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View Full Version : Great day in NPH 9/29 finished off with Legal Halibut!


ldsaylor
09-30-2009, 04:18 PM
Been traveling a bit lately and haven't gotten out on the kayak in a bit. Decided to launch yesterday morning out behind the house in Newport Harbor in search of whatever I could find.. Weather started off a little cloudy and calm and as the day went on the wind picked up and it got sunny. Turned out to be one of the better days I have had out there in a awhile. What really topped it off was the 23" Legal Butt I landed right at the end of my day! Here are the pics.

Started the day dropshotting zoom super flukes around the harbor heading for the mouth and managed a steady stream of spotties.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy114/ldsaylor/IMG_0047.jpg

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy114/ldsaylor/IMG_0050.jpg

This guy measured at a little over 15". Pretty decent model spottie. At least for me in the harbor.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy114/ldsaylor/IMG_0051.jpg

In water action photo...

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy114/ldsaylor/IMG_0052.jpg

And then a couple more spotties as I work my way toward the mouth of the harbor.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy114/ldsaylor/IMG_0053.jpg

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy114/ldsaylor/IMG_0054.jpg

Then I somehow managed to land this Whopper Sandie! Haha. The fluke is almost bigger than him..

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy114/ldsaylor/IMG_0055.jpg

I had never tried throwing on a LC from my kayak in the harbor. But after seeing all the success several of the guys in here have with them I decided to make the $20 purchase. Well worth it on this day!! I hook it up and begin throwing it up near shore. About the 10th cast. Wham!! I get drilled and I know its a good halibut. Can feel the head shakes at the bottom. She puts up a real nice fight and I finally get her near the yak.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy114/ldsaylor/IMG_0081.jpg

I can't tell if it's a legal and I realize I am not really equipped with the tools to pull her in the kayak. So I tire her out and spot a nice sandy beach really close to me and paddle the yak on shore and jump out to pull her on the sand. Sure enough. 23" Yes!

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy114/ldsaylor/IMG_0082.jpg

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy114/ldsaylor/IMG_0083.jpg

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy114/ldsaylor/IMG_0084.jpg

Since I already had a nice Ribeye waiting on me at home I released her back into the harbor to hopefully become a nice 30" fish someday.. All the fish were released and after that I called it a day. Good day on the water and my first (and maybe only) legal of the year. haha.

-Luke
TShaffer
09-30-2009, 04:20 PM
Man that is a very great day in the harbor. Those spotties were nice sized and a legal hali just puts the cherry on top.
Poxy Boggards
09-30-2009, 04:24 PM
Nice! Sounds like a perfect fishing trip. Thanks for posting up your trip.
lngbchfnhnter
09-30-2009, 04:42 PM
Great work!!!! Today was your day!!! By releasing ,Many more will come!!!:Thumbs Up:
kgselect
09-30-2009, 04:46 PM
Nice spotties and beautiful halibut. NPH is a great fishery. Thanks for the report.
Troutman65
09-30-2009, 05:02 PM
Nice going in NPH. Congrats on your legal hailbut.
Jaysuuun
09-30-2009, 05:28 PM
Wow, awesome job out there! Congrats on the quality spotties and legal butt. You can't ask for more than that. I might have to head back to NPH soon. HH hasn't been producing the quality spotties I've been looking for. Thanks for the report and pics. :Cool:

BTW is that an aurora black flashminnow?
calico killer kevin
09-30-2009, 06:36 PM
Beautiful! I haven't fished there in a while. Might hit it up on saturday.
troutdog
09-30-2009, 07:22 PM
AWESOME trip in the yak, wtg on releasing the hali!:Thumbs Up:


TD
Wingnut
09-30-2009, 07:47 PM
Now that's a great day in the harbor, congrats on the nice Spotties & the legal Butt. :Envious: I like those LC 95MR, lighter than the FM110 but the action is great. :Wink:
hbomb
09-30-2009, 08:39 PM
Good looking spotties, congrats on the hali, very nice pics. Thanks for sharing....:Cool:
Dmax
10-01-2009, 03:30 AM
Looks like good times in NPH. Been there in float tubes the past 4 sundays with some bass, cuda, croaker and some small hali's. I caught a 20in hali there that was alot of fun in the float.

Now my question is without sounding stupid, what is an LC?
ldsaylor
10-01-2009, 08:19 AM
Man that is a very great day in the harbor. Those spotties were nice sized and a legal hali just puts the cherry on top.

