Jackpot Jimmy
06-26-2011, 10:00 PM
On Sunday, the Tradition was loaded up with live squid ready to go fish for seabass. The day before the rig had a ¾ day charter and had 15 seabass from 20 to 50 pounds. We left the harbor shortly after 6am and headed to the fishing grounds. There were a bunch of skiffs and other small boats out already and a few of them had seabass on the boat. Throughout the morning, everyone put in an honest effort but we didn’t get a big swim-through as on Saturday. One angler was the first to hook up on a nice 19 pound white seabass. Then another angler hooked up and this one took him around the anchor line. Luckily the angler did land the fish and Captain Steven Konrady hoisted up a huge 55 pound white seabass. These seabass were the firsts for both anglers. In addition, the angler who landed the big seabass also landed a nice 17 pound halibut.
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/011-36.jpg
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/010-46.jpg
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/009-46.jpg
We waited it out a while longer but there were no more biters, so we headed to try for some calico bass and sheephead, for which the fishing was excellent the day before. And today it didn’t disappoint: the calicos, sheephead, cabazon, and even some exotic rubberlip perch and sargo were biting very well. The key for the calicos was a slider with a live squid or strips, while the sheephead eagerly took a thin strip of squid on a small hook on a dropper loop. After a while of this great fishing we had another tidal swing so we headed back to where we were in the morning. In the afternoon we had one possible hooked seabass that was lost, and the rest were bat rays.
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/007-58.jpg
Throughout the day, the water temperature hovered around 63 degrees, which is a great sign of things to come. If the water can warm up a couple more degrees, I think the bass fishing will really turn on, and we’ll finally have a great summer season – but don’t get me wrong, it’s been a great start to things with the barracuda and now the seabass. Stay tuned for more!
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/011-36.jpg
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/010-46.jpg
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/009-46.jpg
We waited it out a while longer but there were no more biters, so we headed to try for some calico bass and sheephead, for which the fishing was excellent the day before. And today it didn’t disappoint: the calicos, sheephead, cabazon, and even some exotic rubberlip perch and sargo were biting very well. The key for the calicos was a slider with a live squid or strips, while the sheephead eagerly took a thin strip of squid on a small hook on a dropper loop. After a while of this great fishing we had another tidal swing so we headed back to where we were in the morning. In the afternoon we had one possible hooked seabass that was lost, and the rest were bat rays.
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/007-58.jpg
Throughout the day, the water temperature hovered around 63 degrees, which is a great sign of things to come. If the water can warm up a couple more degrees, I think the bass fishing will really turn on, and we’ll finally have a great summer season – but don’t get me wrong, it’s been a great start to things with the barracuda and now the seabass. Stay tuned for more!