bones
07-21-2011, 09:06 PM
So I finally sort out my PC issues and have been barely avoiding the skunk on my
outings with the boyz. I decided it was time for me to do some solo recon work to
center myself a little bit on the sand. This report covers two days in the surf in
spots from the OC to Ventura county.
Tuesday 7/19 Oxnard
AO...SWAT code name "Why Me"
Arrived at 19:00 and planned on fishing until I couldn't see anymore.
Surf 1 to 2ft mostly NW wind swell back to back.
Water clarity very bad with a distinct brown line for at least 30ft.
Strong downhill current (North to south) but managable if you are used to fishing rivers!
Water temp 62 degrees.
Winds out of the west at 14 and white capping outside.
Hardbait of choice.....LC FM110 "Metallic Ayu"
I first walked to one of my old honey holes and hit it hard for about 45 minutes or so
before I decided to move about 100 yards north where all of the perch fisherman were.
I spotted an inside hole with a nice outside break so I fired a cast up current to my
right and no sooner did I take up slack and begin my retrieve.....I felt a solid grab!
Two cranks and I knew this was no perch even though the hit came in about 2ft of water.
This fish didn't have a chance. She ran at me and turned right at me and opened her mouth.
The entire fight lasted about 15 seconds as I horsed her quiclky up on the sand.
She taped out at 26" and since I havn't kept one fish this year for myself I quickly
decided she was comming home for dinner.
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011001.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011002.jpg
Three fisherman approached me with envy and I just stood there and grinned. That scenario
doesn't play out like that very often but it is a great feeling when it does. God knows I
have been paying my dues lately...lol
For the next hour and a half it went WFO on everything from Mr Wiggles,Jacksmelt and Perch.
Nothing big but they were all caught on the same hardbait.
I only took one pic of each species.Notice the last pic of the perch was when it was almost
dark.
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011005.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011004.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011006.jpg
Time to head home..... clean a halibut and get to bed because I'm heading south to fish
with an old Pirate Crew buddy "Bam Bam" for a few hours in the morning before work.
Wednesday 7/20
Arrived at Bam Bam Billy's house and after a quick chat we head over to Bolsa Chica for a
quick in and out assault.Tide was low and still draining but the water clarity was good and
the swell backed down quite nicely. This spot has some bittersweet memories for me because
The last time I fished it was many years ago when The Godfather Fisherman57 held his first
surf event called the "Bendo at Bolsa". I remember that day very well.
Now I have been trying to get Bill on his first surf halibut for some time now but everytime
we get the oportunity to fish together......Something is all screwed up.
Today I decide to let Bill take the lead and I will only cast when he is done hitting the spot
good. So after Bill makes 10 casts...... I start casting to the same spot and BAM....Fish ON!
I looked over at him and said....."Sorry Bro" and he replies...."For What?"
I just shook my head and promptly slid the shorty up on the sand.
This was when I saw the coolest thing ever and even though I've caught hundreds of surf halibut
I learned something new about their adaptive capabilities.
The halibut I slid up on the beach had NO distinct spots at all. She was smooth and completely
light tan from head to tail. As I was taking my camera out of it's protective case I turned on
my camera and looked down. To my disbelief the fish was now completely covered with SPOTS!
She was very calm as I took the first pic and the spots completely faded away and she went
back to light tan again. I yelled at Bill to come take a look at this and when he walked
up she was calm but as soon as she spazed out on the sand.....Her spots came back very vividly.
I now know for a fact that a halibut has the capability to change it's camo effect at will or
maybe it's a stress related thing but the spots are not from it's habitat.The change I witnessed
happened in just a few seconds.....Mind blowing to say the least.
I quickly put her back and would you believe 10 casts later after Bill works the next stretch..
I get hammered again!
I look over at Bill and say....."I'm not casting until you stick one buddy" and he just laughs
it off. This one went 21 1/2".....So close but no dice so back she goes.
The two flatties....
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011007.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011008.jpg
I could tell Bill was a little discouraged but he is a trooper and we both decide to start
heading back to the trucks and fish the trenches on the way. As I'm fan casting I look over
to my left to see Bill with his rod doubled over. I asked him if he was on and he replied
"Don't know". I noticed the surge was comming in but his rod dipped big time so I told him he
was on something BIG. After 5 minutes I see a dorsal fin 30 feet out and I see first color.
It's about a 4ft Leo and she is tail snagged!
So the tug of war begins and Bill gets her into two ft of water. I walk out and was about to
go for the tail grab but my instinct stopped me when I saw two loose hooks and the Leo was only
snagged by the LC's tail hook. I didn't want a hardbait burried in my wrist so I backed off and
the Leo spooked. She took all of Bill's recovered line and then some. His medium weight rig
with 10lb line was just overwhelmed. I knew that a snagged fish by one barb will eventually
work a bigger hole in itself so time was of the essence. After a 20 minute fight I decided to
just go for it and walk out again.I was going to grab it at mid body and hang on but as soon as
I get out to it I hear Bill exclaim "Damn". I look behind me and there he stood....unbuttoned!
