Fished Anacapa and Santa Cruz Island aboard the "Big Drum" with my friend James. We first stopped on some birds around the fish camp area of Anacapa hoping to find some squid to jig up, but the squid were not to found. I did catch a 20 inch Calico bass on dropper loop sardine.

Then we followed a bunch of birds out towards the Footprint reef area to find about a 5 acre area of thousands of birds and porpoises going crazy eating fin bait. We yo-yoed for a while and trolled rapala's through the area without a strike. Then we went over to Santa Cruz.

We drifted and power trolled may different area's and depths for Halibut but had no luck. Later in the morning we fished up tight to the shore near Bowen Point for Calico's, Sheephead. Black Rockfish, Blue Rockfish and a Sculpin. After that we bounced balled for Halibut using live sardines all the way up to Willow's Anchorage for Halibut without a bite. Then we went offshore a little ways and trolled rapala's through another good size school of birds without a bite, but we had the good fortune of trolling over a respectable group of deepwater rock piles that we marked and then proceeded to catch bunch of Vermilion and Copper Rockfish.

Then we moved back down the island and fished a couple of beach area's for about 15 Barred Surf Perch. My biggest Perch was 13 inches and 2 them were 12 inches and 4 were a little over 11 inches, very good quality size BSP. Catching the BSP on light tackle was the highlight of the day for me.

While we were heading back to the Gap to catch a couple more Rockfish to complete our limit, we got stopped by the DFG patrol boat "Swordfish". When I showed the guys on the boat one of the BSP, one of the officers said that he'd have to board my boat and check my fish. Even though we didn't have boat limits, the officer asked James and I which fish we individually caught. I told him we didn't keep track and what is the point on asking that question when we don't have boats limits for either Rockfish or Barred Surf Perch. The officer didn't answer my question and then proceeded to search in other area's of my boat looking to see if we might be hiding fish somewhere else in the boat. After I showed him a copy of the 2004 DFG Saltwater Fishing Regulation booklet and let him know that I the person who had taken the picture of my buddy Joe Kokrak's California State Record Treefish that is on the cover, he informed me that he was done looking around and thanked me for cooperating and that I had a really nice boat. The officer said he's never seen BSP on a private boat out at the island. He asked me twice were I caught Perch, but my reply was very vague because I wasn't about to give away my new found BSP honey-holes.

After that delay we headed to the Gap and finished off the day catch a couple more Rockfish to get our limit of Rockfish. For two anglers we brought home 20 Rockfish, 8 Barred Surf Perch, 1 Calico Bass and 1 Sheephead. Sure wish I would have not left my digital camera at home. I won't forget it this weekend. The run back across the channel was very lumpy but at least we weren't heading into it.

Vince
2300 Seaswirl Striper "Big Drum"
1500 Duroboat "Red Drum"
http://www.deliciousagony.com/

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