After a dissapointing result in last weekends Semana Nautica fishing tournanment (one 13 inch sand bass) I decided to give Haskels another try on Saturday. Decided I would concentrate on Halibut and cruised the shallow water throwing a 4 inch clear with red flake big hammer with cocktail sauce. After going about 150 yards up the beach I passed the first kelp pattie and decided to give it a toss. On my second cast I hooked a nice calico. So I decided to work that area for a while. I worked a small bay in the kelp and statrted to get bit on almost every cast. My baits were getting smacked on the fall and I didn't even get a strike on the retrieve. I ended up catching 5 calicos and one sand bass and had 3 or 4 come unbuttoned. I slowly started losing tackel to the thick kelp and light line, so I switched to a 4 inch christmas tree big hammer. First cast I caught a mackeral and about 2 casts later I got hammered and brought up a big olive green colored kelp bass. Lost the christmas tree (my only one) and switched to a green backed, silver bellied with pink stripe Fish Trap (sorry big hammer fans). About 2 casts later while on the retrieve I got slammed and felt some head shakes. Landed a 19 inch halibut. Finally my honey hole dried up so I woorked the rest of the pattie with a 5 inch brownish hammer with gold flakes with not even a bite. Got back around to my spot again and on the first cast got bit. Missed the hook set so I just let it drop again and got hit again, this time my rod tip was high and one of my hands slipped and knocked the spool release on my reel, which popped off and sank to the bottom. Spent the next 15 min. pulling up all the line on my reel and finally the spool and rewinding as much line as I could save. Switched to the 4 inch rainbow trout hammer and nailed 2 more calicos before heading in.

Had to go back on Sunday after scoring so well on Saturday. Worked my secret spot with the 4 inch rainbow trout for 2 calicos. Right around the corner from my spot I got bit, missed the set and got bit again immediately only to bring in my hammer minus the tail. When I got to the edge of the pattie there was a channel between 2 patties and I remember reading in the "Halibut on swimbait section" about how flatties like to sit in those channels. This looked perfect so I tossed on down the channel let it hit bottom and started a slow retrieve bumbing it along the bottom. On about the third bump got slammed with big head shakes. Tried to move a away from the kelp while fighting the fish and after 2 runs I saw a flattie, bigger then yesterday comin up. I was able to flop it on the apron of the tube and started to measure it when it flopped big time and ended up back in the water for another run to the bottom. Brought it back up and measured a 21 inch butt. It all happened just as it was described. Worked the pattie for 2 more calicos.

This was only my fourth trip out in the tube and I had a blast. I'm hooked on tubeing. I always end up going alone so anyone out there in the SB area feel free to email me about going out sometime.

Bowlboy

Nice job Bryan.

Send me an e-mail at leapinbass@yahoo.com - I have misplaced the card you gave me at the tournament.

Very nice - the halibut love those little alley ways between two stringers of kelp or grass :-)

Hey Bowlboy

I was just reading some of these old entries and wanted to add...I too Float tube, but only just had my first Ocean experience. It was north of you up here by Hearst Casle. My Fresh water tubing buddies are tooooo scared of JAWS. So if you ever want to give it a try up here I'm game!....Oh and that one day I was out, I caught (using swimbaits) and released two (none legal) Halibut. But had some good bites....

Bryan

Yeah Great Whites are more common along the beaches north of Santa Barbara. The water is colder and more to their liking. If you just stay away from deep rocky areas where seals are congregating, you'll be a lot better off.