A Costly Day in the Surf. Bones & Wingnut Surf Fishing Follie - Sunday 2/15/09

[Wingnut]

I've been dying to get back out into the surf for the past few weeks but haven't been able to due to the inclement weather & a busy work schedule.

Nothing is more depressing than to get a personal surf fishing report while you're at work from Mike (Bones) and Lucas (Big Red) on almost a daily basis. For the last couple of weeks, they would call me on their way home from their surf outings and say things like, "Guess what we caught today buddy...?", "Man, conditions was soooo perfect...", "We got another legal today..." and so on! :Envious:

Well, I told myself I don't care what the condition is like on Sunday... I'm going fishing! Gave Bones (Mike) a call Saturday night to see if he wants to tag along and keep me company. Mike says, heck yeah... what time are you picking me up???

Headed out the door this morning at 6:00am and found a thin sheet of ice on the windshield. Picked up Mike and headed to Malibu towards our first stop... the temperature gauge reads 34 degrees going over the hill on Las Virgenes Road. :Shocked:

Nasty conditions greeted us... the swells were manageable, but poor water clarity looking like chocolate milk and an all you can eat salad bar open for business. :mad: Oh well... we're here, let's hit the surf anyways. We move around quite a bit looking for clear sections free of salad to work with. A few Perch here and there not worthy of a photo opp. Mike started out dropshotting and I was throwing the LC FM110.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture023-5.jpg

Nothing went right today for either of us. Mike hooks up to a nice Hali, a sure legal and lost it in a large wad of kelp near the shoreline. :Neutral:

I tripped on an illegal Lobster trap and tore a small hole in my waders. Just enough to keep one of my feet wet all morning. :Angry: We dragged the illegal trap on the beach and threw it in the bushes.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture010-6.jpg

We moved a little further North and continue to struggle with both the conditions & elements. Mike got hit by a rouge wave and gets knocked down to his knees. Luckily, he was wearing his waterproof wading jacket and didn't get completely wet... the fun was just getting started.

We each nabbed another short Hali a piece and a few more Perch, just enough to keep us from getting bored. Then it happened... something stops my LC dead in the water. All of the sudden, I feel massive pressure on the other end of the line. Initially, I thought that I was caught up in some kelp. But then the line started stripping off the Pluton at a high rate of speed I knew that the game was on!
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture001-8.jpg

I yelled at Mike and he waded over to my side. Then we both saw something that made my jaw dropped and sent a chill up my spine. A dorsal and tail fin of a HUGE Leopard Shark comes streaking accross the surf line. I caught a five foot 50+ pound Leo in the past, but this one... Geez, the distance between the dorsal fin and the tail fin was at least five feet! I'm pretty sure that it was a big Leo, it seemed to have the markings, but Mike seems to think that it might be another Shark species, we can't be certain. It ran parallel to the beach for a moment and then hightailed straight out to open water. The drag on the Pluton was set pretty tight and the beast was taking line at will. Half spool now gone, Mike says to me, "You might think about buckling down soon before you run out of line to work with..." Trust me, I was fully aware of the situation and was keeping a very close eye on how much #12 Seaguar I had left on the spool... not much and disappearing rapidly. Not long after, at less than 1/4 spool, I came to the realization that this was it, the moment of truth... it's do or die time, if I don't do something to turn the fish now... it's lost anyways. The last words that I heard from Mike as I squeezed down on the drag wheel was... "Oh... sh*t." Yeah, Oh sh*t was right... the rod doubled over as the #12 Seaguar strains under the pressure. We couldn't believe it, the fish NEVER slowed, it continues to take line as I stood there helpless, completely awed at the shear power of the beast. Then moments later, nearing ground zero... spooling imminent, I heard a loud "POP' and stumbled backwards... Instinctively, as I saw half of my rod sliding away from me, I wrapped the line around my jacket sleeve... in a split second, "SNAP" the line broke.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture013-5-1.jpg

I picked up the front half of my rod laying there in the shallow surf, stared out at the horizon and whispered to myself, "damn...". I looked over at Mike, he shooked his head and said, "unbelievable..." I sat there on the sand with Mike for a few minutes recollecting the event. Playing it over and over again in my head thinking if I should have done anything differently that might have changed the outcome... No, I doubt it, the end results would have been the same... the fish simply overmatched my gear. A couple of things bothers me, you would think that the #12 line would have snapped before the rod did?!? Also, why didn't it snap at the rod tip instead of the trunk of the rod... isn't that the backbone and the strongest part of the blank? Very strange, Mike thinks that the Carrot Stix may have had a hairline crack on it. That could very well be the case, the rod have been through countless battles... and won them all, until today.

I initially wasn't going to post what happened, because I hate telling lost fish stories, everybody's got one. But Mike says go ahead and do it, it'll provide good drama to an otherwise boring report. :LOL: BTW - How big do Leopard Shark grow to anyway? If I had to guess, this beast was probably 100lbs plus, yikes! On the other hand, it could have been another type of Shark.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture011-6.jpg

Well, with a heavy heart and a nice dent in my pride, I grabbed the spinning rig and started dropshotting. There's a first time for everything, and this is my first time practically being spooled in the surf. All I know is that I don't ever want to feel this way again... and that Poseidon owes me one. :Wink:

Mike & I finished the morning with two short Flatties each and a handfull of Perch. Sorry for the lack of fish porn... I wasn't really in the mood. :Neutral:

Underwater shot... short Hali in the suds.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture017-4.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture008-4.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture014-3.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture025.jpg

As we were getting ready to leave our last stop to go home. We get rolled up on in the parking lot as we were putting our gear in the SUV. Lights flashing, sirens blaring and guns drawn... just kidding. :Wink: It made my day to see the DFG Warden hard at work. Checked our licenses and asked if we caught anything. Informed him about the illegal Lobster trap.
Mike, lucky you had that short Butt hidden in your backpack. :ROFL: Another first for me, first time that I ever had my license checked surf fishing. :Cool:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture004-5.jpg

Mike, thanks for joining me in the surf today... good times.
It wasn't a spectacular outing, but a very memorable one. :Wink:
We have to plan our next surf assault as soon as this next storm passes by.

