326 CHANNEL ISLANDS OF CALIFORNIA 



reads these pages should prepare himself for possible 

 disappointment if he makes the trip to these islands 

 in search of white sea bass alone. It is true there 

 are other game fishes to solace him, and it would be 

 a better plan to approach the grounds in a general 

 fishing trip and accept the white sea bass as a special 

 dispensation. In a word, it is uncertain; yet some 

 fortunate anglers enjoy the sport of sports every year. 

 I have never known the fish to fail entirely. When 

 they are not at Santa Catalina they may be at the 

 Santa Barbara Channel, at Santa Cruz, Anacapa. I 

 have found them in Monterey Bay. They arrive in 

 schools, and rarely remain in one locality more than 

 two or three days; so it is often a matter of luck to 

 find them, and sometimes when found they will not 

 bite — a most exasperating situation. One day is 

 recalled at Santa Catalina when I was fishing for black 

 sea bass — the leviathan of these waters. It happened 

 that I was looking down into the blue water, and saw 

 it fairly alive with white sea bass. They were all, 

 apparently, over four feet in length, and none under 

 forty or fifty pounds. The school was moving slowly 

 north up the island following the undulations of the 

 kelp. There must have been thousands of these fishes 

 swimming very slowly in a dignified manner, dividing 

 at the launch. I had a light rod baited with a four- 

 inch smelt, and dropped the attractive lure in their 

 midst, making it simulate life in the most approved 

 fashion. Being very near, every movement of the 

 fish could be seen, and not a fish moved toward the 

 bait: they utterly ignored it. This was repeatedly 

 tried without avail; then the bait was replaced by a 

 sardine, then with three. But it was useless; the bass 



