Catalina, Santa Cruz & Santa Rosa Island Trip w/pics

Red Drum · 10-14-2006, 10:19 PM

This week I got an out of town visit from my younger brother Tom and his family from Virginia Beach, VA. I decided to take the week off to spend some “Q time” with them and show them around the area. Tom and his wife Cate both like fishing and scuba diving, you’re a lucky man brother Tom.
We went to Catalina Island on Sunday 10/8 and we did two dives which were very enjoyable. It was great for me to get back in the water after too many years of not diving. I’ve now made a commitment to start diving more frequently, it’s just so cool hanging out with so much wildlife under the water. It really gives you a cool perspective on how fish move and react in their environment. The water was very clear with 40-60ft visibility and there was ton’s of wildlife around the kelp forest.
As the sun went down, we hooped for about two hours for 18 keepers. Here is Tom and Cate, back at home, with some of the tasty bugs.

On Tuesday 10/10, Tom and I did a two day trip to Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands. Our first stop was Albert’s Anchorage to do a dive around the point. Here is smiley Tom about ready to suit up to go downstairs.

The visibility was about 30-40ft and there wasn’t as much wildlife as Catalina, but there were tons of black and purple urchins. I smashed a couple of Urchin to feed all the many fish that followed us around for our dive. It was a total feeding frenzy, with the bigger Sheephead winning the competition.
After the dive we went to Santa Rosa. While crossing the gap between Cruz and Rosa, we came across acres of nice size Bonito breaking the surface, so we kept ten for hoop bait.
We fished awhile before baiting the hoop nets. Here I am with a Calico Bass with Santa Cruz in the background.

Here is Tom with a Copper Rockfish.

We hoop-netted for about two hours for only big Red Rock Crabs and way too many Swell Sharks. Here I am with one of the many big Red Rock Crabs.

We spent the night in tranquil Becher’s Bay, cooked some steaks and woke up to a beautiful sunrise over Santa Cruz Island.

We decided to fish the front side of the Island, with plastic lures, in the morning since the water was so flat. Here is a picture of Carrington Point, which is an MPA.

Once we got to the first spot, it was instant hook-ups on a bunch of different bottom critters. Here is Tom with a Calico Bass.

Here I am with a nice Chucklehead.

Tom with another Checkerboard.

Then RD gets bit by a larger fish and end up pulling in a nice 17 pound Kind Croaker on the plastic. Sweeeet!!

Tom with a tasty Vermilion Rockfish. Yumyum!

RD with one of the gazillion and oh-so tasty Blue Rockfish that we caught.

Tom and RD with some more Checkers. Double-Sweet!!

Then we fished some areas of the backside and RD goes bendo on a hard pulling 12 pound Sheepgoat. Sweeeet!!

Here is Tom with a pair of the every so ubiquitous Wormaccio’s.

On the way back to port, I showed Tom where we should plan our next dive trip when he comes out to visit next year. Here are some pics from the front side of Santa Cruz Island. What a friggin’ bitchin’ Island.