Tunaslam
07-13-2011, 03:42 PM
Fishing Wednesday, July 13, with Mark for the first time on his boat, the “Croaker Stroker”. We launched at 5am out of Huntington Harbor. Our first destination being Izor’s Reef.
We arrived at Izor’s just before 6 am. The ride out was a bit bumpy, with a nice wind chop, although it was not blowing much over 6 knots. The drift was very fast, with the wind and current obviously working together. Water temps were close to 67 degrees. I dropped back a 4” Clear Red Flake plastic with a ¾ Oz lead head, which never seemed to hit bottom. The scope out was bad, yet within seconds I was bit. Up comes a 2-pound Sand Bass. Dropped back down, and I was bit on the drop. This was a much bigger fish. Up comes a 3-pound Sand Bass:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1605.jpg
Having drifted to the end of the Reef, Mark ran back up to start a new drift. I dropped down a five inch MC Red Flake with a 2 OZ lead head which hit bottom, I reeled up a couple of winds and drop back down, get slammed and this fish is taking drag and my rod is big time bendo. Up comes the first of three five pounders caught today:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1609.jpg
Mark finds the Calico Bass prefer his five inch white plastic, and here is a nice two pounder:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1614.jpg
On Mark’s next drop he catches his first Sand Bass, a 3 pound fish:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1612.jpg
We continued to run back up the Reef, after one fast drift after another. Each time Mark put us on a different spot, not far from our original drift. We drifted over a number of pinnacles, and usually got bit just after passing the structure. My second five pound Sand Bass of the day:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1616.jpg
Mark with another nice Calico Bass:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1615.jpg
Myself with another dandy Sandy:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1618.jpg
And another:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1617.jpg
A 4.5 pound Sand Bass:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1619.jpg
Mark with his five-pound Sand Bass:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1621.jpg
And a four-pound Sand Bass:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1620.jpg
We caught and released 6 Calico Bass and 9 Sand Bass, when the bite shut down at 8:30 am. We moved around the reef, metering more fish on structure, yet they all developed lockjaw. We tried a few more areas both south and inside for nothing. When the bite shuts down, it is over. The wind kind of picked up and died down, yet the swells seemed to build and became somewhat sloppy by noon.
Called it a day at 12:20pm, with the wind only reaching about 10 knots, with some white caps.
Thanks for the invite Mark, some quality Bass’n for sure. Let’s do it again soon.
Hook up! Cory
We arrived at Izor’s just before 6 am. The ride out was a bit bumpy, with a nice wind chop, although it was not blowing much over 6 knots. The drift was very fast, with the wind and current obviously working together. Water temps were close to 67 degrees. I dropped back a 4” Clear Red Flake plastic with a ¾ Oz lead head, which never seemed to hit bottom. The scope out was bad, yet within seconds I was bit. Up comes a 2-pound Sand Bass. Dropped back down, and I was bit on the drop. This was a much bigger fish. Up comes a 3-pound Sand Bass:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1605.jpg
Having drifted to the end of the Reef, Mark ran back up to start a new drift. I dropped down a five inch MC Red Flake with a 2 OZ lead head which hit bottom, I reeled up a couple of winds and drop back down, get slammed and this fish is taking drag and my rod is big time bendo. Up comes the first of three five pounders caught today:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1609.jpg
Mark finds the Calico Bass prefer his five inch white plastic, and here is a nice two pounder:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1614.jpg
On Mark’s next drop he catches his first Sand Bass, a 3 pound fish:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1612.jpg
We continued to run back up the Reef, after one fast drift after another. Each time Mark put us on a different spot, not far from our original drift. We drifted over a number of pinnacles, and usually got bit just after passing the structure. My second five pound Sand Bass of the day:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1616.jpg
Mark with another nice Calico Bass:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1615.jpg
Myself with another dandy Sandy:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1618.jpg
And another:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1617.jpg
A 4.5 pound Sand Bass:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1619.jpg
Mark with his five-pound Sand Bass:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1621.jpg
And a four-pound Sand Bass:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_1620.jpg
We caught and released 6 Calico Bass and 9 Sand Bass, when the bite shut down at 8:30 am. We moved around the reef, metering more fish on structure, yet they all developed lockjaw. We tried a few more areas both south and inside for nothing. When the bite shuts down, it is over. The wind kind of picked up and died down, yet the swells seemed to build and became somewhat sloppy by noon.
Called it a day at 12:20pm, with the wind only reaching about 10 knots, with some white caps.
Thanks for the invite Mark, some quality Bass’n for sure. Let’s do it again soon.
Hook up! Cory