I think I'm going to have a restless night tonight... You know that old saying "Better to love and lost... than not to have loved at all..." I wonder if it also pertains to fishing. :LOL: sigh...

Monday morning project: Look into the E21 Carrot Stix lifetime warranty. :Wink:

Hope all of you had a great Valentine's Day weekend, thanks for reading. :Cool:

Arthur (Wingnut)

"I expect to pass through this life but once. Therefore, if there is any happiness I can bring, any knowledge I can instill, or any good memories I can leave behind, let me do it now. For I shall not pass this way again..."

Extras:
Only about twenty yards left in the spool.
The Pluton holds 210 yards of #12. :Shocked:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture001-9.jpg

Ammo.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture004-9.jpg

Mike sleepwalking, wake up dude, we're here!
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture001-5.jpg

Bonus - Freshwater.
A buddy of mine lives on a private lake, stocked weekly! :Shocked:
A few of us spent Valentine's Day hanging out at his pad and fishing in his backyard. Everybody took home their limits. He asked me not to mention where he lives... lucky Dog! :Envious:

Caught on the Timster Special. :Wink:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture032-4.jpg

Panther Martin
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture025-5.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture017-5.jpg

Parting Shot:
Mammoth in two weeks!!! :Dancing Banana:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut4/Picture006-9.jpg

[bones]

Wow.....I hardly have the energy to type on a keyboard and you are still " On Fire" Arthur!
You have more energy than any other fisherman I've ever known.
Always a pleasure to pound the waves with you buddy. MMMMMMM....I think you forgot to mention that one rogue wave that gave you a good soaking too......LOL
Even with a slight shiver and a broken "Very Expensive" Rod .....You still always end the day with a smile and a great attitude.Watching you hold that rod and attempt to put the breaks on that Leo was insane. I almost ran over to grab you by the heels because you started to move into the water while fighting that bad boy. It all happened sooooooo fast and I just stood there and got lost in the surreal moment. Funny how a fisherman gets attached to a favorite rod because it has landed so many fish. I got to admit ....You took it like a man. I probably would have shed a tear but you were more angry that you couldn't turn the leo!

Let's hear it for the "Lifetime Warrantee":Dancing Banana:

As soon as it clears up BRO........We are going to KILL IT.

Newport is going to FEAR US!!!!!!

P.S.
Nice License Plate by the way and I wasn't sleep walking..........I just farted....LOL
Held that sucker all of the way through the canyon (Didn't want to pollute the Range Rover):ROFL:

[fish_sauce]

Oh man, thats one heck of an eventful outting!!!

A lost fish always strengthen my resolve to better myself---and we have absolutely no doubt that you'll do just that!

Thanks for the pic and report arthur. I have yet to make it out to the water this year :Sad: Just living vicariously through your reports in the mean time! :Cool:

Andrew

[troutdog]

WOW that must have been one heck of a Leo :Shocked:...sorry to hear about the Carrot Stick, better to bust it on a fish rather than a snag I guess. I think this trip is referred to as "paying your dues", something we must all continually do as fisherman. Any guess as to the weight of JAWS? :Wink:

Thanks for sharing all the gory details Arthur, I look forward to reading about your next adventure....I have a feeling your revenge will be sweet! :Twisted:


TD

[BIGRED KILLA]

Mike told me the story and i was in shock that is crazy it broke your rod and almost spooled you i would have thrown Bones in to go after it with the lip gripers lol.Thanks for the invite and i think i wanna fish for big leos now.Thanks for the pics and epic report Arthur.

see you on the water soon.

p.s what bush did you leave it in.:Wink:




Bigred

[troutslayer05]

Wow Sorry about your gear and the lost monster. Always a fun read. That shark must have been huge! I guess everything always happens for a reason but aye you did beat the skunk and got to spend some time with a buddy fishin, cant beat that. Lotaaa snow in the sierras and my godfather who is a Cat mechanic at mammoth says the snows great right now! have fun thanks for the report.

[dirty girl]

wow! Art and Mike, that was a great read and scary adventure! I'm sorry your gear got torn and busted...but it's just stuff...
At least you're both ok and things didnt get worse
http://i735.photobucket.com/albums/ww358/dirtygirlfishing/sharkkayak.jpg
thanx for the awesome fish story!

keepin it dirty,
Dirty Girl

[Fisherman57]

Great read, but what a crazy story Arthur!
Awesome set of pics and a great report as usual my friend.

BTW...... I can get the carrot stik handled for ya if ya need me to, gimme a call.

You'll have to give me the complete "play by play" later this week..... how's Wed. night look for ya? Sushi? D & I had dinner at the "Ramp" the other night and they stepped it up a notch on a specific dish there, I need to give ya the skinny on it..... let's hit it up again soon also. MY TREAT. :!!!:


Dude... you should have posted the photo that was snapped a half second after photo #4.... here, Ill post it for you...... :Shocked::EyePop:

http://fishinghotpage.com/users/tmp3/Picture013-5-1aa.jpg


Thanks for the report...... see ya soon.


