Mr_Dunev
04-17-2012, 02:03 PM
LONG POST:EyePop:
Today was definitely my best Halibut day, in my short 6 month career as a Surf Fisherman. I put a lot of time on the sand and this is only my third legal. Hopefully this fish will get the ball rolling and be a sign of a great summer.:Envious: Sorry for the long report, but I am going to try and give lots of details.
AO: LA County
Water: 56-57
Air: Low 70's
Clarity: Crystal Clear, occasional piece of kelp. Became very kelpy after a couple hours
Waves: 2-3ft shore pounders, 9-12sec, got worse after a couple hours
Tide:High tide at 0800
Rod: Phenix XG3-Glass 7'9"
Reel: Abu Garcia Revo Inshore w/40lbs Suffix 832
Lure: IMA Gyodo 110MD Sardine
Scent: Pro Cure Calico Cocktail
I had found this spot earlier this year on google maps, and tried hitting it in early February but got skunked. I had talked to one of the life guards, who told me that they have seen people catch big halibut here in the past. I pushed the place to the back of my mind until last night. I was torn between a spot I had had some success at, or trying this spot again. Let's just say I made a good decision on where to fish today.
I parked around 0600 with all of my gear ready to go. I hit the sand and started moving north, staying a good distance back from the 3-foot trench right up at the water line. I could see the water was clear, but still dark out so I used a Red/Silver/Blue ima lure that I have had success with before the sun comes up, and in slightly murky water. I worked the beach for a couple an hour, with no love on the hardbait and decided to switch to my Kroc. I continued moving north with no bites and decided to hook on a Big Hammer in "sexy smelt". After almost an hour and a half with no bites, I wasn't feeling too hopeful but I was still enjoying being on the sand...It was a beautiful day.
I can see someone fly fishing down the beach with a nice big sunhat, and half finger gloves and I have a feeling I know who it is. I decide that since the sun is just beginning to hit the sand, to change to my Sardine ima gyodo 110MD, it works best in clear water and sunny skies. I find some nice structure and cast a few times in the vicinity looking for the "Right kind" of flat fish. A few casts in 3 feet away from me I get a BIG hit. HEAD SHAKES and then he is gone! I can't tell how big he is but he feels nice, and is putting up a crazy fight. After a few minutes I get him close enough to see it is easily my PB halibut. My heart starts to race, and he starts to suicide roll! :EyePop: I have never seen a fish go so crazy, flipping/shaking trying as hard as he can to throw the hook. I am trying to get my Lip Grippers out of my bag, when a BIG wave comes in, and he shoots up to the high tide mark. I quickly get him with the grip, and start walking toward the fly fisherman so he can take a quick snap of me and my NEW PB:Big Grin:. It turns out is IS who I thought it was Jiro aka Azure, funny how we had just talked yesterday about hitting the sand together. Fate? haha. When I reached him I saw he too had a Halibut on-land so we decided to do a group photo of our butts.:Secret: We talked for a few minutes, then I went back to my spot and he continued at his.
0725 NEW PB 26.5"
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0317.jpg
Yes I wear a tie when I fish,
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0319.jpg
I decide that since I have never eaten halibut before it is time to take this one home with me. I bury him in the sand, take a short water break, eat my banana and keep fishing. I cast out in the same spot and start to reel it in, as soon as I can feel the sandbar/upward slope of the sand, I slow my lure down to a crawl moving it about an inch every 2 seconds, feeling the slight tugs of my lure digging into the sand. Suddenly my lure stops, I feel shake shake, and off he goes! hahaha Another one on. I try to shout to Jiro but he is too far down the beach. I quickly land this little fella and am glad to put another butt on the sand.
0742 Little 15"
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0324.jpg
I can't believe my luck, 2 in a row! I decide I'm not going to change a thing, so after a quick picture I set him off to be with his family. I step into my old boot prints and try to cast exactly where I did before. Again I reel in at a steady pace until I feel the sand again, and slow it down to an almost dead stop. A few seconds go by where it is painstakingly slow, and my lure stops again...TWITCH TWITCH, bam I set the hook, and he is off again. HAHAHAHAHA It is such an awesome feeling, to know exactly when your about to get hit. I quickly bring him in take a photo.. As I look through the camera I do a double take and say, holy sh*t its the same fish! I look at my last fish and then at this one, and at first I am convinced it is the same fish. After I measure though, and get a good look at his tail I realize that they were different. Must have been sitting on the EXACT same spot though, blending into the background. I release the fish to to join his companions.
0746 16.5"
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0325.jpg
I am thinking- my luck can't get any better I have just caught 3 halibut back to back, and up until today I have only caught 8 within six months there is no way my day could get better. Fortunately for me.....I was wrong. I step up to bat again, and cast...again into the same spot. I reel until I feel sand, slow it down to a snails pace inch by inch. My lure stops SHAKE SHAKE, FISH ON!!! :LOL: This is crazy!!! By this time Jiro close enough to yell at, and I scream "you have to fish here!!!" I land my 4th butt for the day, and by the way he fought I was sure he was legal, but he wasn't :Crying: hahaha poor me right?
0752 almost 17" Helluva fighter!
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0326.jpg
I am out of breath with all the excitement, and decide to take a break to eat my PB&J. I tell Jiro where to fish, so he can join in on the fun. Unfortunately I seemed to have caught all the fish in the area. :Embarrassed: We worked the beach for another hour with no more bites.
CONCLUSION
This is a day I will never forget. Since it's my first time eating halibut, I might as well get my recipe from the best.... Thanks Arthur and the "Iron Chef" for the Hali-kabob recipe, I invited my parents over to dinner. I will add the cooked pictures tonight.
Here he is ready to be filleted, and with a better measuring tape
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0330.jpg
Thanks for reading,
Lucas
HERE ARE THE DINNER PHOTOS
Preperation
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0332.jpg
BBQ Warming up
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0333.jpg
Our cook for this evening
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0334.jpg
Almost Ready
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0335.jpg
Round 1
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0336.jpg
Round 2
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0337.jpg
And we only cooked half the fish, looking forward to more tomorrow!
Today was definitely my best Halibut day, in my short 6 month career as a Surf Fisherman. I put a lot of time on the sand and this is only my third legal. Hopefully this fish will get the ball rolling and be a sign of a great summer.:Envious: Sorry for the long report, but I am going to try and give lots of details.
AO: LA County
Water: 56-57
Air: Low 70's
Clarity: Crystal Clear, occasional piece of kelp. Became very kelpy after a couple hours
Waves: 2-3ft shore pounders, 9-12sec, got worse after a couple hours
Tide:High tide at 0800
Rod: Phenix XG3-Glass 7'9"
Reel: Abu Garcia Revo Inshore w/40lbs Suffix 832
Lure: IMA Gyodo 110MD Sardine
Scent: Pro Cure Calico Cocktail
I had found this spot earlier this year on google maps, and tried hitting it in early February but got skunked. I had talked to one of the life guards, who told me that they have seen people catch big halibut here in the past. I pushed the place to the back of my mind until last night. I was torn between a spot I had had some success at, or trying this spot again. Let's just say I made a good decision on where to fish today.
I parked around 0600 with all of my gear ready to go. I hit the sand and started moving north, staying a good distance back from the 3-foot trench right up at the water line. I could see the water was clear, but still dark out so I used a Red/Silver/Blue ima lure that I have had success with before the sun comes up, and in slightly murky water. I worked the beach for a couple an hour, with no love on the hardbait and decided to switch to my Kroc. I continued moving north with no bites and decided to hook on a Big Hammer in "sexy smelt". After almost an hour and a half with no bites, I wasn't feeling too hopeful but I was still enjoying being on the sand...It was a beautiful day.
