midgettosser1
11-05-2010, 02:52 PM
With the WSB I caught Wed morning, I couldn’t wait to get out there again. Had a light morning at work scheduled for today, so I planned on fishing for a few hours before my 10am meeting, Got a text from Arthur last night saying he was thinking about going as well. Great, sounds like a plan.
Short version:
Fish count: All released.
Midgettosser1 = 1 Calico Bass, 1 legal White Sea Bass (PB).
Wingnut = 2 Calico Bass, 5 short Halibut, 4 legal Halibut, 1 legal White Sea Bass.
Long version:
Met up at the spot around 6:30 or so, geared up, and hit the beach in the dark. Not much of a swell this morning, and not much in the line of waves. Nice and calm. Unfortunately almost every cast produced a wad of eel grass.
With not even one bite during gray light, I was starting to worry. Fortunately, a little after sun rise, Arthur sets the hook on a hali. He makes quick work of it and CPR’s it. Guessed it to be about 22”. Ok great, maybe they are willing to play. We are casting at the same boiler rock at this point when all of the sudden theres an eruption of baitfish all around the boiler. Something is pushing this bait ball around. We casted into it, but were not rewarded. The baitball then makes a move out of casting distance and up the beach, way out of reach, boiling the whole time. Damn.
At this point, I decided to switch LC’s in hopes to match the hatch a bit better. By the time I get it tied on, and turn around, I see the bait ball had moved back down the beach, and about 20 yards off shore. I yell to Arthur, and we both take off sprinting towards the boils. The bait fish were definitely fleeing from something. At one point I was standing in 3 inches of water and my feet were surrounded by them. What we guessed to be a school of WSBs had pushed the bait all the way up to shore. Our hearts were pounding and we were casting like maniacs into the boils. We could feel our lures bumping into the baitfish but the only thing we managed to pull out of it was more eel grass. The baitball makes another move back up the beach and we follow it until its out of reach again. Still no love. Such an awesome sight, yet so frustrating.
With the baitball gone, we keep at it. A little time passes and Arthur nails a calico. He snaps a pic and sends it on its way. It’s about 8:00am now and I’d be happy with a perch, or anything for that matter. My game plan was to fish til 8:30 then head home in order to make it to my meeting. And with no luck yet, I was starting to feel like the skunk was lurking behind me in the bushes. Fortunately that changed when my LC got picked up. The fish gave a couple of good little tugs, then ran into some structure of some sort and just sat there. Damnit, I can’t let this one get away. Handed my backpack to Arthur and proceeded to wade out, fortunately I didn’t have to get too deep before it came loose and I was able to reel in my first calico from the surf. That’s two surf firsts in two short outings. Not the biggest fish, but it still felt good.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%208/075.jpg
About 20 minutes passes and I look over and let Arthur know that I was gonna have to take off in about 5 minutes. I kid you not, 5 minutes after I said that, my lure gets slammed. Set the hook… fish on. This one feels good. Little head shakes and short runs left and right. Doesn’t feel like a halibut, doesn’t feel like a leopard shark, could it be? Hell yes. Another legal WSB. Bigger than the one from Wednesday, and my new PB. Snapped a few pics then sent it on its way. Today was its lucky day as I was already running low on time and had already made plans to go to Fins tonight for dinner. Haha.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%208/077.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%208/079.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%208/082.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%208/084.jpg
I was happy to call it quits on a good note. I left Arthur in the surf, made it home, showered, and was at work by 9:35… plenty of time to spare before my meeting. Couldn’t ask for a better morning.
11:45 I get a text from Arthur. “call me!” Oh man, what’d I miss? Apparently 3 more legal buts, some shorts, and ANOTHER legal WSB. DAMNIT!!! To make matters worse, the meeting that I had to get to was pointless. Oh well, can’t really complain too much.
Wow. So that’s probably the longest, most detailed report I have ever written. But a great morning deserves a detailed report.
