Halibut for lobsters.......My best trade ever!

In the last couple of years I,ve posted a few times about Punta San Carlos BC and the great fishing thats to be had there.

What I forgot to mention was the lobsters that call San Carlos home,according to Chichi they are everywhere,you will met him later.

This was to be our first trip San Carlos the year was 1964,three rigs and six of my friends made the trip,the bay was 180 miles south of Ensenada BC the last 30 miles was a rough dirt trail,that was not a problem if the fishing was good

We pulled in one afternoon to a cold windy far away place,Ocean to the west a huge mesa to the east nothing in either the south or north no people no homes no nothing as far as the eye could see but it looked fishy.

To our surpise there was two Mexicans camped near by who turned out to be seaweed divers,we would meet them the next day.

The next morning turned into wild free for all butts everywhere,the bottom must have been paved with them,anything you threw was attacked ,by noon we must have caught 35 or 40,in quiet water inside of a big weed line,we were being watched all the while by the two Mexicans who came for a visit when we shut it down around noon.

To save time I will call them ChiChi they were looking at the butts with great interest,after the introductions the they asked if the butts were for sale I said no but do you have anything to trade they looked at one another and shugged their shoulders I then asked are there any lobsters in the area with a big smile they said si everywhere thats all we have been eating lately oh really

Two mins later the deal was made,but we would have to boat out to their cages "no problem amigo lets go"I and Chuck was in their boat in mere moments,Whoa these waves are big we are right in the middle of big sets a white knuckle ride all the way out,there they were two flags,first pot three or four really nice size lobsters next pot four or five and maybe bigger,ChiChi then asked me do we want more,we had maybe nine or ten already,keep in mind these were bigger than we are used to,no I said this should do it

Now back through that big surf more white knuckles,ChiChi gets the boat on the back of one mountains and rode it all the way back in,the guys really good.

The cheering started when the guys saw what we had in the bags,out came a big pot and two stoves were fire up,filleting started while the water in the big warmed up,I asked our new found friends to stay for dinner they had already settled in before I finished the invite.

Lets see halibut fillets and lobster I guess thats all we have,a big bowl of melted butter was added,thats all we got quess we will have to rough it,I forgot lots of cold beer was also added.

This was the first and last time I could not finish the lobster that was setting before me,we ate like cave men like we had n,t eaten for a month,its getting late now and I,ve had it,don,t know when the other guys crapped out but I do know about two or three am I woke with something running out my nose woke my boy to check me out " Dad you,ve got butter coming out your nose!!! sure enough melted butter running out my nose,I guess I must have over did something we all paid the price the next day.

Great trip,great friends,my boy with me and great fishing what do they say" it just doesn,t get any better.

The picture is my boy,Chuck Williams of Huntington Bch and my self.
Rob


[Edited on 5-11-2010 by baitcast]

That's quite the image. Gives all new meaning to the phrase 'inhaled your food'.

Thanks for sharing this good story, baticast.
Fresh halibut and lobster on the beach.... those were the days!

nena

the fishin still gets good there. Condition dependant. A couple of days with no wind or swell, all the weeds sink out, bite on! Had a similar evening as baitcast described (photo). CHEWIN! anything you threw got bit.Halibuts flyin out of the water all over the inside of the bay.couldn't help but fish til dark. Only kept a few..we allready had a bucket of lobbies..

Baitcast,thanks for the story. the cement slabs in your photo are still there. we were fishing up the point a bit.
I also saw the biggest bug of my life there..pushin18#s, can't find the photo..

TT

butt fishin PSC BCN 1987

[Edited on 5-12-2010 by Tomas Tierra]

Tomas we fished south of the point where the sand starts inside of the weed line.

We were setting around drinking coffee that first morning and I,m just watching the water like always when I see a school of something chasing bait in close just like school of bonita except they were Halibut,jumping airborne never seen anything like it,in water less than 2 3 feet,

Went down there three times,first year butts,next year WSB and the last the whole croaker family.
Rob

Same wonderful spot

Couldn't help but notice that you're fishing in socks and sandals.
Guess I'm not the only one.

baitcast...Wow, can I ever relate to your great story and pics!

