gletemfeelsteelgary
05-25-2008, 01:58 PM
Hit up Newport Harbor yesterday (saturday) with my brother and my old buddy from up north.
It all started off rough as it was raining on us but that didn't stop us, we headed out anyway !
The Halibut didn't materailize and no bites for us as for the 1st 3 spots, I hadn't fished there for 15 years or so.
I continued to hunt out them out, looking for the "right spot"
If it's one thing I've learned in my years is that sometimes you just have to keep searching them out....find them, we'll we found some, I think I'd have had an easier time though if I had my graph but I just went old school and blind fished 'em !
Finally as the tide began to swing in, I found a good spotted bay bass zone that produced several spotties, 2 sharks and a croaker, I broke off what I beleive was real good halibut at that spot.
We moved on in search of another hotspot, this new spot seemed to be producing only sandbass
"cool" thats all good, I love the sandies, it produced a few then my buddy nailed a shovelnose about 2 1/2'.
I broke something REAL REAL big off just as we were going to move again, then I nail a short white seabass.....
Can't give this spot up yet so we stayed a little longer.
Then, I get a more dosile strike, I drive the steel home ! and this fish starts a real unusual battle, It was strong and when I say strong....I mean STRONG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At 1st I thought it was a Big Ray but I am no stranger to rays, this wasn't making those telltale long, Unbeleivale runs, this fish just kept swimming and swimming !...
It acted like it didn't even know it was hooked, it seemed like it was unaffected by my steel driven into it !
I had 15 lb test, this sucka took drag but not making long long runs and it was HEAVY !
After about 10 or 15 minutes I worked it closer to the boat but I still couldn't get it up to the top of the water register (Damn !)
My brother kept telling me "get some line in on 'em" I kept saying, "I'm trying" I'm Trying"
...I can't muscle 'em in, I'll break 'em off" !!
I was determined to see what the heck this was, I was now getting tired, my arms were baked !! this sucka was working me over !
My pole was double over at times, real close to breaking the 9 footer I was using and the and'e 15 lb test was holding up good which shocked the heck out of me !
I began to entertain the thought that I was never going to actually even see this fish, I could get 'em in a little at a time only, I'd get only about a foot of line in...
then he'd take 6-7' back out, there were also mooring buoys all around, I though for sure he'd go around one of them and I'd be finished !
I battled on !....then....Color ! DAMN ! and I mean DAMN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I saw how big it was....woohoo !, then...Zzzzzzzzz back down into the depths...........
another 5 minutes or so go by, I get 'em back to the top..... a quick attempt at fitting his head into the net resulted in my brother saying "he aint gonna fit in this net" "how ya going to land 'em"
I said " get his head in the net and I'll handle the rest" if we can subdue him by the side of the boat, I'll get him in the boat !!!!!!!
and then......Zzzzzzzzzzzz down into the depths again !
I battle 'em to the top once more !, the whole time looking at my pole ready to break, and I mean it was ready to break !!!!!! but I had to keep pressure on 'em, this fish seemed to taunt me with his sheer weight and power.....
finally.....back to the surface ! I work e'm to the boat and my brother gets the head into the net....still hanging about 3' out of the net, I grab the tail and he lifts the net, we both get it into the boat.......
DAMNNNNNNN !!!!!!!
It's a shovelnose, but a freakin TOAD !!!!!! TOAD Deluxe !!!!! .........I didn't know they got that big !!!!!!
When you see the pics, it's gonna look fake ! I assure you, this is not trick phography or photoshop....thats suckas huge ! at least 5' keep in mind, I'm 6' tall....
Whewwww....I'm tired all out....had to catch my breath.....then some photos....then I released that pig !
What a battle !!!!!
I ended up catching 5 bass (spotted Bay bass and sandbass combined) 1 shark, 1 white seabass and 1 toad from hell shovelnose.
My brother caught 1 sandbass
My buddy caught 4 bass, 1 shark, 1 shovelnose & 1 croaker.
Most fish were caught on dines but we gota couple on 5' white grubs and I beleive the croaker was landed on the gulp sandworm.
we fished about 15-25' of water !
The incoming tide was clearly the key, I didn't get any bites till the tide turned !
I'll remember that fiash for a long time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!....my back is still tired out ! still can't beleive I landed 'em on 15 lb test !!!!!!!!!!
Whewwww, I'm getting tired even reliving that battle.....lots of fun.
I'll post photos up later as I don't have the camera hookup for the PC where I'm posting from right now !
P.S.
That Toad goes out to Them Bastards !!!!!!!
