After fishing Carneros this afternoon (let's just say it wasn't worth a report), I got home at around 3:30, kicked around the house for a while and was back out in the harbor by 6. I was amazed at how many people were fishing. There were 6 or 7 guys fishing FROM the bait barge, 4 or 5 fishing from shore, 2 or 3 on the jetty, one guy in a float tube, and 4 or 5 people on the end of the sandbar!!!! Every single person had cleared out before it got dark. Perfect, all the harbor to myself for the seabass. I decided Pete has been having too much fun with his light gear catching seabass, so I took the crankin rod with 10 lb. test. I threw the fastrac minnow (4") around the bait barge for about 10 minutes before I saw a small seabass follow it up. It was far from legal. I've seen bigger ronkies. Next cast, tap, tap, KAPLOW!!!! Solid fish. On the hookset I thought it would be the typical, 26, 27 inches, but to my delight, zzziiiinnnngggg... Off to the races. I'm sitting there in my float tube, watching my spool of line melt before my eyes, and I decided something had to be done. So, I followed it (or it towed me, I don't know which...). And I followed it. And I followed it. It pulled me from the bait barge, across the boat lanes, and over two rows before I took control. The fish was aiming for a row but that's where I drew the line. I wasn't about to let him wrap me around a piling. So I held my ground, and eased him in. With all three trebles on the bait, he had one in his mouth, and one in between both gill plates on the bottom, so gilling was out. Because of the light line, I didn't want to crank his head around to grab him behind the eyes, so, the fish was pretty beat, so I got a death grip on his tail and kicked like hell toward shore to deal with him. Finally got that taken care of. Unfortunately, I took so long fighting that fish, I had missed out on the rest of the bite, so I called it a night. The fish went 13.4 lbs. and 38". I'll try to post a pic. Man, what fun. I have to say that the fish tonight was more fun than the 23 lber. I got last week.


http://www.calfishing.com/dcforum/User_files/396567361d68d900.jpg

NICE!!!!!!
And I almost went down there tonight, damn!! That's the best seabass I've ever seen come out of the harbord dude. Nice work.

Hey I think you just about evened up the fastrac vs fishtrap score with that one <grin>

Hey,
I if I knew where the hell you were at, I would've called you and rubbed it in!!! BBQ tomorrow night, if you're in town... I think I'll hit the harbor again tomorrow. Get me some more o dat.
-Brian

mmmmm Wedding rehersal dinner tomorrow night. Can't miss that one ;-)
I'll email you my new info.

Brian,

Way to go! I guess that slump you were talking about a couple weeks ago is officially over.

Did that fish have a 6 inch Rainbow Trout Big Hammer or a 3.5 inch Blue Flash Fishtrap lodged in it's mouth anywhere? Mike and I have both been busted off by something big around the harbor :)

Pete

You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today - please practice catch and release.

Pete,
I didn't notice any additional baits in the fish's mouth, however if I did see two more hooks in there, I definitely would've grabbed it by the tail!!! Makes ya wonder if there's more toads out there... I gotta hand it to ya for makin me fish the light rod. It was the 2nd time I fished the harbor with the light rod. It was probably better because I'm sure with the big rod I would've just sat there and played the fish, and it would've ended up wrapping around a piling on the other side of the harbor. Good thing I followed it!!! Man, I love those big croakers. Can't make Carneros tonight on account of I have to BBQ up some fish, but I am gonna try to get out there this afternoon if I can. As soon as my parents get home which'll be like around 2 or 3 I guess. Tonight I think I'm gonna try to time it right so that I get to the harbor at around 7:30, 7:45, just in time for the bite. When the bite dies, I'll take off and be back at the BBQ. Think I can do it in less than an hour? We'll find out. Later.
-Brian

LAST EDITED ON Jul-07-00 AT 12:35 PM (PST)

Brian,

I've always been kind of a "light line" fisherman as you may have noticed this spring when I was fishing for those bass at Carneros in that thick cover with only 6 lb. test. I guess it's kind of nuts but if my line is in good shape I rarely bust one off.

Good luck tonight if you make it out there. Leave a few for me tomorrow!

Pete

You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today - please practice catch and release.

I AM GETTING VERY INTRESTED IN THE FISHING IN THE HARBOR. I LIVE IN SANTA MARIA AND HAVE ABOUT AN HOUR DRIVE TO THE HARBOR. I AM THINKING ABOUT TRYING THIS SUNDAY. I DONT WANT TO CROWD INTO YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS SPOT. IF YOU DONT MIND I THINK I'LL GIVE IT A SHOT. I AM WONDERING WHAT TIME YOU RECOMMEND STARTING. SHOULD I JUST PADDLE OUT BY THE RECIEVER AND START FISHING, OR SHOULD I TRY ANOTHER APPROACH. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY SUGGESTIONS. AGAIN IF YOU THINK IT WILL BE TO CROWDED I'LL TRY LATER.

ONE OTHER THING IS THE WATER WARM ENOUGH TO GET IN WITHOUT ANY EXTERNAL GEAR LIKE WADERS OR A WET SUIT. I HOPE IT IS I HATE WEARING THOSE THINGS. HOWEVER FREEZING SUCKS ALSO THANKS AGAIN.

Howard,
Be my guest to fish anywhere you want. The more people having fun catching seabass, the better. Thanks for asking though. I fished it tonight and it was tough. I had to cook at a BBQ (the seabass from last night...) but snuck away at like 7:45 and was in the water by 8 (pete knows about my driving when I'm late for fishing...). I got bit three times but they were all pretty weak. Might've been ronkies coming up for it. Head out any time between 5 and 7. During the daylight hours fish the flat between the jetty and the pier. Once the sun gets that orangy color, right as it's getting to the top of the tree line, it's seabass time. Get over to the bait barge and cast over and over and over. Don't be discouraged if it seems absolutely dead. That's how it goes. It'll be absolutely dead until the seabass move in and then you'll hook up anywhere from 1 to 10 fish and then it'll die again. That's when you can go home. The water is a bit nippy. I wouldn't suggest charging it in anything less than waders/wetsuit. You might be able to stand it for an hour or two, but you'll be out there for a while and it'll get dark and cold... Not good. I don't know what I'm doing on Sunday, I'll try to meet you out there. Pick up either a fastrac minnow in four inch, silver, or a 5" green sardine fish trap with a 1 oz. head, if you don't have em already. I usually throw the fastrac cause it has a better hook up ratio (could have fooled me tonight) and the fish usually don't come unbuttoned. Alright, hopefully I'll see you on Sunday.
-Brian