2 more WSB on the Hammers

[TeamStriper]

I joined Joe Kockrak along with Joe’s friend Merl aboard the "Triggerman" for some Santa Cruz bass fishing. We found a good morning bite fishing the boilers with 5"-7" Big Hammers. Most the bass were 14"–18" beautiful calico’s with lots of spunk. Around 7:Am the current really started ripping, pulling us off our spots very fast. While out in the deeper water we noticed a school of anchovies with suspended bass underneath them that were really biting. It wasn’t long before I was hooked up solid on the 5" Golden Brown Bait/Orange Belly to what turned out to be a 30" WSB:

http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=47185

Joe pulled out some frozen squid (the only bait on the boat) & pinned one to a white Iron which was bit as soon as it hit bottom 60’ down. This was obviously a better fish weighing in @ 18 lbs:

http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=47186

Merl & I followed suit with the squid & Iron but it didn’t happen the same for us. After a while I pitched the same swimbait out on a Calcutta 400 spooled with 15 pound Max. As soon as the bait hit bottom it was ripped but this fish didn’t stop until 80% of the line was gone. Merl’s Iron rod loaded up next, another big fish. My SeaBass weighed 26 lbs but Merl’s fish threw the hook after a nice fight:

http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=47187

We worked the area for some more calico’s, a few slime sticks & some bottom fish including the biggest sculpin I’ve ever seen.

Josh
http://Team-Striper.com
[signature]

[JapanRon]

Hey there TeamStriper,

Sounds like you had a great time. Thanks for the excellent report. I seem to remember a TV fishing show a few years ago that had a guide that specialized in shallow-water and boiler fishing Santa Cruz Island. On the show they were fishing mostly for lings and bass with both freshwater spinning gear and saltwater flyrods with super sinking lines.

That would be really fun!

JapanRon
[signature]

[theangler]

Hello TeamStriper,

Thanks for the great report!

Are you the same team striper that won the 16 species photo contest about a year ago? If I remeber as a gesture of true sportsmanship you left half the pot in for second place. Great to hear from you!
[signature]

[TeamStriper]

Yes, that's me.
Thanks guys for the kind words!

Fished out of Ensenada last weekend, Friday was very rough & we only managed 10 albacore 2 YT but sat. more than made up for it with beautiful weather & WFO fishing. We just put the troll gear away then started chasing the boiling albacore to cast Big Hammer's & the Fire Iron #1 into the froth. The fastest retrieve possible made for some explosive topwater bites just feet from the boat:

http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=47906

There were some very nice YT on the paddies that wouldn't eat the bait but had no problem chewing the Hammer's:

http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=47907

Josh
[signature]