Quote:[color="#FF0000"]Giant squid return[/color]
DAVE STREGE
Seems dolphins like calamari, too.
The sight of a bottlenose dolphin chomping down on a giant squid off Dana Point on Thursday was an interesting scene for sightseers on an Ocean Adventure Cruise aboard the Dana Pride.
For anglers, the sighting was significant. It meant the giant squid had returned to the area for the first time since a two-week bite in March.
More evidence came the same day when three anglers hooked up with giant squid on a three-quarter-day trip aboard the San Mateo from Dana Wharf Sportfishing. All three were lost, however, because the rockfish anglers were unprepared.
The signs of giant squid, a.k.a. Humboldt squid, prompted Dana Wharf Sportfishing to send a boat out Thursday night to test the waters. Seven anglers caught 50 giant squid ranging from 15 to 25 pounds. The bite was on.
Saturday, the Sum Fun on a squid-targeting twilight trip from Dana Wharf reported 140 giant squid for 16 anglers and Sunday night seven anglers landed 45 more.
They were fishing three miles outside the harbor.
The Freelance from Davey's Locker in Newport Beach was on a twilight trip Saturday night targeting sculpin when the squid found them.
"They came to the lights," Norris Tapp said. "They got 138 (for 28 anglers). They could've gotten a whole lot more, but the squid are big and they weren't prepared for them."
These squid were located three miles straight out from Newport Pier.
"We'll be running twilight trips every night as long as they're around," Tapp said.
Full article: [url="http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/sports/columns/article_1702177.php"]http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/sport...cle_1702177.php[/url]
The Orange County Register
Monday, May 21, 2007