ToadsToadsOnly
06-26-2008, 12:00 AM
Was supposed to hit up Castaic Sunday morning but my buddy and I both woke up late I guess we both set our alarm clock for 4pm instead of a.m. Well I got a phone call at 6am asking when am I going to leave I said “right now” met my buddy up at 6:15. Loaded up the boat and headed for the road. When we go to the freeway we decided to change our plans and head out to fish the Long Beach break wall instead since we would miss the morning bite at Castaic. I did not have any of my ocean gear unless I wanted to throw Huddleson, Plastic worms, Z plugs, and buck tails at the ocean game. But I did have my Curado 300 DSV I love that reel. Well got to the water launched and proceeded to get bait inside the break wall. I open up the cooler that my buddy brought and guess what his wife packed Bananas…..NOOOO>>>>! They are a older Vietnamese couple and didn’t know it was bad luck.
We fished the Islands in LB for 2 legal Sandbass, Changed up the game and decide to drift for halibut in front of the bait barge. 20-30 sum white croakers later I was bendo on the right kind. HOOKUP….. A Solid fish starts ripping line and I feel the distinctive head shakes of a halibut “Thump Thump” Since I hooked up on my 10lb test rod I played it slow 15-20min later I see a HUGE halibut come up to color “Keep calm, Keep Calm”. My Buddy sticks the net in the water Oh No! I think its not going to fit. The Halibut barely squeezes into the net the nose of the halibut at the bottom of the net and 1 ½ ft of the tail is hanging out the back of the net. This was the biggest Halibut I’ve ever hooked. Then it happen a split second that seem like an eternity I saw it in slow motion the halibut whipped its tail and ripped a hole in the bottom of the net. This fish broke my line and my heart! That split second played through my mind and there was nothing I could of done. Why….I wish I had a gaff but we were supposed to go to Castaic. All I could do is blame it on the banana. I measured the opening of the net it was 25 inches since the fish had to squeeze into the net the width had to be at least 27 inches. Augh…..!
Tried drifting for another ½ hr for no more love then we fished tight to the inside of the break wall. We were trying to work out the kinks on buddy’s new boat was bailing out water from the front bait tank. Then his rod fly’s over his shoulder into the water. GOODBYE! Rods gone, Darn Banana !
We made sure we ate all the banana’s and we already made sacrifices to the fish gods (1 huge halibut, 1 setup). Then we actually started catching fish the SandBass were wide open on the LB break wall until we left around 3pm. If anyone wants them there are Pretty wide open Park the boat about 20 ft from the kelp cast anywhere from the kelp line about 10ft from it let it sink fish on! Use ½ ounce weight and a chovie its pretty wide. If the wind is blowing just anchor up cast towards the kelp if you don’t get bit in 5 min pull anchor move a little further down and do the same. Make sure you use braid or heavier line the fish will rock you and kelp you. Sorry no pic’s nothing worth taking.
I’ll get that sucker next time……
Now I have 2 things on my to do list:
Kill Stripers
Kill Toad Halibut
Good luck guys
TTO
We fished the Islands in LB for 2 legal Sandbass, Changed up the game and decide to drift for halibut in front of the bait barge. 20-30 sum white croakers later I was bendo on the right kind. HOOKUP….. A Solid fish starts ripping line and I feel the distinctive head shakes of a halibut “Thump Thump” Since I hooked up on my 10lb test rod I played it slow 15-20min later I see a HUGE halibut come up to color “Keep calm, Keep Calm”. My Buddy sticks the net in the water Oh No! I think its not going to fit. The Halibut barely squeezes into the net the nose of the halibut at the bottom of the net and 1 ½ ft of the tail is hanging out the back of the net. This was the biggest Halibut I’ve ever hooked. Then it happen a split second that seem like an eternity I saw it in slow motion the halibut whipped its tail and ripped a hole in the bottom of the net. This fish broke my line and my heart! That split second played through my mind and there was nothing I could of done. Why….I wish I had a gaff but we were supposed to go to Castaic. All I could do is blame it on the banana. I measured the opening of the net it was 25 inches since the fish had to squeeze into the net the width had to be at least 27 inches. Augh…..!
Tried drifting for another ½ hr for no more love then we fished tight to the inside of the break wall. We were trying to work out the kinks on buddy’s new boat was bailing out water from the front bait tank. Then his rod fly’s over his shoulder into the water. GOODBYE! Rods gone, Darn Banana !
We made sure we ate all the banana’s and we already made sacrifices to the fish gods (1 huge halibut, 1 setup). Then we actually started catching fish the SandBass were wide open on the LB break wall until we left around 3pm. If anyone wants them there are Pretty wide open Park the boat about 20 ft from the kelp cast anywhere from the kelp line about 10ft from it let it sink fish on! Use ½ ounce weight and a chovie its pretty wide. If the wind is blowing just anchor up cast towards the kelp if you don’t get bit in 5 min pull anchor move a little further down and do the same. Make sure you use braid or heavier line the fish will rock you and kelp you. Sorry no pic’s nothing worth taking.
I’ll get that sucker next time……
Now I have 2 things on my to do list:
Kill Stripers
Kill Toad Halibut
Good luck guys
TTO