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Dripping with promise, temptation and danger, the realm of wash rocks and boilers is a sudsy, sweet place to fish. To calico bass anglers, it also can prove a confusing scene . . . a churning maelstrom of surge and swell, whitewater and backwash that's both frustrating to read and difficult to work. Fortunately, the rewards are equal to the challenge, providing the adventurous with the satisfaction of having ventured into the lion's den to snatch victory on the lion's terms.
Or, in this case, the calico's.
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The first is that the presence of any significant volume of foam or whitewater around these areas indicates strong swell activity and, consequently, extreme risk to boaters. The second tip is stand off to seaward and observe the swell before going into a rocky area. It takes patience (perhaps 20 to 30 minutes at an unfamiliar spot) to establish a pattern, and even then expect things to change as the tide floods or ebbs. This is an excellent opportunity to fish nearby kelp beds while you time the sets to see how many minutes apart they are, and count how many waves each set has. Also try to determine whether they're coming from a single or multiple directions. Watch to see the effect medium-sized waves and larger sets are having on the spot. The bottom line you have to answer to: Is it fishable, or too dangerous given the conditions? If there's the slightest doubt, come back another day. No fish is worth your life or that of your crew.
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Wave knowledge is
a critical skill for boaters attempting to "read" conditions
around wash reefs, boiler rocks, sheer cliffs or
breakwaters. This is a complicated subject that can't be
addressed adequately in this short space, but we want to
pass along two important tips.Unlike their more sedentary counterparts living in gentle Pacific kelp beds, boiler bass tend to be leaner yet well muscled, often revealing an aggressive temperament that befits the junkyard environs they inhabit. Instead of lollygagging around kelp, these fish work for a living -- holding in, and ambushing from the swirling currents and whitewater that wash incessantly around the rocks.
As a result of the effort they have to expend to hunt here you'll find it is easy to misjudge the size of the fish you'll catch. The density and muscle mass these calicos (kelp bass) display makes it easy to underestimate their
weight; put 'em to a scale and you may be surprised -- what looks like a five
pounder is probably closer to six. And then there are the monsters. Every year, double-digit fish are pulled from boilers and breakwaters; so, obviously, the trophy potential is sky high.
Boiler rocks, wash rocks, jetties, exposed reefs and points, steep cliffs and shallow, hard-bottom beaches represent similar environments where calico bass and other game fish gather to feed. The common denominator these habitats share is that surge or wave action tends to push baitfish, crustaceans, invertebrates and other forage into feeding lanes. And because the surge is constant, feeding opportunities are less dependent on currents or tide.
In other words, you're apt to find biters in the whitewater when conditions elsewhere just aren't happening. And don't be surprised if instead of calicos you connect with bonus catches of white seabass, yellowtail, barracuda, sheephead or even halibut. So, the next time you're plagued by wind-against-current or, worse, no current at all, you know where to go for action.
What's the difference between a wash rock and a boiler, you ask? Basically, it is how much of the rock shows above the waterline. Whereas a boiler covers and uncovers with the tide, a wash rock typically is visible during all but the highest of spring tides. Waves may sweep over it, but generally it is easily seen.
Another location that presents similar opportunity is exposed rock (either natural or man-made, such as a breakwater). The pungent whitewash of bird droppings commonly defines this third zone. Needless to say, all of these spots can prove dangerous, and should be approached only by experienced boaters exercising caution and constant vigilance. Wave knowledge, as surfers call it, is mandatory. (And Mom said surfing would never amount to much. Hah! I've caught some of my best bass off boilers.)
Of the three, boilers are the most dangerous due to the potential of hitting a rock hidden by high water. Often, the only sign is traces of foam or the telltale rings or "boiling" caused by swells passing over the rock; these can be quite subtle and may appear only as the waves recede or tide drops, so close attention is required by all on board.
Due to the danger of being swept into the rocks, the best advice when chasing boiler bass is to Use a Friend's Boat! I stole that line from Western Outdoors' fishing schools director Kit McNear, but it illustrates the potential for catastrophe inherent in this style of fishing. Why risk it, then? Because it's exciting, and you'll catch some heavyweight calicos that are meaner and pull much harder than their kelp bed cousins.
Depending on the area and conditions, anchoring can be a viable tactic -- although whitewater bass most often are fished on the drift with the engine running. Targeting wash rocks, boilers or the seaward side of breakwaters demands casting skill (both accuracy and distance) to consistently place baits or lures in the target zone. Even so, boats usually have to get in fairly close to work the structure effectively.
The maneuverability factor is why this fishery is tailor made for trailerboaters. Even so, I strongly advise you to "designate a driver" who knows how to handle the craft, and whose job it is to keep the anglers in position to work the rock while maintaining the bow into the swell -- thus allowing a fast escape from the impact zone should it become necessary.
The temptation here is for the skipper to sneak in a few casts; the problem being that he's apt to begin concentrating on fishing -- instead of what the surf and surge are doing. Sadly, in many cases rogue waves (as they're later described in accident reports) simply are set waves that get inattentive boaters into trouble.
