By Paul Lebowitz

Big halibut, willing rockfish provide plenty of white seabass solace for Ranger 85 anglers

A pair of big halibut – estimated at 45 and 40 lbs – spiced up the action for anglers aboard the Ranger 85 for a May 19 2-day Channel Islands trip.

“It’s been a tough spring for seabass,” Ranger owner / operator Frank Ursitti told his passengers as they readied to cast off at Ventura - Channel Islands Harbor.

The water at the Channel Islands has been cold and live squid in short supply. White seabass have been scarce in the counts, with a few coming in March but otherwise no real shape to the season.

With white seabass off the menu and weather a factor, Ursitti decided to run the 55 miles out to San Nicolas Island and superior rockcod fishing, but first the boat would make a few halibut drifts.

The Captain’s hunch paid off well for Ben Brucker. The Ojai angler connected with his 45-lb flatty on one of the trip’s first stops. Brucker baited a live anchovy. 

“This is our first trip on the Ranger. We have nothing but good things to say,” Brucker said.

The second big halibut, a 40-lber, was caught a couple of hours later by Art Trujillo. The barn door bit a shrimp fly sweetened with squid strips during a shallow water rockfish stop.

“Frank is one of the best,” said Trujillo of Ursitti. “He always puts people on fish.”

“At San Nicolas, the halibut seem to be either huge or too short,” Ursitti observed.

Not so for the reef fish, which were plentiful and on the large side.

The trip tallied excellent numbers of plump sheephead and white fish in shallow water from about 60 feet out to 120. Adverse currents made for some quiet stretches as Ursitti and his crew hunted for productive rocks. Eventually the boat accounted for rockfish limits – thanks to the luxury of time afforded by the 2-day format.

Ursitti believes the Channel Islands are poised to go wide open in June.

The skipper considered the trip a good one. “We got to fish a legendary Channel Island. We have an excellent resource at our disposal,” Ursitti said, adding that there’s nearly always something good to catch out there.

By press time, the Ranger 85 will have motored to San Diego to begin the offshore season. Through early November the boat will specialize in 1.5 to 2.5 day trips for tuna and kelp paddy yellowtail. Ursitti’s second boat, the Coral Sea, will join the Ranger down south for a series of ultra limited load trips. Visit www.ranger85.com or call 619-997-9983 for additional information on these trips.

Fatty flatties – The Channel Islands white seabass season has been a non-starter so far. That didn’t stop Ranger 85 anglers Ben Brucker (left) and Art Trujillo (right) from tackling big game at San Nicolas Island. Their halibut were estimated at 45 and 40 lbs.

Girl Gets a Goat – Ashley Scott (13) fished the Ranger 85 with her father Martin Byrdsong. Scott reeled in a 2-day limit of rockfish including this colorful sheephead.

Jackpot! – Ben Brucker with his jackpot winning 45-lb halibut. The fish ate a live anchovy off San Nicolas Island.

Getting a Hand – Ranger 85 Captain Frank Ursitti (left) helps Art Trujillo (right) hoist his 40-lb halibut. Trujillo said Ursitti is one of the best in the business: “He always puts people on fish.