The inshore fishing is still extremely slow for halibut and/or white seabass in the Santa Barbara area but I did get a nice surprise this morning south of Goleta Pier.

I was fishing for about an hour and a half for nothing when finally I got this very light tap on my Sardine Fish Trap. I cranked down and slammed him and he slammed back - hard! At first I thought I might have snagged another bat ray but I was sure I felt an actual strike. After a few minutes (the initial run) I was sure it was a fish just because of the way it was moving. Heavy head shakes, kind of like a white seabass but different. I forgot to time it but it was at least 15 minutes before I got my first glance. I've never seen a black sea bass before but assumed that's what it was. I saw how immense the thing was and knew there was no way it was going to fit in the net so I started kicking toward the beach. I got the fish on the beach, quickly measured it, took some pictures near my tube, tried to weigh it (bottomed out my 50 lb. scale), and let it go. It only took a couple seconds before it gave a powerful thrust of it's tail and took off. It was 43 inches long and had a 32 inch girth. A lot of fun for slow day!

Anyone have any ideas on what it probably weighed? The G x G x L/800 formula says 55 lbs.

http://leapinbass.com/other_images/010428_giant_sea_bass.jpg

SWEET!!!!

That's awesome!!! What a fish to catch from a tube!!! Thanks for posting the story and pics Pete.

Great job. Amazing it didn't rock you. And I thought my stupid little neeedlefish yesterday was cool. That's way cool, now you gotta go get a big one.

Amish Ed

Ed- were'd you get the needlefish???? Kind of odd with the water we've had lately!

That's killer!!! BUT, why weren't you home with the baby?!?!? har har. I'd say that formula is about right, that fish looks to be in about the 50# class. That's one to remember Pete, nice work. Awesome pics too.
-Brian

LAST EDITED ON Apr-29-01 AT 06:29 AM (PST)

Thanks guys! It was quite an experience. I'm shocked it didn't rock me either! I was using my Hot Shot plastic rod (rated for 10 - 20 lb.) with 12 lb. Maxima. There were a few kelp patches around and the fish got in them twice. Each time when it finally pulled my rod tip snapped up and the line went slack - both times my stomach sank because I hadn't seen it yet but to my amazement it was still there. At that point more than anything I just wanted to know what it was.

It just goes to show that you never know what's lurking out there - I'm thinking of switching to 15 lb. test for fishing plastics.



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You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today - please practice catch and release.

Pete,
How deep was that fish? Were you out fishing kelp, or were you in the surf? BTW, the girth on my dog is 34" lol.
-Brian

I was fishing that thick kelp line (it was 11 - 12 ft.) but started coming in toward shore when I got this one. There were quite a few scattered patches of kelp but nothing like that thick line that's out further. It was about 9 or 10 feet deep where I got it. It was just after a low negative tide so it's usually deeper there.

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You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today - please practice catch and release.

Wow. I wonder what the hell that thing was doing that shallow. Do they spawn up close like that or something? I couldn't imagine. Anyhoo, nice fish, sounds like a lot of fun. A once in a lifetime opportunity (unfortunately).
-Brian

Nice to see these fish are making a comeback! I have seen huge black seabass at San Clemente Island eat yellowtail off peoples line! I dont know why they dont raise these fish like they do the white seabass. Its probably because everyone has just excepted the fact that you cant keep them so they figure they need no help. I would love to see these fish become an every day catch. Im not saying we should keep them, it would just be nice if we all got a chance to catch a huge fish right here in our local waters.

There are plenty of bigger Black Seabass out there. They are typically caught near shore at Catalina while fishing white seabass close to the beach. The guys on the Phantom said they have been in wide open 50-200 lb. fish for up to 2 hours! The one you caught was still a youngster. These fish live for 75-100 years and can get up to 500 lbs. or more. They will eat just about any other fish that will fit in there mouth like calico bass, barracuda, bonita, mackeral, yellowtail and rockfish. Make sure you guys release these fish in good condition! Dont think the 15# line will make much of a difference if you get a big boy. Good luck and tight lines.

You're probably right about the 12 - 15 lb. test.

As soon as I saw him and thought it might be a GSB I started kicking for shore. I think getting him into the surf helped me land him quicker than I would of if I had stayed in deeper water. He wasn't out of the water for more than a couple minutes. When I released him I thought I may have to revive him but it was only a couple seconds before he gave a strong kick and disappeared beyond the surf. I'm just glad he was hearty like a largemouth or halibut and not weak like white seabass or trout. I'm sure he lived.

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You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today - please practice catch and release.

WOW!!!!!!
What was the fight like?
Powerful surges, straight pull, or fast runs?
Congrats on a beaut and a good release. If that happens again I'd consider 20 or 30# line. And don't be too vocal, as someone without morales might try to catch and keep it.

Tight lines,
Wade

I wouldn't worry about someone targeting that fish. Blacks are roamers, and tend more towards general areas. We have an area down here that's known for blacks. But that area is some 8 miles long and extends out a few miles. The school that roams these parts is pretty good size as far as numbers of fish, but you never know where they'll be. These are the big ones too. 300# is normal for this school, and I've seen one that was much much bigger. Came up after a 2 or 3lb calico I was pulling over the rail for a customer. I thought it was a sea lion at first, but as soon as it broke the surface I was in awe. It hit the surface just like a bass, but it was waaay bigger. Talk about bucket mouth.

It's too bad these fish have suffered so much at the hands of thoughtless people. They are well worth the effort to conserve. I hope they never are legal to kill. They are beautiful, fearless creatures.

Amish Ed

Congrats on the fish! Glad to hear it was caught on a lure, a lot of them are cuaght on bait. One time at San Nicholas Island my dad was diving and he saw a BSB as big as the cab in his Ford F-150. He had just speared about a 5 pound sheephead and the BSB slurped it right off the tip of his pole spear! In the old days I have heard they used to use whitefish as bait to catch the big ones. They are so tame now I think there would be disasterous effects if they were to be legalized, same with garabaldi.

Ed, 300 pounds, that is a monster!!! I was on the Seahawk last year on the back side of Rosa when the boat got into them. Two fish over 150 pounds were caught and carefully released. One guy got one on 20lb with a Trinidad, that was cool. What a truly aweseome fish.

A freind of mine had one last year that was 90#. That's the biggest I've seen caught, but it was a dink compared to the freight train I saw that other day. Had a customer hook a big one last year on 20#. It took 3/4 of a Penn 500 spool and that was the first and only run. We never even waited for that first run to end, just busted it off so it didn't end up w/ too much line attached. I held on for a while, man was it wierd. Kinda like snagging the bottom while 'butt drifting, but w/ a few nasty headshakes thrown in. Never even slowed down, just a steady, endless pull. Oh well, maybe today...

Amish Ed

LAST EDITED ON May-03-01 AT 07:26 PM (PST)

Right after I set the hook it made several extremely powerful head shakes and then took off for it's initial (and only) long run. I don't remember how long the run was as I was too freaked out to really think about anything. Last year in the same area I snagged a bit bat ray in the wing with a plastic so that kept creeping into my head but this REALLY DID feel like a fish. It kind of reminded me of the way the barely legal white seabass fight that we get inshore on plastics from the float tubes - just a lot heavier and more pronounced. It made a couple more medium length runs but I'd have to say that most of the fight was a tug-o-war with short little runs thumping head shakes (like a wsb but somehow different).

Bucket mouth! Tell me about it!

It was a beautiful fish. I'm glad they are protected. Watching that big thing swim away through the surf was awesome.

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You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today - please practice catch and release.