Big WSB Showing at Catalina

[Balluga]

I dove the backside on Sunday and had some good sightings of White Sea Bass. At a sand and big boulder spot called, "Sid's Outside", I saw one school of 12 to 15 fish, in deep water that had to be close to 70 pounders...When the sunlight reflects off their scales, they look like giant silver torpedos...worked a few kelp strands on the boulders in 60' and had a 45 pounder swim in directly below my fins..had to raise the gun up to tilt and get a shot off between my legs..stoned the fish and no tangles!! Visibility was fair to good. I always dive two hours before high tide to two hours after, preferably early am and late pm... If the fish are there, you will see them at this time. There is still squid at the "V"s but, it is scattered. Yellowtail are an early morning and late afternoon thing.. Also, saw a school of Blacks from 125 up to 600 pounds or so, just hanging mid-water in the kelp strands...Grandaddy was mostly silver in color and let me swim up to within 5 feet of him..Have learned not to touch them, as they will spook and the concussion from their tail will knock off your mask and could rupture an eardrum....Despite the trend to use small, fast shafts, I stay with a tried and true 3/8" shaft...when that big tuna or shark of a lifetime shows up, the big shafts will put the hurt to them...Time to provision the boat for a Cortez Bank run!!

[Fishing Addict]

Originally Posted by Balluga

I dove the backside on Sunday and had some good sightings of White Sea Bass. At a sand and big boulder spot called, "Sid's Outside", I saw one school of 12 to 15 fish, in deep water that had to be close to 70 pounders...When the sunlight reflects off their scales, they look like giant silver torpedos...worked a few kelp strands on the boulders in 60' and had a 45 pounder swim in directly below my fins..had to raise the gun up to tilt and get a shot off between my legs..stoned the fish and no tangles!! Visibility was fair to good. I always dive two hours before high tide to two hours after, preferably early am and late pm... If the fish are there, you will see them at this time. There is still squid at the "V"s but, it is scattered. Yellowtail are an early morning and late afternoon thing.. Also, saw a school of Blacks from 125 up to 600 pounds or so, just hanging mid-water in the kelp strands...Grandaddy was mostly silver in color and let me swim up to within 5 feet of him..Have learned not to touch them, as they will spook and the concussion from their tail will knock off your mask and could rupture an eardrum....Despite the trend to use small, fast shafts, I stay with a tried and true 3/8" shaft...when that big tuna or shark of a lifetime shows up, the big shafts will put the hurt to them...Time to provision the boat for a Cortez Bank run!!

Nice. Let us know how that cortez bank run goes. I am thinking of hopping on the Peace for a cortez trip.

[pescar]

Originally Posted by Balluga

Have learned not to touch them, as they will spook and the concussion from their tail will knock off your mask and could rupture an eardrum....

wow i never knew they could do that

[Balluga]

I learned the hard way...I swam up and poked a 200 pounder, which exploded so quick, the water movement knocked off my mask and actually compressed my left eardrum...The largest black I have seen was probably close to 700 lbs (except for the 2800 lb. white shark I saw from the back and chased, thinking I had a new world record black to beat my partners 545 pounder)....