NPH on Saturday, October 11

In preparation for this coming Saturday, I went to Newport last Saturday to check it out since I've never fished there before. I got there later than I wanted because of a freeway closure, but unloaded and was on the water around 6:30am. From the Coast Guard Station, I started kicking towards the harbor entrance. I managed to catch three spotties--two small ones, one was decent.

I kept kicking towards the bait barge until I realized that I was no longer really moving--it was just like a water treadmill due to the current. If I really put some effort into it, I could make some progress, but then I'd be exhausted. So I let the current take me back towards the Coast Guard Station where I picked up one decent sand bass.

Then I let the current take me a little further, and I got my ass kicked making my way back to the beach at the Coast Guard Station. I was really surprised how strong the current was.

I'm looking forward to this Saturday--hopefully some of you wiser, more experienced tubers will pass along some sage advice to us Newbies!

WTG out there Desperado and oh man yeah that current can sucks real hard ive been in it and like you said it feels like a treadmill hahaha, thanks for the report and WTG on the spotties..this saturday should be good

Tony G

Thanks for the report bro sounds like a tough leg work out, here is my advice to the newbie Kick like your life depends on it. Or just give in and go for a ride. Make sure you get a good tide flow chart on your smart phone if you have one. Learn to understand it and plan your trips according to that, you will always deal with some sort of tide. But planning your attack it the best way to beat the tough kick.

jeffcpr wrote:Thanks for the report bro sounds like a tough leg work out, here is my advice to the newbie Kick like your life depends on it.  Or just give in and go for a ride.  Make sure you get a good tide flow chart on your smart phone if you have one.  Learn to understand it and plan your trips according to that, you will always deal with some sort of tide.  But planning your attack it the best way to beat the tough kick.

I have now downloaded a tide chart app on my phone. Thanks for the good advice.

All of the above is solid advice.

I've never had any really good experiences at NPH around the Coast Guard station or tight channels. Like you mentioned, the current is so strong that you aren't moving. I've had a few experiences like that. You get thighs of steel after though lol.

I would just avoid that area in the future. There are plenty of other nicer, calmer spots in NPH.

current=fish. sometimes you gotta earn it.....Ive had my best/most frustrating days on 6 ft + tide swings. good luck and see you guys saturday I hope. cheers and tight lines

WTG! Desperado64, I'm looking forward to this weekend myself I also downloaded the tide chart but I myself am going to have to read up on it to understand it better

FISHING ALL DAY BABY wrote:WTG! Desperado64, I'm looking forward to this weekend myself I also downloaded the tide chart but I myself am going to have to read up on it to understand it better

I'm in the same boat (or tube, as it were), FADB. I watched a couple of YouTube videos which helped.

I'll see you on Saturday!

Hey desperado..I recommend instead of going towards the barge make a right and fish the whole right side of balboa yacht club...holds lots of fish and the current isn't anything quiet like u experienced..i fish this spot most of the times I go out...I learned the hard way lol..barge is good cuz of the fish that around but its a hella of a kick and back lol

Fishingdachronarch201E7 wrote:Hey desperado..I recommend instead of going towards the barge make a right and fish the whole right side of balboa yacht club...holds lots of fish and the current isn't anything quiet like u experienced..i fish this spot most of the times I go out...I learned the hard way lol..barge is good cuz of the fish that around but its a hella of a kick and back lol

Awesome advice, Fishingdachronarch201E7. Thank you!

Good report and good prefishing! See you guys Saturday!

Good report bud.

here is my advice.

Look at at your tide chart. For example for the event coming up we have a high tide of 4.56' at 7:16am and a low tide of 1.94' at 1:12pm. now i might be wrong about this part but i belive that means feet above normal sea level, But what i do know is that is only a 2.62' drop over the course of 6 hours. so that means the water will be going out at a little less then half a foot per hour. Very mellow and should not be hard to kick agenst at all especially in depper wider areas.

knowing the above info i feel confident enough to launch where every i want and keep the abilty to fish in immediate area. So taking saturday for instance i know there is some very good areas just outside of the coast gaurd station that if i wanted i could work that area all day, or or oooooorrr i could use the current and a little leg power and get down to the bait barge kinda easy and quick, and still have the energy and ablity to kick back.

but if the swing was lets say 1' a hour that would be much tougher to fish so i would look on google maps ( or if you know the harbor enough you have plenty of places in your memory banks) to launch ahead or under the areas you would like to fish and let the current be your friend. Many times i have made complete laps around balboa Island using the current, or lanuched from coast gaurd station and ride the current all the way up to Lido Island with very little effort. It makes for a long day beacuse you have to wait for tide to turn around to carry you home but with such little effort put in its not that hard of a day. Once you get better at your timing and how fast you will move you can launch from one are ride the current to where you want to go, get there right at slack tide fish the area for that time and then let the current carry you home.

On days with a slower current that is usualy when i take my time and work 1 area at a time for the bass. On days with fast curent wich it seems like is most weekends lately ( i only get to fish weekends and for a little while now the weekends have had the stronger tides) i just let the current do its thing and aim my self for the bass spots and try to pick up halibut inbetween.

Thanks for the report and the education!

thisfool wrote:Good report bud.

here is my advice.

