Trophy Bass: Late Fall through the Winter months are some of the best months out of the year to head to the islands in the hunt for giant Calico Bass!

'09 CHALLENGE REFLECTIONS
Good times with good friends.

...... ..Hot summer days, bikinis on the beaches, warm water, when one thinks of theses things, one place comes to mind, Southern California .  For those of us who have been fortunate enough to live here our entire lives, we look forward to the warm weather and bikinis on the beaches.  Fishermen also look forward to this time of year  as well.  Not only do the bikinis show up on the beaches, but they end up on or off on boats too.  The warm weather and water also brings the pelagic species to the local banks, which makes it possible for  even small boats to go out and get them; however, when late September and early October roll around, a strange thing happens...many boaters start putting their boats away for the winter.  

....Why do so many people ‘winterize' and put away their boats for months at a time?  We don't really have a winter here in Southern California , and even though the pelagics may migrate elsewhere for a few months, we still have great fishing. As far as the weather is concerned for fishermen, it actually gets better.  The west winds that are prevalent on most afternoons throughout the summer are gone, and they are often replaced with the Santa Ana winds, which come out of the northeast and truly pacify the inner waters of the Pacific Ocean.  

WINTER BASSIN'
It's time to go

....For Calico Bass anglers in small center console boats, the fall and winter months often mean one thing...head to the islands.  I've taken many trips to the islands during the summer months, and one thing was always on my mind, the ride home.  When you're 50 miles out on a 19 foot boat, the west wind and the chop it creates makes for a brutal, wet ride home that can last for hours; however, without the afternoon west winds, making the run to and from Catalina, Santa Barbara, or San Clemente Island becomes far more enjoyable experience.  Instead of looking for white caps and heading home early to lessen the abuse, anglers can fish all day and ride home comfortable and dry.

....Jack Sowell and Benny Florentino are two of the most experienced Calico anglers around, and they've spent more time at the offshore islands of Southern California than most of us have spent on the water.  Every year they head up a flotilla of bass boats for the annual New Year's Day trip to the islands, and most years, the weather has been excellent.  In fact, it has been so good some years that 14 footers have made the trip when given some fuel support form the other boats.  The trips are always legendary, and there are always lots of large Calicos caught.

....The SWBA tournament series has inspired many Calico anglers to step up and improve their game in local waters.  The inshore series has forced many of us to step outside the box, so to speak, and try new approaches, new spots, and to also spend more time on the water.  With the continuing success and growth of the series, new ideas for events are always being discussed.  A few years back, I went over to Catalina during my winter break from school and rented a cabin at Two Harbors.  I decided to get the cabin because I wanted to fish both Catalina and San Clemente Islands for a few days and save time and money getting to the fishing grounds.  To my surprise, I was the only non-employee staying at Two Harbors for the entire week.  Not only that, but I was the only private boat fishing most of the time, talk about a good time.  Sitting on the beach at Two Harbors, with a beer in hand and looking at the Palos Verdes coastline off in the distance, I started thinking about doing the same trip with all of my friends from the SWBA.  I immediately called James and started telling him about my trip and brought up the idea of getting a crew together for am SWBA weekend at the island.

....Fast forward to January 9th and 10th of 2009, the 1st annual Catalina Offshore Challenge is set to go off at Two Harbors, Catalina Island .  The weather looked good with the exception of a 24 hour period of strong Santa Ana winds on Saturday.  I headed over Friday morning with a great fisherman and friend, Chris Hurley.  If nothing else, I was looking forward to spending a weekend fishing with Chris and hanging out with my other friends from the SWBA.