Wingnut's First Legal Hali! Sunday 12/16 VISUAL Strike!

[Wingnut]

Well, well, well... this one came sooner than I expected! Played poker with the boys all night Saturday. So here we are still playing at five o'clock Sunday morning when I said to Mike (Kichigai1) "Let's go Butt hunting this morning... I have a good feeling about today." So we dropped everything, kicked everybody out of the house, packed our gear & off we went to North Malibu. Once again we met up with Dave, Mikes buddy from SCSF. Hit a couple of different spots early and got a few chunky BSP on the LC's. I was throwing a new color LC today. Just wanted to change things up & experiment a little. I'm finally learning how to work these LC's at just the right speed... slow & deliberate. Just a week ago I caught my first ever Halibut after only a few tries at surf fishing & was totally elated.

After we caught a few shorties between us we made our last stop at a section of rocky shoreline. Working the area, I scoped out a promising spot and climbed up on top of a large rock & start throwing the LC around a large submerged boulder. The water was relatively clear & I can see my LC working its way through the surf. On my third cast standing on the rock, I watched my lure making its way past the submerged boulder when I saw the Hali shot up & sideswiped the LC hard! It took off running and my drag screamed for a couple of seconds. I was yelling "This is a legal!" as Dave & Mike rushed over. After a few surprisingly strong runs I used the incoming surf to beach my first legal "Flat Boy". Mike pulled out his measuring tape & it was a hair over 24 inches. My first legal size Halibut! last week my first ever... this week my first legal. I'm batting a 1000! :Envious:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Picture003-3.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Picture001-4.jpg

I made myself a promise that my first legal Hali will get a reprieve to fight another day... promise kept! :Big Grin:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Picture007-2.jpg

This is the LC that I was throwing today that got me my shortie & legal, Candy Sardine pattern. It does take some practice to work these things just right, they do move a little different than other crankbaits. Mike & Dave caught their shorties on a Metallic Sardine pattern.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Picture004-3.jpg

The bar has been raised yet again for me... next goal, a 30+ inch Butt! :Big Grin:

Thanks Mike & Dave for another memorable day for me. Mike... you should give that surf guide/instructor thing some serious thought. :Wink:

I think those freshwater Stripers are wondering where I've been lately... don't get too comfortable boys. :Twisted:

Happy fishing to all, PEACE!

Arthur (Wingnut) :Envious:

[CoffeaRobusta]

That's way cool wingnut! Congrats! :appl:

[cappo]

Congrats!!
It must of been sweet to see it hit the lure.
Way to go on releasing it for others to catch.

[Fisher-of-Men]

That's awesome Wingnut! I'm very happy for you! :D

Merry Christmas!

Fisher-of-Men

[klocked]

Congrats on the hali !!

Klocked

[ThemBastards]

Good job Wingnut, that first legal is always nice

[JSAUCE818]

BoOyAh!!!!
good job wingnut!!!!!!! :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :appl: :appl: :appl:
that funny...i also set my bar a little higher as well....my goal also to nail a 30+in........lets go get em!!! :twisted: :twisted: .......that guy KICHIGAI is no joke,.....he knows his stuff man...

[one_leg]

I can hardly wait to eat that fish!!! It looked so tasty.

Congrats to you.

One_Leg

[Wingnut]

CoffeaRobusta wrote: That's way cool wingnut! Congrats!
Thanks, I noticed that you do some fishing from piers. Have you tried fishing the surf? A lot less crowd & aggravation.

Cappo wrote: Congrats!!
It must of been sweet to see it hit the lure.
Way to go on releasing it for others to catch.
It was crazy the way it just shot out of nowhere and sideswiped the LC. :shock: I always thought that Halibut stalk their prey by following it before striking because I have seen fish coming off the sand to follow my lure before. Thus I practice a slower methodical retrieve. Maybe they do both... stalk & reaction strike. Very cool to experience it first hand.
There will be plenty more legals to come if I choose to keep any, the first one gets a pardon. :mrgreen:

Fisher-of-Men wrote: That's awesome Wingnut! I'm very happy for you!
Thank you FoM, you should take your kids out surf fishing, I bet they'll really enjoy it.

