Central CA Saltwater Fishing Report

Santa Barabara halibut fish of the week, but white seabass showed as well BY CAPT. DAVID BACON/WON Staff WriterPublished: Jun 12, 2012

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SANTA BARBARA — Island and coastal waters around Santa Barbara produced good catches of halibut for boat-based and surf fishers. Rockfish and lingcod action remained steady, with the weather being the limiting factor. Calico bass began to bite in kelp beds and around the island boiler rocks. The east end of Santa Cruz Island pumped out halibut for bounce-ballers. The trick was to use a whole squid with a purple haze hoochy and spend plenty of time covering ground. Ken Millington of Santa Barbara (nicknamed, “Mr. Halibut”) showed what perseverance means when he bounce-balled for nearly 6 hours without a single strike, then hooked into his personal best… a 46-pound halibut in Chinese Harbor. “That fish tried my patience, but I’m glad I stuck it out,” said Millington. The entire east end of Santa Cruz Island was good for big flatties with an occasional white seabass offering a pleasant surprise. Rockfish action remained steady and stellar when the generally-windy weather allowed boats to make it to the favored reef zones. Reds, chucklehead and lingcod dominated the catch. “We got into the rockfish and it was wide-open action,” reported Captain Tiffany Vague of WaveWalker Charters and Hook, Line & Sinker tackle shop in Santa Barbara. Coastal kelp beds and island boiler rocks turned sweet for anglers waiting for the calico to go on the chew. The checkerboards bit livelined anchovies and swimbaits on the new weedless leadheads put out by Lead Masters.