skunked4life
08-12-2013, 08:36 AM
Prologue:
405 closures and limited schedules with the baby and toddler going back to school soon makes fishing tough. That doesn't mean it can't be fun. With the Chronarch giving me so much maintenance woes, I have been looking for a new reel. Bachiboy and his infinite product reviews and bargain hunting skills got me in the direction of a round caster. Of course, he tried to convince me to sway from Shimano and go Daiwa. After months of looking for the right deal, I made two offers to two different individuals. One for a Luna and one for a Calcutta. The Calcutta came through at an unbelievable price and the reel was in very good condition. Time to fish!
Saturday 08/10:
AO: Classified
Time: 5:30ish (around grey light)
Swells: 1 to 3 feet
Water Temp: about 60 degrees
Misc Conditions: Salad city, gloom and doom
Gear: Me-Shimano Clarus 7ft casting and Shimano Calcutta 200 te gt loaded with 30 lb power pro. SP Dan-bling bling Van Staal and St. Croix Avids.
Dan and I have had so much fun skunking it up together that we decided to have a go at it. The 405 north is closed at the time that I want to travel so north was out of the question given my limited window to fish. Dan says that he will come down here. With reports of a WSB (way to go Robert!), you know that I can't resist. We meet up at the AO and gear up. Headed on down and started casting. My first 5 casts or so were for the sole purposes of dialing in the reel. Never used a round reel before but I got the hang of it quickly. Unfortunately, I am stuck on 3 brakes for now. I see Dan casting away and pulling in salad every cast! I found a spot about 15 feet from him and was able to bring in clean retrieves. On about the 10th cast or so, I get slammed hard. Yes! Head shakes galore! Yes! I see splashes of white underbelly! Noooooo! Its a butterfly ray...:Sad: Taped out at about 23 to 24 inches.
42293
Started casting again. I see two young men fishing next to Dan. Dan, as always, persistent and smiling, looks over at me, shrugs and begins his trek south of me. I decide to stay put. Next cast, something jumps out of the water and slams my lure hard! Its not a butt nor croaker. What is it? It puts up a fantastic but short fight! I bring it in and what do I see? My first ever Sand Bass from the surf! Taped out at a little shy of 14inches.
42294
Lots of bait fish but just too much salad. I decide that my alley was the only spot to fish the rest of the morning. The two young men that were fishing near Dan before he took off south approached me. "What are you using for bait?" asked the teenager. I told him LC Flashminnow. He was using sandcrabs. I wondered where he got sand crabs from in this AO??? I begin fishing again and am getting hit left and right but no one wanted to commit. Then, I feel a smal thud. I reel it in and its my first short of the day! Didn't bother taping.
42295
The young men lloked at me with amazement. I went over there and I told the older kid (Brett - I think) to tie on one of my lures. I only had 2 Flashminnows, so I gave him a brand new LC Pointer that I had upgraded the hooks for. The guys were excited! Brett thanks me and tells me that he will return it after he was done. I said for him to keep it and go bug Dan on how to fish it. Don't get the wrong idea, I wasn't trying to get rid of them. Dan was fishing more sandy areas and I thought that the perch might be hitting down where Dan was. Super stoked, they make a run for Dan.
42296
Fished another half hour and Dan and I decide to travel north of the area. We cast about another hour before I decide to go back to the original salad free spot. Dan hooks up after I leave with a short. I hooked up immediately thereafter with a another short. No pics of these two. Were trying to maximize time at this point. Another half an hour and we call it for the day. Total tally for points = 3! Slow and steady wins the race!
Sunday 08/11:
Headed out to another AO where I seem to have luck with the larger perch. I am looknig at mutiple small point sessions as my strategy. I know that this AO also has alot of calicos. I get there and start casting and see TONS of bait fish. This looks good! The swells were manageable but every ten or so sets and a rogue wave hits. This AO has tried to take me down and successfully done so at least 3 times now. We would see how the new reel stands up. After about 15 casts, I get a strike. Its a huge YFC but I only managed to farm it in about 2 feet in front of me before it comes unbuttoned. It was so close that I could just reach out and pick it up but I was standing near a boiler rock and a wave splash me full frontal! Checked my reel and it was fine. Start casting again. All of a sudden, I am backlashing on every cast. I adjust, adjust and adjust but nothing is working. I know that it is not the brakes or tension knob. The line has dug itself too deep in a certain part of the spool and I can't seem to manage getting it out. So, I just start casting shorter distances. I manage three small BSP about 12 inches and call it a day. Fun recon! So excited to get out again.
Epilogue:
In retrospect, I have figured out the error in my ways. I was so excited to try out the new reel that I took it to a big box sporting goods store to get new line. They offered to spool me up. The kid took my reel and after I returned from browsing, I saw that instead of using the machine to spool, he had the line wrapped around his leg and was packing on the line as tightly as he could. So, after I remembered this, I started to peel out the line at home. After about 70 yards of line, I see where it has dug so deep that the spool would backlash. Lesson learned: Support your local tackle stores - they are simply much more knowledgeable than the big box stores. Also, take you time to inspect your equipment personally.
Dan, I had alot of fun on Saturday. Your jokes never get old. You crack me up my friend! :ROFL::ROFL::ROFL: Thank you for letting me fish with you! Until next time...
