TD goes on "Mr ToadsOnly" wild ride

[troutdog]

With the surf fishing reports looking so good, the weather getting better and the beach 5 minutes from work I figured I should get in on the action before I miss the boat. Talked to ToadsToadsOnly last week via PM and decided to put together a plan of attack. I had two goals in mind Monday....one to catch a legal hali in the surf as well as battle a batray to help hone my fighting skills for the upcoming yellowtail/tuna season.

Met up in Huntington Beach and did some exploring at a spot TTO wanted to check out. I was just along for the ride as far as I was concerned, from the start I did not care if we caught a single fish I just wanted to learn something new about the surf/bay. Mission accomplished for sure as my fishing partner had plenty of pearls of wisdom about the area to share....thanks for being so forth coming with your information and sharing your favorite spots John!

After about an hour we decided to hit the bay in search of some halis, spotties or rays. Hit the spot and baited up with some squid on one rod and threw the aurora black LC for a solid hour with not so much of a bite. Switched to a blue mack pattern Kroc and began fan casting the area. After about 30 minutes it dawned on me that I should try hopping the spoon through the sand rather than the steady retrieve I had started with. Third cast after the adjustment was made my line starts swimming to my right and I have a bent rod in my hands after a quick hook set. The fish continued its path pulling drag....a quick head shake later and my line went slack. :neutral: I was a little bummed because it felt like the right kind, but for some reason I was somewhat content that I was at least bit after making countless casts. It was just not meant to be yet.

Checked my bait rod and reeled in a bare hook, figured it would be really hard to catch anything without bait so I grabbed a fat squid head and lobbed it out a little closer and o the right than the previous cast. Put the clicker on and went back to casting the iron. About 10 minutes later I notice a very light tap on my rod, I'm thinking some nerd fish just picking at the bait as the bite was very slight. Regardless I picked up my stick, turned off the clicker and put the reel in geer as I reeled in a little slack and started winding down on my visitor. As I wound down on the fish and decided to lay the wood on him the water in front of me exploded and my line sliced through the water as a huge ray zipped right past us! It was an awesome sight to behold, especially in the full light of day. I was really glad TTO suggested I use the 6 foot Fenwick and Torium20 spooled with 25lb Maxima, as I tried everything I could to keep it away from the surrounding docks etc. I felt really confident using this setup and pushed my gear to its limits and quickly gained control of the battle. I had the fish in after a hard fought 10 minute....all the action created quite a stir as a bunch of locals started yelling "release the fish", "watch out for the stinger" and even got approached by some lady driving by who wanted to take a picture:shock: The guy across the street said it was the biggest he had seen landed there...needless to say I was pretty stoked! After taking a few pics she went back into the ocean to eat and make more babies. How much you think it goes?
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/troutdog_photobucket/Bat12.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/troutdog_photobucket/Bat2.jpg

TTO got his skunk off a short time later with a spottie...
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/troutdog_photobucket/Toadsbaybass.jpg

Had to take a quick shot of the beautiful sunset we enjoyed as light began to bow out to darkness...
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/troutdog_photobucket/Newportsunset.jpg

Hit the last spot in hopes of an even bigger ray, but the current was non-existent and conditions were less than ideal at that point. I did manage to add a jack smelt and short hali on the drop shot, that was fun on 4lb test...love that IzorlineXXX(Thanks Timster!)

John I had a great time fishing and shooting the breeze with you and your buddies...I found myself in the company of some real good people. Thanks for helping me get on that fat bat and showing me the ropes here locally. Next time we gotta get the legal hali we were hoping for!;)

Thanks for reading,


TD

[ToadsToadsOnly]

Two packs of squid $7, one pack of chovies $3, Troutdog landing a big ray, TD snapping off on his second ray flying back and landing on his back in the sand ''priceless''. Troutdog made me proud and landed his first Toad Batray with ToadsToadsOnly free guide service. He landed this fish in a spot that was surrounded by docks and structure which made it more challenging. He put the wood to that ray. Unfortunately I didn't get to land mine had fun getting I dusted on six pound line. Next time Toad butts we'll try Hermosa plenty of both kinds of butts.

[trollmiester]

No comment,i just read the post over and over.Man that is great.

[one_leg]

Great report. Hemingway would be proud of you dude.

The weight? I dunno.......55 lbs perhapsssshhhh? Maybe bigger.

Bathroom scale would work just fine to weigh em. Hold fish, subtract your weight, viola!!!.

There I go telling someone what they should do again. :???: Sorry about that Aaron.

