Dana Point Seabass 7/18

[webmaster]

Still on a mission to catch a seabass this year so Gary (feelthesteel) and I loaded up the Keilani and headed down to Dana Point. Got there before light, the first thing we did was head out to the 267 and then down to the 209 to see if there was any life. We found a few paddies loaded with mini-macs on the 209, caught a few for bait. saw a 200-300 pound mako cruising on the surface a the 267. We didn't have anything but sardines so Gary tried to bait it with 3 deans on a wire leader but he wasn't interested. Finally got too close and he bolted for the deep.

After an unsuccessful offshore outing, we came into San Mateo point, anchored up along the kelp line and threw out some baits. After about 1/2 hour I had some frozen squid on the bottom that starts going off. Set the hook and it starts taking off hugging the bottom. "Gary, pull the anchor! this things big and it's not a bat ray!"

http://fishinghotpage.com/images/tmp/jeff1.jpg

http://fishinghotpage.com/images/tmp/jeff2.jpg

We chase it down with the boat as it heads to deep water. Finally I get it to deep color and I could see the big silver belly. "Get the gaff, it's a huge white seabass!"

After a couple more cranks, "Oh crap, put the gaff away, get the camera, it's a black seabass"

http://fishinghotpage.com/images/tmp/jeff3.jpg

http://fishinghotpage.com/images/tmp/jeff4.jpg

Gary snaps a few pics and through the commotion drops his camera and it breaks :Sad:
He rushes to get my camera while I have the fish at boatside. I notice the hook is too deep and he is thrashing wildly, cutting up my hands so I just cut the line and set him free.

Would have been nice to get a few more pics but the main priority was to get the fish released as quickly and safely as possible. We estimate it was between 70-80 pounds.

Set back up on the spot and it wasn't long before Gary's clicker starts screaming. He sets the hook and same thing - the fish barrels down and heads for deep water. We chase him down and I'm snapping pics the whole way...

http://fishinghotpage.com/images/tmp/gary1.jpg

http://fishinghotpage.com/images/tmp/gary2.jpg

http://fishinghotpage.com/images/tmp/gary3.jpg

http://fishinghotpage.com/images/tmp/gary4.jpg

After a few pics I switch to video mode:

http://fishinghotpage.com/images/tmp/seabass1.MP4

http://fishinghotpage.com/images/tmp/gary9.jpg

http://fishinghotpage.com/images/tmp/gary10.jpg

http://fishinghotpage.com/images/tmp/gary11.jpg

Another clean release. We estimate his was between 60-70. Both fish were caught in shallow water so there were no bladder issues and both swam down nice and strong.

2 black seabass in one day - what are the odds? Before we even started fishing Gary and I had said that anything caught today would be dedicated to Dana. After both of us catching a toad seabass of a lifetime, we truly believe he was down there hooking those fish onto our lines...

[Jackpot Jimmy]

Good job guys and nice report Jeff! Great job on the releases.

[elevated]

wow awesome report!

[Fishbones]

Thats a very special day fishing, i truly believe that was Dana showing you two he is there with you.
Congrats on the two fish of a lifetime Jeff & Gary, great report and pics too.

[Nessie Hunter]

Dang Jeff, you been absolutely slayin the fish lately.. WTG..

Great "Dana 57 Day" on the water, Im still in shock over his passing!! :-(

[TroutOnly]

GREAT TOAD FIGHTS,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,t/o,,,,,,,,,,,,

[gletemfeelsteelgary]

Wow, what really can be said to convey the experience…

First off I will officially say we respectfully dedicate those hawgs to Dana, his spirit lives on now and forever.

I do believe it was divine intervention that gave us that opportunity to not only tangle with those beasties but to land them as well..

Dana was up there, smiling upon us, showing us that sometimes you don’t get what you want but sometimes you get what you need !

What a valuable reminder….thanks Dana : )

We searched out toad white seabass….well we got toad Black seabass…

I have no regrets, I’ll always remember those fish for a lifetime !

AND….to land 2 in 1 trip ? ….phenominal

AND to have those 2 split equally between us both ?.....inconceivable !

To land them on light line….right near the kelp beds ? the odds were against us !