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02216.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02215.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02214.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02218.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02212.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02203.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02204.jpg
It all started off rough as it was raining on us but that didn't stop us, we headed out anyway !
The Halibut didn't materailize and no bites for us as for the 1st 3 spots, I hadn't fished there for 15 years or so.
I continued to hunt out them out, looking for the "right spot"
If it's one thing I've learned in my years is that sometimes you just have to keep searching them out....find them, we'll we found some, I think I'd have had an easier time though if I had my graph but I just went old school and blind fished 'em !
Finally as the tide began to swing in, I found a good spotted bay bass zone that produced several spotties, 2 sharks and a croaker, I broke off what I beleive was real good halibut at that spot.
We moved on in search of another hotspot, this new spot seemed to be producing only sandbass
"cool" thats all good, I love the sandies, it produced a few then my buddy nailed a shovelnose about 2 1/2'.
I broke something REAL REAL big off just as we were going to move again, then I nail a short white seabass.....
Can't give this spot up yet so we stayed a little longer.
Then, I get a more dosile strike, I drive the steel home ! and this fish starts a real unusual battle, It was strong and when I say strong....I mean STRONG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At 1st I thought it was a Big Ray but I am no stranger to rays, this wasn't making those telltale long, Unbeleivale runs, this fish just kept swimming and swimming !...
It acted like it didn't even know it was hooked, it seemed like it was unaffected by my steel driven into it !
I had 15 lb test, this sucka took drag but not making long long runs and it was HEAVY !
After about 10 or 15 minutes I worked it closer to the boat but I still couldn't get it up to the top of the water register (Damn !)
My brother kept telling me "get some line in on 'em" I kept saying, "I'm trying" I'm Trying"
...I can't muscle 'em in, I'll break 'em off" !!
I was determined to see what the heck this was, I was now getting tired, my arms were baked !! this sucka was working me over !
My pole was double over at times, real close to breaking the 9 footer I was using and the and'e 15 lb test was holding up good which shocked the heck out of me !
I began to entertain the thought that I was never going to actually even see this fish, I could get 'em in a little at a time only, I'd get only about a foot of line in...
then he'd take 6-7' back out, there were also mooring buoys all around, I though for sure he'd go around one of them and I'd be finished !
I battled on !....then....Color ! DAMN ! and I mean DAMN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I saw how big it was....woohoo !, then...Zzzzzzzzz back down into the depths...........
another 5 minutes or so go by, I get 'em back to the top..... a quick attempt at fitting his head into the net resulted in my brother saying "he aint gonna fit in this net" "how ya going to land 'em"
I said " get his head in the net and I'll handle the rest" if we can subdue him by the side of the boat, I'll get him in the boat !!!!!!!
and then......Zzzzzzzzzzzz down into the depths again !
I battle 'em to the top once more !, the whole time looking at my pole ready to break, and I mean it was ready to break !!!!!! but I had to keep pressure on 'em, this fish seemed to taunt me with his sheer weight and power.....
finally.....back to the surface ! I work e'm to the boat and my brother gets the head into the net....still hanging about 3' out of the net, I grab the tail and he lifts the net, we both get it into the boat.......
DAMNNNNNNN !!!!!!!
It's a shovelnose, but a freakin TOAD !!!!!! TOAD Deluxe !!!!! .........I didn't know they got that big !!!!!!
When you see the pics, it's gonna look fake ! I assure you, this is not trick phography or photoshop....thats suckas huge ! at least 5' keep in mind, I'm 6' tall....
Whewwww....I'm tired all out....had to catch my breath.....then some photos....then I released that pig !
What a battle !!!!!
I ended up catching 5 bass (spotted Bay bass and sandbass combined) 1 shark, 1 white seabass and 1 toad from hell shovelnose.
My brother caught 1 sandbass
My buddy caught 4 bass, 1 shark, 1 shovelnose & 1 croaker.
Most fish were caught on dines but we gota couple on 5' white grubs and I beleive the croaker was landed on the gulp sandworm.
we fished about 15-25' of water !
The incoming tide was clearly the key, I didn't get any bites till the tide turned !
I'll remember that fiash for a long time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!....my back is still tired out ! still can't beleive I landed 'em on 15 lb test !!!!!!!!!!
Whewwww, I'm getting tired even reliving that battle.....lots of fun.
I'll post photos up later as I don't have the camera hookup for the PC where I'm posting from right now !
P.S.
That Toad goes out to Them Bastards !!!!!!!
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02216.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02215.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02214.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02218.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02212.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02203.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll136/steviecastaneda/DSC02204.jpg