by RichardCullip » January 10th, 2013, 9:17 am
Wade
I wish I have specific info to pass along but I have never fished Ventura Harbor. However, based on a bit of experience fishing other harbors, I say go for it in your kickboat unless it has lots of steel parts you don't want to rust. There will be a big outgoing tide from ~9AM until ~4PM that day and that should get the fish in an eating mood. I suspect that there will be some bass (mostly like calicos) hanging out in the harbor and they are both current and structure oriented. Get a smallish (size 4) weighted fly on the bottom and drift by some structure and hang on. I'd start with a chartreuse fly and, if that doesn't work, swap over to a brown or red fly. Clousers work fine as do any woolly bugger varients with chenille bodies. The real key will be getting the fly to the bottom in strong current. use a fast sinking intergrated shooting head style of line and weighted flies. Fish among the moored/docked boats if the Harbor Patrol lets you. Watch out for other boat traffic and try not to get run over out there. When starting to fish a new harbor region, I use two simple rules to help find fish. While keeping your fly in the water (think drifting/trolling rather than casting), if you aren't getting bite let more line out. If you are snagging bottom, bring some line in. Keep your rod tip in the water and strip-strike to set the hook rather than lifting the rod tip. Have fun out there.
Life is good. Eternal life is better!
Richard
! The drop-off is 3 blocks from the Harbour, so I was thinking of taking my Kickboat down there and seeing what I could find to play with. I don't know the area other than going to Captain Hooks and going out on their boats, which I have neither the $ or inclination to do. Any suggestions? PM's appreciated.