Surf fishing remained good with many anglers focusing their efforts on the halibut which have simply refused to stop biting for savvy shore anglers. Graveyards continues to provide good numbers of smaller fish on both flukes fished with a drop shot as well as
jerk baits. Hendry’s Beach, Goleta Beach Park from Black Rock to Campus Point and El Capitan are all also popular fishing destinations for shore/surf fishermen chasing halibut.
One group of three UCSB students did catch a nearly 5-foot Angel Shark on a single dropper loop with a dead squid fished from Goleta Pier.
Meanwhile, private boaters have also been successfully targeting halibut by either drifting or bounce-balling from Hollister Ranch to the Lighthouse at the Mesa, with significant success. Most commonly, catches were reported on pearl glow and green hoochies fished with fin bait or squid made in the area they are fishing and reports mentioned the Spanish Mackerel as a preferred bait.
Much of the attention moved offshore where a plume of 70+ degree water moved in behind Anacapa/Santa Cruz, bringing with it, Dorado typically between 12 and 18 pounds for boaters that find kelps or other FAD’s holding the smaller anchovy bait. Vance Kaiser from Carpinteria fished behind Anacapa and caught a 17-pound Mahi on a live anchovy.