Tunaslam
06-16-2012, 03:50 PM
Fishing for the first time with Brad, Sat. 6-16-12, on his boat, a 22’ Shamrock, the “Pacific Predator”. We left Brad’s slip in Long Beach at 5:00 am, our beginning destination being the Pipe in Newport Beach.
As we exited the Harbor, the seas were fairly calm, with virtually no swell. It was a pleasant ride out to our first stop on some stones on the Huntington Beach Flats.
The Bass fishing was slow, a few small Sand Bass and an occasional Calico Bass here and there. We made numerous drifts and picked away at the Bass. We continued on to the Pipe which had some great meter marks on our first arrival; however the Bass just didn’t want to go on the chew.
We worked various depths and caught a few Sand Bass, yet nothing picture worthy. Brad got a call from a friend on the water and stated that the Barracuda were going off west of Izor’s Reef. So we headed north to join the fleet.
We joined the armada and slid in on to some diving birds. I threw out my Tady C Blue and White single hook Iron and got bit numerous times, yet could not set the hook? Brad was using a Mega Bait lure to no avail. We hailed Brad’s friend and they said they were not having any luck on the Barracuda; however the Sand Bass were on the chew!
We both dropped down some plastics and placed then in the rod holders, while casting our Barracuda lures. I continued to get bit on my Iron, but could not get a good hook set. Then Brad gets bit on his Iron and lands our first Barracuda. Shortly thereafter both of our Plastics are bit, and each of us comes up with a 3 to 3+ pound Sand Bass.
Brad with a 3 pound Sand Bass, the sun was quite a glare:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_2187640x480.jpg
Myself with a decent size Sand Bass:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_2189640x480.jpg
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/photo-bass-06-16-12.jpg
We caught several more Sand Bass as we worked our lures for Barracuda. The birds were diving everywhere, and underneath them were Barracuda boils. I finally hooked a Barracuda that stuck, only it was just legal, 28.5 inches and we released it. Another cast into a frenzy of birds diving and boils under them, and I get bit again this time there is no doubt, it is a good size Barracuda:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_2193640x480.jpg
We watched both Sport Boat anglers and private boaters with bait getting bit time after time. It was a day for bait fishing. Even the few fish we caught spit up Anchovies when caught. We added more Sand Bass to our count, although all were released. The Barracuda seemed to die out at high noon just as the popcorn started to arrive. We took a look around, metered some bait schools and threw some plastics for nada. Called it a day at high noon, with the wind now blowing an easy 12 knots. We finished with just over 20 mixed Bass and three Barracuda, not too bad a day?
Thanks Brad, it was great meeting you, thanks so much for the ride, I had a blast, lets do it again soon!
Hook up! Cory
As we exited the Harbor, the seas were fairly calm, with virtually no swell. It was a pleasant ride out to our first stop on some stones on the Huntington Beach Flats.
The Bass fishing was slow, a few small Sand Bass and an occasional Calico Bass here and there. We made numerous drifts and picked away at the Bass. We continued on to the Pipe which had some great meter marks on our first arrival; however the Bass just didn’t want to go on the chew.
We worked various depths and caught a few Sand Bass, yet nothing picture worthy. Brad got a call from a friend on the water and stated that the Barracuda were going off west of Izor’s Reef. So we headed north to join the fleet.
We joined the armada and slid in on to some diving birds. I threw out my Tady C Blue and White single hook Iron and got bit numerous times, yet could not set the hook? Brad was using a Mega Bait lure to no avail. We hailed Brad’s friend and they said they were not having any luck on the Barracuda; however the Sand Bass were on the chew!
We both dropped down some plastics and placed then in the rod holders, while casting our Barracuda lures. I continued to get bit on my Iron, but could not get a good hook set. Then Brad gets bit on his Iron and lands our first Barracuda. Shortly thereafter both of our Plastics are bit, and each of us comes up with a 3 to 3+ pound Sand Bass.
Brad with a 3 pound Sand Bass, the sun was quite a glare:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_2187640x480.jpg
Myself with a decent size Sand Bass:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_2189640x480.jpg
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/photo-bass-06-16-12.jpg
We caught several more Sand Bass as we worked our lures for Barracuda. The birds were diving everywhere, and underneath them were Barracuda boils. I finally hooked a Barracuda that stuck, only it was just legal, 28.5 inches and we released it. Another cast into a frenzy of birds diving and boils under them, and I get bit again this time there is no doubt, it is a good size Barracuda:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/100_2193640x480.jpg
We watched both Sport Boat anglers and private boaters with bait getting bit time after time. It was a day for bait fishing. Even the few fish we caught spit up Anchovies when caught. We added more Sand Bass to our count, although all were released. The Barracuda seemed to die out at high noon just as the popcorn started to arrive. We took a look around, metered some bait schools and threw some plastics for nada. Called it a day at high noon, with the wind now blowing an easy 12 knots. We finished with just over 20 mixed Bass and three Barracuda, not too bad a day?
Thanks Brad, it was great meeting you, thanks so much for the ride, I had a blast, lets do it again soon!
Hook up! Cory