
several times, often reeling in a bigger catch, demonstrating the power of
strategy in fishing.
You should always 'Listen to the
Captain.'
Because of Kelp Bass tendencies, it is also a good idea to cast behind the lead angler after they make a few turns of the reel handle and follow behind their retrieve. After a missed strike on the lead cast, the second angler's retrieve is coming through the same strike zone. When multiple Kelp Bass are involved, the second angler's retrieve is directly in the action. This strategy will quickly produce double hookups when the action is hot.
Techniques and Equipment
Captain Benny
Florentino of Coastal Charters is a longtime professional partner with Shimano.
When you fish with Coastal Charters, top-of-the-line Shimano equipment is
provided unless you bring your gear. These Shimano products, known for their
durability and precision, are meticulously maintained by Captain Benny,
ensuring a smooth and enjoyable fishing experience. One of the many things I
love about angling with Captain Benny is the easy preparation. I show up, and
balanced rigging is ready for my use.
In the modern, fiercely competitive fishing industry, numerous
manufacturers produce exceptional fishing equipment. While I refrain from
endorsing any company over another, I am here to provide you with a meticulous
guide to Shimano, and G Loomis fishing equipment, including the associated lines
and lures used on this trip. This guide is a comprehensive resource, designed
to help you select the best gear from any manufacturer to suit your needs for
similar angling pursuits, instilling a strong sense of confidence in your gear
selection.
Right to left:
Weedless Swimbait spinning
system.
5"
Swimbait casting gear.
Weedless Swimbait casting
tackle.
The Umbrella Rig casting
equipment.
The prime set-up, a keel weighted
swimbait hook and a Jackal Ammonite Shad.
Weedless Swimbait / Jackal 5.5" Ammonite Shad
This Kelp Bass catching technique involves swimming a baitfish imitation high in the water column. Presenting the lure in open water in front of the kelp creates a reaction from predator Kelp Bass holding in ambush positions. The predator locations were primarily on the up-current edges this trip. A steady, moderate/fast retrieve accounted for most of the action.
We produced most of our catches by presenting
a Jackal 5.5" Ammonite Shad. The pattern we used on
this weedless swimbait featured a dark green pumpkin back with an off-white
belly. This weedless swimbait retrieves exceptionally well directly across kelp
lying flat on the surface.
If you prefer spinning gear, a G-Loomis GCX
Inshore spinning rod paired with a Shimano Stradic 4000 reel spooled with 40
lb. Power Pro Maxcuatro Moss Green braid topped with AFTCO 30 lb. Saiko Pro
fluorocarbon leader is provided. A keel weighted underspin 3/8 oz. 6/0
Gamakatsu Spring Lock Spinner Swimbait hook with a SPRO 50 lb. Prime Snap
secured the weedless swimbait to the leader.
Catalina Boilers
Swimbait
/ 5" MC Boot Tail
A Boiler Rock condition occurs when currents and waves crash on
isolated rocks or rock walls above the water line. The crashing water creates
foaming white water turbulence. Water pushing against these structural elements
will produce a reverse current flow, with water pushing in at the same time as
water pushing out. Baitfish caught in the boiler condition can lose their
orientation, the ability to navigate correctly, and suffer injury.
Predatory Kelp Bass will take advantage of baitfish caught in
the boiler rocks by positioning themselves directly in and around the turmoil.
Anglers can mimic prey items by casting tight to Boiler Rocks and imitate a
baitfish attempting to escape the havoc. A 5" MC Swimbait placed on a 1
oz. Warbait weedless swimbait head is the captain's lure of choice.
As an angler, your precision is key. You'll want to cast as
tight as possible to the rock structure, honing your skills and challenging
yourself to master the art of fishing in Boiler Rock conditions.
Engaging the retrieve immediately to avoid lure hang-ups is
paramount. The volatile nature of the Boiler Rocks makes it impossible to
safely position the boat and retrieve a snagged lure. But fear not, casting
angles sometimes permit a retrieve that swims into the white water at isolated
Boiler Rocks. Captain Florentino will always be at the helm, engine running,
and prepared to instantly move the boat away from danger, ensuring your fishing
experience is both thrilling and secure.
A Shimano Tranx 300A reel spooled with 65 lb. Power Pro
Maxcuatro Moss Green braided line is paired with a Shimano Teramar 80MH inshore
casting rod. An AFTCO Saiko Pro fluorocarbon leader and a SPRO Prime Snap
complete this set-up.
Captain Benny Florentino enjoying the bite!
Umbrella
Rig
The umbrella rig, a unique tool with its five arms, is designed
to mimic a small school of bait fish. A popular choice among anglers is the
umbrella rig adorned with willow-leaf spinner blades. These blades create a
stunning visual effect, replicating the shimmer of silvery baitfish scales in
motion. To put it in perspective, imagine the impact of a single spinnerbait
lure, and then multiply it by five-that's the power of an umbrella rig.
Umbrella rigs are versatile tools, but they don't perform their
best directly in the kelp. However, in open water along the edges of a kelp
patty, open lanes among the kelp, or close to isolated kelp stringers, the
umbrella rig truly shines. Each arm of the rig can accommodate a relatively
small swimbait, giving you the power to choose between a weedless or exposed
hook swimbait head, depending on the conditions and your fishing strategy.
Using an umbrella rig can lead to multiple fish catches, making it a highly effective tool. However, it's
crucial to ensure the hardware and gear
used for umbrella rigs are sturdy. Many anglers, valuing their unique fishing
needs, choose to replace stock umbrella rig snaps with strong split rings. The
options for size and color patterns are vast, offering a sense of personalization
and allowing anglers to tailor their rig to their specific fishing preferences.
This level of customization is a testament to the angler-centric design of the
umbrella rig.
Returning to port, another
excellent Coastal Charters fishing quest, Tight Lines and Good Times.
Fishing can be an individual sport or, in
this case, a team sport. On this day, my teammate was Zad. He set the pace and
got the winning big fish action going. Benny was the team captain. He supplied
the top-notch equipment and gear, used his experience, and placed his
fish-catching machine exactly when and where it needed to be. All those things
didn't need any additional thought from me, allowing my mind to focus on the
cast and see the positive result before it happened. It is not just any cast;
it is the exact cast. This sense of teamwork and shared success is what makes
fishing truly special.
