VietReefer
10-07-2010, 10:57 AM
My fiance and I live and work in Palm Desert but we're both have family and friends in O.C. so we go back to O.C. every 2 weeks. So after 2 weeks which seemed like 2 years, I hit the beach again.
Fished the incoming high tide, water temp around 65-66, waves kinda strong, water is murky not clear, no baitfish present.
Started with the LC FM110 Metallic Sardine (from Sir Wingnut) for about 30 minutes, not a single bite. Switched to LC FM110 Golden Shiner for another 30 minutes, not bite. By this time, the tide was high, and I have no luck with the other 2 colors so I switched to the "one eye" LC Slender Pointer Nishiki 112MR. (Still wondering how did my lure lost 1 of its eyes). The SP 112MR doesn't cast as good as the FM110, but it dive a little bit deeper I think.
On the retrieve of my 4th or 5th cast, I notice a light bite and immediately swept the rod to the side and set the hook. He made his first run, seems endless and stopped just before my spool almost empty. Reeled him in and he kept pulling drag and ran back out for 8,9 times. With both of my wrists injured, even I had both of them wrapped with sport tape, he almost pulled the rod out of my hands a couple time on my bad wrists. After a mighty fight, and I was breathing like a bull, he gave up. He doesn't seem that big in the water but tap out @ 29", if he would just be a bit longer, he would have made my new PB :). With the hook still in his mouth, I got another hook and hooked his tail and tried to stretch him out, but he did not stretch a bit (j/k).
He inhaled half of the LC, and has the last trebble all the way inside his throat, and the middle hook on his lip. After landed him, he was crunching on my LC like potato chips, luckily the LC withstood his bites :). I kept my promise to myself to release my next PB and released him, even though he wasn't my PB. (Went solo today, so nobody insisted to let him keep the fish like last time, so it was an easy decision), hehe. I was holding him in shallow water for him to recover, he seemed pretty weak and didn't make any move. Then a big wave came out of nowhere when I was bending down holding him and I had to dropped him in the water and ran ashore for my life :LOL: Had my *** all soaked. He disappeared into the waves. I think he's okay because he only spent a couple minutes out of water for me to take some picture and remove the hooks, and he wasn't injured so bad from the hooks too so ...
After another few casts, I got strong snap and set the hook. This one is one hell of a drag burner, the previous drag setting which I landed the 29'er was nothing for him. As he was burning drag I was holding the rod to my dear life. With my wrists, I doubt I would be able to land this beast. He seemed to know it, or maybe was it God .. .that the light suddenly slag .. my heart sinked .. I lost him ... while he was burning drag .. hmmm .. I retrieved the LC and found that my hook was straighten out. He would have definitely made my new PB with that weight me put on my line :( and all that the burning he did on that drag setting which stopped the 29 incher. Oh well, at least he gave me a heart attack for 15-20 seconds, and give me a more reason to come back for him. After that, I decided to pack up and go home, see you another day my friend.
After I got home, the usual conversation
Fiance: Why did you get up so early today
Me: Well, I couldn't sleep, so I got up early and went out to buy you some breakfast
Fiance: You went fishing didn't you.
Me: Nahhh, I was gonna go, but I've decided I'm gonna save it for tomorrow :D. So, I'll go tomorrow
So .. here's the butt that matches my PB :) You see my thigh, and it look like I'm putting my knee on that butt .. but NO .. :)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/5059878485_aa2d8e0b8d_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5059878497_fb8f603453_z.jpg
Fished the incoming high tide, water temp around 65-66, waves kinda strong, water is murky not clear, no baitfish present.
Started with the LC FM110 Metallic Sardine (from Sir Wingnut) for about 30 minutes, not a single bite. Switched to LC FM110 Golden Shiner for another 30 minutes, not bite. By this time, the tide was high, and I have no luck with the other 2 colors so I switched to the "one eye" LC Slender Pointer Nishiki 112MR. (Still wondering how did my lure lost 1 of its eyes). The SP 112MR doesn't cast as good as the FM110, but it dive a little bit deeper I think.
On the retrieve of my 4th or 5th cast, I notice a light bite and immediately swept the rod to the side and set the hook. He made his first run, seems endless and stopped just before my spool almost empty. Reeled him in and he kept pulling drag and ran back out for 8,9 times. With both of my wrists injured, even I had both of them wrapped with sport tape, he almost pulled the rod out of my hands a couple time on my bad wrists. After a mighty fight, and I was breathing like a bull, he gave up. He doesn't seem that big in the water but tap out @ 29", if he would just be a bit longer, he would have made my new PB :). With the hook still in his mouth, I got another hook and hooked his tail and tried to stretch him out, but he did not stretch a bit (j/k).
He inhaled half of the LC, and has the last trebble all the way inside his throat, and the middle hook on his lip. After landed him, he was crunching on my LC like potato chips, luckily the LC withstood his bites :). I kept my promise to myself to release my next PB and released him, even though he wasn't my PB. (Went solo today, so nobody insisted to let him keep the fish like last time, so it was an easy decision), hehe. I was holding him in shallow water for him to recover, he seemed pretty weak and didn't make any move. Then a big wave came out of nowhere when I was bending down holding him and I had to dropped him in the water and ran ashore for my life :LOL: Had my *** all soaked. He disappeared into the waves. I think he's okay because he only spent a couple minutes out of water for me to take some picture and remove the hooks, and he wasn't injured so bad from the hooks too so ...
After another few casts, I got strong snap and set the hook. This one is one hell of a drag burner, the previous drag setting which I landed the 29'er was nothing for him. As he was burning drag I was holding the rod to my dear life. With my wrists, I doubt I would be able to land this beast. He seemed to know it, or maybe was it God .. .that the light suddenly slag .. my heart sinked .. I lost him ... while he was burning drag .. hmmm .. I retrieved the LC and found that my hook was straighten out. He would have definitely made my new PB with that weight me put on my line :( and all that the burning he did on that drag setting which stopped the 29 incher. Oh well, at least he gave me a heart attack for 15-20 seconds, and give me a more reason to come back for him. After that, I decided to pack up and go home, see you another day my friend.
After I got home, the usual conversation
Fiance: Why did you get up so early today
Me: Well, I couldn't sleep, so I got up early and went out to buy you some breakfast
Fiance: You went fishing didn't you.
Me: Nahhh, I was gonna go, but I've decided I'm gonna save it for tomorrow :D. So, I'll go tomorrow
So .. here's the butt that matches my PB :) You see my thigh, and it look like I'm putting my knee on that butt .. but NO .. :)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/5059878485_aa2d8e0b8d_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5059878497_fb8f603453_z.jpg