Chasing Seabass!

Jim and I followed the weather for a week ahead and found either Small Craft Advisories or Gale Warnings predicted for our next LARRC fishing charter on the Pacific Dawn. The day of the trip, June 21st, the weather backed off and we ended up with a warm, sunny and calm day on the water.

We departed dock around 9:30 pm on the 20th then were awakened at midnight to fish for squid at Anacapa Island. Around 1:30 am we had enough squid to fish with so we went back to sleep. Captain Pat Cavanaugh warned us to be up fishing by 4:30 am and we would be fishing in the lee of Santa Cruz Island. At 4:30 am, Al Scow, me, Jim and Tom Carlisle were topside fishing. Everyone else slept but nothing was caught early.

Eventually others joined us at the rail and a few bat rays were caught (I even caught one). We were fishing dropper loops, leadheads and I even tried the balloon. Finally a couple seabass were caught then I hooked one and brought it to the boat. Unfortunately someone tangled my line and while the deckhand tried to untangle it a huge seal snatched my fish. I got back the left side of the seabass's gill plate while the seal tossed the rest of my fish in the air taunting me.

Five seabass were caught for the day including a nice one caught by Tom Carlisle. Andy caught a nice halibut on the seabass grounds and I caught a yellowtail. Pat moved the boat a couple times looking for seabass then we fished for rockfish.

We didn't quite have limits of rockfish but there were plenty for everyone to take home. There were a couple large lingcod too.  We had fished 12 hours and it was time to call it a day. We only had a 2 hour trip back to dock and we arrived early - 6 pm.

We unloaded our gear and put it in our vehicles while the crew brought up our fish and passed it out. Tom gave Jim a nice filet of seabass which Jim, generously shared with me. Thanks Tom and Jim.

It was a wonderful day on the water and the seabass was delicious!