I heard the seabass and slug yellows had been tearing up the back side  of Catalina  for the last two days.  So at the last minute grabbed three rods, a sandwich, two bags of ice and met my friend Mark Clayton at the boat on Friday at 4 P.M..  We stopped at LA Bait where Mark had them holding a few passes of squid for us.  Seas were flat as a lake on the run over letting us make an easy 25 plus knots to the back side of the island.  So calm in fact I commented to Mark..."this is just WAY too nice here on the back side..it can't last!"  It didn't last..by 9 P.M. it started blowing from the West and the seas built up quick and short.  We hooked our first seabass at 10:15 P.M. Friday night coming into the high tide on a glow-n-dark Tady with 2 squids pinned on the single siwash out of rod holder with the clicker set.  When it comes to white sea bass..."Roddy" the rod holder is my best friend..lol.  Nice  36 lb. sea bass, but long and very skinny male.  I hooked a second on a 1 oz. egg sinker with 6/0 Owner Aki hook that came un-buttoned after a fast 25 yard run and some head shakes.  Backed the drag off on the first run using 65 lb. spectra to 50 lb. fluorocarbon, but hooked pulled regardless..no bueno!   Sometimes I wonder if the spectra / floro deal is the best set up when fishing out in deeper water with a lead head or egg sinker where kelp isn't an issue.  The stretchy mono I think has it's place at times on softer mouthed fish to keep a sharp hook in soft mouth tissue.  The rest of the night  through the tide and after was made up of lots of sculpin and a few sharks  with no more seabass bites.  Bed at 1 P.M. to the sound of wind and waves pounding hard into the hull.  Woke up at 4 AM and re-set the jigs in the forward port and starboard rod holders and put out a egg sinker rig and lead head rig out on the long rods off the stern.  WOW...I don't think I have ever seen a crowd of boats in  such a tight area like this before...4  boats last night and looked like  close to 60 now! 

Went inside and laid down and at 6:05 AM sharp  I hear both jig rods screaming.  Mark runs out and grabs the port rod and I stubble out and grab the starboard rod.  Mark's fish blasts out and away and wraps on something on the bottom. Mine makes a run and then turns and swims right back to the boat where Mark gaffs it.

Smaller seabass compared to the one last night, but well worth my socks getting wet..no time to put the boots on when my friend "Roddy" did me a favor and hooked me this seabass.  Mark is unable to get his fish unstuck.  Thinks it wrapped up in an old anchor line or something.  Breaks line that comes back chaffed.  Bite shuts off as the current switches to uphill on the morning low tide and the fish stop coming under the boat on the meter.  We bail on the crowd  and weather at 9 AM and make a run down to the East End light to try for yellowtail that we heard had been caught there the night before from a Avalon skiff fisherman.  No one home there after a 30 minute sit on anchor with current against the wind direction so we ran for home.  Heard we made the right call from friends who stayed on the backside, as the wind blew and the bite did the same with all the boat pressure.  

I really am enjoying this 25' Parker - what a great little boat!  I am getting spoiled having a dry, warm enclosed wheel house on a small boat while running to and from fishing.  It is NOT overrated by any means..lol.  There is something about closing the door, being able listen to a stereo or have a conversation with friends while running in a small boat without getting beat up by the elements.  The ease of maintenance due to less mechanical / electrical systems, less fiberglass and stainless to clean /wax and ability to just jump on the boat and go fish without needing a multi-person crew or advanced planning...nice!  It really is the perfect West Coast inshore and island fishing boat. 

Dave Brackmann

CALIENTE