Dana

[yafool]

wow, that blank is eggshell thin....
wait till the carrot people see this one !

[FishNFurious]

That is some crazy shiat arthur. :Shocked: The mighty wingnut got owned by the lion of the sea. :Twisted: ha ha, just kidding bro, i don't think any mortal could have tamed that beast on the standard surf gear. What can i say, your reports are equally entertaining, even in defeat. See you next saturday for the poker tournament and it was really fun catching those trout at sammy's lake house. It was quite a valentine's day fish fry.

btw, why are you wearing a supergirl beanie??? I know because tammy has one just like it. :ROFL:

[Seng90806]

im pretty sure u'll redeem yourself and land the sucker the next time out...planning to hit up the surf after this next storm past on by :LOL: i need to land me a couple legal butts this year and leave those panfish alone for a while :LOL:

[TroutOnly]

Art as soon as you said shark in the report,that jaws music started rolling thru my head-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do,,,i wanted to yell get out of the water wingnut!!!!!!!!!,,,,,,,,,lol,,,,,t-o,,,,,,,,,,

[Nessie Hunter]

Art & Mike, What an awesome read guys... :Shocked:

Just be dam thankful Mike didnt cut loose in the car.. :Envious:
:ROFL:

I have seen some awesome rod breaks, but that almost looks like sabotage, to clean and straight (almost like Mike cut it????) :Secret:

J/K.. :ROFL:

But a very unusual break, Mostly they splinter very unevenly or down the blank at an angle?? I would guess Manufacturer Defect???

Sorry about the Rod buddy.
But being over matched like that is a heck of a lot of fun (for a minute or two).... The adrenalin goes off the scale... :EyePop:
One for the books Arthur!!!!!!!!!!
Gotta love ocean fishing, you just never know???



.

[a biley]

WOW!!! at least it didn't take your rod and that Pluton away with it!

[bsp]

That is a really weird break. It probably was a defect or else the rod had prior damage. Still, that was a great read, and I think that you should hit that spot up again with some serious leo gear.

[DKCbassman]

Hey Wingnut, I am not sure how big Leopard's get, I do have pictures of my friend and his son with a few over 150lbs. I actually landed one (by hand) for my buddy, that one was 130lbs 5'+.

[Nhatster]

That must of been one helluva rush bro. Costly trip is right, torn waders, broken rod, expensive line, lost Lucky Craft, bummer. :Sad: Somebody needs a hug. :LOL:

[Granny Fish]

Arthur - I was on the edge of my seat reading your report. WOW! Man against big fish.... sometimes the fish need to win.:Wink:

Looking forward to your next report. Talk to you soon!!!

[bullets_full]

Sucks about the rod Arthur.

Was still an entertaining read though.

Thanks for the report!

_Bullets

[PONTOON]

Arthur, you brought happiness to me by just reading this report but at the same time sadness to hear you lost the fish and (temporarily) the rod. If I lived a little closer to you guys I'd be begging to tag along on a surf trip with you, Bones And Big Red.
The thing I really like about this report is the fact that you guys, just like Trolly and I, don't judge the trip on the fish count but put more importance on putting time on the water with Good Friends.
Great job guys! I'm looking forward to more reports.:Thumbs Up::Thumbs Up:

[megafisher94]

good report, sorry about the rod.
btw, tshaffer said he saw a resturaunt named wingnuts. are you a regular there???

[flyngby]

Arthur,

Glad to see you got out after a couple of weeks off the water. Seem like everytime you are away for awhile you go out and do something magical!!!!!:Big Grin:

Sorry to hear about the damage to you magic wand!!:Shocked:

Your gear can be replaced but those few minutes of line ripping action are hard to come by!!!! You will get it next time!!!!:Envious:

Take care Buddy!!!!! Hope you were able to sleep last night!!

Steve

[blackwater]

SurfNut!
CRAZY!!!!! THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY... CRAZY!!!
next time you go out, bring your Penn International 12S and 20lb...
your fish quality is getting bigger!
BW

[FISH_HUNTER]

I just can't wait to see what Poseidon will reward you for this last sacrifice to the fish gods! :Twisted::Wink: Even a loss is a win for ya Wingnut!

[Badbeat]

OMG, that is just plain ridiculous Art! I'd probably soiled my waders. Maybe you did too, did you check?:ROFL: New that's a fush story!!!! See you this weekend brotha.

[Santa Fe Eric]

A wonderful, on the edge of your seat thriller! I found myself wanting to cheat and skip to the bottom of the page. I found the courage to hold on to this cliff hanger and ride it out chronologically until the very last pixel.
You are a humble man and I hate to say this to you, but you broke your pole because of your gear! Get rid of those Carrot Stix and get yourself some Ugly Stiks! These rods are triple built with Graphite and E-Glass for strength and sensitivity :Spam:. Do yourself a favor the next time you come across a 5 foot, 100# Leo, Just Get "UGLY" with him!
This reply sponsored by Shakespeare Tackle company. All claims made by Santa Fe Eric are not neccessarily the vews of Team 57 or the on-line snd on-shore fishing community.

:Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::R ***::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Raz z::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz: :Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz::Razz:

Of course I'm just teasing! I'm sorry for your lost pole and punctured waders. You'll get revenge on that Leo next time!

[Troutman65]

WOW, what a great read Arthur & mike. That really sucks about your rod & waiters. The Ocean giveth and the Ocean taketh. Glad you decided to do a report.

