Today Brian Long and I made an afternoon run to goleta beach for some float tube halibut fishing. The tides were conducive for a good bite, incoming all afternoon. We started around 3:30 in front of the stairs but the bite was slow for the first hour or so. After working out a ways we came back in towards the beach where the water seemed to be a little warmer. Suddenly I see this nice flattie get airborne chasing bait out of the water. Then we both see another one slash on the surface. Whoa, boiling halibut. We paddled that way and I farmed two bites pretty quick. We were both fishing a 4" green sardine fish trap on a 1/2oz head. It seemed to dry up again for the next ten minutes when I get whacked close to me tube as I'm hopping the swimbait off the bottom. I eased the fish up and it was a nice one so Brian came over and did a nice job netting it. He handed the net over to me and I proceeded to get a soaking as the fish went aggro. Back at my house the flattie taped out at 31 inches and weighed 11lb 1oz. Nice fish for Goleta Beach! We kept at this area for the rest of our afternoon and I wound up getting 7 shorts and one little calico. The shorts were mostly 10-14" fish but one was about 19". They were all of course released. The water didn't feel all that warm but if you got close to the beach it seemed like it was a little warmer, just enough to hold the bait and the halibut in that zone. I highly reccomend the 4" green sardine fish trap for the inshore flatties. The retrieve that seemed to work the best was a crank crank, stop hit bottom, crank crank, stop hit bottom. Slacking the line as it dropped to give it a vertical drop and make the sand poof up around the bait seemed to trigger the bites. The summer's not over yet!

Great report (and picture) Rob! I think this report has inspired me enough to get my lazy behind off of the sofa and head out to Goleta Beach this weekend on my kayak. Conditions may not be as favorable as last weekend, but...<P>Mike

Mike, I was out there later. Actually, over near the Rocks on the west side of Goleta Beach. I got a 23 incher after fishing for about 15 minutes. I only had about a half an hour to fish but it was worth it! I'm going out Sunday around 8 in my float tube. The swell may be a little big - I'm hoping it settles down a bit. The high tide is around 10:30 I think. Maybe I'll see you out there. I've got a classic "Barni" camoflauge float tube.

I drove out to Goleta Beach to try out my new float tube instead of hauling out the log (my Malibu Two). The swell looked pretty decent, but not as bad as yesterday (Saturday). I decided to save my maiden voyage on the tube, however, for a nicer day. The water looked pretty off color and I imagine the swell has pushed the halibut into deeper water... I did see a guy (probably you) on a tube at the end of the parking lot, closest to UCSB. Was that you? If so, did you do any good?<P>See ya,<BR>Mike<P>

Mike and Pete, <BR>How was the fishing on Sunday? I was thinking the weather might kick up a little this weekend as I drove home to SB on Thursday night. The winds in the pass at gaviota were really howling. The way it was last weekend there was a ton of kelp on the shore but the conditions were so calm that it stayed mostly on the beach and didn't foul your line too much. I could see how a high tide with some current could mess things up. But maybe you guys slayed them?<P>Rob

You are right about the conditions not being that great. I caught lots of kelp and farmed one halibut of about 16 inches on the Sardine Fish Trap in 7 feet of water straight off the stairs. The water temp was 59 degrees - everywhere. Rob - you're right about the water feeling warmer in the shallows but my depth finders temp gauge didn't change at all. Next weekend (Sunday) the high tide is at 3:41 pm. I'll be going out again so we'll see what happens. Hopefully the swell will cooperate.<P>By the way - you'll all be glad to hear that U.C.S.B. has put up brand new nice "Danger - Stairs Unsafe" signs. Of course they wasted time, money, and effort on these lame signs that people ignore anyway instead speding the time, money and effort FIXING THE DAMN STAIRS!!!! Does anyone know who to contact about this - it's been over a year - I'm curious what the plans are?

Can you tell me how to get to goleta beach? I live in Port Hueneme. Thanks for your great report.

About 8 miles north of Santa Barbara follow the signs to U.C.S.B. - then get off on Sandspit road and follow the signs to Goleta Beach. Click on the following link for a map.<P><a href="http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?Pyt=Tmap&YY=20804&addr=Sandspit Rd.&city=Goleta&state=CA&slt=34.4358&sln=-119.8267&mlt=34.4285&mln=-119.8327&mag=8&cs=5&off=e">http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?Pyt=Tmap&YY=20804&addr=Sandspit Rd.&city=Goleta&state=CA&slt=34.4358&sln=-119.8267&mlt=34.4285&mln=-119.8327&mag=8&cs=5&off=e</a>