Klocked wrote: Congrats on the hali !!
Thanks, these Halibuts are a great challenge & so much fun to chase. It sure does give you a nice level of personal satisfaction when you accomplish your goals.

ThemBastards wrote: Good job Wingnut, that first legal is always nice.
It's a good feeling to have the first legal checked off my surf fishing wish list. I was ready for months of aggressive pursuit. I was fortunate enough that it came quicker than expected, which was nice. You know what they say... when preparation meets opportunity.

JSAUCE818 wrote: That's funny...i also set my bar a little higher as well....my goal also to nail a 30+in........lets go get em!!! .......that guy KICHIGAI is no joke,.....he knows his stuff man...
More power to you man! We'll have our hands full tangling with a 30+ inch fish that's for sure. This barely legal one gave one heck of a fight. Mike (Kichigai1) is definitely a quality surf fisherman. His dad taught him how to surf fish when he was six years old & been doing so ever since. Very knowlegeable & helpful guy. :thumb:

One_Leg wrote: I can hardly wait to eat that fish!!! It looked so tasty.
THAT fish... is somewhere in the Malibu surf tonight nursing a sore jaw. A little bit wiser & will be a little bit harder to catch for the next surf fisherman. Maybe we'll meet again when it gets to be a 30+ fish. I don't even know how to clean & fillet a Halibut... but it does look kinda difficult being so flat.

[ghetto dad]

great job WN...and, filleting a halibut is actually very easy, it just takes time....peace


GD

[legacy1]

WingNut!!! Great job...here is the benifit of keeping it, the BEST grilled fish dinner.

http://www.olivasstudios.com/images/dinner.jpg

Here is a link to check out that will help with fileting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYgjcID4afI

Legacy1

[Fisherman57]

You da man Arthur!

Nice job on getting that first "legal" under your belt!...... I'm headed up that way this week!......... sorry I missed your call, gimme a shout when ya can!

Again.......... WOO HOO! :thumb:



Dana

[sansou]

Mucho props Arthur!

Your making this whole surf fishing thing look a little too easy...ha ha!!


Next up (probably no later than next week): Wingnut & his 30 inch halibut! :D

[City Dad]

Poker then halibut fishing? Poor Wingnut. What's next, the Playboy mansion then a yellow tail off the Santa Monica pier?

My heart bleeds organic apple juice for ya, buddy! :lol:

[Jikser]

Congrats on ur first legal!!!

[calico killer kevin]

Poker then halibut fishing? Poor Wingnut. What's next, the Playboy mansion then a yellow tail off the Santa Monica pier?

My heart bleeds organic apple juice for ya, buddy! :lol:


lol or better yet a tuna of the SEAL BEACH PIER! :banana: :banana: :banana:

[troutdog]

That is awesome Wingnut, congrats to you on a sweet catch! That was pretty cool letting that hali go, hopefully it makes lots of babies because of your actions.

1 vote for Arthur as angler of the month!


TD

[bsp]

That lure does not look banged up at all. Was it epoxy coated?
Congratulations as well.

[Santa Fe Eric]

"Flat Boy" I like that.
You should coin that phrase!
Great work on the Hali and great pics.

Eric

[Wingnut]

Ghetto Dad wrote: Great job WN...and, filleting a halibut is actually very easy, it just takes time....peace
Thanks Steve, my next legal might not be so lucky. :wink:

Legacy1 wrote: WingNut!!! Great job...here is the benifit of keeping it, the BEST grilled fish dinner.
That looks really tasty! I've ordered grilled Halibut in restaurants before, but I bet it tastes better when you catch & prepare it yourself! I'm gonna start looking up Butt recipes. Thanks for the link by the way.

