Big news this month was the 60.5lb white seabass caught by pro-staffer Adi Ljubowic in October. Fellow pro staff member Brad Messmer accompanied Adi on a trip to Baja where they had an epic weekend. In addition to Adi’s monster they also landed three other seabass in the 40lb class! That’s not to overshadow the 45lb halibut that got knocked off our monthly contest board, caught right here in San Diego. I guess the fish gods must’ve taken pity on that angler because as the month got started he weighed another 45lber to take the lead for November! The halibut bite has certainly been consistent locally for the last month. A lot of big flatties are being caught at La Jolla and some spots in the bay are producing raked baits on every drop, so don’t forget the trap hooks.

Check out the Tip of the Month section of this newsletter for more information on Halibut fishing.

With the weather starting to cool down it’s important to dress for the occasion. At OEX Point Loma we carry a number of options to keep you warm and dry for those cold weather sessions. One item we’ve really grown to love is the NRS waterproof paddle jacket and pants. This clothing is made of 100% denier nylon material with neoprene cuffs and neck. The loose fit allows the paddler to easily remove the clothing once clear of the surf zone, or once the sun comes up. You can normally expect to pay top dollar for clothing that’ll keep you this dry, but now newsletter subscribers can save more on an already low price!

November Newsletter Special:

• NRS Paddle Jacket- $49.95 retail, $39.95 for newsletter subscribers this month only!
• NRS Paddle Pants- $39.95 retail, $29.95 for newsletter subscribers this month only!

San Diego has one of the premier halibut fisheries in California but many anglers prefer to target the more flashy species like yellowtail or white seabass. By making some slight adjustments and exercising a little patience, you may just get hooked on halibut fishing and this is the best time to learn.

Halibut sit on sandy flats waiting for bait to swim by so that they can ambush their prey, but that’s not their only method of hunting. At times halibut can be very aggressive and race one another to a bait, follow your bait all the way to the surface and at times even jump out of the water chasing bait! So while halibut fishing does take a lot of patience, be sure to maximize your odds so that you’re doing the right things in the right areas.

Halibut, especially smaller ones have a tendency to grab a bait just behind the gills (and hook) and clamp down. If you go to set the hook or start reeling on the fish, often times you’ll see large, clean slashes down the sides of the bait where you pulled the bait right out of the fish’s mouth. We call this a raked bait. For this reason a trap rig is a necessity, especially when fishing for smaller fish, such as in the bay. To do this take a piece of piano wire (available at most tackle stores) and simply tie a haywire twist around the eye of your hook and another haywire twist on the other end to a treble hook. The distance in between the two hooks depends on the size of bait you’re using, so be sure to match your intended bait size. Hook the bait as usual with the single hook, then stick one point of the treble hook in the bait’s tail area. If done properly this should cut down on a lot of raked baits.

Well it’s getting to be that time of year where we gather ourselves and plan for the upcoming season. This month’s biggest event to date was Brent’s re- organization of the bait tank display area, so be sure to check out that exciting new improvement here at OEX Point Loma. Here are a few other things to look forward to:

Bay Bass Circuit

Join us on Sunday, November 12 for a 6:00 am launch from Shelter Island. Tournament fee is $35 with prizes awarded based on the five heaviest bass (calico, sand and spotted bay). To sign up, call the Point Loma store at 619-758-9531

This month, OEX is sponsoring the Bay Bass Circuit Invitational on Sunday, November 19th. Launching from Shelter Island this end of the year tournament will invite the top 20 finishers in the Bay Bass Circuit points for 2006 to compete. There will be no entry fee for this invitational tournament and first place will win a Malibu Kayak. We'll be sure to report

UPCOMING MOTHERSHIP TRIPS

We're excited to announce dates for both our Islander and Sea of Cortez Mothership Trips! These trips have limited space and we've heard a lot of interest in them from local anglers - we're publishing these dates here first, so act fast to reserve your spot!

SEA OF CORTEZ
Enjoy 3 days of fishing in the area around beautiful San Carlos, Mexico! These trips are limited to 8 spots and 2 pro staff members will accompany each trip to help out.

• Departs: Wednesday, February 21 - Returns: Sunday, February 25
• Departs: Wednesday, March 28 - Returns: Sunday, April 1.

ISLANDER
Enjoy the great fishing off of the secluded and pristine Island of San Clemente!

• Departs: Friday, April 6 - Returns: Sunday, April 8
• Departs: Friday, April 27 - Returns: Sunday, April 29
• Departs: Friday, May 11 - Returns: Sunday, May 13
• Departs: Friday, May 25 - Returns: Sunday, May 27
• Departs: Friday, June 8 - Returns: Sunday, June 10
• Departs: Sunday, June 24 - Returns: Tuesday, June 26

Will anyone be able to top this one before the end of the year? If not, Adi's bragging rights for 2006 will include his Big Water's Edge tourney win and Biggest Fish in the OEX monthly contest. Welcome to the Pro Staff Team Adi!!