How do you drive your SUV with Wingnut Team 57 instead of a CA. Lic. plate and not get pulled over and sited?


Cool you informed the Game Warden about the Lobster poachers. Hope he keeps a look out and gets them.


Nice going on the trout !!!


Hopefully Kewly springs on the Irvine lake guide trips soon.:LOL::Wink:

[Wingnut]

Wow.....I hardly have the energy to type on a keyboard and you are still " On Fire" Arthur!
You have more energy than any other fisherman I've ever known.
Always a pleasure to pound the waves with you buddy. MMMMMMM....I think you forgot to mention that one rogue wave that gave you a good soaking too......LOL
Even with a slight shiver and a broken "Very Expensive" Rod .....You still always end the day with a smile and a great attitude.Watching you hold that rod and attempt to put the breaks on that Leo was insane. I almost ran over to grab you by the heels because you started to move into the water while fighting that bad boy. It all happened sooooooo fast and I just stood there and got lost in the surreal moment. Funny how a fisherman gets attached to a favorite rod because it has landed so many fish. I got to admit ....You took it like a man. I probably would have shed a tear but you were more angry that you couldn't turn the leo!

Let's hear it for the "Lifetime Warrantee":Dancing Banana:

As soon as it clears up BRO........We are going to KILL IT.

Newport is going to FEAR US!!!!!!

P.S.
Nice License Plate by the way and I wasn't sleep walking..........I just farted....LOL
Held that sucker all of the way through the canyon (Didn't want to pollute the Range Rover)
Thanks for joining me in the surf Mike. You're right, I shouldn't laugh at you getting plastered by the wave because I got nailed a little while later too. :LOL: Thanks for the moral support while I was battling the beast. :Wink:
I didn't really care about the rod and you read me correctly when you said that I was more angry than anything. I still can't believe that I couldn't turn that fish. :Evil:
Until next time my friend and THANKS for not ripping one in the car... with the heater on full blast, it could have been deadly! :ROFL:


Oh man, thats one heck of an eventful outting!!!

A lost fish always strengthen my resolve to better myself---and we have absolutely no doubt that you'll do just that!

Thanks for the pic and report arthur. I have yet to make it out to the water this year. Just living vicariously through your reports in the mean time!

Andrew
I'm over it today Andrew... it wouldn't be fun of the fishermen wins all the time. Besides, I already got a big Leo under my belt.
Hope that you get a chance to head out there sometime soon and you better make it to my surf event this summer! :Cool:


WOW that must have been one heck of a Leo... sorry to hear about the Carrot Stick, better to bust it on a fish rather than a snag I guess. I think this trip is referred to as "paying your dues", something we must all continually do as fisherman. Any guess as to the weight of JAWS?

Thanks for sharing all the gory details Arthur, I look forward to reading about your next adventure....I have a feeling your revenge will be sweet!

TD
Dues paid in full, plus interest Aaron. :LOL:
As for the weight, I'm sure the beast was in the triple digits neighborhood.


Mike told me the story and i was in shock that is crazy it broke your rod and almost spooled you i would have thrown Bones in to go after it with the lip gripers lol.Thanks for the invite and i think i wanna fish for big leos now.Thanks for the pics and epic report Arthur.

see you on the water soon.

p.s what bush did you leave it in.

Bigred
Too bad you couldn't come along Lucas, we haven't fished together for quite some time now.
As for the Lobster trap, I'll show ya where we stashed it the next time we hit that area. :Wink: I was hoping that there was a big Spiny in it, but no such luck. Patched up the hole in my waders and no more leak.


Wow Sorry about your gear and the lost monster. Always a fun read. That shark must have been huge! I guess everything always happens for a reason but aye you did beat the skunk and got to spend some time with a buddy fishin, cant beat that. Lotaaa snow in the sierras and my godfather who is a Cat mechanic at mammoth says the snows great right now! have fun thanks for the report.
Not a big deal about the rod, I was getting ready to retire it anyways... now it's immortalized on my game room wall.
I can't wait to hit the Mammoth slopes in a couple of weeks, got my boarding gear all ready to go, the powder is gonna be insane!


wow! Art and Mike, that was a great read and scary adventure! I'm sorry your gear got torn and busted...but it's just stuff...
At least you're both ok and things didnt get worse
http://i735.photobucket.com/albums/ww358/dirtygirlfishing/sharkkayak.jpg
thanx for the awesome fish story!

keepin it dirty,
Dirty Girl
No worries about the gear DG, they're just things and can be easily replaced. Mike & I were never in any real danger... I've never heard any reports of Shark attack in knee deep water. :LOL:
Great pic of the Great White shadowing the yak... imagine what was running through the kayaker's mind at that moment. :Shocked:


Great read, but what a crazy story Arthur!
Awesome set of pics and a great report as usual my friend.

BTW...... I can get the carrot stik handled for ya if ya need me to, gimme a call.

You'll have to give me the complete "play by play" later this week..... how's Wed. night look for ya? Sushi? D & I had dinner at the "Ramp" the other night and they stepped it up a notch on a specific dish there, I need to give ya the skinny on it..... let's hit it up again soon also. MY TREAT.


Dude... you should have posted the photo that was snapped a half second after photo #4.... here, Ill post it for you......

http://fishinghotpage.com/users/tmp3/Picture013-5-1aa.jpg


Thanks for the report...... see ya soon.

