Hitting the Surf for the 1st Time with the S.W.A.T. "Surf Series" LC - Sunday 10/6

[Wingnut]

Now that the HG5 event has passed... and the first S.W.A.T. "Surf Series" Flash Minnow 110 have been introduced, we can declassify all the data. :LOL:

A couple of months before the HG5 event, Lucky Craft International approached me and asked me to design a new Flash Minnow 110 pattern for the surf. It will be the first in a series of Flash Minnow 110's specifically modeled for surf fishing. They wanted to introduce this first lure at the HG5 event.

Lucky Craft acknowledged the rise in popularity of the sport of surf fishing and realizes the potential they had with the sales of the Flash Minnow 110 spiking in the last few years. With the help of S.W.A.T., they will give their target market exactly what they want. :Thumbs Up:

After accepting the project, I gave the new pattern a lot of thought... I didn't want another version of a Sardine or a simple cosmetic revamp of an existing pattern. That would be too easy, right? :Wink: I wanted something completely new that was not in the current line-up of Flash Minnow 110's. After getting input from a few S.W.A.T. Team members, I decided on a Grunion pattern.

Next, I contacted the only person I knew, that can help me transfer the vision that I had in my head, onto the lure itself. I called John Kim aka JKim (The LC Artist). :Razz: Just like myself, John embraced the challenge. What transpired in the following weeks were a mix of both excitement and frustration. I won't go into details, but I will just say that I truly appreciated John's patience and dedication while working with me through "multiple" prototypes until we got it right. :Wink: I know that John spent quite a few sleepless nights working to perfect the design and getting me the prototype before the deadline. :Applause:

I submitted the prototype of the lure with barely enough time for the Lucky Craft Factory to produce a couple of hundred lures, just in time for the HG5 event. Even though it didn't come out "exactly" how I wanted it... for the first try, it was more than good enough. I originally wanted the MS "Missing Scales" effect on the lure, but the factory didn't have enough time to produce it. Also, the blue packaging that has a image of a Bass on it was supposed to be replaced by a Halibut. All this will be done for the next production run slated for the retail market. At this moment, Lucky Craft sales representatives are taking these lures to tackle stores and retail accounts to garner interest for the next batch. :Big Grin:

For now, the only ones in circulation are the ones given out to each S.W.A.T. member and the participants that were lucky enough to win one at the HG5 event. :Razz:

My goal is to have at least a half dozen or more of these "Surf Series" Flash Minnow 110 out there. Maybe a different Sardine pattern? Or a variation of my favorite pattern, the Metallic Ayu? Maybe a raked bait pattern...? You will have to wait and see... :Wink: :Secret:

Now, I was dying to put the prototype into action myself... but it was more appropriate to have the designer himself put it in action first. :Envious:

John proved that his creation works!
The first fish caught and released on the Electric California Grunion prototype is this BEAUTY! :EyePop:
35 inch of pure Halibut! Way to go JKim! :Dancing Banana:

Now, that we know it works... I can't wait to throw mine. :Twisted:

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/JkimHalibut1.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/JkimHalibut1.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/JkimHalibut2.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/JkimHalibut2.jpg.html)

Prototype #1
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/JkimHalibut3.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/JkimHalibut3.jpg.html)



My turn... Sunday 10/6/13.

Lieutenant Bones and I decided to hit the surf Sunday morning to test out the new Lucky Craft Electric Grunion S.W.A.T. "Surf Series" Flash Minnow 110.
I told Mike, let's see how many species of fish we can catch with it... :Big Grin:

Conditions looked great Sunday and we were just out there relaxing and enjoying the morning... taking a nice breather a week after the epic HG5 event. :Razz: Thanks again to everybody that came out to join us for the event, we appreciate your support and we'll see you next year at HG6! :Thumbs Up:

Taking a long walk to the spot in the grey light...
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1016-7.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1016-7.jpg.html)

My first fish on the new LC. :Dancing Banana:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1017-5.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1017-5.jpg.html)

The next fish...
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1024-4.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1024-4.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1025-6.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1025-6.jpg.html)

