05-16-2002, 02:37 PM
Float tubed West Beach in Santa Barbara again this afternoon from 5:00 - 7:30. Started just to the west of Stearn's Wharf and immediately picked up the first legal halibut (just over 22 inches) on the 3 inch Mackerel colored Big Hammer. Couldn't get another bite on that side so I kicked over to the East side of the Wharf and picked up a couple shorts. Then, as if someone flipped a switch, baitfish started going off. It was nuts, bait everywhere, I could feel my swimbait bumping into the baitfish. I even saw a couple short halibut get airborne chasing the bait. One must have jumped about 8 feet and was 4 feet above the water. The weirdest thing was, while all that was going on I couldn't get bit to save my life. I tried everything - three different colors of 3 inch swimbaits, two different colors of larger swimbaits, the Rebel Minnow, and the Excalibur Long A. Then around 7:00 it died down and I caught my last two fish including a 24 incher.<br><br>There were two guys surf fishing for halibut. One guy was using a tiny swimbait (couldn't see what kind it was) and got a half a dozen or so with one legal I believe. The other guy was using a large (5"?) Storm swimbait and didn't get anything.<br><br>Made a feable attempt at the seabass around the receiver for about 15 minutes for nothing.<br><br>**********<br><br>You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today, please practice catch and release.