Arthur, as always, great fishing with you. Wish I coulda stayed and slayed with you. Looking forward to the rest of your pics.
And thanks for the hat. Looks like I got a new lucky fishing cap.
Short version:
Fish count: All released.
Midgettosser1 = 1 Calico Bass, 1 legal White Sea Bass (PB).
Wingnut = 2 Calico Bass, 5 short Halibut, 4 legal Halibut, 1 legal White Sea Bass.
Long version:
Met up at the spot around 6:30 or so, geared up, and hit the beach in the dark. Not much of a swell this morning, and not much in the line of waves. Nice and calm. Unfortunately almost every cast produced a wad of eel grass.
With not even one bite during gray light, I was starting to worry. Fortunately, a little after sun rise, Arthur sets the hook on a hali. He makes quick work of it and CPR’s it. Guessed it to be about 22”. Ok great, maybe they are willing to play. We are casting at the same boiler rock at this point when all of the sudden theres an eruption of baitfish all around the boiler. Something is pushing this bait ball around. We casted into it, but were not rewarded. The baitball then makes a move out of casting distance and up the beach, way out of reach, boiling the whole time. Damn.
At this point, I decided to switch LC’s in hopes to match the hatch a bit better. By the time I get it tied on, and turn around, I see the bait ball had moved back down the beach, and about 20 yards off shore. I yell to Arthur, and we both take off sprinting towards the boils. The bait fish were definitely fleeing from something. At one point I was standing in 3 inches of water and my feet were surrounded by them. What we guessed to be a school of WSBs had pushed the bait all the way up to shore. Our hearts were pounding and we were casting like maniacs into the boils. We could feel our lures bumping into the baitfish but the only thing we managed to pull out of it was more eel grass. The baitball makes another move back up the beach and we follow it until its out of reach again. Still no love. Such an awesome sight, yet so frustrating.
With the baitball gone, we keep at it. A little time passes and Arthur nails a calico. He snaps a pic and sends it on its way. It’s about 8:00am now and I’d be happy with a perch, or anything for that matter. My game plan was to fish til 8:30 then head home in order to make it to my meeting. And with no luck yet, I was starting to feel like the skunk was lurking behind me in the bushes. Fortunately that changed when my LC got picked up. The fish gave a couple of good little tugs, then ran into some structure of some sort and just sat there. Damnit, I can’t let this one get away. Handed my backpack to Arthur and proceeded to wade out, fortunately I didn’t have to get too deep before it came loose and I was able to reel in my first calico from the surf. That’s two surf firsts in two short outings. Not the biggest fish, but it still felt good.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%208/075.jpg
About 20 minutes passes and I look over and let Arthur know that I was gonna have to take off in about 5 minutes. I kid you not, 5 minutes after I said that, my lure gets slammed. Set the hook… fish on. This one feels good. Little head shakes and short runs left and right. Doesn’t feel like a halibut, doesn’t feel like a leopard shark, could it be? Hell yes. Another legal WSB. Bigger than the one from Wednesday, and my new PB. Snapped a few pics then sent it on its way. Today was its lucky day as I was already running low on time and had already made plans to go to Fins tonight for dinner. Haha.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%208/077.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%208/079.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%208/082.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%208/084.jpg
I was happy to call it quits on a good note. I left Arthur in the surf, made it home, showered, and was at work by 9:35… plenty of time to spare before my meeting. Couldn’t ask for a better morning.
11:45 I get a text from Arthur. “call me!” Oh man, what’d I miss? Apparently 3 more legal buts, some shorts, and ANOTHER legal WSB. DAMNIT!!! To make matters worse, the meeting that I had to get to was pointless. Oh well, can’t really complain too much.
Wow. So that’s probably the longest, most detailed report I have ever written. But a great morning deserves a detailed report.
Arthur, as always, great fishing with you. Wish I coulda stayed and slayed with you. Looking forward to the rest of your pics.
And thanks for the hat. Looks like I got a new lucky fishing cap.