BY MIKE STEVENS
AVALON – Competitive saltwater bass angler and SoCal guide Benny Florentino has once again rung the double-digit calico bell, and he’s looking forward to a banner 2026. His latest stands as his first over 10 since 2014 and his third double-digit calico all-time.
“That calico was caught on the back side of Catalina,” Florentino told Western Outdoor News. “The fish was caught by the campgrounds, I forgot the name of the area, and it was caught on a Kicker PK A-rig with 5-inch swimbaits.”
As it turns out, he was on the water with professional outdoor photographer, Mike Soul, so there were plenty of great shots of this fish. Captain Florentino (FishCoastalCharters.com) said the biggie struck in the middle of a decent overall bite, and he was using the new Shimano Tranx 300B paired with a Shimano rod. While chatting with WON, he also looked ahead to the calico fishing in the meat of the 2026 season.
“The warm water definitely has had an effect on the bite,” said Florentino. “In February, I had 18 trips to San Clemente (island) just for bass fishing, and the fishing was pretty darn good. We caught anywhere from 39 to to 80-plus calicos up to 7 pounds, and water temp in February was anywhere from 62.5 to 65.5, and fish were eating the surface lures in shallow. I believe our spring has been definitely early, and you know things are only going to get better. Going by what we’re seeing down south with that yellowtail fishing at the Rock Pile and the Coronados, that’s a pretty good indication summer is already here or spring is already passed, so I see some very positive things for fishing in the upcoming summer.”
