skunked4life
07-05-2012, 11:36 AM
Date and Time: 07/04 @ 7:15 a.m.
Conditions: gloomy
Gear: Shimano terex boy spinning 7'1" light action; shimano sedona spinning reel; 10lb power pro sliced to 8lb halo flourocarbon
Lures: Gulp camo sandworm, berkeley alive ghost shrimp, 3" big hammer ghost shrimp
Location: Newport
Well, I thought that I needed a well deserved break and decided to put in about 4 hours of fishing before getting ready to bbq for the 4th. Original plan was to get to the surf by 6am, but woke up late. Prepped my gear the night before so that I wouldn't forget anything (homage to smokehound).
Got out on the surf at 7:30 am and saw some guy bring in a legal flatty but I only brought one pole and did not want to re-tie for the LC. It was misting for about 45 minutes, overcast and gloomy. My first 45 minutes...nothing but putrid skunk.
At around 8:10ish, I got my first hit on 2" sandworm. Small BSP. At least I beat the skunk. 36052
Then, I decided to move. I had already covered about a mile of beach, but I was determined. Next spot, I hook up with about 10 small to medium BSPs. Even though I was using the 2" camo worm, they were biting them completely off! I switched from hammer rigging them to rigging them full body, leaving 1 cm of tail action...then I hook up with about 5 more in a row.
3605336054
All of a sudden, I was getting nothing but tiny walleyes : ( I actually hooked a small YFC next.
36055
Last fish of the surf session was a decent sized, I dunno about 11 inches???, BSP.
36056
I was going to call it a day, but I couldn't leave because the parade had the road closed. So, I did what any responsible person would do, I went across the street and threw for bay fish! I tied on a big hammer and on my first cast, snagged! Then, I tied on a Berkeley Ghost shrimp that I had bought because I was thinking that they are pre-scented and look cool. I cast it on top of the end of a boat dock...epic fail...or was it? I managed to get the ghost shrimp to drop off at the end of the dock, parallel to the dock. I slow retrieved, then stopped, then gave it a couple of tugs, then stopped...all of a sudden....wait for it.....hook up! Whatever it was, it fought hard. I managed to get it about 10 yards in front of me and it jumped out of the water. I thought it was a big croaker because I only saw the white underbelly. I brought it up and to my surprise, my first spottie on an artificial!
36057
36058
It wasn't too big, but I was excited nonetheless! Can't wait for my exam to be over so that I can go back more often. Thanks for reading and thanks to all for your supportive replies to my past posts (SP Dan, smokehound, 24/7, Karyn, murrietta angler, all anyone else I have not mentioned)!
Conditions: gloomy
Gear: Shimano terex boy spinning 7'1" light action; shimano sedona spinning reel; 10lb power pro sliced to 8lb halo flourocarbon
Lures: Gulp camo sandworm, berkeley alive ghost shrimp, 3" big hammer ghost shrimp
Location: Newport
Well, I thought that I needed a well deserved break and decided to put in about 4 hours of fishing before getting ready to bbq for the 4th. Original plan was to get to the surf by 6am, but woke up late. Prepped my gear the night before so that I wouldn't forget anything (homage to smokehound).
Got out on the surf at 7:30 am and saw some guy bring in a legal flatty but I only brought one pole and did not want to re-tie for the LC. It was misting for about 45 minutes, overcast and gloomy. My first 45 minutes...nothing but putrid skunk.
At around 8:10ish, I got my first hit on 2" sandworm. Small BSP. At least I beat the skunk. 36052
Then, I decided to move. I had already covered about a mile of beach, but I was determined. Next spot, I hook up with about 10 small to medium BSPs. Even though I was using the 2" camo worm, they were biting them completely off! I switched from hammer rigging them to rigging them full body, leaving 1 cm of tail action...then I hook up with about 5 more in a row.
3605336054
All of a sudden, I was getting nothing but tiny walleyes : ( I actually hooked a small YFC next.
36055
Last fish of the surf session was a decent sized, I dunno about 11 inches???, BSP.
36056
I was going to call it a day, but I couldn't leave because the parade had the road closed. So, I did what any responsible person would do, I went across the street and threw for bay fish! I tied on a big hammer and on my first cast, snagged! Then, I tied on a Berkeley Ghost shrimp that I had bought because I was thinking that they are pre-scented and look cool. I cast it on top of the end of a boat dock...epic fail...or was it? I managed to get the ghost shrimp to drop off at the end of the dock, parallel to the dock. I slow retrieved, then stopped, then gave it a couple of tugs, then stopped...all of a sudden....wait for it.....hook up! Whatever it was, it fought hard. I managed to get it about 10 yards in front of me and it jumped out of the water. I thought it was a big croaker because I only saw the white underbelly. I brought it up and to my surprise, my first spottie on an artificial!
36057
36058
It wasn't too big, but I was excited nonetheless! Can't wait for my exam to be over so that I can go back more often. Thanks for reading and thanks to all for your supportive replies to my past posts (SP Dan, smokehound, 24/7, Karyn, murrietta angler, all anyone else I have not mentioned)!