But against all odds…against all probability…..we landed them…


Saweet…

A couple notes:

Jeff Landed his on 25 lb test

I landed mine on 30 lb test copolymer

Not a whole lot of other action but it was definitely a day to remember…

Baiting on that huge mako was thrilling as well and we also saw 2 thresher sharks….


Beware…..those sharks are gonna have a little eye opener next outing but they were spared this time : )

I did land 1 short cuda as well maybe 25 inches…and had a handful of other run out on flylined baits which I believe were cuda as well…


What a wonderfull day…what a wonderful memorory of those fish….and they are still out there for others to enjoy..

The spirit of Dana was with us….those fish were for you Buddy..

Gary

[FISHINGBEE]

I have to admit i figured it would be a white sea bass report.

FISHINGBEE

[KILLA]

Nice to see someone found the big boys! My buddy's and I check'd out a few pattys, found some bait balls but nothing chasing. Good post guys. Gary " What pound test you have there ? "

[gletemfeelsteelgary]

Nice to see someone found the big boys! My buddy's and I check'd out a few pattys, found some bait balls but nothing chasing. Good post guys. Gary " What pound test you have there ? "
30 lb test copolymer

[fishinone]

Nice catch guys.

That sounds like too much fun.

Keep at it Jeff you'll get your WSB.

[DockRat]

Good job on the 20 - 30 lb and quick releases.

Note;
No lip gaff.
No hand in the gills lift.
No flopping on the deck.
No lb or length measurement needed.
No 'Look at Me pics'.
No problem swimming away.

That is the way to release BSB. :Thumbs Up:
DR

[E.A.R.G.]

hot dayum. I guess thats why you're the web MASTER.
and i'm sure you'll get the white version soon enough!

good job Jeff and Gary on the catches!

[Liteweight]

WOW!!! 2 respectable size BSB in one day!!!
That's one for the books. Have seen couple of small ones in one day but not in the size you guys landed.
Jeff why not fish Rocky Point or La Jolla? Always been a few "Homeguard" WSB in the (Rocky Point)area (so some divers have told me over the years. All of my best days have been in this area. I've heard alot about La Jolla this year also. Wish I had memorized some of the co-oedinates shown me by some of the skippers while I was accumulating my CC captain's hours.
Gary... showing off some of your versatility in species slayage?
Well done guys.
Thanks for the report.
LW.

[DockRat]

Always been a few "Homeguard" WSB in the (Rocky Point)area (so some divers have told me over the years. All of my best days have been in this area.


When the bite goes off as seen in last months full moon then the bite stops a few days later that doesn't mean the fish are gone and moved on. At Rocky Pt a week after the fleet gave up and left I saw a free diver with 3 WSB at the top of the trail.
DR

[FISHINGBEE]

I actually think i have caught more black seabass than white since i have moved to So cal in 87


FISHINGBEE

[flyngby]

Jeff & Gary,

They may have been the wrong color but were catches of a lifetime! Great job on the swift "CPR"

"Dana" sure has been working hard of late making for some successful and surprising outings!

[webmaster]

Jeff & Gary,

They may have been the wrong color but were catches of a lifetime! Great job on the swift "CPR"

"Dana" sure has been working hard of late making for some successful and surprising outings!

He sure has been. That was one special trip indeed. Nothing happens by coincidence.


WOW!!! 2 respectable size BSB in one day!!!
That's one for the books. Have seen couple of small ones in one day but not in the size you guys landed.
Jeff why not fish Rocky Point or La Jolla? Always been a few "Homeguard" WSB in the (Rocky Point)area (so some divers have told me over the years. All of my best days have been in this area. I've heard alot about La Jolla this year also. Wish I had memorized some of the co-oedinates shown me by some of the skippers while I was accumulating my CC captain's hours.
Gary... showing off some of your versatility in species slayage?
Well done guys.
Thanks for the report.
LW.

Thanks LW. I may try Rocky Point next.


hot dayum. I guess thats why you're the web MASTER.
and i'm sure you'll get the white version soon enough!

good job Jeff and Gary on the catches!

Thanks Eric. I'm not giving up on the big white...


Good job on the 20 - 30 lb and quick releases.

Note;
No lip gaff.
No hand in the gills lift.
No flopping on the deck.
No lb or length measurement needed.
No 'Look at Me pics'.
No problem swimming away.