I can see someone fly fishing down the beach with a nice big sunhat, and half finger gloves and I have a feeling I know who it is. I decide that since the sun is just beginning to hit the sand, to change to my Sardine ima gyodo 110MD, it works best in clear water and sunny skies. I find some nice structure and cast a few times in the vicinity looking for the "Right kind" of flat fish. A few casts in 3 feet away from me I get a BIG hit. HEAD SHAKES and then he is gone! I can't tell how big he is but he feels nice, and is putting up a crazy fight. After a few minutes I get him close enough to see it is easily my PB halibut. My heart starts to race, and he starts to suicide roll! :EyePop: I have never seen a fish go so crazy, flipping/shaking trying as hard as he can to throw the hook. I am trying to get my Lip Grippers out of my bag, when a BIG wave comes in, and he shoots up to the high tide mark. I quickly get him with the grip, and start walking toward the fly fisherman so he can take a quick snap of me and my NEW PB:Big Grin:. It turns out is IS who I thought it was Jiro aka Azure, funny how we had just talked yesterday about hitting the sand together. Fate? haha. When I reached him I saw he too had a Halibut on-land so we decided to do a group photo of our butts.:Secret: We talked for a few minutes, then I went back to my spot and he continued at his.
0725 NEW PB 26.5"
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0317.jpg
Yes I wear a tie when I fish,
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0319.jpg
I decide that since I have never eaten halibut before it is time to take this one home with me. I bury him in the sand, take a short water break, eat my banana and keep fishing. I cast out in the same spot and start to reel it in, as soon as I can feel the sandbar/upward slope of the sand, I slow my lure down to a crawl moving it about an inch every 2 seconds, feeling the slight tugs of my lure digging into the sand. Suddenly my lure stops, I feel shake shake, and off he goes! hahaha Another one on. I try to shout to Jiro but he is too far down the beach. I quickly land this little fella and am glad to put another butt on the sand.
0742 Little 15"
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0324.jpg
I can't believe my luck, 2 in a row! I decide I'm not going to change a thing, so after a quick picture I set him off to be with his family. I step into my old boot prints and try to cast exactly where I did before. Again I reel in at a steady pace until I feel the sand again, and slow it down to an almost dead stop. A few seconds go by where it is painstakingly slow, and my lure stops again...TWITCH TWITCH, bam I set the hook, and he is off again. HAHAHAHAHA It is such an awesome feeling, to know exactly when your about to get hit. I quickly bring him in take a photo.. As I look through the camera I do a double take and say, holy sh*t its the same fish! I look at my last fish and then at this one, and at first I am convinced it is the same fish. After I measure though, and get a good look at his tail I realize that they were different. Must have been sitting on the EXACT same spot though, blending into the background. I release the fish to to join his companions.
0746 16.5"
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0325.jpg
I am thinking- my luck can't get any better I have just caught 3 halibut back to back, and up until today I have only caught 8 within six months there is no way my day could get better. Fortunately for me.....I was wrong. I step up to bat again, and cast...again into the same spot. I reel until I feel sand, slow it down to a snails pace inch by inch. My lure stops SHAKE SHAKE, FISH ON!!! :LOL: This is crazy!!! By this time Jiro close enough to yell at, and I scream "you have to fish here!!!" I land my 4th butt for the day, and by the way he fought I was sure he was legal, but he wasn't :Crying: hahaha poor me right?
0752 almost 17" Helluva fighter!
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0326.jpg
I am out of breath with all the excitement, and decide to take a break to eat my PB&J. I tell Jiro where to fish, so he can join in on the fun. Unfortunately I seemed to have caught all the fish in the area. :Embarrassed: We worked the beach for another hour with no more bites.
CONCLUSION
This is a day I will never forget. Since it's my first time eating halibut, I might as well get my recipe from the best.... Thanks Arthur and the "Iron Chef" for the Hali-kabob recipe, I invited my parents over to dinner. I will add the cooked pictures tonight.
Here he is ready to be filleted, and with a better measuring tape
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0330.jpg
Thanks for reading,
Lucas
HERE ARE THE DINNER PHOTOS
Preperation
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0332.jpg
BBQ Warming up
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0333.jpg
Our cook for this evening
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0334.jpg
Almost Ready
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0335.jpg
Round 1
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0336.jpg
Round 2
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w397/tammyn77/IMG_0337.jpg
And we only cooked half the fish, looking forward to more tomorrow!