Dana
Pretty crazy outing Dana, Poseidon sure has a good sense of humor with me. :LOL:
Sushi on Wednesday sounds good, you got me thinking of those delicious Softshell Crabs right now, I'll call ya tomorrow.
Great photoshop pic! :Big Smile:


wow, that blank is eggshell thin....
wait till the carrot people see this one !
That's exactly what I was thinking... they are as thin as the Daiwa Steez rods blanks. I still can't believe that it broke at the trunk. But the Pluton performed like a champ. :Wink:


That is some crazy shiat arthur. The mighty wingnut got owned by the lion of the sea. ha ha, just kidding bro, i don't think any mortal could have tamed that beast on the standard surf gear. What can i say, your reports are equally entertaining, even in defeat. See you next saturday for the poker tournament and it was really fun catching those trout at sammy's lake house. It was quite a valentine's day fish fry.

btw, why are you wearing a supergirl beanie??? I know because tammy has one just like it.
I call it my "bad beat" in the surf Vincent. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, that's how it goes in poker & fishing.
The fish fry at Sam's pad on Saturday was awesome. Trout, caught fresh, filleted and right onto the grill... absolutely fantastic!
Oh yeah, and about the beanie, it looks like Tammy's... that's because IT IS hers!!! :Twisted: I'll let her do the explaining. :Secret: Aren't you the one that always say friends share their stuff...? :ROFL:


im pretty sure u'll redeem yourself and land the sucker the next time out...planning to hit up the surf after this next storm past on by i need to land me a couple legal butts this year and leave those panfish alone for a while
NO, stick to those Panfish Seng, the Halibut are mine, all mine!!! :Envious:
Ha ha, get out there bro, they're waiting or ya!


Art as soon as you said shark in the report,that jaws music started rolling thru my head-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do,,,i wanted to yell get out of the water wingnut!!!!!!!!!,,,,,,,,,lol,,,,,t-o,,,,,,,,,,
Don't worry about me Bob, all I have to do is outswim Mike and that's not hard to do! With his cataracts, he'll swim in the wrong direction and back out to sea. :ROFL:
We're due for Striper kill here very soon Bob. :Twisted:


Art & Mike, What an awesome read guys...

Just be dam thankful Mike didnt cut loose in the car..

I have seen some awesome rod breaks, but that almost looks like sabotage, to clean and straight (almost like Mike cut it????)

J/K..

But a very unusual break, Mostly they splinter very unevenly or down the blank at an angle?? I would guess Manufacturer Defect???

Sorry about the Rod buddy.
But being over matched like that is a heck of a lot of fun (for a minute or two).... The adrenalin goes off the scale...
One for the books Arthur!!!!!!!!!!
Gotta love ocean fishing, you just never know???
.
I knew it!!! Should have known that Mike was up to something when he offered to carry my gear to the surf! :Big Smile:
Seriously, with such a weird break, it has to be some kind of defect in the rod blank.
No kidding about being overmatched Frank... you go from the euphoria feeling of hooking onto a trophy fish, the heart pounding thrill of the battle, the uncertainty when you realize things aren't going very well, next comes the fear as the impending doom sets in, and then catastrophic failure... Wow, talk about a wide range of emotions in just a couple of minutes. :Shocked: But yes, it was fun and I would to do it all again. :Envious:


WOW!!! at least it didn't take your rod and that Pluton away with it!
That would really hurt! :Evil:


That is a really weird break. It probably was a defect or else the rod had prior damage. Still, that was a great read, and I think that you should hit that spot up again with some serious leo gear.
Yes, I agree, it has to be a defect... lets blame it on the rod. :Wink:


Hey Wingnut, I am not sure how big Leopard's get, I do have pictures of my friend and his son with a few over 150lbs. I actually landed one (by hand) for my buddy, that one was 130lbs 5'+.
This is the Leo that I caught on Easter Sunday last year. It was about five feet long and around 50-60 lbs. I fought the thing for almost an hour on 10lb test. It almost spooled me three times but I was able to turn it every time. But this other Leo was much bigger and I couldn't even get it to change direction. :Neutral:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut2/Picture006-16.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut2/Picture004-15.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut2/Picture012-12.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut2/Picture015-11.jpg


That must of been one helluva rush bro. Costly trip is right, torn waders, broken rod, expensive line, lost Lucky Craft, bummer. Somebody needs a hug.
All of which can be replaced brother... but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. :Cool:


Arthur - I was on the edge of my seat reading your report. WOW! Man against big fish.... sometimes the fish need to win.

Looking forward to your next report. Talk to you soon!!!
It not only won... it kicked my butt in the process. :LOL:
I think it's Poseidon's way of reminding me that he's STILL in charge. :Wink:


Sucks about the rod Arthur.

Was still an entertaining read though.

Thanks for the report!

_Bullets
Thanks Greg, how's your poker game doing... still running the table? :Wink:
Hope to see you & Tater sometime soon.


Arthur, you brought happiness to me by just reading this report but at the same time sadness to hear you lost the fish and (temporarily) the rod. If I lived a little closer to you guys I'd be begging to tag along on a surf trip with you, Bones And Big Red.
The thing I really like about this report is the fact that you guys, just like Trolly and I, don't judge the trip on the fish count but put more importance on putting time on the water with Good Friends.
Great job guys! I'm looking forward to more reports.
You're absolutely right Terry. Fishing is about enjoying the outdoors with family & friends or in peaceful solitude. The catching should be secondary... we tend to forget that and have to be reminded from time to time. Happy Birthday my friend and I'll see you soon. :Big Grin:


good report, sorry about the rod.
btw, tshaffer said he saw a resturaunt named wingnuts. are you a regular there???
Wingnut's has great food, especially the buffalo wings. I don't usually eat at my own restaurants. :Wink:


Arthur,

Glad to see you got out after a couple of weeks off the water. Seem like everytime you are away for awhile you go out and do something magical!!!!!

