First surf trip this year w/ VG, new PB hali!

[tacklejunkie]

Been a while since I've been out to the Salt. First time this year!
VG asked where the fish were a while back and I told him at the beach!
He finally talked me in to coming out and the bug man was coming to spray today anyways so made plans for a half day to beat the traffic home.

Met VG down there at the OC beach 6:15am this morning to see what we could stir up. We started out with the famed LCFM110 as usual. VG had yet to catch his first LC halibut!

Didn't take but 10-15 minutes and VG was on a fish! I see a short drag run and the fish lets out a jump! few minutes later VG hauls in a nice 'bean on the LC! I still have yet to do that! Nice work man.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/surf%20with%20VG%205-15-09/surf5-15-09019.jpg

He unhooked it..
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/surf%20with%20VG%205-15-09/surf5-15-09013.jpg

And I let it go for him while he retied. Team work!
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/surf%20with%20VG%205-15-09/surf5-15-09017.jpg

next up was VG with a shorty!
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/surf%20with%20VG%205-15-09/surf5-15-09015.jpg

Then he caught another shorty! One of them was like 18-19" or so I think
Can't show the picture of it :Wink:

Then it was my turn for some of the action after a swift move of spots.
Caught a croaker for Cangler on the TJ MACK pattern LC.. he went right for the red treble!
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/surf%20with%20VG%205-15-09/surf5-15-09011.jpg

We weren't getting much more and were just about to move. I told VG I wanted to switch up colors of LC to my best producing pattern and give it a 5 minute try before we left. You never know, sometimes a color or pattern switch will do it! I pulled out my MS aurora black with signature TJ black sardine dots and shiny red owner trebles. Casted back to a spot we had previously raked pretty good and began the retrieve. My instinct was correct for a bite from what would be my new PB halibut. The battle was on!

Took me a good 5 minutes at least to get this fish in. I kept getting it to shore and zip zip zziiiiip back out it would go! Finally VG jumped in the water like a man but the fish turned when he saw VG! We noted a shallow area and I started backing him up. One more run and the fish was done.
Sorry for the sideways pictures. I used my iPhone! Fish went 26".. according to my arm and rod for scale. Topping my previous PB Legal by 1".
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/surf%20with%20VG%205-15-09/surf5-15-09005.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/surf%20with%20VG%205-15-09/surf5-15-09018.jpg

I let the fish go to fight another day. :Cool:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/surf%20with%20VG%205-15-09/Copyof1.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/surf%20with%20VG%205-15-09/surf5-15-09022.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/surf%20with%20VG%205-15-09/surf5-15-09001.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/surf%20with%20VG%205-15-09/surf5-15-09020.jpg

Then we proceeded to head to the bay side of things.
After an hour or so of a bunch of missed bites I finally hooked up a good size maybe 2-3lb spottie and it was fighting me good. The fish ended up working me over on a piling despite my mad dash and reach trying to stear him away. He finally snapped my FC off on some mussels stuck to a piling. I got worked over good by that fish but I know it was a big fat feisty spottie on the end of the line so it was ok. :LOL:

That was it for me. Bunch of missed bites left and right. Vg had the hot stick in the bay as well but broke a few off. He also landed one short pancake in the back of the bay and one 3" long spottie bass. :ROFL: Had to love it!

Great day for me for sure. Been too long since I've been down there. Sorry my picks are all screwed up. I knew I should have brought the good camera, but then I would not have cought the good fish! Left for home at 11:30 and missed all the traffic! Mission accomplished, got VG on his first hardbait halibut.

Thanks for reading. You might see more of me and VG down near the beach soon looking for that barn door!
-TJ

[bones]

Very nice read and overall report. Looks like you had a great time. Congrats on the new PB Halibut. Kewl arm measuring technique too....LOL

[klocked]

Way to go down there at I'm not sayin' !! Congrats TJ on your new PB and to VG on his 1st LC butt (and bean!) :LOL: Haven't seen a salt post from ya in a long time TJ, glad to see you back out there. How's your back doing?

[Wingnut]

Congrats on the PB Flat Boy Casey, nice to see you back out in the surf again. :Cool: I should let you borrow my LC daisy chain measuring device. :Wink:

[GET DA NET]

Nice flatty, Congrats on yur PB......

[tacklejunkie]

Thanks guys.
VG was pretty stoked to hook up on the LC too I think. I told him to go buy one and he went out yesterday and picked it up.
Proved it's worth to him in one outing in the first 10 mins. :LOL: Great lure on just about any body of water.

I think the big hali had been caught before too. His tail was all brown at the neck and his mouth was brown as well. I felt bad I hooked him in the eye socket and he's already been caught before :Confused:

Maybe that was the 'butt I should have brought home instead of letting go. What do you guys think? Hope it makes it!

[klocked]

Maybe that was the 'butt I should have brought home instead of letting go. What do you guys think? Hope it makes it!

I've caught one before that was missing an eye and the skin had completely covered it up. Didn't seem any worse for wear though.

[PUDD MASTER BAITER]

Great to see your back casey.like always you manage ,to produce,and didnt lose a step. Im thinking of the coast tommorow. Im hoping to get some company to tag along ,in search of my first legal of the year. God bless, and see you out there sometime.we have got to get walter(wingnut) to get the boys together ,and have some fun. Thanks for the report....mike....

[tacklejunkie]

Good luck out there Mike!
From what I saw, there's lots of species active. Water was surprisingly warm too!
I'd head out there with ya if I didn't have such a busy schedule going this weekend. One of these days we are bound to hook up and fish. We almost did on accident that one time so it's only a matter of time. I'll give you a heads up next time I'm going down.
Get on those fat flatties for me. Love fishing the salt dude! Always a surprise or new reward. Thanks for all your help from before.

[tacklejunkie]

PS..
Here's a picture of my rod next to a tape measure, for good measure. You'll note the tape does not reach the rod butt end.
That halibut may have been larger than I thought. 27-28-29" maybe. So close to 30!
I'll still call it 26" anyways just to be safe. :Wink:
I do know for sure it was my PB, that's all that matters.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/tacklejunkie/surf%20with%20VG%205-15-09/rodmeasure.jpg

[victor101]

Congrats on your PB hali, and good job getting VG on some fish! Too bad about losing that nice spottie. At least u were pretty sure what it was. I hate it when u loose a nice fish and have NO idea what it is!

[RamboBoy]

Nice report! Nice fish. I should get my @$$ out to surf fishing

[fish_sauce]

Beautiful fish TJ!

Congrats on yet another personal best! :Wink:

They are a resilient creature, i think that hali will be fine, even with one eye. In fact, i've actually caught a couple with damaged jaws and eyes before (probably from a prior release). If it lives long enough to survive another breeding season (as a result from your release), then that's a good thing, right?

Andrew

[flyngby]

Casey,

There is no denying it is a nice Flattie no matter how you measure it.

Glad to see you have success on your first outing of the year in the surf!

Steve

[boxl0bster]

way to go casey those hali's are huggeee!! :EyePop:
cant wait to get one of those myself. :Envious:

[DCCTrouserTrout]

Yeah, it definately looks a little bigger than 26 after seeing the pic of the tape next to your rod. Nice fish bro.