Fisherman57 wrote: Nice job on getting that first "legal" under your belt!...... I'm headed up that way this week!......... sorry I missed your call, gimme a shout when ya can!
Good to hear that you're heading out there again Dana, you're one busy guy. How's the new addition to the Pug family doing? She's a little cutie. :mrgreen:

Sansou wrote: Mucho props Arthur!
You're making this whole surf fishing thing look a little too easy...ha ha!!
Next up (probably no later than next week): Wingnut & his 30 inch halibut!
Ha Ha Rich, Fortunately my luck at fishing is much better than my luck at the poker table. And yes, oh how I wish that 30+ flat boy comes my way soon.

City Dad wrote: Poker then halibut fishing? Poor Wingnut. What's next, the Playboy mansion then a yellow tail off the Santa Monica pier?
My heart bleeds organic apple juice for ya, buddy!
Hey Tim, why don't you leave those Perch alone for a little while & do some Butt hunting with me. I know you love those Perch but you'll soon forget those nuggets once you get a bar of gold on your line!

Jikser wrote: Congrats on ur first legal!!!
A fellow motorcycle enthusiast... nice screen name & avatar pic. Kawasaki fan? I have a Duck 916 myself. I can tell from your posts that you're a serious Hali hunter and a very successful one at that. Congrats to you on your near 30" Butt.

Calico Killer Kevin wrote: lol or better yet a tuna of the SEAL BEACH PIER!
You guys are killin' me! :rofl:

Troutdog wrote: That is awesome Wingnut, congrats to you on a sweet catch! That was pretty cool letting that hali go, hopefully it makes lots of babies because of your actions.
Thanks TD, you're too kind. The most improved angler is more like it. :lol: That Hali deserved to live... I never break a promise, especially the ones I make to myself.

BSP wrote: That lure does not look banged up at all. Was it epoxy coated? Congratulations as well.
No, I didn't get a chance to coat them yet. That was a new lure that I put on right before I caught the legal. I lost another one just like it on the rocks earlier in the day. Some lucky fisherman will inherit it at low tide.

Santa Fe Eric wrote: "Flat Boy" I like that.
You should coin that phrase!
Great work on the Hali and great pics.
Thanks Eric, those "Flat Boys" are some strange & beautiful fish.

[kichigai1]

Me - me - me - it's all about you - how about some credit for the guy that took you to the spots -seeeeesssssh this guy :mrgreen: All i have to say is if i don't get a little more credit = your not getting a White Seabass out of the surf :P :soapbox: just kidding.......................or am I Hhmmmmmmmmmmmmm???????????????????
Glad you had a great time :wink:

[Wingnut]

Hey I paid you well buddy! :rofl: Thanks for letting me outfish you, AGAIN! :twisted: I never fished with a hung over guide before. :food: Where's the video?!? It was an adventurous day to say the least. Almost got stranded and stuff & how about that eye candy? I just got a shipment of you know what this morning! I told you I had my sources. :secret: Anyways, thanks for the "spots" and hope your girl isn't still mad at us. :wink:

[hakaveli]

my turn my turn Mike !!!!
lol

[flyngby]

Congrats on the First Keeper and CPR!!!!!!!!!!

You won't get to keep the next one either as you should tip Surf Master Mike for his services and to make his girl happy.

I just bought stock in Lucky Craft lures 3 weeks ago "THANKS FOR YOU SUPPORT"

[Troutman65]

Congrats Wingnut on your catch.

Thanks for the report and pics.!!


You an AWESOME fisherman. :mrgreen: :wink:



TM65

[rocklee]

Congrats Buddy!
I knew that day will come sooner than you think!
I'm telling you, you are going be killing them!

