Fish Report for 7-30-2014

Sentinel Fishing Report

7-30-2014
Allen Bushnell


Today's report is dedicated mainly to Captain Jim Rubin, owner and skipper for Captain Jimmy Sportfishing. Rubin has retired from the charter fishing business and sold his beloved Becky Ann to an excellent outfit operating from Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.

Captain Jimmy spent the 1980's and 1990's commercial fishing for salmon and Dungeness crab in the Monterey Bay, eventually converting the original Becky Ann to a six-pack charter boat. In 2005, he upgraded to a beautiful 31-foot Island Hopper that now bears the name Becky Ann.

Rubin has long been known as a "high-liner" amongst the sport charters on Monterey Bay. His clients experienced a pristine clean boat that was fast, roomy and most often came back to port with limits. Renowned for his salmon and crab combo trips, Rubin also hosted thousands of anglers in pursuit of rockfish, lingcod, halibut and offshore albacore. In Rubin's world, customer service was just as important as finding and catching fish, which earned him a vast and loyal following.

You wouldn't know it to look at him, but Captain Jimmy is on the north side of 70. Still hale and hearty, Rubin will be back on the Bay soon, on a new private boat, fishing just for food and for fun. No one is more deserving of such a retirement. Thank you, Captain Jimmy for your many years of friendship and your dedication to the fishing community of Santa Cruz.

The Becky Ann and Captain Jimmy Sportfishing will be sorely missed in the Santa Cruz Harbor.

The San Francisco buyer is keeping the boat's name (as is fitting) and in a rare bit of serendipity, his first name is also Jim. Even on Fisherman's Wharf, the business title will remain as Captain Jimmy Sportfishing.

To summarize local fishing for the week, it has been very good. Rockfish and plenty of legal lingcod are biting well from all the local reefs, and sea conditions have allowed boats to travel as far north as Franklin Point for the larger variety of bottom fish. Halibut fishing is resurging. Most of the halibut this week were caught in 60-70 feet of water, and success was reported from Natural Bridges to the Cement Ship. A good number of large flatties were reported this week, including a 34-pound halibut caught by John Hunter out of Capitola and a 40-pound beast pictured on the Bayside Marine website. At least one white sea bass was hooked on squid near the Mile Buoy, but the offshore albacore hunters have not yet located any tuna schools despite very warm water temperatures offshore.

• While the Santa Cruz Port Commission is deliberating fishing ordinances, a strict interpretation of current rules is enforced. No fishing whatsoever is being allowed inside the harbor. Hopefully, that will adjust when the commission has its final vote on the matter Aug. 12. Your voice can still count toward preserving salmon fishing within the Santa Cruz harbor. Please go to mbstp.org and email your public comment in favor of harbor fishing.

Allen Bushnell can also be heard on The Let's Go Fishing Radio Show Thursdays at 8 p.m. on KSCO radio 1080 AM.



< Previous Report Next Report >





More Reports


7-23-2014
Warm water and an abundance of bait have contributed to some epic fishing days on the Monterey Bay the past...... Read More


7-9-2014
Ocean conditions were mild this past week, providing plenty of opportunity for anglers to fish our near shore waters. An...... Read More