Owing to the dynamic environment of swells and backwash, skippers can't always keep the boat in position for long -- which means fishermen need to make maximum use of their time "in the zone." This is a prime reason why surface iron and swimbaits (shad-style plastics) are the choice of many accomplished boiler fishermen. Although live bait can be super effective, top choices like mackerel, brownbait (herring), smelt or squid have a way of doing their own thing -- meaning, they may swim or drift out of prime feeding lanes. Lures, however, can be worked exactly where you want 'em, and in that sense are far more reliable producers.
Expertise with artificials, like casting ability, goes a long way towards success in the whitewater environment. Don't kid yourself: Working the boilers isn't the easiest way to catch calico bass. It is, however, one of the most rewarding methods.
A rookie mistake is to concentrate efforts solely on the most easily accessed portion of the rock (the part facing seaward). Most boaters make a few casts -- maybe they catch fish, maybe they don't -- then move on. Hardcore boiler fishermen take pains to explore all facets of the rock or wash reef, for they have learned that eddies and current seams on the backside oftentimes hold bigger and more aggressive bass, particularly during the prime flood tide.
If the fish want to bite, it is not uncommon to pick off a straggler or two along one side of the rock, then turn the corner and hit the main body of fish. A classic example of this occurred one brutally slow spring day off Laguna Beach, California. Flylining with butt-hooked sardines, my friend and I scraped a solitary 15-inch calico off the eastern (and downcurrent) end of a wash rock. Next, we worked the southern and western faces for nothing. It was looking bleak, but I decided to reposition the boat a fourth time so we could hammer the rock's minuscule northern flank. It was here that a tiny indentation produced four quality calicos in the four to five-pound class. It made our trip.
Point is, if we hadn't covered all the bases we wouldn't have found the fish. Lesson? Before you proclaim a spot to be D.O.A., make sure you've explored every inch that surge and swell allow.
We all know predatory fish face into the current to feed; as ambush feeders, however, calicos sometimes are found in unexpected places, so it pays to be flexible in your approach. I call this the "Wild Card Factor." It's an important concept.
Most anglers tend to make long casts downcurrent, then drag their lure past the rock and, hopefully, into the maw of a hungry calico. The idea being, the bass is lying in wait near the structure, so throwing with the current and close to the rock puts your bait in the strike zone.
To a degree, this is true. But there is a better way.
In most situations it is more effective to approach from the downcurrent side and cast upcurrent. Here's why. In the first example, your bait will "sneak up" on the bass from behind, giving the predator a relatively small window in which to react. By comparison, when casting upcurrent and swimming it back towards the rock you are:
(1) presenting the lure in the direction that is most natural (meaning, the bait appears as if it's being swept into the boiler by waves); and (2) providing the bass with maximum opportunity to sense, see and strike.
But what about the Wild Card Factor? Isn't this why experts systematically cover every possible feeding lane? Absolutely.
You may find that repositioning the boat, even slightly, opens new angles of attack -- allowing casters to pitch live baits or lures into fissures and cuts that otherwise are impossible to reach. And while classic boiler strategy teaches most of the biters will come from right on the rock, there are times when calicos will be holding near, but not on, structure. It's in these cases where live bait shines, because if your "gumdrop" greenie (small Pacific mackerel) swims away from the boiler and gets hammered . . . well, the handwriting is on the wall.
The Wild Card Factor also is why many calico bass aficionados prefer to fish from center consoles, and why they equip their boats with high-output electric trolling motors designed for saltwater use. Maneuverability and 360 degrees of fishability are key points, allowing these anglers to silently work every inch of a wash reef or steep wall, and to cast from the bow or stern or wherever makes the most sense for that situation. The other big advantage is that a trolling motor allows you to hold position when you finally discover the rock's sweet spot.
One of the secrets to success around wash rocks, breakwaters or cliffs is to fish vertically. Especially when using plastics, you'll find that many of your bites come on the drop -- so it's not unusual to see anglers fire a cast directly at the rock, letting the lure bounce off and fall into the water. (If you're a deadeye, you can pitch the bait next to the steep face.) Regardless of your delivery, this commonly is the only effective method to draw bass out from caves or crevices . . . and this seems particularly true of deeper fish.
In order to keep the lure tight to the rocks, fish in freespool and be ready to set on the slightest tick. On sloped structure like jetties try fishing in gear while allowing the lure to bounce down the rock face.
Live bait also can prove effective; just be sure to use enough weight to get the bait down before the surge carries it away from the rocks. A fixed weight (such as a rubbercore sinker) makes sense here because it will remain a set distance from the hook, thus carrying the bait down in a more predictable arc than, say, a sliding-sinker rig.
When those bone-jarring strikes come -- and they will -- be ready to lock and load in a hurry . . . because if you don't get the calico's head up and coming from the git-go you've just trebled your chances of being rocked. The bigger fish will still take line no matter what, but if you don't cut their runs short you can kiss 'em good-bye. It is this pedal-to-the-metal philosophy that successful boiler fishermen thrive on, and it's an outlook that is perfectly in tune with the churning world of whitewater bassing.
Managing Editor Ron Eldridge lists calico bass fishing along the boilers as one of his favorite things to do.
⌐ Western Outdoors 1997. All rights reserved.
