Wide open White Seabass at Catalina -- Archive

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Subject: Wide open White Seabass at Catalina

Author:
Jim Day

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Date Posted: 955937732PDT

Decided to try the yellows and white seabass at Catalina.........

Mike called at 2 am. "Get over here we're meeting Gavin at MDR at 3:30" Like the Good deckhand I groggily said "sure" and rolled out of bed. Reached Mikes by three, launched at 4:00, headed out into a very dark and choppy sea. The wind and swell had combinied into that kind of stacked chop that is no fun in the daylight but really nasty in the dark. Spent a lot of time on the bow watching the waves in the dark.
Greylight found us halfway to the Isthmus in white capped chop. Mike throttled up to 50 on the RPM meter and we litterly flew through over and around the stuff, averaging about twenty knots. I've said it before but the Maycraft really performs in the rough stuff. (VERY DRY!) Just about the time I was going to say "Hey watch out this is pretty nasty" Mike handed me the controls. All I can say is that it looked hard! but the boat made it easy, kinda fun in a white knuckle sort of way.

No light boats so no squid at the Isthmus: I got on the radio: "Jim Day on Max at the Isthmus looking for live squid" the instant response was: Green boat green lights at Avolon we got what you need!!! (Nice when things work) There was a little grumbling about fishing the east end but with the yellow reports etc... we headed down pushing 30 knots downswell. Since we only used 1/8 of a tank crossing ( Did I mention we like the new boat) We had plenty of fuel so we figured: "Hey" lets get the bait and get fishing in a hurry. Very full scoop of little five inch squid 50 bucks, from a very happy loner on the Lil John (?) The Green boat with very bright green lights.

We worked up the Backside (up-hill) through some very nasty slop. Around the slide it was really bad. After the run down the islad we thought we could take it fast but slowed down after almost geeting completely airborn. Hit all the hotspots backside east with the rest of the fleet for Nada. Then worked up the island hitting the holes. I'm telling you we tried all the areas but nothing going on. Rough and no fish notmy favorite combo. The plan quickly became work on up and around, then fish the relative comfort of the front. Well it looked good on paper. Made it all the way to the west end then found some really nice water.

Swirling white blue-green mixing with that backside blue. Anchored up, drifted in a little, and dropped the baits. Five miutes nothing. Looked too good to leave though. Then Mike hooks up zzzzzing. Well I had the gaff ready ten minutes later when the theme form Batman started in my head. D@mn big Bat-ray. We debated a little on pulling the anchor but it still looked just too good to leave. Gavin dropped a dropper loop down and Bam instant hookup on THE KIND...SEABASS. Looked great but just a little short. Mike and I soaked some baits and double hookup. More Seabass but also shorts.

For the next few hours it was wide open. We probably hooked and release over forty maybe fifty Whites running between a pound or two and just shy of legal. I've never seen such a wide open bite on the whites. We would of moved, but we kept thinking any minute the real fish were going to break it loose. Never did come through though. We managed a few legal Bass in the mix Calico's and I caught a very healthy flattie 27 inches around seven pounds.

Finally about 2:30 we decided to pack it in. Ran straight to MDR downswell: 50 on RPM 25 knots average on the Knot meter (God I love that boat)
Hit the dock in no time with over a quarter tank to spare. All and all not a bad day.

Couple of thoughts: The backside was a little sloppy but I think fish were there. Kind of a timing thing. Wouldn't surprise me at all if other boats got some legals of the back today.

The Yellowtail were put off by the weather but may have or may soon get back on track. It all looked good to me.

We felt funny about catching and releasing SOOOO many little whites. Every precaution was taken to release them un-harmed. We de-hooked them in the water without touching them etc. Only one of my fish was badly hoked. After a few minutes of struggling on the surface he was swooped up by (I kid you not) a bald eagle. It's the first I've seen out there and I swear it looked like some kind of national geographic special: he swooped down and snagged the fish out of the water like in those films they always show in slow motion. I fealt bad about the fish, but fealt better watching him picking it to peices up on the rocks.

Little squid might be a end of season... Hope not.

Talked to a freind who had about the same experiance (small fish and numbers on the frontside a few days ago). Said: the next day they picked up two twentys on the same spot

Though it was snotty the boat just performed flawlessly. We could'nt of hoped for better. This was our first trip outside the bay with it. After today I can't wait for the Albacore.

If I was fishing tomarrow I'd try the west cove area. Look for the right water and get in close. All these fish were in in under twenty feet. so fish tight.

So there you have it.

Tight lines Jim

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