Sorry to hear about the damage to you magic wand!!

Your gear can be replaced but those few minutes of line ripping action are hard to come by!!!! You will get it next time!!!!

Take care Buddy!!!!! Hope you were able to sleep last night!!

Steve
It would be truly magical if I was able to land that beast Steve, but it just wasn't meant to be. The fish broke my heart on Valentine's weekend. :LOL:
The wand will be replaced very soon with a more powerful one, full of new magic!
Slept great last night, I'm a big boy, I can handle it... failure is just an opportunity to begin again, more intelligently. :Wink:
See ya soon my friend.


SurfNut!
CRAZY!!!!! THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY... CRAZY!!!
next time you go out, bring your Penn International 12S and 20lb...
your fish quality is getting bigger!
BW
Hey Phuong! You haven't hit the surf with me in almost a year man. When is Lauren going to give you a weekend furlow? I think you've earned it my friend. :Wink: Let me know!


I just can't wait to see what Poseidon will reward you for this last sacrifice to the fish gods! Even a loss is a win for ya Wingnut!
I go from burning incense to breaking rods for Poseidon... :LOL:
Ha ha, this surf fishing thing is getting expensive!


OMG, that is just plain ridiculous Art! I'd probably soiled my waders. Maybe you did too, did you check? Now that's a fish story!!!! See you this weekend brotha.
Nope, the chonies are clean! :ROFL: Good one!


A wonderful, on the edge of your seat thriller! I found myself wanting to cheat and skip to the bottom of the page. I found the courage to hold on to this cliff hanger and ride it out chronologically until the very last pixel.
You are a humble man and I hate to say this to you, but you lost that fish and broke your pole because of your gear! Get rid of those Carrot Stix and get yourself some Ugly Stiks! These rods are triple built with Graphite and E-Glass for strength and sensitivity :Spam:. Do yourself a favor the next time you come across a 5 foot, 100# Leo, Just Get "UGLY" with him!
This reply sponsored by Shakespeare Tackle company. All claims made by Santa Fe Eric are not neccessarily the vews of Team 57 or the on-line snd on-shore fishing community.

:Razz:
I still have a closet full of Ugly Stiks Big "E", of all shapes & sizes. :Wink:
When I first started posting on FNN a few years ago, that's all that I ever fished with... somewhere down the line I graduated, intentionally or unintentionally to more expensive, but not necessarily better gear. Come to think of it, the Ugly Stiks has never failed me... not once. :Cool:
BTW - When did Shakespeare hire you as a spokesperson? :Envious:


WOW, what a great read Arthur & mike. That really sucks about your rod & waiters. The Ocean giveth and the Ocean taketh. Glad you decided to do a report.

How do you drive your SUV with Wingnut Team 57 instead of a CA. Lic. plate and not get pulled over and sited?

Cool you informed the Game Warden about the Lobster poachers. Hope he keeps a look out and gets them.

Nice going on the trout !!!

Hopefully Kewly springs on the Irvine lake guide trips soon.
Thanks Patrick, the replacement rod is already on the way and the waders has been patched and is good as new, well almost.
About the custom plates... it's nice to know people in the right places, if ya know what I mean. :Secret:
I'll see you one of these days when I make my way back down to Irvine. :Cool:

[CRESTLINER16]

Arthur,
You tell the best stories on the Fishing Network my friend!
sorry about the broken rod, guess it caught one too many fish.
you need to frame it up on a plaque for "the one that got away."

thanks a great read!

byron

[FishNFurious]

I call it my "bad beat" in the surf Vincent. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, that's how it goes in poker & fishing.
The fish fry at Sam's pad on Saturday was awesome. Trout, caught fresh, filleted and right onto the grill... absolutely fantastic!
Oh yeah, and about the beanie, it looks like Tammy's... that's because IT IS hers!!! :Twisted: I'll let her do the explaining. :Secret: Aren't you the one that always say friends share their stuff...? :ROFL:

That's not right dude. you had me worried there for a minute. :Angry:
Tammy always teases me that one of these days she's gonna leave me for you. :LOL: She told me what happened and that's her story and she's sticking to it. Leave my girl alone, you already have too many to handle! See ya at the party on Saturday and I'm going to leave her at home from now on. :ROFL:

[fish4anything]

Cool report, Wingnut! I gotta join you one of these days!

[JESSEJAMES]

bitchen report... wats the deal with those leos is it stictly a catch and release thing? sorry to see the blasted pole... ur always bringin in mad fish in ur reports! better luck with jaws next time!

[gletemfeelsteelgary]

what a bummer, I'll say this much, theres no better way to break a pole than on a big toad, and it seems that what it was....

at least you got into some action, this weeknd was a real rough bite pattern just about anywhere for the larger game species...

great report I'm glad you at least landed somethin, thats more than I can say for my weekend outings...

It's alway just a lttile easier to take when you break a pole yourself rather than a buddy slamming a dorr on it or stepping on it etc.

Never too easy to feel good about it but at least you got to enjoy the battle for a while, you'll never forget that one that got away...once in a while the fish have to win...this one won and left ya a lil momento in your memoirs to remind you.

Nice report Arthur.