Thanks TShaffer! Yeah that Hali was nice. I was about 15 minutes away from heading in so that really made my day!


Nice! Sounds like a perfect fishing trip. Thanks for posting up your trip.

Definately one of my better overall days in NPH in awhile!


Great work!!!! Today was your day!!! By releasing ,Many more will come!!!:Thumbs Up:

Hopefully the fish gods will grant me some Karma for that release! :LOL:


Nice spotties and beautiful halibut. NPH is a great fishery. Thanks for the report.

I do love fishing NPH. Really convenient for me living right here.. And it generally always delivers some fish.


Nice going in NPH. Congrats on your legal hailbut.

Thanks Troutman. Hoping there are more legals to come. That is a fun fight. :Smile:


Wow, awesome job out there! Congrats on the quality spotties and legal butt. You can't ask for more than that. I might have to head back to NPH soon. HH hasn't been producing the quality spotties I've been looking for. Thanks for the report and pics. :Cool:

BTW is that an aurora black flashminnow?

Thanks Jason. I do remember your posts out of HPH and you guys definately would catch some fattie spotties. Look forward to your next trip and post out there. I don't have the box for that LC. So not really sure. I do know it says flashminnow 130MR on the belly. Hope that helps.


Beautiful! I haven't fished there in a while. Might hit it up on saturday.

Good luck on Saturday out there! Tear it up!


AWESOME trip in the yak, wtg on releasing the hali!:Thumbs Up:


TD

Thanks Troutdog! It was such a fun catch and I catch so few legals in the harbor it just didn't feel right keeping her.


Now that's a great day in the harbor, congrats on the nice Spotties & the legal Butt. :Envious: I like those LC 95MR, lighter than the FM110 but the action is great. :Wink:

Thanks man! You are probably the main reason I bought a couple of those LC's. You got me believing. Thats one reason I love this site. I probably would have never thought to use those for Hali's but reading your posts helped me out. If Lucky Craft doesn't have you on their payroll yet they are crazy. :ROFL: Your posts have been responsible for selling more of those lures than any marketing campaign they can come up with..


Good looking spotties, congrats on the hali, very nice pics. Thanks for sharing....:Cool:

Thanks Hbomb. Sure was fun out there!


Looks like good times in NPH. Been there in float tubes the past 4 sundays with some bass, cuda, croaker and some small hali's. I caught a 20in hali there that was alot of fun in the float.

Now my question is without sounding stupid, what is an LC?

I have definately had some good days out there in NPH. LC is short for Lucky Craft. It is the minnow I was using in the halibut pics. Several guys in here do well catching Butt's with them out of the surf. Most tackle shops around the area carry them.
bsp
10-01-2009, 01:38 PM
Congrats on very nice NPH trip! I've only fished there once, but it's a very fun area. Lots of structure, and all easily accessible. That legal halibut is an especially good catch. Not many of them are pulled out of there, and to get one on an LC is always fun.

Now if only we can get you tossing that LC from the sand...
Fire Ball
10-01-2009, 02:46 PM
I have been wanting to fish from a kayak for a really long time, glad you can catch some good fish in the harbor! Looks like fun to me, nice halibut!
kissthecrook
10-03-2009, 02:02 AM
Great day and
great CPR.
boxl0bster
10-04-2009, 12:39 AM
wow what an awesome day! lots of quality spotties and a legal butt!
ldsaylor
10-07-2009, 09:01 PM
Congrats on very nice NPH trip! I've only fished there once, but it's a very fun area. Lots of structure, and all easily accessible. That legal halibut is an especially good catch. Not many of them are pulled out of there, and to get one on an LC is always fun.

Now if only we can get you tossing that LC from the sand...

Thanks BSP! Always enjoy your reports! I would love to hit that sand.. Thats definately on my "to do" list..


I have been wanting to fish from a kayak for a really long time, glad you can catch some good fish in the harbor! Looks like fun to me, nice halibut!

I love fishing from the yak. I wish I had a truck or something to transport it so I could cover even more areas of So Cal. But I have had a blast in and around NPH with that thing.


Great day and
great CPR.

Thanks. I am almost entirely a C & R guy. I like eating fish.. but I'm in it for the sport primarily.


wow what an awesome day! lots of quality spotties and a legal butt!

Thanks Box! Had a great time out there!