Nipple Twister
08-16-2013, 08:50 PM
It seems like half the battle has been the conditions, if not for the surf or the salad or even the tide based on the time available to fish but we just fight harder and march forward............lots of short halibut, Croakers (Colonel and Corporal).
I have even spent precious Vacation Time from work ( I have the coolest boss) trying to maximize on the predicted conditions and MAKE something huge happen which I tried to do yesterday at a southern AO. Pouring over stats, conditions, what area likes what type of tide.....yadda, yadda, yadda..........I picked that spot and made a very early attempt, walking out to the water I was greeted by less then optimum water..........no worries press on, brought to the sand was two short Halibuts and one 15" YFC which cost me one LC which got hung up in the structure and had to cut it off............:Explode:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/null_zps39f04ba6.jpg (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/nippletwister_photos/media/Fishing/null_zps39f04ba6.jpg.html)
If you read skunked4life's report you will see we crossed paths, I caught up with him on the sand, he was hard at it and was explaining all the "ins and outs' of this AO which was very impressive but one thing I did take away from that session was Ken's attitude......don't force it, let it come.....just keep at it. Well done grasshopper, you have learned well my son and have chosen wisely...........thx
So, with Ken getting my head back to perspective I decided I would make another attempt the next day but this time I wasn't going to decide "where" until I was pulling out of the driveway..............couple of freeways later I was at one of my most favorite spots. As I was getting dressed I could hear the strangest thing...nothing. From the parking area you can usually hear the surf but today nadda, S W E E T.........
Date: Fri, Aug 16, 2013
Time: 0430-0800
AO: Northern Orange County beach
Predicted Conditions: Waves 1 ft or less, tide was almost 3 ft positive peaking at sunrise and then outgoing.
Water: Crystal Clear with no salad
Weather: Overcast, foggy but mild
Water temp; dunno, but seemed cooler then norm
Bait: Lucky Craft Flashminnow tied to 50 lb braid spooled to a Daiwa Luna 253L attached to a 7' Carrot Stix
Fish Count: 3 short Halibut and one 25" Halibut :Big Grin:
Making my way thru the dark with only the white dot of light from my headlamp leading the way I get to waters edge and begin flinging into the vast darkness..........I know this AO very well but it still reqiured careful reel control to cast in the dark timing the landing just right to stop the spool to avoid the overrun..........with waves barely splashing my knees I was getting clean smooth retrieves back weedless........less then ten minutes I get hit and shaaaaaaaake less then 20 ft in front of me. Was kinda odd not having the waves to help get the fish to sand but this one helped by skimming in the last 10 feet.......
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/null_zpsdf5d7b04.jpg (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/nippletwister_photos/media/Fishing/null_zpsdf5d7b04.jpg.html)
Sorry about the crappy pic.....new camera is in the mail so I will limit the shorty pics, you get the idea huh?
With a quick pic and release I was back to flinging as I worked my way further south..........shortly I get "bump, bump, bump" which I let it have for a second or two and then BAM, FISH ON!
Another short Halibut so with a quick flick it's unbuttoned and back for another day.........nobody else on the beach out here in the dark so turn up the volume and Rock On!
I soon noticed another angler, all I could make out was the profile, I can tell they are wearing a backpack so I make my way over to see if it one of the "boys".
Enjoyin this stellar water and clean retrieves has me giggling to myself and just then BAM.....FISH ON!!!!!!!! Big head shake and drag going out......"nice".
Trying to see what the line is doing in the dark and also minding the drag to avoid coming unlatched was a rush and after several attempts to get it to sand without the assist of the waves I got:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/null_zps00826ae5.jpg (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/nippletwister_photos/media/Fishing/null_zps00826ae5.jpg.html)
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/null_zps182f4368.jpg (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/nippletwister_photos/media/Fishing/null_zps182f4368.jpg.html)
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/null_zpsb6fbe75f.jpg (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/nippletwister_photos/media/Fishing/null_zpsb6fbe75f.jpg.html)
YEAH BABY!!!!!!!!!!
KIA, this one will be for the dinner table.........
At this point I was thinking, I gotta call Pontoon and get him down here............as I secure my catch, it was getting light out as I made my way further down the beach I came across another fellow FNNer, we exchanged some intel and agreed to meet again at HG5....see you then my friend.
Far in the distance I could see a familiar profile standing in the the surf which I quickly realize it's Pontoon! With a quick greeting we get back to work, flinging that AO over hard..........one or two more shortys, not really sure of his fish count but we both where getting fish. I decided I needed to get this fish to ice so I bid Terry goodbye and left him there.........it was hard to walk away, fishing with a true legend in conditions I haven't seen in a long time......sweet, and now my phone is burning up with Ken's induction news.......ain't it cool?????
Now, this is just a "prototype" but the following is my first attempt at a video report:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/th_77907644-3E47-45D2-911E-284A41A922AB-851-00000118EB154BE0_zps2ef5b61c.jpg (http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/77907644-3E47-45D2-911E-284A41A922AB-851-00000118EB154BE0_zps2ef5b61c.mp4)
Thanks for reading, 'til next time.....tight lines everyone.........
