The PCS Blogosphere
Santa Barbara Channel Update
Fluctuating water temps are presenting challenges, but ample rewards are in the mix, too. For example, each water temps bump up just a few degrees, halibut and calico bass both go wild, eating everything in sight. Halibut are biting for bounce-ballers and drifters alike, with slightly more fish coming from Channel Islands hotspots including Chinese Harbor, Christy's Ranch and Bechers Bay. Productive mainland spots are: beaches near Port Hueneme, off the Ventura River mouth, near Rock Island, Goleta, inside Naples Reef and near Gaviota.
Fluctuating water temps are presenting challenges, but ample rewards are in the mix, too. For example, each water temps bump up just a few degrees, halibut and calico bass both go wild, eating everything in sight. Halibut are biting for bounce-ballers and drifters alike, with slightly more fish coming from Channel Islands hotspots including Chinese Harbor, Christy's Ranch and Bechers Bay. Productive mainland spots are: beaches near Port Hueneme, off the Ventura River mouth, near Rock Island, Goleta, inside Naples Reef and near Gaviota.
Read More...
Santa Barbara Channel Update
Halibut pounce on bounce-ball rigs and drifted baits along the mainland coast from the Rock Island on up to Gaviota. The action is similar and sometimes better at the Channel Islands, with prime spots being Chinese Harbor, Christy's Ranch and Bechers Bay.
Halibut pounce on bounce-ball rigs and drifted baits along the mainland coast from the Rock Island on up to Gaviota. The action is similar and sometimes better at the Channel Islands, with prime spots being Chinese Harbor, Christy's Ranch and Bechers Bay.
Read More...
Salmon have moved in south of Point Conception.
Water conditions combined activity in the low end of the food chain to create the right conditions for the chromium fish. Fifteen to twenty pound fish are being caught near Santa Barbara. As the weather improves this week (offshore breezes are forecast) boaters will get back out on the water with high hopes for a decent season.
Water conditions combined activity in the low end of the food chain to create the right conditions for the chromium fish. Fifteen to twenty pound fish are being caught near Santa Barbara. As the weather improves this week (offshore breezes are forecast) boaters will get back out on the water with high hopes for a decent season.
Read More...
Fabulous Rockfishing Throughout the Santa Barbara Channel
Weather windows provide opportunities for sampling the fabulous rockfishing throughout the Santa Barbara Channel. The fish have had a couple of months off and they are anxious to eat. Shallow-water rockfishing along the coast often results in limits of medium-size chocolates, reds, johnny bass and ocean whitefish, while at the Channel Islands, the catch is whopper size reds, chucklehead, bocaccio and blue rockfish. Hotspots this week are gap between Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands, the west end of Santa Cruz Island and the north side of Santa Rosa Island. Big lingcod are coming up too, but get to swim back home until their season opens up on April Fools Day.
Weather windows provide opportunities for sampling the fabulous rockfishing throughout the Santa Barbara Channel. The fish have had a couple of months off and they are anxious to eat. Shallow-water rockfishing along the coast often results in limits of medium-size chocolates, reds, johnny bass and ocean whitefish, while at the Channel Islands, the catch is whopper size reds, chucklehead, bocaccio and blue rockfish. Hotspots this week are gap between Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands, the west end of Santa Cruz Island and the north side of Santa Rosa Island. Big lingcod are coming up too, but get to swim back home until their season opens up on April Fools Day.
Read More...
The Fun Option
Calico bass action is the fun option – especially when large swells stir up surging whitewater around boiler rocks at the SoCal islands. Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, San Nicholas, San Clemente are the hottest options for braggin'-size sportcoats. When the swells are up, we're casting larger swimbaits (5 to 7 inches), slugs or Gulp! grubs (6 to 9 inches) rigged weedless to target the biggest bruiser bass around.
Calico bass action is the fun option – especially when large swells stir up surging whitewater around boiler rocks at the SoCal islands. Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, San Nicholas, San Clemente are the hottest options for braggin'-size sportcoats. When the swells are up, we're casting larger swimbaits (5 to 7 inches), slugs or Gulp! grubs (6 to 9 inches) rigged weedless to target the biggest bruiser bass around.
Read More...
Still Bringin' 'em In
Between bouts with weather, we're bringing aboard the WaveWalker plenty of big feisty groundfish: vermilion, chucklehead, blues, johnny bass, cholocate bass, sugar bass, barber poles, starries, greenspotted, greenstriped, bocaccio and others. While the islands have been hosting a better bite and a better size of fish, we've also been scoring well along the mainland on half and three-quarter-day trips.
Between bouts with weather, we're bringing aboard the WaveWalker plenty of big feisty groundfish: vermilion, chucklehead, blues, johnny bass, cholocate bass, sugar bass, barber poles, starries, greenspotted, greenstriped, bocaccio and others. While the islands have been hosting a better bite and a better size of fish, we've also been scoring well along the mainland on half and three-quarter-day trips.
Read More...
Turtle Tale
I’ve a whale of a tale to tell you lads and lasses--well, make that a turtle tale (a rare thing hereabouts). I had a charter group quietly fishing, with the engines off, straight out from Coal Oil Point in nearly 200 feet of water when we espied a strange and wondrous sight: a large sea turtle swimming on the surface of the water, right towards us.
I’ve a whale of a tale to tell you lads and lasses--well, make that a turtle tale (a rare thing hereabouts). I had a charter group quietly fishing, with the engines off, straight out from Coal Oil Point in nearly 200 feet of water when we espied a strange and wondrous sight: a large sea turtle swimming on the surface of the water, right towards us.
Read More...
Summer is back!
Well, the fish think so, with 65 degree water off of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria and Ventura. Sand bass are massing over reefs in 80 to 140 feet of water and rising hungrily to feed on hapless meandering baitballs. The result is every rod aboard bent over double for about ten minutes. Then we cool our heels until the action begins again. Over the course of a few hours, limit-style fishing is possible.
Well, the fish think so, with 65 degree water off of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria and Ventura. Sand bass are massing over reefs in 80 to 140 feet of water and rising hungrily to feed on hapless meandering baitballs. The result is every rod aboard bent over double for about ten minutes. Then we cool our heels until the action begins again. Over the course of a few hours, limit-style fishing is possible.
Read More...
Blow... Calm... Blow... Calm... That's the story of the weather lately on the Santa Barbara Channel. But the calm periods have been stellar, allowing for long runs to Santa Rosa and San Miguel islands, or up to Point Conception for lingcod that require two hands to hold plus some very impressive reds and chucklehead.
Read More...
October is Halibut Month
October is proving to be halibut month. Good catches of the tasty flat fish are coming from inshore areas, generally in 40 to 60 foot depths. Great baitballs of anchovies and sardines plus hordes of small to medium mackerel are moving along the coast in this general depth range, attracting schools of halibut. When the water is clear, I've seen halibut loping along the bottom or swimming at mid-column right behind the baitballs, snatching stragglers as opportunities for easy meals present themselves.
Read More...
