This is a story of one bad bass, and I don’t think you can catch him. That’s a harsh thing to say, and perhaps a challenge thrown down to the fishing elite, but the preponderance of evidence suggests I am right.
I call him Billy Bad Bass, and I’ve seen him hooked up about a dozen times. Perplexed anglers have inspected the end of their busted line the same number of times.
He has staked out an incredibly secure sea cave at the west end of Santa Cruz Island. This rugged spot is only fishable maybe one day out of three because large swells or big wind waves often make it too treacherous to fish. Even on good days, it is very difficult to present a swimbait to Billy because of the angle of the entrance to his cave.
So far, it is impossible to pull him out, once he is hooked up.
I can’t tell you how big this bass is because I haven’t seen him. I’ve seen him boil on the surface and I’ve seen him splash on a swimbait. I can tell you that he makes a big splash and considers himself the king of his world. I can’t very well argue with him about that.
This “relationship” has come to the point where I talk to Billy when I’m nearby. It’s becoming something of an obsession — my own white whale.
Billy is attracted to swimbaits and will usually ignore a live baitfish. His favorite is a 5-inch Big Hammer with a clear belly, a dark back, and a streak of purple — matched to a three-quarter-ounce red leadhead with eyes.
He’ll also pounce on light brown, or a Christmas tree pattern, and every once in a while he’ll throw caution to the wind and chomp down on a green swimbait. But he still wins.
As is true with boiler rock bassing in general, it is necessary to make a long cast right to the spot and then retrieve very slowly. In the special case of Billy’s home, it is necessary to cast between two protruding rocks at an angle dictated by where it is safe to position a boat.
When he hits, there is only one brief moment when it is possible to pull him out. There isn’t even time for me to holler instructions to the angler, because it’s all over in a heartbeat. Once he’s made his turn and bulldogged back into his cave, Billy’s going to bust a line on the sharp rocks and mussels at the entrance. It works every time.
It’s going to take someone with lightning reflexes, a super-fast cranking hand, and a big pocketful of luck to get that bad bass outta there. Anyone want to take up the challenge?
I’d recommend bringing along an 8-to-9-foot casting rod like a Seeker custom built by Vague Custom Rods, and a smooth casting machine type of reel such as a Penn International 975 or Avet MX, with 20-pound small-diameter line.
Tempting Billy is going to take some real finesse casting. Yanking Billie out of his grotto is going to require the kind of skill and luck I haven’t yet witnessed.
One last thought: When someone does finally catch Billie Bad Bass, I sure hope they let him go again, after a quick photo. That bass is my hero!
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
