BY MIKE STEVENS
SEAL BEACH – Goleta angler Arlo Claveria was visiting his cousin and taking advantage of rare access to Alamitos Bay “backwaters” when he hooked up to something pulling quite a bit more drag than the typical inland-waters species he was targeting. When the dust settled on that tussle, he was cracking up and holding up a firecracker yellowtail for the camera.
Claveria was very transparent with Western Outdoor News about where he was fishing primarily for one reason: most people can’t fish there.
“The area I was fishing is connected to Alamitos bay,” said Claveria. “I was at the (Naval) Weapons Station Seal Beach with my Marine cousin who brought me in. I was just targeting halibut and bass with ¼-ounce Hookup Baits in glow green, and I saw two smaller-grade yellowtail follow while I was landing it.”
Claveria went on to inform WON about a possible curse-breaking element to this particular tale involving his wife.
“Long story short, when we first started dating we were at a bonfire and I was catching short halis left and right,” he said. “I ended up telling her she’s my greateast catch, and ever since that day I haden’t caught a legal hali until Decemeber 2023. That’s 10 years of not catching a legal halibut after I said that to her.”
Calaveria went on to tell WON he “broke the curse” when he proposed to her in March and married her in July, and she now refers to this unlikely yellowtail score as “his new greatest catch.”