9/18/13 Great day to be on the sand and new PB...

[SoCalMike5657]

Howdy everyone, I had the day off so I decided to take the women to work and hit the surf. Arrived on the sand at about 7am later than I wanted but it's fine. I rigged up my Aurora Black Minnow LC on to my Revo Toro NaCl / Phenix 808 combo I was using 65lb power pro with a 25lb floro leader. I started launching that bad boy up along the side of the small jetty and was going to work my way south to the big jetty. About 6 cast in I had hooked up 2 times and both had shook lose. After some more walking and casting I land my skunk buster an ok sized perch.

http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w550/SoCalMike5657/6A8092F5-5236-47D3-95D6-E9D243FBCEA8-556-0000006426D46D48_zps1f3b5d36.jpg

Then came the sniper shot lol

Can you say HEAD SHOT lol
http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w550/SoCalMike5657/06B09339-74AB-4915-AA82-41C5F28E4A9E-556-000000644105A036_zps3b798d72.jpg

Then it slowed down a bit another perch here and there but about mid way from both jetties I feel a thump and kept reeling and felt my rod loaded up a bit but no sign of life so I figured weeds about 2 secs into thinking that bam fish on it takes off running I tightened up the drag a bit more and landed a YFC as I beached it it spit the LC so I ran to try to beat the incoming wave as I was coming up on it I knew I was not going to make it but I still tried I managed to pin it down with my boot and let the wave pass man was I lucky lol picked him up and snapped some pics and released it.

http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w550/SoCalMike5657/12010FF8-FFC6-49CF-9543-FF8EEEE50F65-556-000000643820863B_zpsd8b9cc6c.jpg

From there up too the big jetty it was dead. Went on the south side of the big jetty and nothing kept walking and casting and started to see SNGF. A few more cast and BENDO what ever it was it starts peeling off line I tightened the drag and started to gain some line on it then a few more runs and I knew it was a SNGF. A few mins after beached it and got it out of the waves. I'm going to say it was like a 3 footer or 3ft 6 inches.

http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w550/SoCalMike5657/7657CD5B-AD5F-48CC-8230-554E21B2BAC7-556-000000644741D937_zps2037cf84.jpg

Moved down a few feet and kept casting and I was about waist deep when to my right about 5 feet away from me I see a big shadow I'm talking about big it was maybe 4 or 5 feet long and I was like wow time to back out the water a bit lol as I'm backing that beast crosses a clear patch of water and low and behold it was a big fat Leo. I start to cast in its general area to see if it would be interested in playing but nothing so I call it quits and keep moving as my time is coming to an end I decided to go back to where I last saw that Leo and start randomly casting. Well it's funny how when you've fished long enough it all is just like second nature lol you could be talking to someone looking at something, running your feet through the sand anything but when you feel that thump it's instant you set the hook and reel lol well in my case I was messing with some sea shells trying to flip them over with my boot as I'm reeling in my LC and I'm looking down at the shells .............BAM massive hit and run something hits my LC like a freight train going the opposite way and I still looking at the shells set the hook start reeling and THEN looked up lol. Then the tug of war started it peeled off about 1/2 of my line most of it was cus I was just standing resting as it pulled cus I was scared of having my LC hooks straighten out and losing this beast so after 30 mins of playing tug of war I finally could see the beast it was a big fat Leo. A few mins later I finally beached it brought it up to the dry sand to tape it and snap some pics and released it.

4ft 6inches new PB
http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w550/SoCalMike5657/A3E905C4-B456-4B9B-8234-9961B116DCF3-556-0000006478864AB9_zps7e420be3.jpg

http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w550/SoCalMike5657/B478A436-508C-425A-AEF1-02C0469B998A-556-000000648066DB3B_zpsca4ee281.jpg

http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w550/SoCalMike5657/E657F742-0732-49B6-A7E7-979B1687E4E8-556-00000064DB0136E4_zps6dbc48df.jpg

http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w550/SoCalMike5657/CBFA8983-C073-459B-B080-2F61CC50E2FC-556-00000064C9DD6FA6_zps2c39552b.jpg

http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w550/SoCalMike5657/4B2C04DD-BA25-445D-99A6-A8180DA93B30-556-0000007F29212C67_zpsd9887026.jpg

All in all it was a good day also I love my new rig it's my new go to rig for almost everything inshore I'm a happy camper lol. Hope you all enjoy the report and have an awesome day.

Strength In Knots
Mike

[SP Dan]

Hey SoCalMike5657,

Perch, SNGF and Leos ...... a 54" PB Leo! :Thumbs Up: WTG!!
Where at on the Leo did you end up hooking it? What a battle ..... :EyePop: eh!?!?!

I remember my PB 55" Leo like it was yesterday! It ended up snapping my Shimano rod as I pulled it up the sand.
I foul hooked it at the very tail end of it's 2nd or rear dorsal fin, as close to the tail as you can get! I couldn't turn it's head, had to PTO :EyePop: it in backwards!

Thanx for the fun read, the memories and all of the great photos! :Cool:

I hope to meet you at HG-5!

SP Dan <"))>< "The Danimal"!

[dkinla]

sweet setup and congrats on the nice variety of fish and your PB Leo! that must've been an awesome fight!!

[SoCalMike5657]

I hooked up with it right on the nose lol I can't say it was a fair hook up cus it was not on the mouth. The battle man lol you got that right I won't be forgetting that bad boy lol. Oh wow that sucks but on the bright side that rod went out with a bang lol if I were a rod that's how id like to go out lol good thing you were still able to land that sucker. I think it's way harder to land a Leo that tail hooked seeing how first you can't short pump it to turn its head and all the thrashing from the Leo's tail trying to swim away my last Leo before this one was about 4 ft flat and was also tail hooked and man did that thing hurt to land lol a lot more than this guy lol. Thanks Dan hope to meet you and everyone else too.

[5150fishn]

Congrats on your PB Leo and a great day on the water. Thanks for the report and pics!

[Wingnut]

Awesome Leo, congrats on the PB! :Thumbs Up: