Fished Carlsbad area from 4:45-6:15pm. When we arrived I commented to my girlfriend that it was interesting to see a small kelp paddie floating so close to shore(approx. 50 yards) and I hoped that the seaweed wasn't too bad for fishing. Well there was a lot of seaweed everywhere, so we worked up the shore looking for a clear spot. We fished with grubs, cured shrimp and clams on a 1/2oz sliding sinker rig. We started to notice croaker and corbina leaping out of the water feeding about 3'-7' from the sand. All were good sized, from 16" to 22"+. We also noticed some darker fish leaping too, same 3'-7' from the sand. Some seemed shaped like perch and some were shaped more like croaker but dark colored. These fish were 13"-16" long. Couldn't figure out what the dark fish were.

Later as I was reeling in to check the bait, a fish hit HARD less than 10' from shore and takes off. With cured shrimp meat on the hook I'm thinking extremely large perch or maybe a corbina if I'm lucky. This fish fights really hard and it's getting exciting! Finally get the fish to shore and I can't believe my eyes, a legal calico bass. I release him and try to figure out what the heck he's doing less than ten feet from the shore on a sandy beach! Looking around, I notice the tuna crabs on shore and decide to bait up with a tuna crab. No kahle hooks, so #4 bait holder will have to do. In less than 10 minutes the crab gets hit, but I farmed it. Probably didn't have a chance with the small bait holder hook, but found out what the fish were probably feeding on. After watching the feeding fish more closely I realize that all the dark fish leaping are calico bass. Just couldn't believe it my eyes. Has anyone else ever observed this behavior by kelp bass?