Look at at your tide chart. For example for the event coming up we have a high tide of 4.56' at 7:16am and a low tide of 1.94' at 1:12pm. now i might be wrong about this part but i belive that means feet above normal sea level, But what i do know is that is only a 2.62' drop over the course of 6 hours. so that means the water will be going out at a little less then half a foot per hour. Very mellow and should not be hard to kick agenst at all especially in depper wider areas.

knowing the above info i feel confident enough to launch where every i want and keep the abilty to fish in immediate area. So taking saturday for instance i know there is some very good areas just outside of the coast gaurd station that if i wanted i could work that area all day, or or oooooorrr i could use the current and a little leg power and get down to the bait barge kinda easy and quick, and still have the energy and ablity to kick back.

but if the swing was lets say 1' a hour that would be much tougher to fish so i would look on google maps ( or if you know the harbor enough you have plenty of places in your memory banks) to launch ahead or under the areas you would like to fish and let the current be your friend. Many times i have made complete laps around balboa Island using the current, or lanuched from coast gaurd station and ride the current all the way up to Lido Island with very little effort. It makes for a long day beacuse you have to wait for tide to turn around to carry you home but with such little effort put in its not that hard of a day. Once you get better at your timing and how fast you will move you can launch from one are ride the current to where you want to go, get there right at slack tide fish the area for that time and then let the current carry you home.

On days with a slower current that is usualy when i take my time and work 1 area at a time for the bass. On days with fast curent wich it seems like is most weekends lately ( i only get to fish weekends and for a little while now the weekends have had the stronger tides) i just let the current do its thing and aim my self for the bass spots and try to pick up halibut inbetween.

x2

thisfool wrote:Good report bud.

here is my advice.

Look at at your tide chart. For example for the event coming up we have a high tide of 4.56' at 7:16am and a low tide of 1.94' at 1:12pm. now i might be wrong about this part but i belive that means feet above normal sea level, But what i do know is that is only a 2.62' drop over the course of 6 hours. so that means the water will be going out at a little less then half a foot per hour. Very mellow and should not be hard to kick agenst at all especially in depper wider areas.

knowing the above info i feel confident enough to launch where every i want and keep the abilty to fish in immediate area. So taking saturday for instance i know there is some very good areas just outside of the coast gaurd station that if i wanted i could work that area all day, or or oooooorrr i could use the current and a little leg power and get down to the bait barge kinda easy and quick, and still have the energy and ablity to kick back.

but if the swing was lets say 1' a hour that would be much tougher to fish so i would look on google maps ( or if you know the harbor enough you have plenty of places in your memory banks) to launch ahead or under the areas you would like to fish and let the current be your friend. Many times i have made complete laps around balboa Island using the current, or lanuched from coast gaurd station and ride the current all the way up to Lido Island with very little effort. It makes for a long day beacuse you have to wait for tide to turn around to carry you home but with such little effort put in its not that hard of a day. Once you get better at your timing and how fast you will move you can launch from one are ride the current to where you want to go, get there right at slack tide fish the area for that time and then let the current carry you home.

On days with a slower current that is usualy when i take my time and work 1 area at a time for the bass. On days with fast curent wich it seems like is most weekends lately ( i only get to fish weekends and for a little while now the weekends have had the stronger tides) i just let the current do its thing and aim my self for the bass spots and try to pick up halibut inbetween.

Thank you.  This was very helpful

Desperado64 wrote:

thisfool wrote:Good report bud.

here is my advice.

Look at at your tide chart. For example for the event coming up we have a high tide of 4.56' at 7:16am and a low tide of 1.94' at 1:12pm. now i might be wrong about this part but i belive that means feet above normal sea level, But what i do know is that is only a 2.62' drop over the course of 6 hours. so that means the water will be going out at a little less then half a foot per hour. Very mellow and should not be hard to kick agenst at all especially in depper wider areas.

knowing the above info i feel confident enough to launch where every i want and keep the abilty to fish in immediate area. So taking saturday for instance i know there is some very good areas just outside of the coast gaurd station that if i wanted i could work that area all day, or or oooooorrr i could use the current and a little leg power and get down to the bait barge kinda easy and quick, and still have the energy and ablity to kick back.

but if the swing was lets say 1' a hour that would be much tougher to fish so i would look on google maps ( or if you know the harbor enough you have plenty of places in your memory banks) to launch ahead or under the areas you would like to fish and let the current be your friend. Many times i have made complete laps around balboa Island using the current, or lanuched from coast gaurd station and ride the current all the way up to Lido Island with very little effort. It makes for a long day beacuse you have to wait for tide to turn around to carry you home but with such little effort put in its not that hard of a day. Once you get better at your timing and how fast you will move you can launch from one are ride the current to where you want to go, get there right at slack tide fish the area for that time and then let the current carry you home.

On days with a slower current that is usualy when i take my time and work 1 area at a time for the bass. On days with fast curent wich it seems like is most weekends lately ( i only get to fish weekends and for a little while now the weekends have had the stronger tides) i just let the current do its thing and aim my self for the bass spots and try to pick up halibut inbetween.

Thank you.  This was very helpful

Awesome glad i could help.