BY MERIT McCREA
SANTA BARBARA/VENTURA/OXNARD/Avila/Morro Bay — It was basically limits of rockfish all around, often with complementary numbers of bonus whitefish, sheephead and lingcod. Then lots of rain, followed by west winds, and a huge swell, more rain, more wind.
When that swell hit it was right on top of a huge tide, resulting in seas filling parking lots with seawater, washing wave watchers away and more on the morning high.
Then as the afternoon low tide came, harbor entrances became surf zones at harbors like Ventura and Morro Bay.
At Ventura Harbor Sportfishing Capt. Tucker McCombs said it was terrible. Thursday he had to take his passengers into Port Hueneme which has a deepwater channel, and bussed them back to the Landing in Ventura.
No trips sailed since then. That was a common theme. Some ports like Santa Barbara canceled Saturday’s runs given the forecast west winds, but was able to get both the Stardust and Coral Sea out Sunday for the final day of 2023 rockfish – limits fishing.
Capt. Ricky Perez called to say he was bringing the Black Pearl down to the boat yard in Channel Islands Harbor this week for a full re-power. He reported Morro Bay’s Channel had also closed out with those big waves.
At Avila, Port San Luis Sport Launch staff posted video and photos of huge waves in the harbor, splashing up over the rocks and into the parking lot.
Similar scenes played out all up and down the California Coastline over Thursday’s and Saturday’s morning high tides.