Congrats to both of you guys on a successful outing. :cool:



O_L

[2quikmotorwerks]

nice job bro on the ray i need to roll out with u one of these days to salt

[Dodger Doggy]

Nice report Troutdog! Looks like you had a blast......and I know you've wanted to take advantage of the surf you're so close to - great! (Hurry up and become an expert so you can teach me a few things when we hit the surf farther north again someday! It's been tooooo long!) :lol:

OL is thinking 55 pounds?! NO WAY DUDE! WAY over a hundred at LEAST! I have no idea what makes you say 55?!......that's just ridiculous.

(Um........uh..........wait a second..........you're talking about the ray, not Aaron, huh?! Sorry. Never mind.)

:bigsmile:

-Dodger Doggy

[ThemBastards]

Nice BAT bro. It looks like we've proved that talent can be transmitted through digital osmosis.:lol:

Nah really good job though.

[Liteliner]

Very nice. Man that bat looks atleast 70#'s. All power too. Congrats on that beast.

[rocklee]

those bat are so powerful! that is a big one too!
nice job landing it!

[one_leg]

It looks like we've proved that talent can be transmitted through digital osmosis.:lol:


Ryan, I don't even want to know what that means.


But I am imagining it is something like this?



:gayfight:



:evil:

:rofl:

[crappiemike]

Nice Ray Are You Trying To Hang With Gary? Lol. My Skiff Can Do Wonders At Chase Park For Those Wings, Just Got Some Night Lights....

[ghetto dad]

lol....lil gary....

Nice job TD!!! thanks brother.....

GD

[boxl0bster]

nice!!! great report glad you guys got on some fish. :)

[BIGRED KILLA]

Nice job out there i would say 45-55 around there.Where is the piercrew to guess its wait.







Bigred

[tacklejunkie]

That's awesome TD! Way to go on the huge ray! Man that must have been sweeet!

You'll get 'em next time TTO! Nice bass man.

[one_leg]

Nice job out there i would say 45-55 around there.Where is the piercrew to guess its wait.

Bigred



I'll say 42.0 Bob.

[flyngby]

Nice Gal Friend you got there.

I need to take my heavier tackle and quit being stubborn to try and land them on the lighter 10lb line with so many obstacles.

There are bigger out there Good Luck!!!!!!

Steve

[olfishergal]

wtg TD looks like a really good time. We gotta try thr surf together one of these times....Its a blast OFG

[Wingnut]

Awesome job TD, my educated guess that it's probably around 50lbs.

How do I sign up for one of those "free" guide service?!? :lol:

By the way you described the Kroc bite... that was a Hali that shook you off! :evil: You'll get him next time. Work the Kroc slow, dragging & bouncing it just off the bottom. ;)

Well done gentlemen. :cool: :mrgreen:

[camrydad]

Same here, how do I sign up for the guide service? Hook me up TTO.

[troutdog]

Two packs of squid $7, one pack of chovies $3, Troutdog landing a big ray, TD snapping off on his second ray flying back and landing on his back in the sand ''priceless''. Troutdog made me proud and landed his first Toad Batray with ToadsToadsOnly free guide service. He landed this fish in a spot that was surrounded by docks and structure which made it more challenging. He put the wood to that ray. Unfortunately I didn't get to land mine had fun getting I dusted on six pound line. Next time Toad butts we'll try Hermosa plenty of both kinds of butts.

That woulda made quite a Visa commercial. How did I possibly leave that part out of the report? All I can say is I am glad all the neighbors weren't still hanging around to see that little spectacle!:rofl:


No comment,i just read the post over and over.Man that is great.

Nice compliment coming from a legend, you da man Trolly.


nice job bro on the ray i need to roll out with u one of these days to salt

Thanks Omar....you are going to have to come down for some salt action and beat the heat this summer.


Nice report Troutdog! Looks like you had a blast......and I know you've wanted to take advantage of the surf you're so close to - great! (Hurry up and become an expert so you can teach me a few things when we hit the surf farther north again someday! It's been tooooo long!) :lol:

OL is thinking 55 pounds?! NO WAY DUDE! WAY over a hundred at LEAST! I have no idea what makes you say 55?!......that's just ridiculous.

(Um........uh..........wait a second..........you're talking about the ray, not Aaron, huh?! Sorry. Never mind.)

:bigsmile:

-Dodger Doggy

We are going to hafta hit the salt real soon Doggy....you are sctually quite funny sometimes, then again looks ain't everything!;) Talk soon buddy.



Very nice. Man that bat looks atleast 70#'s. All power too. Congrats on that beast.

