The Black Pearl is a 65 foot sport fishing boat with a 30 year veteran skipper who offers year round kayak mothership trips, from overnighters to multi day. Like several of the SoCal boats they run from SD when that is the place to be and from Oxnard when the islands are popping.
We loaded up Friday night with 9 kayakers and 4 crew. Crossing the channel was incredibly smooth following the small craft advisory. We arrived at Santa Rosa and set up on some squid. We only managed a few pieces that night, but had plenty of fin bait in the tanks. Hit the bunk for a few hours. Breakfast was french toast, eggs, bacon and hot coffee. We were all spread out on the water a little after sunrise. Weak current made for a slow start. I managed 3 jonny bass on plastics. Cheese burgers and potato salad for lunch and a move of the boat put us in very fishy waters for the afternoon. I fished iron......and more iron. Released a bunch of smaller rockfish and kept a few good ones, reds, blues and browns. Lost the biggest red I have ever seen lifting it by the jig. Released a good sized ling and caught my biggest cabby ever. Sheephead took the day 1 jackpot.
Loaded up at sunset to move to the opposite end if SR Beckers Bay. Ate lasagna, salad, and garlic toast along the way. We hit up the squid grounds and slowly picked away at 100 pieces as the seals had the squid on the run. The plan was to hoop for lobster, but I was spent and hit the rack. The 2 that went did not find the lobster, only rock crab.
Breakfast burritos and back at it. This time with some squid. We spread out and stumbled upon the halibut hole. First one was lost at gaff, but gave me more than enough confidence to keep at it. Finally got one to go on the squid after a few had been taken on both squid and sardines. My first turned into a leopard, several other sharks were caught. 20 feet, second hook up was the right kind and gaffed a 31 incher. Got another just over legal and missed too many. Got one more 28 incher in 6 feet of water just outside the surf. The chase skiff also reported seeing 3 WSB in that zone.
After fish and rice for lunch we hit it for more with some opting to rockfish and some pounding sand. The day's jackpot was landed in the afternoon a 3 foot halibut. We loaded em up at sunset and ran 40 miles home.
We lucked out with amazing weather, clear and crisp but very light winds up to the last afternoon. Hard working crew! Chase skiff was there to toss you a beer, lend a hand, hand off a fish or even gaff it.
Black Pearl is setting up some Mexican coast trips with Coastal Kayak Fishing in January and February, departing SD. I will be booking some trips in Spring, departing Oxnard. Thanks Capt Rick/ Black Pearl crew and to those that climbed aboard. We had a
great group and I brought home a killer variety of fillets. Too much fun/ 2 days fishing was almost enough.
It is what it is.
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