We fly a 180 taildragger into that place many times back in the day. Had some remarkable lobster times..and roasted goat once when we arrived at Christmas time. What great memories..thanks for bringing them back. Those bugs were muy delicious!




edit for another photobucket repair..sigh



[Edited on 12-26-2014 by Pompano]

Nothing to do with Baja, but made me remember a day when camping at a Bodega Bay campground.
This was many, many moons ago. I got heavily into barred surfperch and ended up with a cooler full. When returning to the campground some divers were admiring my catch and offered me a trade. All the abalone I wanted in exchange for perch. What a trade.

Quote:

Originally posted by vandenberg Nothing to do with Baja, but made me remember a day when camping at a Bodega Bay campground. This was many, many moons ago. I got heavily into barred surfperch and ended up with a cooler full. When returning to the campground some divers were admiring my catch and offered me a trade. All the abalone I wanted in exchange for perch. What a trade.

Ed...back in college days, we would get smelt from Lake Superior, caught by handnets in the small streams on the north side. Literally thousands of them. We would then bag & trade them for 'real food' at the local Red Owl grocery store.

This is me and nomad, aquaholic, loading my old Plymouth wagon with the critters.

Our 'real food' was .. peanut butter, bread, and chips.

Go figure. Those smelt would have been delicious!



Hah...had to edit this photobucket photo, too....



[Edited on 12-26-2014 by Pompano]

Here's a picture of a 20 pounder

Quote: Originally posted by Tomas Tierra

the fishin still gets good there. Condition dependant. A couple of days with no wind or swell, all the weeds sink out, bite on! Had a similar evening as baitcast described (photo). CHEWIN! anything you threw got bit.Halibuts flyin out of the water all over the inside of the bay.couldn't help but fish til dark. Only kept a few..we allready had a bucket of lobbies.. Baitcast,thanks for the story. the cement slabs in your photo are still there. we were fishing up the point a bit. I also saw the biggest bug of my life there..pushin18#s, can't find the photo.. TT

Recent status

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Was there in June with Cameron Steele's Trail of Missions tour, CBS Sports, second night... came in on the coast road from Punta Baja (El Rosario) rather than the graded main road from Km. 80/81. At Solosports: Good food and cold beer, and the Baja Fog was nice (the local drink: open a bottle of beer and add tequila). Stayed in tents provided by Solosports Resort.

Fishing is excellent, even if you don't catch anything.

Quote: Originally posted by DENNIS

Fishing is excellent, even if you don't catch anything.

Be prepared for a cold,windy and barren coastline and not a place for a tin boat.

Will bet money the fishing is still pretty good,just by the very nature of the shoreline it would only be attractive to wind surfers and surf fisherman,the water also is cold as hell so skinny dipping is out also......Doesn't sound nearly as appealing huh?

But wait again I bet the fishing is good even today,in the pic of us and the lobster the sandy shore line starts on the other side a rocky with small rises start so that means two types of fish are to be had!

Sandy sections.....all the croaker family including wsb and halibut,the rocky section the bass and all those guys!

Over the years I would here people say didn,t catch anything but small barred perch.....Well guys if guys if you want something besides a perch rig don,t use sand crabs,try a whole squid over sandy sections always moving if using bait but be careful Big Bat Rays love squid and will empty your reel

One of my very favorite lures in the surf on both sides is a 3/8# Kastmaster blue/chrome this will any of the following Barred perch,yellowfin croakers,Halibut luv them Wsb any of these over sand beachs.

I would luv to make it down there one more time but alas its not in the books for me.
Rob

Quote: Originally posted by Udo

Great story!

Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe

Hey back off barnacle! Give him a break. This took place in the mid 60's. The word catch-and-release didn't even exist back then. You need to do your homework before trashing people.