Good luck on the next goal of the 30'' Hali!


rock

[Wingnut]

Hakaveli wrote: My turn my turn Mike !!!!
Hey Dennis, wait your turn man... I'm not done with him yet! :mrgreen:
Keep an eye on your mail buddy. :wink:

Flyngby wrote: Congrats on the First Keeper and CPR!!!!!!!!!!
You won't get to keep the next one either as you should tip Surf Master Mike for his services and to make his girl happy.
I just bought stock in Lucky Craft lures 3 weeks ago "THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT"
Believe me, Mike's girl get lots of Halis to cook. I can imagine living with a serious surf fisherman, there would be fish on the menu at least a couple of times a week. BTW - Lucky Craft stock is going to split next year. :secret:

Troutman65 wrote: Congrats Wingnut on your catch.
Thanks for the report and pics.!!
You're an AWESOME fisherman.
Thanks Patrick, hope you had a nice birthday bro. 8)

Rocklee wrote: Congrats Buddy!
I knew that day will come sooner than you think!
I'm telling you, you are going be killing them!
Good luck on the next goal of the 30'' Hali!
Thanks Rock! The goal for a 30+ Hali is going to be a tough one to achieve. They're pretty rare and very smart. But nothing worthwhile is ever easy... it's just a matter of time. :wink: :mrgreen:

[CAPT'N]

Arthur,

thats a nice flattie!
I told you she was waiting for you, awesome it happened so fast! You are amazeing :banana:

Whats after the 30" butt..............I have a feeling it will be v-e-r-y soon.

Scott

[LearningToFish]

Hey Congrats on the Nice Butt!!! I have a question regarding shoes for your waders. I just bought the same type you have from the picture and I've been having problems finding the right shoes to go with them. Can you let me know what you are wearing with it and maybe how many sizes up you have to go on the shoe size? Thanks

Felix.

[Wingnut]

CAPT'N wrote: Thats a nice flattie!
I told you she was waiting for you, awesome it happened so fast! You are amazing
Whats after the 30" butt..............I have a feeling it will be v-e-r-y soon.
Hey thanks Scott! What's next after the 30" Butt? Let me get the 30+ FIRST! :mrgreen: But let's see... some of my New Year's goals is getting a Striper or a White Sea Bass from the surf. It will be done! :wink:

LearningToFish wrote: Hey Congrats on the Nice Butt!!! I have a question regarding shoes for your waders. I just bought the same type you have from the picture and I've been having problems finding the right shoes to go with them. Can you let me know what you are wearing with it and maybe how many sizes up you have to go on the shoe size? Thanks
Felix, The Hodgman neoprene waders that I was wearing have the boots already built-in to them. If you bought yours with the socks only, you can do what I did with my other breathable pair of Hodgman. As Dana suggested, I went to Sports Chalet & got a pair of wetsuit booties/shoes to wear over the wader socks. My shoe size is 8, so I got the medium pair of booties which fits just fine. I suggest bringing your waders and try different booties on to see which fits the best for you. They run about $20-$30. Good luck out there! :D

[jerryG]

Congradulations. I'm sure there will many more flatfish that will swim your way in the future. In the past I had caught my fair share of halibut from boats and although I had some good days on the big flatfish I never cared much for targeting halibut. Then one day about 4 years ago I was surf fishing when some bait began jumping out in front of me then in an instant all hell broke loose halibut flying all over a big bird school started to form. I scrambled to tie on a lure and went with the confidence bait..trying different colors and a couple different size swimbaits.. Nada..I even wound my swimbait right through boils.. I was like WTF.. I thought well if they don't want the swimbait then they propably only want live bait. I had some of my fresh water bass lures in my bag. I decided the swimbait wasn't happening so what the hell and I tied on LC pointer. The first turning point and started me on a new adventure... I ended the day catching (and releasing) 3 legals and countless shorts. I've been a big fan of targeting halibut from the beach ever since. They are lot of fun. It is awesome to watch them charging your in lure clear water. Thanks for releasing that fish. I release all my legals from shore. Yeah I let the shorts go too..

