Started around 7:00 am below the Bacara in near perfect conditions, clear, calm, with a clear/green water color. The waves/swell was also fairly small which made fishing the shallow water easy. It started off kind of slow except for one. We were in about 7-8 feet of water when Bryan gets slammed and the fish instantly starts peeling line. After about 5 minutes and before Bryan could get a look at the fish it pops off the hook. I've had some halibut do pretty good seabass impressions but Bryan was pretty sure this was a seabass. After fishing the area for a while I start to venture a little deeper and Bryan goes shallow. After seeing him catch a nice halibut and loose another I join him. For the next couple hours it was awesome. It seemed like we couldn't get 5 casts in without hooking up. We ended up with 7 halibut each with 4 legals each. Bryan stuck to the crankbait and I got mine on the 3 inch Mackerel Big Hammer and 5 inch Bay Smelt (2003 color - coming soon!) Big Hammer. The biggest fish went about 27 inches and was on the Bay Smelt. We both had prior commitments and unfortunately had to leave them biting at 10:30.

right on!! great report the pictures say it all thanks oh yeah where is haskell's beach?

In Goleta near the Bacara Resort.

http://www.bacararesort.com/

Great report and incredible pics... that one with the 'but sitting on yor legs is sweet. It feels like I am there. I only wish. You guys nail them with more regularity than anyone I have ever seen. Thanks for the reports and pics!

After a day like that I'm still in flattie euphoria!

Bowlboy

Good Job! We sure could of used one of those fish Saturday!

Nice report Pete.

Is Haskell's the beach south of the Baccara in front of the golf course, where one can surfcast?

Also, do you know of a beach called Mohawk, and, if so, what is your opinion of it for surfcasting?

Thanks.

Bob

From what I understand Haskells is the beach from Naples Point East to that old broken down pier (near the golf course). East from there and you hit Sands or Ellwood Shores. I'm not too sure of the boundaries. I have only surf fished Haskells in the spring for perch. Below the Bacara (West of the parking area) is where we've been getting the halibut (and Angel Shark!) lately.

Most of the time I've seen Haskells the waves seem a little larger than I like for surf fishing for halibut.

Don't know Mohawk (by name anyways).

Hey nice fish and pictures LeapinBass! That Bay Smelt color looks nice!

Great day and as always...great pics!

Pete, what kind of retrieves were being used for the swimbait v. crankbait? I assume the crankbait was a straight grind.

Steve

For the most part the 5 inch swimbait was on a 1/2 oz. head and fished with just a straight grind. There was one fish that hit right after I finished picking out a backlash. After I reeled up the slack I got about 1/2 a crank in when the fish hit.

The crankbait was a straight grind but there have been days when short pauses seemed to produce strikes.

The 3 inch swimbait was on a 1/4 oz. head and fished with quick pauses in an otherwise straight grind.

Wow! I read your postings all the time...excellent results! I live up here in SLO county. I've only been out once in the ocean floattubin ( San Simeon pier ). It took me about 5 hours but I landed a small Halibut. I tried the Hammers for the longest time with no luck. Do you have any suggestions on retrieves or if there is a specific color I should be using other then the anchovie imitaions?? I've read your web site and the Hammers web site already....Thanks for the info

Bryan (SLO county)

I'm not sure what else I can tell you that's not in my article. The only new thing I've been playing with lately is using the 5 inch baits with lighter heads and fishing them shallow like I've been fishing the 3 inchers - straight in grinds with or without split second pauses.

Find a beach with sand intermixed with structure and fish as shallow as possible. I like fishing shallow - the shallower the better. If possible I'm sitting right behind the breakers in 5 - 7 feet. of water and casting almost onto the beach.