Catalina Island White Seabass

The arrival of the Long Beach Fred Hall also coincides annually with the arrival of the white seabass migration at Catalina Island. Catching seabass from a private boat is often a better bet since smaller boats are quieter and can get into tighter spots than the larger party boats. My 30' Skipjack Santiago, named for the old man in Hemmingway's Old Man and the Sea, is the perfect vessel to target these fish. The boat is fast, economical, has a large fishing cockpit, a 5 kw generator, and 5 scoops of live bait.

White Seabass, also known as the gray ghosts because of their stealthy nature, are a part of the croaker family and can be caught in southern California from March through November. They generally range from 10 to 50 pounds and must be at least 28 inches to keep. The limit ranges from one to three fish per angler depending on the time of the year. The one fish limit corresponds to their spawning season. The fish can be caught in as shallow as 8 or 10 feet of water and as deep as over 100'of water.

The key to catching seabass is to find the live squid. These are not the large 3' Humbolt squid that have invaded our waters and are eating everything in sight, rather the smaller 4" to 7" squid that migrate to our waters every winter to spawn. Live squid can be caught by shining bright lights into the water in certain areas of the coast where squid are known to spawn. The squid spawn over sandy beaches and are drawn to bright lights. When the squid come to the lights, anglers are able to use a crowder (a 5 square foot section of net stretched between two poles) and a Braille net to catch the squid. Another option is to purchase squid from one of the commercial boats at a cost of $60 per scoop.

My tackle of choice includes a Calstar 800XL and an Accurate BX 400 or BX 400 narrow filled with 60 #spectra to a 15' section of 40# fluorocarbon. On the business end I prefer an 8/0 Aki long shank and a  ? sliding egg sinker. The long rod allows me to make long casts and work the squid back to the boat similar to the way a largemouth bass fisherman works a plastic worm. The incredible freespool of the Accurate BX 400 reel allows me to make long casts. Being able to cast long distances is the key to fishing tight spots for white seabass.

Once I hook a fish, the twin drag enables me to put the brakes on the fish before its powerful tail can make it to the nearby kelp. I can pull as hard as I need to with 60# spectra and 40# fluorocarbon and an 8/0 hook without worrying about a tackle failure. Additionally, the heavier line keeps me from getting bitten off by the seabass' sharp and abrasive teeth.

Successful seabass fishermen know that there are three keys to success. Each component must come into play for the private boater to be rewarded. First, the weather must cooperate. Since most of my fishing is done in the backside of Catalina, weather is a huge factor. The backside of the island is very exposed to the oftentimes unfriendly Pacific Ocean. There is nothing to block the wind and the swell. Picking good weather days is a must. I find buoyweather.com a huge advantage in picking the days I can fish. The next hurdle to overcome is finding live squid. While fresh frozen will also work, I prefer having the live squid. Lastly, and most importantly you must know where to fish.

I find a huge part of running your own boat is establishing a network of serious fishermen. You must be willing to share information to get information. These relationships take years to develop. There is no substitute for being able to pick up the phone and call a friend who fished the day before. While conditions always change, it's really a good feeling to know that you are in the spot where the fish bit yesterday.

I had been watching the weather and I had a couple of days off from work and wanted to squeeze in a trip and target my first seabass of the season. I rounded up my crew of one (Chuck Fedak). While I prefer to take at least 3 guys to split expenses, everyone had other commitments. We left Dana Point harbor at 2 pm armed with frozen squid. The plan was to fish the afternoon with frozen squid and make squid that night and fish the next day. We arrived to the island and found the perfect conditions. Seabass prefer the off color, milky water where they can remain stealthy. My favorite location is where the milky water reaches a kelp line. I also like the middle of a sandy cove that has kelp lines on either side of it. The seabass swim the shallows (anywhere from 5- 50' of water) and look for food. My quest is to position the boat along a rough I believe the seabass will take while swimming up or down the island.

I pulled up to my favorite kelp line that sits in 6 fathoms. I checked the water color and noticed the off color, milky water. So far, so good. I looked at the direction of the kelp stringers and saw them pointing downhill toward the east end of the island. I dropped the anchor in 8 fathoms and slid back to a kelp line keeping my stern a good 100' from the kelp line. The plan was to make a long cast toward the kelp line and let the downhill current pull our baits into the kelp. It was important to stay far enough away from the kelp to not spook the fish, and to have a chance of being able to stop a nice seabass from getting into the kelp once hooked.

Seabass fishermen know the importance of patience. You must realize that you are fishing for a trophy. It's also important to make sure you have all aspects of the equation. The water color must be right, the temperature, and the current. It is not uncommon to watch as the conditions develop. I often sit in one of my favorite spots and wait for the right conditions to develop. When they finally do it's game on. The reward in the end is a beautiful Catalina Island white seabass.

We waited for the conditions to develop. Initially the current was just a trickle. The boat swung back and forth on the anchor making fishing tough. As time passed, the current strengthened. The smaller calico bass, sargo and other assorted bottom grabbers became active. We continued to fish hard while continuously changing our baits. I believe the smaller fish create a commotion that the seabass are attracted to. The tap, tap, tap of the smaller fish is unmistakable, but when a seabass bites there is no doubt that it's the right kind.

We waded our way through the little guys. Finally Chuck says, "I am bit and it's the right kind." I look at his spool and I can see the fish steadily taking line off his spool. He lets the fish run for a 5 count and he slams the hook home. His rod bends and the drag starts screaming. The tell tale sign of a seabass it the dramatic head shakes were evident. The fish took him to the bow and around the anchor line. He swiftly negotiated his rod around the line and came out on the other side. I saw a silver flash confirming it was the "right" kind. I sunk the gaff home and we were on the board with our first Catalina seabass of the 2010 season. More importantly, I knew we were in the right spot and the conditions were just getting better.

Now it was my turn. Instead of the tap, tap, tap, from the little fish, I felt a huge clunk on the end of my line. The pressure increased and I could feel the weight of the "right" kind. I set the hook and the fish headed straight for the kelp. I had set the drag pretty tight since we were fishing on the kelp line. I pulled hard and could feel the kelp rubbing on the line. By keeping contestant pressure on the fish I was able to pull him out. He changed his tactic and headed for deeper water, smoking drag off the reel. I kept pressure on the fish and in a few minutes Chuck was able to get a nice gaff shot in a 25# Catalina seabass.

White seabass off the California coast is a great way to spend the winter months. The beauty of the island and the quiet serenity is quite a different scene than the offshore quest for blue water pelagic. I am looking for another 3 months of seabass fishing until the migratory tuna, marlin and Dorado arrive off of our coast.