Out of lockdown and back in action! NOC 10/5

[LuckyCraft420]

The passed few months I've been fishing minimum 4 days a week. But after an incident with my roommate and refusing to pay my full rent amount. All my gear has been on lockdown because he illegally changed the locks on me. Needless to say, after a week straight without fishing, I was ready!

A.O. The Play Ground
Time 0500-1100hrs
Vegetation nearly non-existent
Tide 2 hours pre-low
Air temp 59
Water temp 66

I got to the beach and start rummaging through the trunk to grab gear and set up my rod. I quickly notice that I still had braid on the reel I wanted to use, but didn't want to use the braid (didn't have tape lining the spool and it wasn't peeling drag properly). So I put on a 15 year old cheaply shimano I got as a gift when I was 10. It had 8lb test on it and the drag still worked, so I figured why not.

Got down to the water and searched for a sand crab beds, only to disappointed. So I started with camo crack instead. Throw out the first cast, then looked down and see that I literally had no line left in the reel -_-. I thought about going back to the car to grab the President, but I decided I would fish on until I got spooled (probably 40 yards on the reel). The nibbles started right away, and followed with lots of 3-5" BSP. After a hour of dinkfest, I really wanted to put on an LC, but with the lack of line issue, I didn't think it would be worth it since I couldn't work a large area. I decided to change things up. New bait was a 2" new penny gulp shrimp (if sand worms is crack, this should be called heroin). First cast with it, I got slammed before I could reel in the slack. Ended up being a strong fighting, 8-9"er. I'm now at the end of the zone I like to work, and start making my way back. (This A.O I like to walk back and forth between a 100 yard stretch, rather than walking a long distance). Kept on casting and the action remained steady, but still working on finding that 12+ "er.

0730 hrs. After getting the tails bitten off a handful of gulp shrimp, the sand crabs finally started to show up. Tried fishing them for 30 mins and only got a few nibbles.

0800 hrs. The sun is trying to break through the marine layer, but the water visibility still isn't very clear. So I switched baits up to the 2" Nuclear Chicken gulp shrimp. As a junkie always does, the fish started biting away trying to get there fix. The next 2 hours went by as I'm plucking 7-10"er out of the water.

1000 hrs. My stomach started rumbling, and decided to start heading out. As I'm walking back to the car, I see 2 anglers just showing up and decided to walk over to say hello. I casted out while talking with them and caught the my biggest fish of the day. Wasn't a 12"er, but this fatty 10" perch I'm sure fought just as hard. Since I was continuing on to fish a little more I want to try the neglected MORF perch grubs I've had in the bag for a while. Over 40 mins I got lots of nibbles, but did get anything to stick. Then cleaned things up and headed to the car. Lost count of the fish by 8am (side effects).

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/Kens066.jpg
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/Kens058.jpg
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/Kens060.jpg

Since I was continuing on to fish a little more I want to try the neglected MORF perch grubs I've had in the bag for a while. Over 40 mins I got lots of nibbles, but did get anything to stick. Then cleaned things up and headed to the car. Lost count of the fish by 8am (side effects).

The rest of these pictures are from passed reports. Since I cant post pictures from an Iphone, I finally have access to a computer :D Enjoy the rest.

I took this low tide picture so I would have a structural referrence during high tide. Feel free to point and life at the snaggers up on the bridge when you drive by them, haha
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/Kens064.jpg

Just another bsp
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/Kens061.jpg

Personal Best 25"er
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/1346910292.jpg
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/1346910297.jpg

Fishing with John, Joel, and Robert.
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/Kens028.jpg

My biggest fish caught at the Fish Off -_-
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/Kens049.jpg

21 3/4"s released to fight another day
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/Kens027.jpg

Not sure what this was, but they sure do love sand crabs!
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/Kens032.jpg

Sargo?
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/Kens030.jpg


***I know these arent Surf related, who doesnt like fish porn?***

Personal Best 14lb Rainbow Trout from last season (also backed it up with a 7lb 2ounce the same day)
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/Kens007.jpg

Personal Best 2lb 1ounce Bluegil caught off my buddies back patio in July
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx221/nim_ken/Kens022.jpg

[Nipple Twister]

......... and nice report, way to stick it out..........improvise, adapt and overcome.........well done! :Thumbs Up:

[bachiboy]

Nice work on the perch! Good to hear that you got back to your gear...I'm sure with more drama than you or anyone would want to deal with.

One thing about what you line your spool with. Be careful of what type of tape you use. Some tapes, masking tape for instance, can get gummy over time and end up coating some of your spectra (might have been from heat). I found out the hard way when I stripped down one of my reels to wash off the spectra after not doing it for a few years (yes, I got lazy). You can spool a couple layers of mono on the base of the spool and splice the spectra to that before refilling...that should prevent the slippage. Just my 2¢...hope it helps.

Congrats again on getting out there!
Don


Revise after your reposting of picts...
Good job on a VERY nice assortment of fish...and the legal flattie to boot!:Wink:

[Which Way Out]

Nice fish porn.

Also glad the lock down didn't get to far out of hand. Things like that can go sour fast.

WWO

[cutty]

Nice stuff. That first mysto fish is a señorita. And the others a blacksmith perch I believe.
That big barred perch will come.

[smokehound]

Your "bluegill" is actually a nice fat red-ear sunfish.

Your room-mate's a punk. :LOL:

[LuckyCraft420]

Thanks for the ID smoke hound. All the pan fish in that lake were huge, including the crappie.

I agree. I'm sure he has a lot of bad karma coming his way

[SP Dan]

You are really causing some damage out there in the trenches! :Thumbs Up: WTG!

Thanx for the great fish report w/ pic's! :Cool:

SP Dan <"))><

[Wingnut]

Lucky he didn't try to sell your gear to make up for the rent... :Shocked: :Wink:
Congrats on the fat Perch and legal Hali.
See you at the HG4 event. :Cool:

[dbbspider]

Thanks for sharing the cool catch pics.