Chasing Ghosts!

Word was out that big white seabass were marauding along the coast from Dana Point to San Onofre. Jack invited me to chase after them with him in his 18 foot Whaler. I was thrilled with the invite.

May 22nd: Last week we left Dana Point Harbor around 8:30 am and motored to the headlands to make bait. After trying for bait around the Red Buoy, we found our bait just north of the buoy. We managed a couple dozen mixed mackerel (Spanish and Green Backs). We anchored up along the kelp line and flylined our mackerel. The only thing biting that day was the bait.

We did see birds working an area off shore about a mile from where we were fishing. One of the sportboats raced over there to check it out but the birds dispersed just as the boat reached the commotion.

We called it a day just after the slack tide and headed in. We cleaned the boat and made plans to fish again the next week.

May 27th: Now we had more definitive information on the seabass; they were just below San Onofre at Box Canyon in 60 to 80 feet of water biting live squid on circle hooks with a half ounce sliding sinker.

Jack put his Whaler in a slip the night before so we could depart early the next morning because the storage facility doesn't open until 8 am. We met at 6:15 am, loaded our gear and headed south to the fishing grounds. It wasn't difficult to locate with 30 boats anchored in the area.

We called the squid boat (Miss Astrid from Ventura) on Channel 11 then idled up to his Starboard. For $60 he passed over a full scoop of live squid. We anchored up in 80 feet of water and baited up. The weather was beautiful - very little breeze with a light overcast until around noon.

We saw fish swim through on the meter from time to time until around 10 am then the meter went blank. At noon, with the slack tide and only a handful of boats left, we called it a day as well. As we pulled the anchor, Jack's rod went off giving us a quick shot of adrenalin. Unfortunately it was just a ray.

We certainly experienced the events that give white seabass the nickname "Ghost".  Not to be deterred, we are making plans to chase them again next week.