That is the way to release BSB. :Thumbs Up:
DR

Thanks DR. I'm not a big CPR guy, I usually like to sink a gaff into the head of some solid meat! But if I'm gonna do something I'm going to make sure it's done right. I have full confidence that both of those fish are still down there as healthy as can be. Unless some fool caught them after us!


Nice catch guys.

That sounds like too much fun.

Keep at it Jeff you'll get your WSB.

Haven't got a keeper since 2002.......


Thats a very special day fishing, i truly believe that was Dana showing you two he is there with you.
Congrats on the two fish of a lifetime Jeff & Gary, great report and pics too.

Thanks Alex.

Well, great pics from me at least.... Sorry Gary, I know you tried. Sucks about your camera.


Dang Jeff, you been absolutely slayin the fish lately.. WTG..

Great "Dana 57 Day" on the water, Im still in shock over his passing!! :-(

Thanks Frank. Actually, the Keilani has been slaying lately but as for me personally I have been on a dry spell. Still trying to get my first YT of the year and my first WSB in a VERY long time.


GREAT TOAD FIGHTS,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,t/o,,,,,,,,,,,,

You're next Bob....


Wow, what really can be said to convey the experience…

First off I will officially say we respectfully dedicate those hawgs to Dana, his spirit lives on now and forever.

I do believe it was divine intervention that gave us that opportunity to not only tangle with those beasties but to land them as well..

Dana was up there, smiling upon us, showing us that sometimes you don’t get what you want but sometimes you get what you need !

What a valuable reminder….thanks Dana : )

We searched out toad white seabass….well we got toad Black seabass…

I have no regrets, I’ll always remember those fish for a lifetime !

AND….to land 2 in 1 trip ? ….phenominal

AND to have those 2 split equally between us both ?.....inconceivable !

To land them on light line….right near the kelp beds ? the odds were against us !

But against all odds…against all probability…..we landed them…


Saweet…

A couple notes:

Jeff Landed his on 25 lb test

I landed mine on 30 lb test copolymer

Not a whole lot of other action but it was definitely a day to remember…

Baiting on that huge mako was thrilling as well and we also saw 2 thresher sharks….


Beware…..those sharks are gonna have a little eye opener next outing but they were spared this time : )

I did land 1 short cuda as well maybe 25 inches…and had a handful of other run out on flylined baits which I believe were cuda as well…


What a wonderfull day…what a wonderful memorory of those fish….and they are still out there for others to enjoy..

The spirit of Dana was with us….those fish were for you Buddy..

Gary

Great fishing with you Gary. I will remember this trip forever.


I have to admit i figured it would be a white sea bass report.

FISHINGBEE

That was the target species...

[gletemfeelsteelgary]

Gary... showing off some of your versatility in species slayage?

.

well now that you put it that way, I guess you could say yes : )

Those suckas fight like your battling a deisel truck and it seems to never end, that was my 1st BSB and my personal best fish for salt barring a 6' blue shark and the huge rays which I consider in their own class, these sportfish are MULES and you know you've been tested after their lengthy battle !

The gear I used was way light for that pig, I'm just glad my drag held up, it's really far from a top dollar reel and even though at a glance one could think the reel wasn't up to the challenge but it held out in the end, the shimano pole, even being way light for the challenge came out shining...

good to know that gear can handle things that huge !

Hey everyone, something occured to me the other day: we spoke of how Dana was up their shining and smiling upon us, aiding us in getting into the mix....

WELL we were fishing "Dana POINT" from here forth it will be affectionately addresed by me as "DANA'S point"

I'll never forget those beasts !

probably never get another like that again in my lifetime, I feel fortunate to have squared up against that worthy adversary !

I SALUTE those fish and their tremendous power !

Gary

[fishinone]

Haven't got a keeper since 2002.......

I'm still working on it. Bong got a short on the next trip, I caught 10 gallon of mackeral.

[gletemfeelsteelgary]

I'm still working on it. Bong got a short on the next trip, I caught 10 gallon of mackeral.whats that conversion in liters ?

is that less than a boatload but more than a sheetload ?

[fishinone]

whats that conversion in liters ?

is that less than a boatload but more than a sheetload ?

40 quarts

yes. yes.

[gletemfeelsteelgary]

I'm still working on it. Bong got a short on the next trip, I caught 10 gallon of mackeral.
so what would they be WORTH ? in Peso's ?