Those rays are a little tough to guesstimate, I originally figured 60 or so. Thanks for the feedback Liteliner


those bat are so powerful! that is a big one too!
nice job landing it!

No joke on the power these suckahs have....my pb is about 90 or so, but this one fought just as hard. Not an easy job landing them amongst the docks thats for sure!


Nice Ray Are You Trying To Hang With Gary? Lol. My Skiff Can Do Wonders At Chase Park For Those Wings, Just Got Some Night Lights....

There is no way I could hang with Gary, especially if that meant actually handling these beasts....and the eels too!:shock: Sounds like you and the skiff are ready to do battle Mike.


lol....lil gary....

Nice job TD!!! thanks brother.....

GD

Back to back Gary comparisons:shock:...."I am not worthy", besides I think that would mean I'd hafta don one of those ucla windbreakers and I wouldn't be caught dead in one those! :rofl:



nice!!! great report glad you guys got on some fish. :)

Thanks Ernie....you about ready to make fresh mack for the kittys? I will be hitting you up to join me!


That's awesome TD! Way to go on the huge ray! Man that must have been sweeet!

You'll get 'em next time TTO! Nice bass man.

I appreciate the kudos TJ....I was really stoked to have wrestled that fish from such a tight spot.

TTO has some serious skills, he knows his stuff.


wtg TD looks like a really good time. We gotta try thr surf together one of these times....Its a blast OFG

I had a great time OFG...we definitely gotta hit the surf this summer, county line here we come!


Awesome job TD, my educated guess that it's probably around 50lbs.

How do I sign up for one of those "free" guide service?!? :lol:

By the way you described the Kroc bite... that was a Hali that shook you off! :evil: You'll get him next time. Work the Kroc slow, dragging & bouncing it just off the bottom. ;)

Well done gentlemen. :cool: :mrgreen:

I think I have seen you on the board before....thanks for the reply:rofl:

I think I can at least arrange for a VIP discount for the guided trip if you want to come down South;)

Thanks for all the feedback and replys....stay tuned as there will be a sequel of some kind.


TD

[one_leg]

I understand Aaron.

[ToadsToadsOnly]

Same here, how do I sign up for the guide service? Hook me up TTO.
Don't worry camrydad i'll show you my halibut spots soon. When could we to hit LMV again I still want to try to get a DD Largemouth from there.

[bullets_full]

Nice Photoshop bro. Don't worry, you'll get em some day. :rofl:


Seriously though, nice job on the huge bat.

[camrydad]

Don't worry camrydad i'll show you my halibut spots soon. When could we to hit LMV again I still want to try to get a DD Largemouth from there.

How about next Tuesday? Looks open right now. Meet at my place at 9am?

[Gmoney]

TD -
sweeeet report, great story, and cool pix
glad you had fun and shared it with us - awesome

props for your groupie fan with a giants cap on :)

keep at it bro!!

see ya soon
G$

[gletemfeelsteelgary]

Nice toad, it doesn't even matter what the weight is, it's a toad from hell, I'm sure you know what I mean by that comment after experiencing their battle, those suckas can wear you down.

Great work, I've just gotta say ya gotta jam those hands into the mouth, thumbs into the ventricals and do your damdest to try to have someone get a photo of you b4 you drop it, if your worried about the spine, simply cut the spine off it but you don't need to cut the whole tail off. The spine will grow back fine.

It's not a competition, it's a salute....I salute you on that beast !

I'm glad ta see ya nailed a big toad, theyre loads of fun, go back and get on some more o them badboys, I'm sure ya already got the feva !, those long runs they make are outrageous !

Congrats to both of you on your catches.
Gary

[barbiegirl]

Congrats Aaron! If I can hold one of those things and I'm a girl you should have no excuse! I'll go with you next time and show you how! :)

[FishNFurious]

Nice battie! :shock:

[boxl0bster]

dude iwas thinking the same thing! let me know when you want to go. :mrgreen:

[Dodger Doggy]

Sure......I guess you could do it Gary's way, Aaron. If it's me, I like to subdue them by putting them in a half Nelson. It can be difficult to locate the arm to go under, but once you press on the back of their head, it's all over. Try that. (A bunch.) :shock:

-Mr. Helpful

:lol:

[one_leg]

If you want some really big BrownFin Tunas, head over to the ________ Street dock in Newport.


Please practice C&R on all BFT for the preservation of our sport.

