Lessons learned fishing for big bluefin
BY RICH HOLLAND
SAN DIEGO – By now it’s apparent there is a perennial crop of quality bluefin tuna off the Southern California and Northern Baja coast. The reason or reasons matter not for this story. This is about how...
Cashing in on C.I. seabass
Sportboat fishing tips from Capt. Tucker McCombs of the Endeavor
VENTURA – Capt. Tucker McCombs is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to white seabass at the outer Channel Islands. Last year, his boat Endeavor had the high count...
Emergency Commission meeting devolves into a free-for-all (updated)
Action to consider granting the DFW Director temporary emergency power to alter or close fisheries during the COVID-19 crisis delayed a week
Update: The rescheduled FGC meeting will take place via webinar on April 15 at 10 a.m. Visit this...
Checking in with Capt. Rick Russell of the Pacific Islander
As told to Paul Lebowitz
OXNARD – Capt. Rick Russell has been through the ringer. Late last tuna season his legendary offshore boat the Chief was irreparably ruined by botched haul-out job – no fault of his. He wasted no...
Daiwa launches Rock Rover jig series, Elev8 rods
CYPRESS – Daiwa released an intriguing new bottom fishing jig family to the U.S. market for the Fred Hall Long Beach Show, the Rock Rover, along with the Elev8 series of rods with actions custom designed for use with...
New dates and trips on the WON charter schedule
SAN CLEMENTE – The Western Outdoor News charter schedule had a couple of its earlier listings pushed back a few weeks into late May, and for good measure, a couple more out-of-the-ordinary and very cool trips have been added...
Accurate’s Jack Nilsen and the lessons of fishing long range
CORONA — Without the long range fleet, there might be no Accurate Fishing. No ATD, no TwinDrag, no bustling American made high-performance reel company.
“My sons are the driving force,” says Jack Nilsen. His twin sons Doug and Dave Nilsen did...
Long range fleet shuts down
By Gundy Gunderson
SAN DIEGO — The long range fleet shut down this week with the mounting concerns and threats of the Covid-19 virus. Fortunately, much of the fleet is in the boatyard and few trips are scheduled for April....
Bluefin bonanza off Baja!
SAN DIEGO – Storms? What storms? They didn’t interrupt the bluefin bite down south off Baja, in fact, the grade improved with fish to 170 pounds meeting the gaff.
The first big hit for numbers came last weekend, but the...
Video: Limits, limits, limits of rockfish on Capt. Rick Russell’s Pacific Islander
Western Outdoor News hopped on an overnight on the Pacific Islander out of CISCOS in Oxnard to fish the day after the rockfish opener, and we sure liked what we saw. Capt. Rick Russell has his new boat absolutely...
Suzuki Repower Report for June 5, 2020
This is WON’s Repower Report, brought to you by Suzuki Marine. This feature showcase one of many repower projects performed by Suzuki’s professional dealers and mechanics in Southern California. Each new report will feature product specifications on different Suzuki engines for all...
San Diego County sportboats play waiting game (updated)
Edit June 4, 4:00 p.m.: WON is seeing contradictory information on whether Gov. Newsom has granted the San Diego County Board of Supervisors the authority to decide what businesses can open and when, including sportfishing. The San Diego landings...
Pacific Islander Reverse 1.5-Day, June 22-23
Come join WON aboard the vessel Pacific Islander for an outer Channel Islands white seabass special 1.5-day!
This trip is set for a prime time to target the grey ghosts just a week after the limit goes back to 3 fish.
Captain...