Did get a couple of good bendo shots though....
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011010.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011009.jpg
So Bill takes off to work but I'm not quite done yet.....
I go back to the first spot and within ten casts another shortie hits the sand. Two cast later
I get hammered good right next to the bridge support and this fish promptly takes drag and wraps
me around the mussel encrusted support. I didn't care about the fish....That's my last Metalic
Ayu given to me by Arthur. I remember him saying "Don't lose it" last week. After sitting on
the wrapped up fish for 15 minutes.....I decide to button down my drag and snap off and to my
surprise.....The fish comes around and the fight is on. A few minutes later a nice bonus 18"
spottie hits the sand.I've said it before and I'll say it again.....I love green extra strong
p-line. It's tough as nails and 4ft of line was all chewed up above my lure but it didn't break.
The pics...
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011011.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011012.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011013.jpg
Time to head to work.
That evening I decided to head back up to Oxnard to see if the previous day was just a fluke and
to my dismay....The conditions were horrible. The water was very brown and there was no surf at all
except a little wind swell. The fog was so thick that I could barely see 50 yards. There was about
six inches of visibility so I tied on another gift from Arthur.I don't know where he finds
these crazy patterns but this one is called MS crack...LOL
I did manage one decent perch before heading home though.
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011016.jpg
As I was taking off my gear I was approached by a DFG officer who asked me if I saw any guys with
buckets on the rocks. I said no and then he told me that there has been a problem with poachers in
the area snagging egg laiden lobsters. We BS'ed for a while and began discussing the MLPA process.
He was 100% behind the anglers and told me that he and his co-workers all believed that the whole
thing was a joke. I was happy he felt that way but still angry with "The System".
He told me to not bother with cal tip if I saw anything illegal and gave me his card with his cell
phone number on it. I could tell he takes his job very seriously.
So there you have it....My two day report from north to south and back north again.
Last but not least.....A bonus pic.
I was at Topanga state beach a few weeks ago in the late afternoon watching all of the pelicans crash
the mack's and jacksmelt and had planned on fishing but the beach was just too crowded.
I did snap a quick pic of the most amazing land locked butt I've ever seen at the beach though.
Her stretching/yoga routine had every man and woman in awe on the beach...
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/landlockedbutt.jpg
Until next time....SWAT member BONES....Debriefing complete!
outings with the boyz. I decided it was time for me to do some solo recon work to
center myself a little bit on the sand. This report covers two days in the surf in
spots from the OC to Ventura county.
Tuesday 7/19 Oxnard
AO...SWAT code name "Why Me"
Arrived at 19:00 and planned on fishing until I couldn't see anymore.
Surf 1 to 2ft mostly NW wind swell back to back.
Water clarity very bad with a distinct brown line for at least 30ft.
Strong downhill current (North to south) but managable if you are used to fishing rivers!
Water temp 62 degrees.
Winds out of the west at 14 and white capping outside.
Hardbait of choice.....LC FM110 "Metallic Ayu"
I first walked to one of my old honey holes and hit it hard for about 45 minutes or so
before I decided to move about 100 yards north where all of the perch fisherman were.
I spotted an inside hole with a nice outside break so I fired a cast up current to my
right and no sooner did I take up slack and begin my retrieve.....I felt a solid grab!
Two cranks and I knew this was no perch even though the hit came in about 2ft of water.
This fish didn't have a chance. She ran at me and turned right at me and opened her mouth.
The entire fight lasted about 15 seconds as I horsed her quiclky up on the sand.
She taped out at 26" and since I havn't kept one fish this year for myself I quickly
decided she was comming home for dinner.
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011001.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011002.jpg
Three fisherman approached me with envy and I just stood there and grinned. That scenario
doesn't play out like that very often but it is a great feeling when it does. God knows I
have been paying my dues lately...lol
For the next hour and a half it went WFO on everything from Mr Wiggles,Jacksmelt and Perch.
Nothing big but they were all caught on the same hardbait.
I only took one pic of each species.Notice the last pic of the perch was when it was almost
dark.
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011005.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011004.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011006.jpg
Time to head home..... clean a halibut and get to bed because I'm heading south to fish
with an old Pirate Crew buddy "Bam Bam" for a few hours in the morning before work.
Wednesday 7/20
Arrived at Bam Bam Billy's house and after a quick chat we head over to Bolsa Chica for a
quick in and out assault.Tide was low and still draining but the water clarity was good and
the swell backed down quite nicely. This spot has some bittersweet memories for me because
The last time I fished it was many years ago when The Godfather Fisherman57 held his first
surf event called the "Bendo at Bolsa". I remember that day very well.
Now I have been trying to get Bill on his first surf halibut for some time now but everytime
we get the oportunity to fish together......Something is all screwed up.
