Newport / Balboa bays fishing

Hell guys!! I going to be taking my bass boat to NPH for the 1st time... Can someone please tell me a few good spots to fish there for spotties and halibuts I'll be launching from the dunes. Next week I"m gonna start trying float tubing. I have been doing my homework on tubing and was at bass bro shop today and liked what I saw. I'll be buying the new cat 4. Alnong with everything I need to begin float tubing. before that I would like to know a few good spots!! thank you for your help!!

If you are a bigger guy (200 plus) spend the extra money and buy the deluxe. comfort levels will be much better. Also before you buy fins, look at either Force Fins or Scuba style fins. The fins they sell are used with boots which dont allow your ankles to move freely which will slow your move about theharbor.

Thank you for the reply. And yes the deluxe was the one i am getting (RED). also and scuba fins is what was on my mind also... now i jus nned to find some one who builds a nice rod and fish finder holders. I want my tube HOOKED UP!!... thanks again!!

Welcome to the forum
There are lots of different rod holders here and lots of different designs figure out what you want to hold and look around the forum theres plenty of designs to build lots of fun too

showtime wrote:Thank you for the reply. And yes the deluxe was the one i am getting (RED). also and scuba fins is what was on my mind also... now i jus nned to find some one who builds a nice rod and fish finder holders. I want my tube HOOKED UP!!... thanks again!!

You can make your fish finder holder very easy and the rod holders depending on how many rods you want to take should be pretty easy as well.

Welcome showtime as for NPH try fishing docks and moorings near Lido island and Balboa Island as well. You can also go down to the coast guard station and fish the eel grass beds.

jeffcpr wrote:Welcome showtime as for NPH try fishing docks and moorings near Lido island and Balboa Island as well. You can also go down to the coast guard station and fish the eel grass beds.

Moorings? where is that i dont see it on the map.

Thay are also called Pylons the post sticking out of the water they are all over the place.

you can check out [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] for a step by step guide to rigging. i dont like his design completely but use it to get ideas.

i like fishing the coast guard dock and the moorings. also, if you take a skiff or maybe a pontoon, head out along the jetties and the boat dock. also, between the corona del mar jetty and the coast guard dock, there is a little bend that some people call halibut corner. i've fished there quite a bit off of skiffs, plenty of hits, but no keepers.

if you know the area well, try to head over to the m street pier/dock on the peninsula side. there is a mooring and a ton of kelp along with some private docks. plenty of spotties and calicos, but you'll lose your share of jig heads and lures. be aware, the current is pretty strong there and i've noticed that some boats tend to speed up past the 5mph limit there so wakes can be a problem.

Thanks guys!!

Hey Huyeed that was cool thanks

what type of rigs. also, with the skiff were you trolling?

Both bass and halibut will key in on structure so fish along the edges of docks or next to any drop off. Also anyplace you see a sailboat or yacht at anchor there are large concrete blocks below them that they are attached to, fish near these as well.

actually, never trolled the harbor, just drift. movement is a little erratic when drifting. usually use live bait, but i had some luck drifting with a 5" sexy smelt hammer with hot sauce carolina rigged with a 3' leader along the jetties. on a slow day in newport, even at the bait barge, i was able to hook 3 keeper calicos and a small halibut in about 1.5hrs on that setup.

btw, if you'd rather use live bait, the m street pier i mentioned is a hot spot. always bait fish there. shiner perch are always available, along with smelt, chovies, sardines, and even the occasional mackerel. i've seen guys throw cast nets, but i believe that's illegal south of point conception. bring a few slices of bread, chum the waters, and drop a sabiki down just below the surface (size 14 or sabiki size 3 is good). if you want perch, drop all the way down next to the pilings after tipping your hooks with shrimp. spending a few bucks on shrimp and bread could save you plenty of dough at the bait barge if you have the time to catch bait.

i've had days where bass and halibut will inhale the smelt/chovies. action on perch is a little slower, but tends to get bigger fish. they also stay alive longer in your bait tank, and you can cast them many times.

So, at the above mentioned hot spots.. are you anchoring down and fishing? by the way you guys have been very helpful.. im jus trying to get as much info before i take my bass boat out there. thanks!!

i haven't fished many structures off of a skiff, that's the whole reason i got a float tube. i'm sure you could do it, i've been fishing maybe 20 hrs a week for 3 months, but i'm still a noob, and i dont really have great boating skills. i have hit the jetties a lot and i usually just drift. that way, i can cast some live bait or a lure and leave it out there with one rod and work lures on another. if you do want to anchor a boat up, get an anchor that will hold you. my first time out, i threw down an anchor, i know it hit bottom, and shut off my motor to cut the noise. nearly got owned by the rocks. i really recommend you get a nautical chart or a fish finder so you can look for depth changes. you can get a nice chart at most tackle stores or sporting good stores that have gps coordinates for maybe 7 bucks.

IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD SPOTS IN NPH THERE ARE NO MORE GOOD SPOTS. EVERYTHING IS OVERFISHED SO MUCH BY TUBERS TOONS BOATS AND KAYAKS. YOU CAN ALMOST GO ANY WHERE IN THE HARBOR AND HOOKUP. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE HUMBLE ABOUT WHAT YOUR DOING THERE. IF YOUR THERE TO TRY AND CATCH THE BIG ON YOUR FIRST TRIP IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT IF YOUR THERE NOING YOU ARE GOING TO GET SKUNKED AND YOUR COOL WITH THAT THEN YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE GREAT TIME IN NPH AND DANA POINT. I SAY THIS WITH NOT BEING A JERK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT JUST AS A TUBER OF NPH FOR OVER 4 YEARS AND WITH A LITTLE EXPERIANCE TUBING THESE HARBORS. IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LOCAL SPOTS PM ME AND IF I KNOW THE STREETS AND ADDRESS I WILL GIVE YOU WHAT I KNOW. KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT AND THE BEER ON ICE.

BASSGEEK wrote:IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD SPOTS IN NPH THERE ARE NO MORE GOOD SPOTS. EVERYTHING IS OVERFISHED SO MUCH BY TUBERS TOONS BOATS AND KAYAKS. YOU CAN ALMOST GO ANY WHERE IN THE HARBOR AND HOOKUP. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE HUMBLE ABOUT WHAT YOUR DOING THERE. IF YOUR THERE TO TRY AND CATCH THE BIG ON YOUR FIRST TRIP IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT IF YOUR THERE NOING YOU ARE GOING TO GET SKUNKED AND YOUR COOL WITH THAT THEN YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE GREAT TIME IN NPH AND DANA POINT. I SAY THIS WITH NOT BEING A JERK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT JUST AS A TUBER OF NPH FOR OVER 4 YEARS AND WITH A LITTLE EXPERIANCE TUBING THESE HARBORS. IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LOCAL SPOTS PM ME AND IF I KNOW THE STREETS AND ADDRESS I WILL GIVE YOU WHAT I KNOW. KEEP THOSE LINES TIGHT AND THE BEER ON ICE.

no more ber you cry too much lol

Bassgeek! I agree with you!! I think thats comes with fishing.....!! I like that attitude. I'm jus tired of fishing these local lakes. wanna try some new things!!

sweet bro just let me know when you what to role out we can go and i will show you some cool spots that put out...

well took my boat to NPH today for the 1st time and got SKUNKED!! Well actually not skunked. I landed 3 spotties but I had to throw them back..... because they were way to small (the size of my 5 year old sons foot)... I hit every spot that was mentioned here on the forum ( M ST pier, Coast guard pier and the jetty's.... but it didnt look like nobody was catching today.. it was overcast till around 12 then it cleared and the winds picked up.. I tried every kind of bait , rigs, plastic lures and etc........ what did i do wrong for the big fish??? .... ( jus a bad fishing day i guess!)

i think it was just one of those days. like bassgeek said, nph is a little over fished, and i've seen plenty of people without licenses keeping fish they weren't supposed to. that doesnt help. all a part of fishing though. when i hit the docks on tuesday morning, i fished every lure, every color, drop shot, jig heads, spinner baits with every scent in my box. nothing. squid, nothing. another guy was throwing out mussels, hooked 5 keeper spotties, 3 small halibut, 1 keeper halibut.

showtime wrote:well took my boat to NPH today for the 1st time and got SKUNKED!! Well actually not skunked. I landed 3 spotties but I had to throw them back..... because they were way to small (the size of my 5 year old sons foot)... I hit every spot that was mentioned here on the forum ( M ST pier, Coast guard pier and the jetty's.... but it didnt look like nobody was catching today.. it was overcast till around 12 then it cleared and the winds picked up.. I tried every kind of bait , rigs, plastic lures and etc........ what did i do wrong for the big fish??? .... ( jus a bad fishing day i guess!)

No such thing as a bad fishing day. You could have been at work, sweating behind some electronic motor or having to test something that flys or rolls. Instaed you got to Bob along in the harbor, nice and cool with your legs in the water trying to outsmart a creature with a brain smaller than a pea on a beautiful day. And to top it off, last time I was at the harbor, the scenery was really good Sound like a great day of fishing to me

exactly dano. i can spend 11 hrs fishing, sitting in one spot, without food or going to the bathroom, not catch a single fish, and still be happy with the day. although, on saturday night i went out before work for a 45 dock session and caught two sculpin and forgot my lip grippers...but even that was fun.

LOL... yes I could have been at working and been doing many other thing. but I was able to relax fishing at NPH.. So I do agree with all you replays. It did also seem a little bizy too. alot of traffic around that day also. I'm going to try again tue or wed after 4th july weekend. cause I know its gonna be tooo many people to go again this weekend. quesion? which by is better fishing NPH or Alamitos Bay .. I'm sure NPH is much nicer though