cactusfan
06-18-2011, 11:25 PM
I’m a newby so this report is probably not going to be that useful for most of you experienced guys out there, but figured I’d write a report and participate in the forum, for what its worth!:Envious:
Attended the the Bill Varney Surf Fishing Seminar at Bolsa Chica State beach this morning. Very educational. Thank you Bill!:Beer Toast:
Beforehand, I arrived early to try fishing at greylight. Figured it might be a good day for fishing, since there was a grunion run last night. Arrived at 5am and parked near Sunset beach. Low tide, very little “salad”. Water temperature felt warm, and very light wind. I casted a LC (candy Sardine) for about half an hour, no bites. Was looking for structure, but this beach seemed very consistently flat.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-IaVnkDAKkeM/Tf2TvhFs-7I/AAAAAAAAAIY/Yr1dEM_Gf1E/s640/BCSB.jpg
The seminar was very informative. Learned how to hook sand crabs, ghost shrimp, and blood worms correctly. Also, if you’re ever stung by a sting ray, don’t put cold water on the stinger/wound, put hot water on it! Correctly hooked a sand crab and hit the surf together with a group of about 30, and pulled in this little guy:Cool:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hdHdGqzqdIc/Tf2TvCQVGJI/AAAAAAAAAIU/6UGPlO9jsFE/s640/BSP.jpg
not picture worthy, I know, but my first fish from the surf. Saw lots of other classmates pull in similar fish. For me, the biggest challenge was actually trying to filter out all the normal ocean movement and figure out what is a bite. Carolina rigged sand crabs and even some “crack” for a couple hours but couldn’t manage to get another fish.:Confused:
Chatted to Bill a bit and he suggest I head south and throw the LC at the Bolsa Bay inlet at peak high tide. On the way there, saw a guy catch a small shovelnose guitarfish, and another hooked up a tiny shark, which he told me was a “lemon shark”. Found lots of people fishing at the inlet, but no one catching anything (except tangling with an occasional surfer). I casted the LC for a while, didn’t get any bites, switched to a Big Hammer (sexy smelt) swim bait on a jig head. Still no action. Fished the inlet for about 45 minutes and decided to call it quits.
On the walk back to Sunset beach, at high tide, it seemed there was a deep trough right where the sand meets the water, which ran most of the way along the beach. Tried casting the LC along this trough, but the wind and waves were getting pretty big.
All in all a very enjoyable day, even though only one fish was caught. Hope to meet some of you out on the beach some day!:Big Grin:
cactusfan
Attended the the Bill Varney Surf Fishing Seminar at Bolsa Chica State beach this morning. Very educational. Thank you Bill!:Beer Toast:
Beforehand, I arrived early to try fishing at greylight. Figured it might be a good day for fishing, since there was a grunion run last night. Arrived at 5am and parked near Sunset beach. Low tide, very little “salad”. Water temperature felt warm, and very light wind. I casted a LC (candy Sardine) for about half an hour, no bites. Was looking for structure, but this beach seemed very consistently flat.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-IaVnkDAKkeM/Tf2TvhFs-7I/AAAAAAAAAIY/Yr1dEM_Gf1E/s640/BCSB.jpg
The seminar was very informative. Learned how to hook sand crabs, ghost shrimp, and blood worms correctly. Also, if you’re ever stung by a sting ray, don’t put cold water on the stinger/wound, put hot water on it! Correctly hooked a sand crab and hit the surf together with a group of about 30, and pulled in this little guy:Cool:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hdHdGqzqdIc/Tf2TvCQVGJI/AAAAAAAAAIU/6UGPlO9jsFE/s640/BSP.jpg
not picture worthy, I know, but my first fish from the surf. Saw lots of other classmates pull in similar fish. For me, the biggest challenge was actually trying to filter out all the normal ocean movement and figure out what is a bite. Carolina rigged sand crabs and even some “crack” for a couple hours but couldn’t manage to get another fish.:Confused:
Chatted to Bill a bit and he suggest I head south and throw the LC at the Bolsa Bay inlet at peak high tide. On the way there, saw a guy catch a small shovelnose guitarfish, and another hooked up a tiny shark, which he told me was a “lemon shark”. Found lots of people fishing at the inlet, but no one catching anything (except tangling with an occasional surfer). I casted the LC for a while, didn’t get any bites, switched to a Big Hammer (sexy smelt) swim bait on a jig head. Still no action. Fished the inlet for about 45 minutes and decided to call it quits.
On the walk back to Sunset beach, at high tide, it seemed there was a deep trough right where the sand meets the water, which ran most of the way along the beach. Tried casting the LC along this trough, but the wind and waves were getting pretty big.
All in all a very enjoyable day, even though only one fish was caught. Hope to meet some of you out on the beach some day!:Big Grin:
cactusfan