Update:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/null_zps395281c7.jpg (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/nippletwister_photos/media/Fishing/null_zps395281c7.jpg.html)
I have even spent precious Vacation Time from work ( I have the coolest boss) trying to maximize on the predicted conditions and MAKE something huge happen which I tried to do yesterday at a southern AO. Pouring over stats, conditions, what area likes what type of tide.....yadda, yadda, yadda..........I picked that spot and made a very early attempt, walking out to the water I was greeted by less then optimum water..........no worries press on, brought to the sand was two short Halibuts and one 15" YFC which cost me one LC which got hung up in the structure and had to cut it off............:Explode:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/null_zps39f04ba6.jpg (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/nippletwister_photos/media/Fishing/null_zps39f04ba6.jpg.html)
If you read skunked4life's report you will see we crossed paths, I caught up with him on the sand, he was hard at it and was explaining all the "ins and outs' of this AO which was very impressive but one thing I did take away from that session was Ken's attitude......don't force it, let it come.....just keep at it. Well done grasshopper, you have learned well my son and have chosen wisely...........thx
So, with Ken getting my head back to perspective I decided I would make another attempt the next day but this time I wasn't going to decide "where" until I was pulling out of the driveway..............couple of freeways later I was at one of my most favorite spots. As I was getting dressed I could hear the strangest thing...nothing. From the parking area you can usually hear the surf but today nadda, S W E E T.........
Date: Fri, Aug 16, 2013
Time: 0430-0800
AO: Northern Orange County beach
Predicted Conditions: Waves 1 ft or less, tide was almost 3 ft positive peaking at sunrise and then outgoing.
Water: Crystal Clear with no salad
Weather: Overcast, foggy but mild
Water temp; dunno, but seemed cooler then norm
Bait: Lucky Craft Flashminnow tied to 50 lb braid spooled to a Daiwa Luna 253L attached to a 7' Carrot Stix
Fish Count: 3 short Halibut and one 25" Halibut :Big Grin:
Making my way thru the dark with only the white dot of light from my headlamp leading the way I get to waters edge and begin flinging into the vast darkness..........I know this AO very well but it still reqiured careful reel control to cast in the dark timing the landing just right to stop the spool to avoid the overrun..........with waves barely splashing my knees I was getting clean smooth retrieves back weedless........less then ten minutes I get hit and shaaaaaaaake less then 20 ft in front of me. Was kinda odd not having the waves to help get the fish to sand but this one helped by skimming in the last 10 feet.......
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/null_zpsdf5d7b04.jpg (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/nippletwister_photos/media/Fishing/null_zpsdf5d7b04.jpg.html)
Sorry about the crappy pic.....new camera is in the mail so I will limit the shorty pics, you get the idea huh?
With a quick pic and release I was back to flinging as I worked my way further south..........shortly I get "bump, bump, bump" which I let it have for a second or two and then BAM, FISH ON!
Another short Halibut so with a quick flick it's unbuttoned and back for another day.........nobody else on the beach out here in the dark so turn up the volume and Rock On!
I soon noticed another angler, all I could make out was the profile, I can tell they are wearing a backpack so I make my way over to see if it one of the "boys".
Enjoyin this stellar water and clean retrieves has me giggling to myself and just then BAM.....FISH ON!!!!!!!! Big head shake and drag going out......"nice".
Trying to see what the line is doing in the dark and also minding the drag to avoid coming unlatched was a rush and after several attempts to get it to sand without the assist of the waves I got:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/null_zps00826ae5.jpg (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/nippletwister_photos/media/Fishing/null_zps00826ae5.jpg.html)
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/null_zps182f4368.jpg (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/nippletwister_photos/media/Fishing/null_zps182f4368.jpg.html)
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/null_zpsb6fbe75f.jpg (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/nippletwister_photos/media/Fishing/null_zpsb6fbe75f.jpg.html)
YEAH BABY!!!!!!!!!!
KIA, this one will be for the dinner table.........
At this point I was thinking, I gotta call Pontoon and get him down here............as I secure my catch, it was getting light out as I made my way further down the beach I came across another fellow FNNer, we exchanged some intel and agreed to meet again at HG5....see you then my friend.
Far in the distance I could see a familiar profile standing in the the surf which I quickly realize it's Pontoon! With a quick greeting we get back to work, flinging that AO over hard..........one or two more shortys, not really sure of his fish count but we both where getting fish. I decided I needed to get this fish to ice so I bid Terry goodbye and left him there.........it was hard to walk away, fishing with a true legend in conditions I haven't seen in a long time......sweet, and now my phone is burning up with Ken's induction news.......ain't it cool?????
Now, this is just a "prototype" but the following is my first attempt at a video report:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/th_77907644-3E47-45D2-911E-284A41A922AB-851-00000118EB154BE0_zps2ef5b61c.jpg (http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/77907644-3E47-45D2-911E-284A41A922AB-851-00000118EB154BE0_zps2ef5b61c.mp4)
Thanks for reading, 'til next time.....tight lines everyone.........
Update:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w64/nippletwister_photos/Fishing/null_zps395281c7.jpg (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/nippletwister_photos/media/Fishing/null_zps395281c7.jpg.html)