Ok guys, this is one of the most painful reports I have ever written, but here it goes. Was going to surffish this morning, but due to the heavy kelp and red-tide, I decided to fish the rocks instead. Only had a small amount of giant squid left, so I rigged up with a splitshotted size 4 baitholder hook (instead of my normal size 2) hoping to catch a baitfish for Calico Bass bait. Red tide was heavy off the rocks too (similiar to the conditions a few years ago when I landed my biggest ever 8 pound Calico Bass from here). Well shortly after trying for baitfish, I get the biggest hookup ever from the rocks. My 20 pound test set at medium drag was singing off the reel straight towards Catalina! Must have buzzed off a 100 yards, and it wasn't even close to stopping...this has never happened to me before. I figured I would try to tire it out and not horse it in...battled it for around 5 minutes and was getting fairly close to getting spooled. Oh sh**! Suddenly my line started heading south and was going straight around the mussel infested rocky point!? I tried to gently thumb the rapidly disappearing reel, but even as I did this, the fish just seemed to wake up and get stronger...sounded down like a Yellowtail so I backed off. It was basically in the rocks now, and it made another surge and unfortunately it totally straightened my size 4 hook and got away!? My line was very frayed about 20 feet up from the straightened hook, so not sure how much longer it would have held even if the hook didn't straighten. Finally caught a Walleye Perch for bait after this, but was so disheartened, that I released it. No bait left, so I threw my only Krokadile in frustration and was able to salvage a nice fat catch/release 16 inch Calico Bass on it. Made the long walk back the beach with my tail between my legs today! My guess is it was a BIG White Seabass...although I never saw the fish. I'm going to have nightmares about this one...what could I have done differently? Any advice on how to land a BIG White Seabass from the rocks would be greatly appreciated as that is one of my future goals!

It must have been a ray.

I talked at length with the owner of The Jig Stop (bait and tackle shop) here in Dana Point. He has over 50 years of experience fishing the exact spot I was at. He doesn't think it was a White Seabass, Black Seabass, or a Bat-Ray, but a large Sheepshead as he has landed (and lost) many here over the years. I think I would have had a real shot at that fish too if I had a live bait hook (stronger) and a more buttoned down drag!? Lessons learned for next time!!!

Todd, good call on it maybe being a big goat- those guys are nasty and they'll find whatever ledge is available! Were you fishing Shell Beach?

Was fishing for bait with a smaller baitholder hook and a loosened drag when I unexpectely got slammed. After about a solid 5 minutes of line pulling, the flimsy baitholder hook pulled straight!? This fish made that big Calico I got a few years ago seem small...Gonna go back there and get it next time! What is the biggest fish you ever landed from there Chris?

I've caught many sheepheads. If you caught a sheephead that big, chances are it would have rocked you and not pull line out steady for five minutes.

Darn it...wish I could of at least gotten a look at the fish...would have felt MUCH better if it was a Bat-Ray!? Gonna go back there and put the wood to whatever rocked me very soon!

Todd, funny thing is I got my biggest calico fishing from the rocks there in jr. high- I'm guessing 1981 or 82?? Probably around 8 lbs., I still have the pic- caught her on the good old rootbeer scampi on a spinning rod! we used to scale down the hill from Monarch where the elevator used to be, many good memories from that place! :D

I used to do that too...my Mom lives up the street from there. Really blew it on that fish (never using a flimsy baitholder hook from the rocks again)...since Kelly is slaying the fish from the Kayak, I'm thinking of getting one as it would be easy for me to launch from the beach and really fish the Creek area to target the bigger fish. I'm tired of surffishing now...really want to get something BIG like a Yellow, WSB, Flattie, or a BIG Goat as well! Surfed Point today too...fun but very inconsistent sets and very crowded. Got a few fun ones, but the crowds got to be too much after a while. Bass were boiling on some baitfish right outside the lineup there too.

Yeah, KW surfed Creek this a.m. and said the same, I guess it was a bit more consistent last night but some wind on it, but tons of a$$ walking up through Strands!! }( Hating the fact they finally ripped the stuff off the hill, very hard to line up on the reef when everything is gone?? I guess the good days at Strands are numbered, they have been teling us that since 87' when they ripped out the trailer park, but it finally is happening- sucks!!! Shoots, I'm actually living in HB right now, which sucks unless you like coming home from work to find a blown out crapfest, but that's what I have- I'm moving back to the hood in the fall, hoping I can escape HB without a Volcom tat on my forearm like the frickin' comedian I saw tonight at the store- holy crap, I almost laughed my ass all the way off when I saw that-

Todd- you know the fat croaker are there, I'm getting a yak soon too- Creek has the seabass, but a lot less yaks then LJ-

Yes, the strands development really sucks! The kayak thing sounds like a blast although I'm not into lugging much gear around. My ex-girlfriend used to live in HB, so I spent lots of time there. A fun place...a different vibe from So. OC.

Hey man, Sorry about the loss. As much as Dave knows about fishing, I'm not sure that was a sheepshead, and if it was it had to be over 10 pounds. It could have been a ray, shark, or halibut. I wasn't there to watch it fight, so I wouldnt know. Salt Creek is my home beach, let me know ifyou want to hit it up some time, I can prolly go tommorow.

Forgot to ask, do you mind if I post this on another board to share with some of my buddies?

...it is a boiler rock area with heavy kelp in spots and a rocky bottom with hardly any sand. I thought that bat-rays and big Leopard Sharks prefer partly sandy bottoms and normally avoid the rocky coves without sandy areas. Don't really know what it was, but it hit on a tiny squid strip...could have been a BIG Leopard or Bat-Ray as well? Went back there over the weekend for a few catch/release Calico's (one legal).