capitola on sunday 5.23.2010

Rich,
 
Yeah, I was born in NOLA but moved around a bunch growing up b/c my Dad was in the Oil business and was always getting transferred places..always called it home and went back there for holidays etc..

Now that my Dad is retired he and my Mom moved back to New Orleans and all the rest of my family is still there too...makes for fun trips home to see the family!!  

Howard, we use the Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning on our pan fried whole fish...love that stuff!!

http://shop.tonychachere.com/original-creole-seasoning-8-oz-p-21714.html

For frying up filets or Abalone we have used Zatarains FishFry and it was delicious!!

http://www.zatarains.com/Products/Breadings-and-Fry-Mixes/Seasoned-Fish-Fri.aspx

To make it a little spicier you can mix some of the Tony C's in with the Zatarains....yummy!!!

For blackened Ling or Halibut, this is what we use, but we go a lot lighter on the butter than the recipe here:

http://www.fiestaspices.com/index.asp?page=rr_blackenedseasoning

Sorry for the threadjack John!!

Sincerely,

Jim

Thank you for the fishing report Captain Juan

Thanks for the report! My dad and I are taking a skiff out on Saturday from Capitola. We decided it would be a good way to scout the area befiore taking the yaks out - I just moved down this way this summer so we will be trying to learn the area a bit.

The plan is to drop a couple of crab pots for grins and then hit the reefs for some rockies and make some drifts for some butts. Hopefully we be able to jig up some live bait for that.

Has anyone tried trolling for halibut out there or is drifting a better option?

Thanks!

Thanks for the report! My dad and I are taking a skiff out on Saturday from Capitola. We decided it would be a good way to scout the area befiore taking the yaks out - I just moved down this way this summer so we will be trying to learn the area a bit.

The plan is to drop a couple of crab pots for grins and then hit the reefs for some rockies and make some drifts for some butts. Hopefully we be able to jig up some live bait for that.

Has anyone tried trolling for halibut out there or is drifting a better option?

Thanks!

have a great time, its so nice to be there and even with no fish its a kick in the pants to drive your own rental skiff all over the place.

for halibut ed recommended between the kelp beds to the south of the pier and also just south of the beds completely. i would also try the mile reef where there is no longer a bouy it seemed but there are kelp stalks to the surface. go straight off the tip of the pier outwards and look for a small kelp bed which will mark the reef. maybe straight and a bit north. just outside oft his reef has produced halibut from what i have heard.

i have been on skiffs there and friends have caught halibut in different places but not i. i have poor luck with halibut myself.

all the while use a handheld gps to mark a good drift line and if you catch something drift it again from the top of the drift to get more fish. i use this technique for rockfish and its fun. drifting the same line almost always gets more fish.

i was in close to shore so i did not mark anything this day i was out but really fish can be anywhere. of course if you get tired of drifting for halibut anchor near some kelp or at mile reef and drop lures for RF and Lings. i jused squid on a halibut rig all day long. i was too lazy to change for RF and it did ok.

i used size 8 circle hooks and a 3 oz wt. all day.

bring extra rigs for when you get stuck.

i wish i could go again~!

Also, Ed will rent you a handheld GPS with a bunch of waypoints already stored in it...or at least they used to...when I bought my own GPS he transferred all the waypoints from his computer to my unit.

If you don't have a GPS and Ed doesn't have any to rent anymore (you can call ahead and ask), send me a PM and you can borrow mine...I will be in Bakersfield all weekend so will have no use for mine!!

 

Have fun and enjoy how cool it is out there..I saw a ton of dolphins on Sunday!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Thanks for the tips guys!

Big Jim- I've got a handheld GPS so hopefully Ed can throw a few waypoints our way Thanks for the offer, totally cool!

JohnGuineaPig- Thanks for the heads up on mile reef we will definitely check that out

It's only Tuesday but I'm getting excited, first time on new waters always gets me amped up. Not to mention I haven't fished with my dad since last summer!

Hope you and your Dad have a great day...I took out my Dad out on a skiff last Father's day and we had a blast!!! Hoping to repeat the trip again this year too!!
 
Sincerely,

Jim