Nico has been down for some fishing here in SB, so we tried Goleta Beach today. We launched out by the point at about 9:30am. Waves were small with dingy water in close but very clear out off shore.

We paddled around and I picked up 2 small calicos. Lots of small funny bites which were probably ronkies based on the fact that Nico managed to catch one on a 5" Big Hammer. I thought we might get seabass or halibut but nothing was happening. I had one very small halibut follow my lure up and that was it.

After 2 hours we decided to go up to Haskells. I thought it would be doable, but I think the swell is coming in from the north right now, because there were 2-3 foot faces at Haskells, and the waves were moving fast to the beach. It was definitely not a good idea to launch so we went back to Goleta and tried by the pier.

Paddling out there I got a bite on my 3rd or 4th cast and caught a 25.5" legal :) Conditions seemed pretty good so we felt optimistic. It wound up being slow for a while but then Nico found a pod of fish and caught 3 shorts in a pretty quick flurry. They were 18-20" type fishes. We got everything on 5" #13 Big Hammers like always. We both missed quite a few bites and had fish follow up to the boat.

We quit about 2pm. I won't mention about how Nico got knocked off the seat of his u-boat by a random big wave on the way in ;) He survived. We had a good time :)

http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/d/18467-2/7_29_07_25inch_halibut.jpg

Ohhh sweet! I gotta try to get out there this week. Congrats on the flattie.

Congrats on the legal.

Rob,
I hear theres some good hali fishing in the avila area hit me up sometime i would like to fish it in a tube or my friends boat with you .
thanks ,Brian

Maybe dude, maybe. I'm a little bit afraid of the man in the grey suit up there :o

Yeah i hear ya dude,him and i dont exactly see eye to eye in a tube setting(i feel like a human bobber) .maybe by boat would be better.although last time i was there, i met a tuber flyfishing the area around the breakwall with some decent results.the seals hadnt tried to mate with him/and he in a few trips hadnt became a shark snack ,"yet"....:D

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/6073-000_2146-1.jpg

Attachment #1, (.jpg file)

Boat = mucho safer

Here's a pic of the guy and his Yak that survived a "Grey Suit" in Nor. Cal. With the amount of pup Whites that typically show up in Santa Monica Bay and lotsa them up to the north... you have to imagine that there are some inbetween.... No thanks. Already saw one up close and personal bite a seal in half. That's enough encounters for me.



http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/6076-shark_yak.jpg

Attachment #1, (.jpg file)