Captain
Benny Florentino's Saltwater Bass Seminar with Sav-On Tackle highlighting a typical Southern California Coastal Charters' inshore bass
experience.
If you
love to fish for Calico Bass, then Coastal Charters is an excellent fishing
adventure.
Coastal
Charters
Ranger
2510 Center Console Bay Boat
Florentino
operated a 25-foot center console powered by a 300
HP Mercury Verado during this 2019 seminar.
Coastal Charters' new ride, the beautiful Caymas 26HD.
2024, Coastal Charters is now operating a Caymas 26HD Hybrid
Center Console Bay Boat powered by a Mercury V10 400 HP Verado! A link for the Captain's tour of the new Caymas Bay Boat is at the bottom of this page.
Coastal
Charters comfortably accommodates three anglers and provides the equipment,
tackle, and beverages. Bring your clothing, wet weather gear, sun protection,
fishing license, camera, and lunch; it's very convenient.
Launching
from Long Beach, California, Captain Benny Florentino fishes the coastal waters
from Santa Monica Bay to Newport, Catalina Island, and San Clemente Island. The
target species are Calico Bass, Spotted Bay Bass, and Sand Bass.
Florentino
likes sitting back when guiding clients. He enjoys coaching and watching people
catch their personal bests. But, a transformation occurs when he puts a rod in
his hand. "When I'm targeting, I become a different person," says
Florentino. It's more casts for less catching, but the results are substantial.
"My
passion is guiding and catching fish on artificial lures," Captain Benny Florentino.
Artificial
Lures
Coastal
Charters has the latest fishing equipment rigged, ready, and waiting for you to
make the cast.
In
Florentino's younger days, fishing local half-day party boats, Worm King, and
Scampi plastic lures had just entered the fishing scene. Realizing that he no
longer had to deal with the bait tank and that plastics stayed on the hook
longer, artificial swimbaits quickly became a favorite.
"All
lures take commitment; you must put time into them."
Casting
and the Bite Zone
The
most crucial aspect of any angling is getting the lure to the fish. Proper
casting involves both hands and body mechanics. It's a smooth, natural motion
without excessive movement.
Roll
your wrists so the baitcasting reel is upside down during the forward casting
motion. This position helps prevent backlashes. The upside-down reel's spool
rotation takes the line down, out, and away from the spool towards the lure.
Florentino
emphasizes that anglers should spend more time practicing correct casting
skills. Cast too short, and you'll miss the Bite Zone. "During the
retrieve, you want your lure to remain in the water for as long as possible;
that's the key."
Snaps
Florentino
uses snaps to rig everything, including baitcasting and spinning gear. Snap
sizes are selected to balance the lure and line size. He uses 50-pound test
snaps for lighter applications and up to a 100-pound test for heavier set-ups.
"Snaps
are bulletproof; your knot will break before a snap does."
Braid
Florentino
selects braided line based on reel size. 200-size reels are spooled with
50-pound braid, 300-class reels have 65-pound test, and 400 reels have 80-pound
braid. Braid will give you a chance when you hook into a big bass or an
unexpected pelagic species.
"I
fish heavy; if I know larger fish are in the area, I'm prepared to land that
fish. I want to land that fish!"
Color
Florentino
has always been a fan of brown bait colors but will tell you, "If a
particular color gives you confidence, fish it."
Tube
Baits
The
4-inch CaliJerkTube in USC color (crimson and gold) by UltralightHeavyweights.
Tubes
are an excellent lure during challenging conditions. The key is finding moving
water and fishing the tube slowly. Most anglers are fishing this bait too fast.
The water is cold, the bass are popsicles, and they stay down.
A tube
bait is a superior choice when fish feed on crabs, especially red ones.
Crustaceans move relatively slowly, so don't overwork the rod when fishing
tubes. Cast the lure and follow the downward spiral. After the fall, gently
lift and follow the tube down again, then pause, allowing the lure to sit in
place before repeating the action. Right now, the fish are cold and lazy;
placing the bait slowly directly in front of them will get the bite.
"The
tube bait simply gets bit."
Spinner
Baits
A
1-ounce WarBaits HD double willow Spinnerbait in MD Secret pattern.
In the
image above, the bait's blades and skirt have seen a lot of service, making
this spinner bait a favorite. Florentino rigs with a 30-pound leader tied to
50-pound Maxcuatro PowerPro braid. Maxcuatro is 25% thinner than standard
PowerPro lines of equal strength. The smaller diameter optimizes casting
distance and increases the reel's line capacity.
"Big
baits eliminate the little guys."
Down-Sizing
A
5-inch paddle tail swimbait, center image, on a weedless WarBaits jig head.
Sometimes,
predatory fish are focused on smaller bait. When they reject surface irons and
larger lures, a downsized 5-inch swimbait is an excellent response. You still
want heavy hardware; you're fishing for bigger fish.
"You
never know what you'll run into."
