Quest for WSB

Nice group of anglers - a light load out for PierPoint Landing - Long Beach.

Our Fearless Leader Edgar Ylanan - Sportfishing report.com Charter Master.

I responded to a trip I found listed on Sportfishingreport.com going out of Long Beach on Thursday night - huniting the wiley WhiteSea Bass. This boat had had some success over the last couple of weeks. It looked like a nice size boat and was limited to 12 anglers.

I really wanted Biff to get one, and me too of course. As it turned out we did both hook one and unfortuneatly did not land them. Had all the WSB hooked been landed we would have limited for the 10 anglers.

We caught these surf fish called Sargo - like a surf perch - but better eating.

Ultimately 6 WSB were boated from 47 to abut 15 lbs. These were way bigger than anything I had seen before. The one I hooked and fought for 20 - 30 minuetes was a brute. I learned a valuable lesson that can't be explained in advance. When you hook one of these you have to be ready and know what you are doing. I made one small mistake and the beast shook the hook. Simple as that.

I held one up for scale even though I did not land this fish - these were really big. The crew said what they have been seeing are between 30 and 40 lbs. The Captain landed the first one of the day - a 47 pounder and split the fish up with the angler who did not land one. Everyone when home with some great fish. Edgar our CM ended up hooking 3 WSB for the day. He handed off one to another angler and it was taken by a seal. And this small one he hooked late in the day when we were fishing off the beach and gave it to Fiff and I.

Deck hand - Chris doing the scale thing with the big fish. No one else could hold them up. His brother, Mike, works on the Pac Dawn.

I did manage to hook and land after a lengthy battle a 120 lb Black Sea Bass. It turned out to be the second of the day the first being about 150 lbs and taking over an hour to bring in .Both were released unharmed but tired from the fight, as are our arms and shoulders.
I gave my lovely BSB a pat on the head before they un-hooked him/her and set it free.

What a priveledge to battle such a wonderful creature. I had never seen one before let alone 2 in one day.