42297
405 closures and limited schedules with the baby and toddler going back to school soon makes fishing tough. That doesn't mean it can't be fun. With the Chronarch giving me so much maintenance woes, I have been looking for a new reel. Bachiboy and his infinite product reviews and bargain hunting skills got me in the direction of a round caster. Of course, he tried to convince me to sway from Shimano and go Daiwa. After months of looking for the right deal, I made two offers to two different individuals. One for a Luna and one for a Calcutta. The Calcutta came through at an unbelievable price and the reel was in very good condition. Time to fish!
Saturday 08/10:
AO: Classified
Time: 5:30ish (around grey light)
Swells: 1 to 3 feet
Water Temp: about 60 degrees
Misc Conditions: Salad city, gloom and doom
Gear: Me-Shimano Clarus 7ft casting and Shimano Calcutta 200 te gt loaded with 30 lb power pro. SP Dan-bling bling Van Staal and St. Croix Avids.
Dan and I have had so much fun skunking it up together that we decided to have a go at it. The 405 north is closed at the time that I want to travel so north was out of the question given my limited window to fish. Dan says that he will come down here. With reports of a WSB (way to go Robert!), you know that I can't resist. We meet up at the AO and gear up. Headed on down and started casting. My first 5 casts or so were for the sole purposes of dialing in the reel. Never used a round reel before but I got the hang of it quickly. Unfortunately, I am stuck on 3 brakes for now. I see Dan casting away and pulling in salad every cast! I found a spot about 15 feet from him and was able to bring in clean retrieves. On about the 10th cast or so, I get slammed hard. Yes! Head shakes galore! Yes! I see splashes of white underbelly! Noooooo! Its a butterfly ray...:Sad: Taped out at about 23 to 24 inches.
42293
Started casting again. I see two young men fishing next to Dan. Dan, as always, persistent and smiling, looks over at me, shrugs and begins his trek south of me. I decide to stay put. Next cast, something jumps out of the water and slams my lure hard! Its not a butt nor croaker. What is it? It puts up a fantastic but short fight! I bring it in and what do I see? My first ever Sand Bass from the surf! Taped out at a little shy of 14inches.
42294
Lots of bait fish but just too much salad. I decide that my alley was the only spot to fish the rest of the morning. The two young men that were fishing near Dan before he took off south approached me. "What are you using for bait?" asked the teenager. I told him LC Flashminnow. He was using sandcrabs. I wondered where he got sand crabs from in this AO??? I begin fishing again and am getting hit left and right but no one wanted to commit. Then, I feel a smal thud. I reel it in and its my first short of the day! Didn't bother taping.
42295
The young men lloked at me with amazement. I went over there and I told the older kid (Brett - I think) to tie on one of my lures. I only had 2 Flashminnows, so I gave him a brand new LC Pointer that I had upgraded the hooks for. The guys were excited! Brett thanks me and tells me that he will return it after he was done. I said for him to keep it and go bug Dan on how to fish it. Don't get the wrong idea, I wasn't trying to get rid of them. Dan was fishing more sandy areas and I thought that the perch might be hitting down where Dan was. Super stoked, they make a run for Dan.
42296
Fished another half hour and Dan and I decide to travel north of the area. We cast about another hour before I decide to go back to the original salad free spot. Dan hooks up after I leave with a short. I hooked up immediately thereafter with a another short. No pics of these two. Were trying to maximize time at this point. Another half an hour and we call it for the day. Total tally for points = 3! Slow and steady wins the race!
Sunday 08/11:
Headed out to another AO where I seem to have luck with the larger perch. I am looknig at mutiple small point sessions as my strategy. I know that this AO also has alot of calicos. I get there and start casting and see TONS of bait fish. This looks good! The swells were manageable but every ten or so sets and a rogue wave hits. This AO has tried to take me down and successfully done so at least 3 times now. We would see how the new reel stands up. After about 15 casts, I get a strike. Its a huge YFC but I only managed to farm it in about 2 feet in front of me before it comes unbuttoned. It was so close that I could just reach out and pick it up but I was standing near a boiler rock and a wave splash me full frontal! Checked my reel and it was fine. Start casting again. All of a sudden, I am backlashing on every cast. I adjust, adjust and adjust but nothing is working. I know that it is not the brakes or tension knob. The line has dug itself too deep in a certain part of the spool and I can't seem to manage getting it out. So, I just start casting shorter distances. I manage three small BSP about 12 inches and call it a day. Fun recon! So excited to get out again.
Epilogue:
In retrospect, I have figured out the error in my ways. I was so excited to try out the new reel that I took it to a big box sporting goods store to get new line. They offered to spool me up. The kid took my reel and after I returned from browsing, I saw that instead of using the machine to spool, he had the line wrapped around his leg and was packing on the line as tightly as he could. So, after I remembered this, I started to peel out the line at home. After about 70 yards of line, I see where it has dug so deep that the spool would backlash. Lesson learned: Support your local tackle stores - they are simply much more knowledgeable than the big box stores. Also, take you time to inspect your equipment personally.
Dan, I had alot of fun on Saturday. Your jokes never get old. You crack me up my friend! :ROFL::ROFL::ROFL: Thank you for letting me fish with you! Until next time...
42297