City Dad
01-20-2008, 03:20 PM
Yes, you read that right! Of the smallest of the surf species, I landed my largest... which was still fairly small...
Anyhow, after an impressive string of sub-par outings and skunks I was seriously thinking about doing some more yard work this weekend - but after reading a couple of the Wingster’s posts, I resolved to redouble my efforts to get back on the good foot.
Arrived at Zuma a bit before six am.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/CIMG2160.jpg
How can one look at such a vista and deny that the Giant Voodoo Dragon is not emerging, reborn after being swallowed by the Eternal Whale of Night? :wink:
The last couple of times I’d been here I'd had my fly rod. I don’t know if the waves are much bigger now than in the summer, but they definitely seem to have more… I dunno… energy (does that make sense?) I’ve come to the conclusion that the beach is really no place for a fly rod in winter and so I hit the sand with my spinning set-up, a 3/8 oz Carolina rig (which was probably a tad too small) and GCSW.
Found consistent action at the usual spots.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/CIMG2169.jpg
Then… IT HAPPENED!!!
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/CIMG2158.jpg
Now, my right hand is much larger than my left, so this picture might not do justice to this breath-taking slab, but trust me – he was magnificent. This is when I got ‘Nutragious. The very next cast; another walleye and the cast after that and then the cast after that. Then I hit a barred perch and then yet another walleye. I dare say I caught a solid pound of fish in that one spot alone!!! Made me wanna jump back and kiss myself.
I kept working my way down the beach, picking up fish here and there.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/CIMG2165.jpg
Most of them were this size. I did get one obviously near-sighted perch in the foot-long range which mistook my Gulp for a Lucky craft. Some folks had stopped to watch me and their dog went berserk when the fish came out of the water, so I quick-tossed her back without a picture.
I also found a couple piles of rock like this one.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/CIMG2168.jpg
I don’t know if these are man-made or what, but there were depressions at the points. I thought I’d finally found a “hole” which I probed front, back, side-to-side, up the middle and down the back… for nada. So much for my delusions of competency...
I worked my way back from where I’d come and picked up a few more.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/CIMG2161.jpg
All in all I’d have to say that it was arguably one of the very best average days of my surf fishing career.
Anyhow, after an impressive string of sub-par outings and skunks I was seriously thinking about doing some more yard work this weekend - but after reading a couple of the Wingster’s posts, I resolved to redouble my efforts to get back on the good foot.
Arrived at Zuma a bit before six am.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/CIMG2160.jpg
How can one look at such a vista and deny that the Giant Voodoo Dragon is not emerging, reborn after being swallowed by the Eternal Whale of Night? :wink:
The last couple of times I’d been here I'd had my fly rod. I don’t know if the waves are much bigger now than in the summer, but they definitely seem to have more… I dunno… energy (does that make sense?) I’ve come to the conclusion that the beach is really no place for a fly rod in winter and so I hit the sand with my spinning set-up, a 3/8 oz Carolina rig (which was probably a tad too small) and GCSW.
Found consistent action at the usual spots.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/CIMG2169.jpg
Then… IT HAPPENED!!!
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/CIMG2158.jpg
Now, my right hand is much larger than my left, so this picture might not do justice to this breath-taking slab, but trust me – he was magnificent. This is when I got ‘Nutragious. The very next cast; another walleye and the cast after that and then the cast after that. Then I hit a barred perch and then yet another walleye. I dare say I caught a solid pound of fish in that one spot alone!!! Made me wanna jump back and kiss myself.
I kept working my way down the beach, picking up fish here and there.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/CIMG2165.jpg
Most of them were this size. I did get one obviously near-sighted perch in the foot-long range which mistook my Gulp for a Lucky craft. Some folks had stopped to watch me and their dog went berserk when the fish came out of the water, so I quick-tossed her back without a picture.
I also found a couple piles of rock like this one.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/CIMG2168.jpg
I don’t know if these are man-made or what, but there were depressions at the points. I thought I’d finally found a “hole” which I probed front, back, side-to-side, up the middle and down the back… for nada. So much for my delusions of competency...
I worked my way back from where I’d come and picked up a few more.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/CIMG2161.jpg
All in all I’d have to say that it was arguably one of the very best average days of my surf fishing career.