Capitola mixed rockfish 5-9

With dense fog in the morning, I decided to stay close to shore and fish the kelp off Capitola.The water was flat calm when I launched around 7:30, with winds picking up to 15 kts when I landed at around 11:00.I used swimbaits to catch a mixed bag of rockfish including...3 cabezon (kept one at 17"),3 blues (including a fat 18" model),1 kelp greenling,1 copper,2 grass.







It was great to get a break from work and catch some fresh fish for dinner.

nice haul Aaron!

did you lauch from the beach by the wharf?

Eugene

I think those are blacks not blues...

I love fishing capitola. it's no harder than fishing in a freshwater reservoir!

J

I think those are blacks not blues...

I am not sure J I think blacks are usualy found farther north I think you can tell by the mouth somehow.

after catching 9000 of each at bean hollow last year, I am a certified expert...

blacks have the big mouths, blues the tiny mouths. those are blacks...

I prefer the blues to catch and eat myself.

also, by easy, I mean the dange element, it's not easy fishing, aaron is a master
of catching and not fishing clearly!

aaron, in the summer when the anchovies are there, capitola is so fun! load up
the bait tube and the fishing is good.

J

Looks like blacks to me too.  You can tell by the jaw bone.  It extends further back than halfway back of the eyes when the mouth is closed.  Blues only extend to half way.

-Allen

Definitely blacks.   

Yep, I stand corrected.They're blacks.

Eugene,I usually launch from the beach near the wharf, but today I launched at 26th Ave.For those of you that surf the Santa Cruz area, that tells you how small the swell was today.

Nice haul Aaron!

Cool thanks for the lesson guys.  I am sure I will forget wich is wich by the next time I catch one. I think I will just call them all black bass like they do in Alaska.

Aaron, Dammit.
I should have said hi, I live right there at 26th and saw you launching as I was on my way to work this morning. I was green with envy. I stopped and watched you launch, swore a bit, got back on the bike, and rode my sorry as to work. Glad you got 'em, and glad to see someone take advantage of no swell and launch at 26th. Still haven't done that, and I can walk down. cheers
Garen

Nice one Aaron. Capitola is a fun place that I'm gonna miss a lot. It's just such a mellow place to fish. I usually went out and thought I fished that place but I now stand corrected! Way to get 'em!!!

Z

wow, nice big fat blacks! i hope you marked the magic spot on the gps. its hard to get blacks like that these days.

i have only seen larger up north!

john

Nice blacks for down here.  Thats the first I have seen in this area. And really nice fish for Capitola.

Blacks can be identified by the faint light bar the runs down the ventral side of the lateral line. They also have a more pronounced lower lip and robust jaw structure, with a much bigger eye.  Think of Vermillion thats Black.

Blues will not have that pronounced bar down the side.  The color definately has blue when first caught and usually a hint of green irredesence in the flesh as you get towards the bellly.  The head of a blue is also more rounded and they have a smaller eye, with a less pronounced lower lip.