[Mr Bendo]

Nice job Aaron!!!!!!!!!! I catch a lot of those at HB pier in the summer! I caught one around 100 lbs this last summer!!!! Your welcome to fish with me anytime for the "Mud Marlins"!!!

[troutdog]

Nice Photoshop bro. Don't worry, you'll get em some day. :rofl:
Seriously though, nice job on the huge bat.

Thanks Bullets_Full of It....catch an cats lately? ;)


TD -
sweeeet report, great story, and cool pix
glad you had fun and shared it with us - awesome

props for your groupie fan with a giants cap on :)

keep at it bro!!

see ya soon
G$

Thanks for the props G$....wow a giants groupie:shock:


Nice toad, it doesn't even matter what the weight is, it's a toad from hell, I'm sure you know what I mean by that comment after experiencing their battle, those suckas can wear you down.

Great work, I've just gotta say ya gotta jam those hands into the mouth, thumbs into the ventricals and do your damdest to try to have someone get a photo of you b4 you drop it, if your worried about the spine, simply cut the spine off it but you don't need to cut the whole tail off. The spine will grow back fine.

It's not a competition, it's a salute....I salute you on that beast !

I'm glad ta see ya nailed a big toad, theyre loads of fun, go back and get on some more o them badboys, I'm sure ya already got the feva !, those long runs they make are outrageous !

Congrats to both of you on your catches.
Gary

Hey Gary I appreciate the kudos! I think if I was wearing one of TB's catfish gloves I'd grab it without hesitation:lol:...really my only concern was the stinger while wearing shorts, had I pulled out a knife and hacked the tip of his tail off I think the residents would have called PETA on me! Man those suckers can pull.


Congrats Aaron! If I can hold one of those things and I'm a girl you should have no excuse! I'll go with you next time and show you how! :)

I appreciate that Barbiegirl as I can use all the help I can get, thanks for the offer! Do you bait hooks too?:D


Nice battie! :shock:

Thanks FnF....welcome to FNN btw, you should join us at Corona this month and introduce yourself!


dude iwas thinking the same thing! let me know when you want to go. :mrgreen:

How did I know? :lol: I will defintiely hit you up!


Sure......I guess you could do it Gary's way, Aaron. If it's me, I like to subdue them by putting them in a half Nelson. It can be difficult to locate the arm to go under, but once you press on the back of their head, it's all over. Try that. (A bunch.) :shock:

-Mr. Helpful

:lol:

Mr. Helpful....I am VERY concerned about you.







Please practice C&R on all BFT for the preservation of our sport.


Release what you don't want to eat...


Nice job Aaron!!!!!!!!!! I catch a lot of those at HB pier in the summer! I caught one around 100 lbs this last summer!!!! Your welcome to fish with me anytime for the "Mud Marlins"!!!

HB pier is a great place to chill on a hot summer evening, I'm defintiely down to join you....hit me up Mr. bendo!


TD

[barbiegirl]

I appreciate that Barbiegirl as I can use all the help I can get, thanks for the offer! Do you bait hooks too?:D

TD

I do, I also take great pictures of people holding their catch! :)

[gletemfeelsteelgary]

tip #1 for the day...fillet wings....cutoff tail, marinate meat overnight, cut whole tail off, allow tail to dry in sun....use tail for a skewer....BBQ accordingly.

Don't forget essence of Emerill ! Bam ! ha ha !

[troutdog]

I do, I also take great pictures of people holding their catch! :)

Perfect, I am very photogenic ;)


tip #1 for the day...fillet wings....cutoff tail, marinate meat overnight, cut whole tail off, allow tail to dry in sun....use tail for a skewer....BBQ accordingly.

Don't forget essence of Emerill ! Bam ! ha ha !

That got me thinking about something Julia Childs always said...."SAVE THE LIVER!!!"


TD

[one_leg]

Release what you don't want to eat...


I release em all. :cool:

[Dodger Doggy]

I release em all. :cool:

I assume you meant except for the ones you bite the heads off?......or do you you release those too, Ozzie Leg?!

:rofl:

[steve092]

Nice bat ray!

[troutdog]

I assume you meant except for the ones you bite the heads off?......or do you you release those too, Ozzie Leg?!

:rofl:


:lol:....short term/selective memories are a great source of humor at times.


TD

[2quikmotorwerks]

I assume you meant except for the ones you bite the heads off?......or do you you release those too, Ozzie Leg?!

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:lmfao

[Beeracuda211]

Nice job out there i would say 45-55 around there.Where is the piercrew to guess its wait.







Bigred

WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE GUYS?? LOL MAYBE A RAY ATE EM

B/C