Get back on those feesh !, I'd love ta see ya land that sucka next time !
Gary

[BIGRED KILLA]

Maybe it was this kind of Shark Arthur, I am going to start fishing for leos soon esp in summer time i want to battle a beast.

http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv328/Bigredkillla/SharkHunter7Gill.jpg



Bigred

[Liteliner]

WoW. He straight broke your rod in a bad way. Man that sucks but what a rush i bet. It looked like you were fishing right in the middle of a scene from THe Perfect Storm. No fish is safe no matter what the conditions. I like it. Thanks for the pic and awesome report once again.

[Native Gal]

Whew!!! now that was drama WN,
You take a few weeks off from the surf and then don the SuperNut cap and now we have an edge of the seat report, :Thumbs Up:.
I see how you do it, sacrifice some LC's and he (Poseidon) will send the big one's. I think Poseidon is truly challenging you this year and I know you are up for the challenge.
Sucks about the illegal trap, people like that are such losers, hope you didn't get scratched by the wire.
The broken c-stik was wild. Should look nice on the wall when you dub it "The Battle", will make for a great recollection story. With all the battles that rod has seen I am not surprised it got worn out, or maybe it was a lil gas leakage in the Rover that weakened it, :ROFL:.
I am glad you didn't get punked by some of your buddies with a DFG Warden stripper for Valentine's, LOL, :Envious:.
Can't wait to see the future Poseidon v. WN battle, my money is on you.
Take care and have fun in Mammoth.
A lil Leo info I found on the net
http://www.pelagic.org/montereybay/estuarine/leopardshark.html

NG
:Cool:

p.s. glad you have a Mammoth get away, seems like you were busy taking WNPug to all the Valentine's dates she had through the FNN site.

[Wingnut]

Arthur,
You tell the best stories on the Fishing Network my friend!
sorry about the broken rod, guess it caught one too many fish.
you need to frame it up on a plaque for "the one that got away."

thanks a great read!

byron
Thanks Byron, I can't decide whether or not to send the rod back to have it swapped out or keep it for sentimental value. :LOL: In any case, I already ordered a replacement... I will either have two rods to hit the surf with, or one working rod and one on the wall. :Wink:


That's not right dude. you had me worried there for a minute. :Angry:
Tammy always teases me that one of these days she's gonna leave me for you. :LOL: She told me what happened and that's her story and she's sticking to it. Leave my girl alone, you already have too many to handle! See ya at the party on Saturday and I'm going to leave her at home from now on. :ROFL:
There's no story bro, I was just messing with ya. :Wink: I forgot my beanie and hers was in the trunk of my car when all of us went to dinner a few weeks ago and I used it. But I did tell Tammy that anytime she wants to upgrade boyfriends to give me a call. :Twisted: :ROFL:
See ya Saturday buddy.


Cool report, Wingnut! I gotta join you one of these days!
What's up man... been fishing? Stop by my Pasadena store and say hello. :Cool:


bitchen report... wats the deal with those leos is it stictly a catch and release thing? sorry to see the blasted pole... ur always bringin in mad fish in ur reports! better luck with jaws next time!
It's legal to keep Leopard Sharks but why? They're such majestic creatures. :Big Grin:



what a bummer, I'll say this much, theres no better way to break a pole than on a big toad, and it seems that what it was....

at least you got into some action, this weekend was a real rough bite pattern just about anywhere for the larger game species...

great report I'm glad you at least landed somethin, thats more than I can say for my weekend outings...

It's alway just a lttile easier to take when you break a pole yourself rather than a buddy slamming a door on it or stepping on it etc.

Never too easy to feel good about it but at least you got to enjoy the battle for a while, you'll never forget that one that got away...once in a while the fish have to win...this one won and left ya a lil momento in your memoirs to remind you.

Nice report Arthur.

Get back on those feesh !, I'd love ta see ya land that sucka next time !
Gary
Yeah Gary, it was tough just about everywhere last weekend. We were lucky to scratch out a few fish in the surf. It must have been freezing at the Duct for ya... I had it easy compared to what you must have endured.
The broken rod is no big deal, comes with the territory. But the lost fish will always have a spot in my memory. Let's see if we can make a good rebound once conditions gets better. :Wink:


Maybe it was this kind of Shark Arthur, I am going to start fishing for leos soon esp in summer time i want to battle a beast.

http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv328/Bigredkillla/SharkHunter7Gill.jpg


Bigred

Lucas, the fisherman in the picture that you posted is Brendan (Shark Hunter). He passed away a couple of months ago in his sleep. :Neutral: He is very popular and a great Shark fisherman from the sand. :Cool:

I'm pretty sure that the Shark on Sunday was a big Leo... but could have been another species... I can't rule out that possibility. Maybe it's Orca... :LOL: :Envious:


WoW. He straight broke your rod in a bad way. Man that sucks but what a rush i bet. It looked like you were fishing right in the middle of a scene from THe Perfect Storm. No fish is safe no matter what the conditions. I like it. Thanks for the pic and awesome report once again.
It was a bit stressful but fun... there's that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when you finally realize that you are on the losing end of the battle. What can you do, just pick yourself back up and get ready for the next challenge. :Cool:



Whew!!! now that was drama WN,
You take a few weeks off from the surf and then don the SuperNut cap and now we have an edge of the seat report, :Thumbs Up:.
I see how you do it, sacrifice some LC's and he (Poseidon) will send the big one's. I think Poseidon is truly challenging you this year and I know you are up for the challenge.
Sucks about the illegal trap, people like that are such losers, hope you didn't get scratched by the wire.
The broken c-stik was wild. Should look nice on the wall when you dub it "The Battle", will make for a great recollection story. With all the battles that rod has seen I am not surprised it got worn out, or maybe it was a lil gas leakage in the Rover that weakened it, :ROFL:.
I am glad you didn't get punked by some of your buddies with a DFG Warden stripper for Valentine's, LOL, :Envious:.
Can't wait to see the future Poseidon v. WN battle, my money is on you.
Take care and have fun in Mammoth.
A lil Leo info I found on the net
http://www.pelagic.org/montereybay/estuarine/leopardshark.html (http://www.pelagic.org/montereybay/estuarine/leopardshark.html)

NG
:Cool:

p.s. glad you have a Mammoth get away, seems like you were busy taking WNPug to all the Valentine's dates she had through the FNN site.