JerryG

[kichigai1]

Here's a little video
[url=http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z184/dfish1_2007/?action=view&current=Authorsfirsthalibutinthesurf.flv:fba40]http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z184/dfish1_2007/th_Authorsfirsthalibutinthesurf.jpg[/url:fba40]

And arthurs 1st Legal!
[url=http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z184/dfish1_2007/?action=view&current=AuthorAka-wingnutlegalhalibut.flv:fba40]http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z184/dfish1_2007/th_AuthorAka-wingnutlegalhalibut.jpg[/url:fba40]

And a little tease of something bigger
[url=http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z184/dfish1_2007/?action=view&current=c7d89720.pbr:fba40]http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z184/dfish1_2007/th_c7d89720.jpg[/url:fba40]

Enjoy and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all and to all a good night

[bones]

Kewl Pics...Kewl vids......Good fishing.....Good friends.....Good times. Great way to end 2007 Arthur. Congrats on the legal and the good Karma you have under your belt when you decided to set her free.You didn't by any chance find that Candy Sardine floating around Topanga did ya?
I pitched one off a few weeks back when I rats nested my Calcutta 200 :oops: I love that pattern but I havn't replaced it yet!
Merry Fishmas 8)

[Wingnut]

JerryG wrote: Congradulations. I'm sure there will many more flatfish that will swim your way in the future. In the past I had caught my fair share of halibut from boats and although I had some good days on the big flatfish I never cared much for targeting halibut. Then one day about 4 years ago I was surf fishing when some bait began jumping out in front of me then in an instant all hell broke loose halibut flying all over a big bird school started to form. I scrambled to tie on a lure and went with the confidence bait..trying different colors and a couple different size swimbaits.. Nada..I even wound my swimbait right through boils.. I was like WTF.. I thought well if they don't want the swimbait then they propably only want live bait. I had some of my fresh water bass lures in my bag. I decided the swimbait wasn't happening so what the hell and I tied on LC pointer. The first turning point and started me on a new adventure... I ended the day catching (and releasing) 3 legals and countless shorts. I've been a big fan of targeting halibut from the beach ever since. They are lot of fun. It is awesome to watch them charging your in lure clear water. Thanks for releasing that fish. I release all my legals from shore. Yeah I let the shorts go too...
Nice read Jerry... Isn't it amazing how finicky these Flatties can be? The same lure & pattern may not catch fish every day, but if you change things up a little here & there, you'll be a little more succesful. Yes, it was awesome seeing the fish charge the LC, they're a lot faster than I imagined for such a clumsy looking fish.

Kichigai1 wrote: Here's a little video
And arthurs 1st Legal!
And a little tease of something bigger
Enjoy and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all and to all a good night.
Mike, thanks for putting that up. Didn't realized how dorky I look acting so excited over a couple of fish.
"Young Grasshopper" is doing alright isn't he Mike?

Bones wrote: Kewl Pics...Kewl vids......Good fishing.....Good friends.....Good times. Great way to end 2007 Arthur. Congrats on the legal and the good Karma you have under your belt when you decided to set her free.You didn't by any chance find that Candy Sardine floating around Topanga did ya?
I pitched one off a few weeks back when I rats nested my Calcutta 200 I love that pattern but I havn't replaced it yet!
Merry Fishmas.
Thanks Bones... it was great to get my 1st legal before the New Year. Sorry to hear that you lost the LC, I hate it when that happens... :x Maybe Santa will bring you one for Xmas. :wink: Merry "Fishmas" to you too Mike.

[kichigai1]

Kichigai1 wrote: Here's a little video
And arthurs 1st Legal!
And a little tease of something bigger
Enjoy and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all and to all a good night.
Mike, thanks for putting that up. Didn't realized how dorky I look acting so excited over a couple of fish.
"Young Grasshopper" is doing alright isn't he Mike?

AH so ..Grasshopper- soon you will be a full fledged Halibut Locust :mrgreen: