A look at a chart will give an immediate
indication why the fishing, especially shark fishing, is so good. There is a deep-water
canyon right off the harbor entrance. Its edge roughly parallels the coast and begins to
drop off sharply around 300 feet. Excellent threshers and makos can be found by trolling
or drifting the canyon, especially off "The Hospital", six miles north of the
harbor. South of Dana Point are several areas known for excellent halibut and sand bass
fishing. Still further south are "The Domes", the San Onofre nuclear power
plant, an excellent area for rockfish and wide-open yellowtail action.
Oceanside
also has excellent private boater facilities. Although smaller than Dana, the ramp is
capable of launching four boats at a time. Fresh water is available at no charge for post
trip washdowns. The large parking lot is capable of handling hundreds of vehicles and
trailers. Parking is $5.00 a day. Tickets are purchased from the red ticket machine about
300 feet north of the launch ramp. Be sure to bring a $5 bill that’s in pretty good
condition. Free parking is available in a parking lot east of the Helgren’s
Sportfishing office. Look for the green and white "Free Parking" sign at the
railroad tunnel. Go through the tunnel to get to the lot. Good live bait can be purchased
at the Oceanside Bait Company bait barge as you head for the open ocean. Oceanside
facilities also monitor VHF 11. Certified scales are available at the Harbor Department
facility, just north of the large blue and white "Oceanside" sign on the hill,
and at Ken’s Custom Reel, in the lighthouse next to Helgren’s. Ken’s is one
of the better places in Southern California to take reels for service or repair.
Helgren’s Sportfishing has a newly
remodeled facility located at the southeast corner of the harbor. Look for the blue and
white building where Harbor Drive makes a sharp 90-degree bend. The old cramped facility
was remodeled last winter and replaced by a modern, spacious office and well stocked
tackle shop.
Helgren’s offers long range trips on the Oceanside-95,
as well as local half-day, ¾ day, full day and twilight trips aboard the Electra,
Sea Trek and Advance. Several other boats, including the Laura
J., Sea Star, Pacific Venture, Karmakaze
and Grander are available for charter and are capable of handling from five
to 40 anglers. The Oceanside Belle takes harbor visitors on one-hour tours
of Oceanside harbor and the adjacent coastline. Information may be obtained by calling
(760) 722-2133 or visiting www.helgrensportfishing.com.
A fish count phone line, (760) 722-2433, reports the daily catch.
Oceanside’s boats range from "The Domes" to the La
Jolla kelp beds. The Barn Kelp, south of The Domes, produces excellent calicos, yellowtail
and white seabass and "The Clam Beds", just north of the harbor are renowned for
halibut and sand bass.
Oceanside also has a deep-water canyon
just off the Encina power plant at Agua Hedianda lagoon, south of the Oceanside pier. This
canyon also produces excellent shark fishing and deep-water rockcodding. Buccaneer,
Anderson and Cardiff Pipes are steady producers of sand bass and sculpin. The run to La
Jolla is long but can be very rewarding. Several previous world record yellowtail and
seabass have come from the "Northwest Corner", the area off Point La Jolla,
known locally as "Alligator Head".
If you have never tried either of these harbors, I encourage you
to do so. Excellent fishing information may be obtained from the San Diego-Oceanside chart
put out by the "FISH n MAP" company and available at either Dana Wharf or
Helgren’s.