Today I decide to let Bill take the lead and I will only cast when he is done hitting the spot
good. So after Bill makes 10 casts...... I start casting to the same spot and BAM....Fish ON!
I looked over at him and said....."Sorry Bro" and he replies...."For What?"
I just shook my head and promptly slid the shorty up on the sand.
This was when I saw the coolest thing ever and even though I've caught hundreds of surf halibut
I learned something new about their adaptive capabilities.
The halibut I slid up on the beach had NO distinct spots at all. She was smooth and completely
light tan from head to tail. As I was taking my camera out of it's protective case I turned on
my camera and looked down. To my disbelief the fish was now completely covered with SPOTS!
She was very calm as I took the first pic and the spots completely faded away and she went
back to light tan again. I yelled at Bill to come take a look at this and when he walked
up she was calm but as soon as she spazed out on the sand.....Her spots came back very vividly.
I now know for a fact that a halibut has the capability to change it's camo effect at will or
maybe it's a stress related thing but the spots are not from it's habitat.The change I witnessed
happened in just a few seconds.....Mind blowing to say the least.
I quickly put her back and would you believe 10 casts later after Bill works the next stretch..
I get hammered again!
I look over at Bill and say....."I'm not casting until you stick one buddy" and he just laughs
it off. This one went 21 1/2".....So close but no dice so back she goes.
The two flatties....
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011007.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011008.jpg
I could tell Bill was a little discouraged but he is a trooper and we both decide to start
heading back to the trucks and fish the trenches on the way. As I'm fan casting I look over
to my left to see Bill with his rod doubled over. I asked him if he was on and he replied
"Don't know". I noticed the surge was comming in but his rod dipped big time so I told him he
was on something BIG. After 5 minutes I see a dorsal fin 30 feet out and I see first color.
It's about a 4ft Leo and she is tail snagged!
So the tug of war begins and Bill gets her into two ft of water. I walk out and was about to
go for the tail grab but my instinct stopped me when I saw two loose hooks and the Leo was only
snagged by the LC's tail hook. I didn't want a hardbait burried in my wrist so I backed off and
the Leo spooked. She took all of Bill's recovered line and then some. His medium weight rig
with 10lb line was just overwhelmed. I knew that a snagged fish by one barb will eventually
work a bigger hole in itself so time was of the essence. After a 20 minute fight I decided to
just go for it and walk out again.I was going to grab it at mid body and hang on but as soon as
I get out to it I hear Bill exclaim "Damn". I look behind me and there he stood....unbuttoned!
Did get a couple of good bendo shots though....
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011010.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011009.jpg
So Bill takes off to work but I'm not quite done yet.....
I go back to the first spot and within ten casts another shortie hits the sand. Two cast later
I get hammered good right next to the bridge support and this fish promptly takes drag and wraps
me around the mussel encrusted support. I didn't care about the fish....That's my last Metalic
Ayu given to me by Arthur. I remember him saying "Don't lose it" last week. After sitting on
the wrapped up fish for 15 minutes.....I decide to button down my drag and snap off and to my
surprise.....The fish comes around and the fight is on. A few minutes later a nice bonus 18"
spottie hits the sand.I've said it before and I'll say it again.....I love green extra strong
p-line. It's tough as nails and 4ft of line was all chewed up above my lure but it didn't break.
The pics...
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011011.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011012.jpg
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011013.jpg
Time to head to work.
That evening I decided to head back up to Oxnard to see if the previous day was just a fluke and
to my dismay....The conditions were horrible. The water was very brown and there was no surf at all
except a little wind swell. The fog was so thick that I could barely see 50 yards. There was about
six inches of visibility so I tied on another gift from Arthur.I don't know where he finds
these crazy patterns but this one is called MS crack...LOL
I did manage one decent perch before heading home though.
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/02222011016.jpg
As I was taking off my gear I was approached by a DFG officer who asked me if I saw any guys with
buckets on the rocks. I said no and then he told me that there has been a problem with poachers in
the area snagging egg laiden lobsters. We BS'ed for a while and began discussing the MLPA process.
He was 100% behind the anglers and told me that he and his co-workers all believed that the whole
thing was a joke. I was happy he felt that way but still angry with "The System".
He told me to not bother with cal tip if I saw anything illegal and gave me his card with his cell
phone number on it. I could tell he takes his job very seriously.
So there you have it....My two day report from north to south and back north again.
Last but not least.....A bonus pic.
I was at Topanga state beach a few weeks ago in the late afternoon watching all of the pelicans crash
the mack's and jacksmelt and had planned on fishing but the beach was just too crowded.
I did snap a quick pic of the most amazing land locked butt I've ever seen at the beach though.
Her stretching/yoga routine had every man and woman in awe on the beach...
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/07212011/landlockedbutt.jpg
Until next time....SWAT member BONES....Debriefing complete!