The
Dark Sleeper
The
1-ounce MegaBass Dark Sleeper in the Hanahaze pattern. Developed to target fish
holding to bottom structure and cover, the Dark Sleeper has superior realism
and an enticing paddle-tail action (the bait's tail is torn in the image).
The
Dark Sleeper has a realistic Goby profile. It's a productive lure during
no-current slack tide conditions. When kelp stringers are straight up,
Florentino fishes the Dark Sleeper as a flip bait. He'll flip or pitch it at
the kelp, allowing the lure to sink straight down to the bottom.
The
same approach applies to human-made harbor pilings. Gobies stay tight to the
bottom and don't do too much, which is a clue about how to fish this bait. Once
the bait is on the bottom, a slight lift with little action mimics Gobies.
"The
fish will tell you what they want."
Weedless
The
"Weedless" is a soft plastic boot-tail swimbait, typically 6 and 7
inches, rigged with keel-weighted screw-lock swimbait hooks. It's a more
substantial profile lure that attracts massive bass. Ready for a big bite,
Florentino rigs the Weedless on a 40-pound leader and 65-pound braid main line.
A weedless
swimbait applies to many applications, such as paralleling steep walls, shallow
water, and kelp beds. Florentino doesn't use assist (stinger) hooks; the big
fish have no problem inhaling the bait. He uses a fast retrieve through the top
of the water column. The retrieve pace can create a 'Daisy-Chain' effect.
When
you get bit, keep reeling. Not only do you want to keep the interest of the
biting fish, but other fish will get involved, too. Calico Bass display this
behavior frequently, but you must keep applying action to the Weedless.
"Don't
stop when you get bit."
Crankbaits
Florentino
uses several crankbait types, including the Berkley Dredger crankbait, one of
his 'Go-To' lures when fishing harbors. Typically, an oversized lure is the
only way to crank deeper water. The Dredger, available in six sizes, features a
downsized profile and a weighted diving bill. This lure dives quickly and stays
in the bite zone longer.
Set up
with a 30-pound leader, Florentino uses a Shimano DC reel with light lures. A
DC reel has a digitally controlled brake system. He also favors an 8.2:1-reel
speed. Florentino's reel choice provides long casts and the ability to quickly
crank the lure down deep.
Once
his crankbait is down on the bottom, the retrieve speed slows. During the
retrieve, if Florentino strikes an object, he will pause. If there are no
collisions, he incorporates periodic pauses into the retrieve cadence. The
Dredger will rise slowly on the stop and can be an active trigger.
Fish
attacking a crankbait boat side is a common occurrence. "Always be
prepared to be hit next to the boat."
A-Rigs
The
Alabama Rig, commonly called an A-Rig, mimics a small school of baitfish.
During the warmer months of July and August, the A-Rig shines. Florentino
fishes this lure inside harbors and along break walls; spotted bay bass love
the A-Rig.
On a
five-arm A-Rig, multiple bass at once are commonplace. Coastal Charters has
caught 17.5 pounds of bass in one cast, with a 7-pound big bass in the bunch!
Five hooks will produce five bass in one retrieve.
Florentino
fishes the A-Rig with a long cast and a fast pace. When baitfish meander,
they're not worried about being attacked. When they bolt through the water,
they look panicked and trying to get away. That's how Florentino wants his
A-Rig to appear: terrified.
"The
A-Rig is a big bass lure."
Fish
On
Advanced
to the novice, Coastal Charter clients come from all types of fishing
disciplines. One of the biggest learning obstacles for anglers new to this type
of fishing is hooking and playing the fish. During the retrieve, you're turning
the reel handle. When you detect a strike, keep winding.
Wind,
wind, wind, with the rod tip pointed down and at the fish, wind, wind, wind
until you come tight. When you're tight to the fish, then you set the hook.
But, keep winding; the bass are often swimming straight towards you. If you
don't keep reeling, the fish swimming towards you will create a slack line and
spit the bait.
Keeping
the rod tip up during the fight lets you get the best angle on the fish. It
also puts the angler in the best position to wind them up and away from cover
elements. You'll lose the fish if they swim into the kelp and rocks.
"When
you come tight, then Zing Them!"
Calicos
Don't Jump
Rod
Position is the key to hooking and landing fish. Many freshwater bass anglers
instinctively point the rod tip down when fighting saltwater bass, thinking
that, like a freshwater bass, they will jump and try to shake the lure out.
Calicos do not jump out of the water like freshwater bass when battling an
angler.
"Keep
the rod tip up when fighting a fish."
The Host
In
this age of instant online e-commerce, Sav-On Tackle is a breath of fresh air.
It feels good to enter a tackle shop, touch, compare products, and flex a
fishing rod before you buy it. It's assuring to have access to experienced
staffers ready to help with the latest equipment, spool line, and give tips on
the local hot bite. Sav-On Tackle is that and more; it's a place where lasting
friendships are made.
Sav-On
Tackle is centrally located in Greater Los Angeles. The freeway is close, so
time your commute well, and it's a convenient trip to Sav-On Tackle.
