Took the 6am 3/4 day today out of Captain Hooks on the Island Spirit. Jason was driving the boat, Johnny on deck, and most of the crew of the Stardust was down to fish and help out. It was a light-ish load of about 25 people. Everyone was totally mellow, it was a nice trip.

We started for rock cod off Anacapa and did 4 or 5 rockfish around for everybody. Nothing real big out there but a nice grade of reds, whitefish, starries, and some really fat sculpin. Like comical fat (see pic below). After a few hours of that we moved over to the east end of Santa Cruz to try for surface stuff.

There was nice condition at Santa Cruz, lots of birds around, bait, and strong current. Unfortunately nothing showed in the chum. One dude did hook something monstrous that pulled about 200 yards of line off his reel. Looked like a big black seabass. It eventually got in the rocks and broke off.

We went back to Anacapa to finish the day and that was a good call. Jason parked the boat next to some kelp and about 5 minutes later I got hit on the 5" #13 Big Hammer and put the first barracuda in the boat. I got another one on the next cast and then it went stupid and everyone started getting them pretty good.

It wasn't fully wide open, but it was good fishing, and the barracuda were good sized. The really liked plastic, I got 5 on the Big Hammer. They ate the iron pretty good too and I pulled in 2 on a Tady 45. After an hour or so the current died and the fish disappeared. I pulled one off the bottom with a dropper loop and that was purdy much it. I don't know how many the boat got, maybe 50-60 fish. It was super fun. I dig on catching barracuda :)

Did I mention it was flat calm and hot back there? Man it was nice weather in the lee of the islands. Headed for the barn and arrived at the dock by 3:30pm or so. Fun trip :)

east end of Anacapa (note rough weather)
http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/daily_reports/7_17_07_island.jpg

Johnny with jackpot barracuda
http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/daily_reports/7_17_07_jackpot.jpg

This guy was catching some really nice sculpin on butterfly jigs
http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/daily_reports/7_17_07_sculpin.jpg

Odd catch of the day, a rock with a brittle star on it
http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/daily_reports/7_17_07_brittle_star.jpg

This jig has been working good for barracuda
http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/daily_reports/7_17_07_jig.jpg