Sometimes I think that Poseidon is having a good laugh at my expense.
The broken rod will make a great conversation piece for years to come. It has served me well.
The trap ripped a small hole in my waders but didn't cut my leg... tetanus shots are no fun.
The fresh powder in Mammoth is going to be fabulous! Where I'm staying you can ski down one of the runs, turn a corner and slide right up to the front door of the condo... perfect! Nothing like soothing your aching muscles at the end of the day in a hot tub in sub-freezing temperature and then relaxing in front of a fireplace... I can't wait.
Hope you & Mike had a nice Valentine's weekend... I'll talk to ya soon. :Cool:

[tpfishnfool]

Need some ranch dressing to go with those carrot sticks.. Are they not made from real carrot fibers ? Maybe a Phenix or a better built rod would have held up under presure ??
Cool read though, Man you are a fish magnet !! Nice effort

[Cangler]

It was prolly a YFC ....

[Ren714]

WoW!!! sorry about your rod.. At least you have a reason to get a new set up :Wink:...
Nice catch!!!

[MAVERICK27]

Wing, thanks for the story. You had me on the edge of my seat...like a great book! I wish you had gotten a pic of it, but hard to do when its haulin ***** away with your bait!! Great job though, you'll get em next time!!

[steve092]

Man! Sounds like you had yourself quite a battle!

Well, good luck and go catch that beast!

[Wingnut]

Need some ranch dressing to go with those carrot sticks.. Are they not made from real carrot fibers ? Maybe a Phenix or a better built rod would have held up under presure ??
Cool read though, Man you are a fish magnet !! Nice effort
According to E21, the Carrot Stix has Nano Cellulos Bio-Fibers that comes from carrots... please don't ask me to explain. :LOL: I loved that rod and it will be missed... that is until the new one arrives. :Wink:


It was prolly a YFC ....
At first, that's what I thought it was... I was thinking to myself, "Man, Cangler is sure to be impressed with this one..." :LOL: :Wink: :Envious:


WoW!!! sorry about your rod.. At least you have a reason to get a new set up :Wink:...
Nice catch!!!
Thanks man... but the replacement set-up will be the exact same, I'm pretty comfortable with it. :Cool:


Wing, thanks for the story. You had me on the edge of my seat...like a great book! I wish you had gotten a pic of it, but hard to do when its haulin ***** away with your bait!! Great job though, you'll get em next time!!
Thanks Mav, one of these days if i'm brave enough, I'll bring a video camera to the surf with me. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to tangle with something worth recording, that would be fun to see. I haven't looked into it yet, but do they make a waterproof video camera? :Idea:


Man! Sounds like you had yourself quite a battle!

Well, good luck and go catch that beast!
Yeah, a two minute battle... unfortunately, it wasn't even a close contest. :LOL:

[husonfirst]

Nice story. Too bad about the shark. You should try out the new Gold Carrot Stix. You need to stop laying those expensive reels in the dirt/sand! :Shocked: :Big Grin:

[CatchthatTrout]

WingNut......

WHOA!! I was digging my fingers into the keyboard as you fought the beast. When your pole snapped, I shunk in chair and stared in disbelief at my screen.
What a story........
Hell at least you were out fishing.

[DiskoCrisco]

Unbelievable! I had the same thing happen to a californian I was using, with a much bigger fish of course ;) Turner's just swapped it for me no questions asked.

[Wingnut]

Nice story. Too bad about the shark. You should try out the new Gold Carrot Stix. You need to stop laying those expensive reels in the dirt/sand! :Shocked: :Big Grin:
The broken rod was the Boyd Duckett Gold Series Carrot Stix. Until that day it was a reliable slayer... finally met its match. :Neutral:
The reel in the sand thing is a bad habit... been going to therapy, the doc says that I'm getting much better now. :LOL:


WingNut......

WHOA!! I was digging my fingers into the keyboard as you fought the beast. When your pole snapped, I shunk in chair and stared in disbelief at my screen.
What a story........
Hell at least you were out fishing.
Yeah Tony, I wish it had a happier ending, but it wasn't meant to be this time around. It was quite an experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything. :Cool:


Unbelievable! I had the same thing happen to a californian I was using, with a much bigger fish of course ;) Turner's just swapped it for me no questions asked.
Let me tell you about the E21 Carrot Stix warranty and customer service. I made call and left a message on their customer service line. Got a call from a rep. (Peter Sevoia) the next day. All I had to do was to cut about a 6 inch piece from the rod that displayed the model number and mail it... a replacement rod will be shipped out the same day that they receive it... no questions asked. :Big Grin: I get to keep the rest of the rod as a souvenir. :Cool: As good as the Daiwa Steez or Shimano Cumara lifetime warranties.

[tacklejunkie]

Too bad you lost the fish WN! Sounds like a huge'in.
Might get some surf action in next week if I'm lucky. Have a few other plans as well. You'll get that giant back, I'm sure of it. :Wink:

[Just For Fun]

WINGNUT:

Win or lose, that was quite a story!! Expensive, but quite a story.