Farmed Monster Fish at Long Beach (5/26) Late Report

[LearningToFish]

My friend and I fished Long Beach on Saturday. Water condition was really bad. Very brown and some areas was actually black from all the grime on the sand. Lots of seaweed and trash. I even hooked-up up a bird carcass. Caught 1 very small halibut and 3 small yellow-fin croakers. However, I did hook-up on this Very Large fish. When I first set the hook, I saw a very large tail kick out (did look like a halibut). From that point on, it just headed straight out. It was so heavy I couldn't guide it back or slow it down, no matter what I did. It just kept spooling my line out and ripping the drag periodically. I had 10 lb test (very good line) on my reel and wasn't able to do anything. Ultimately it took all my line and snapped off. I never hooked on to something that big before from shore. From the look of the tail, I'm guessing it has to be 25 pounds or bigger. So do you guys think I hooked-up up on one of those monster halibuts or you think it may be something else that was really big? It chomped on my silver Krocodile. I was really bummed after it broke off...don't know if I'll ever be able to catch something like that again.

[jplee3]

My friend and I fished Long Beach on Saturday. Water condition was really bad. Very brown and some areas was actually black from all the grime on the sand. Lots of seaweed and trash. I even hooked-up up a bird carcass. Caught 1 very small halibut and 3 small yellow-fin croakers. However, I did hook-up on this Very Large fish. When I first set the hook, I saw a very large tail kick out (did look like a halibut). From that point on, it just headed straight out. It was so heavy I couldn't guide it back or slow it down, no matter what I did. It just kept spooling my line out and ripping the drag periodically. I had 10 lb test (very good line) on my reel and wasn't able to do anything. Ultimately it took all my line and snapped off. I never hooked on to something that big before from shore. From the look of the tail, I'm guessing it has to be 25 pounds or bigger. So do you guys think I hooked-up up on one of those monster halibuts or you think it may be something else that was really big? It chomped on my silver Krocodile. I was really bummed after it broke off...don't know if I'll ever be able to catch something like that again.

Thanks for the report and good job on the fish!
:( sorry to hear about the huge farmjob though. It sounds like it was a hali. Were you using a spinning reel? Was this near 72nd btw??

[LearningToFish]

Thanks for the insight.

[SanDimasLMB]

If you were using a whole squid it may have been a batray. Did you see a white side on the fish? Then it would have been a hali.

[LearningToFish]

No, I didn't see the white. When I saw the tail (huge), it's definitely dark brown and shaped like a halibut. I was thinking maybe a sand bass? But I don't think they get that big.

[smokehound]

Theres nothin quite like a halibut!

[fish4keep]

Which direction was the tail when you saw it??????

Butt's tail is horizontal since it swims up and down. Sandy's tail is vertical since it swims side to side.

I don't think its a butt but could be wrong. Most if not all the butts that I've caught don't make long runs straight out. Most of them make short runs then hunker down in the sand.

I think you fouled hook into a ray with the kroc. :2cents: :2cents:

[victor101]

No, I didn't see the white. When I saw the tail (huge), it's definitely dark brown and shaped like a halibut. I was thinking maybe a sand bass? But I don't think they get that big.

maybe a seal?

[SanDimasLMB]

maybe a seal?

LMAO :lol:

[badf1sh]

I was out there on Sat on the float tube short hali 15", 6 yellowfin croakers, 2 lizard fish and a mack. A guy on a kayak was also there and he foul hooked into a batray and fought it for 25 min. So the batrays were out there and im pretty sure thats what you foul hooked into.

[badf1sh]

I was out there on Sat on the float tube short hali 15", 6 yellowfin croakers, 2 lizard fish and a mack. A guy on a kayak was also there and he foul hooked into a batray and fought it for 25 min. So the batrays were out there and im pretty sure thats what you foul hooked into.