Mike gets his first...
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1020-9.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1020-9.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1018-8.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1018-8.jpg.html)

Another species... :LOL:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1023-5.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1023-5.jpg.html)

Lots of Perch all morning...
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1026-6.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1026-6.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1028-3.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1028-3.jpg.html)

Plenty of Yellow Fin Croakers too...
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1045-5.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1045-5.jpg.html)

Around mid-morning... Mike hooks up into a Monster...
The fish took half of Mike's spool in a matter of seconds... :EyePop:
The Lieutenant was on this fish for a good 10 minutes... I was standing right behind him with words of encouragement and a prayer. :Razz:
We knew that this fish was the right kind... A couple of FNN members that saw the battle from the distance came down the beach to check out the action. Nice to meet you guys... :Cool:

Here are a few bendo shots that I took during the battle...
Too funny, at one point the fish actually pulled Mike forward and into an incoming surge causing him to lose balance and almost go down in the surf... :LOL:
But the lieutenant recovered nicely and continued the battle...
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1033-4.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1033-4.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1032-5.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1032-5.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1031-5.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1031-5.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1030-3.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1030-3.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1035-4.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1035-4.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1036-4.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1036-4.jpg.html)

I wish that this battle had a happy ending... but HEARTBREAK! :mad:
This time, the fish wins... we didn't even get to see it..., that's the worst part. :Angry:
We knew WHAT it was... we just wanted to see HOW BIG it was... :Crying: This fish could have taken the Leader Board lead back from Tess. :Wink:

Now, I know what you guys are thinking... pffft, it's just a big Leopard Shark or Shovelnose...
But the way that it fought tells us that it was something more sinister... Mike had no doubt that it was a Ghost Tanker. :Twisted:
After screaming a few choice words at Poseidon... Mike went and sat down on the sand to gather his thoughts... I didn't say a word to him until he was ready to talk about it... :Neutral:

The big fish bent out one of the middle hooks and broke off one of the tail hooks. It left a scale on one of the middle and another on the tail hook. Now, I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I sure don't know of too many big fish in the surf that have big white scales... :Shocked:
Sorry Lieutenant, but at least the Beast didn't take your new Electric Grunion LC... :Envious:
After awhile, Mike was okay with the loss and we were making jokes about it. Hey Lieutenant, I still think that I wouldn't have farmed that fish... :LOL: jk
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1041-4.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1041-4.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1037-3.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1037-3.jpg.html)

I hit the surf again that evening to see if I could catch a few more species with the new lure...
Lost a Calico and a short Halibut in the surf, but caught this Barracuda off the rock, very cool! :Big Grin:

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1048-4.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1048-4.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1047-4.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1047-4.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1050-3.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1050-3.jpg.html)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1049-3.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1049-3.jpg.html)

What a beautiful way to end the day...
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1046-4.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1046-4.jpg.html)

Have a fantastic week everybody! :Big Grin:

Arthur (Wingnut)


"I'm really okay with people talking **** behind my back, as long as they know what they're talking about..."


Parting shots...
Coming home from the surf Sunday, this is what I saw pulling up to the gate. Pug Nation waiting for me... :LOL:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/Pugs1.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/Pugs1.jpg.html)

Saturday night, I took the Iron Chef and her sisters to dinner at Furiwa Seafood Restaurant in Westminster... nice atmosphere, great food!
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1013-7.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1013-7.jpg.html)

The Iron Chef and her Body Guards... :Envious:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/Wingnut32566/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1007-8.jpg (http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Wingnut32566/media/Wingnut%2012/Wingnut%2013/SWAT1007-8.jpg.html)

​

[skunked4life]

Commander,

1. Years of hard work and patience paid off big time! Initially, my response was how lucky we were to have Lucky Craft recognize us. After much thought, luck had nothing to do with any of this and I am happy to report to a leader who will take us on the right path. There is a saying about "a lamp on my feet and light on my path..." It's from some best selling book :LOL: You were blessed with the light, let us follow!

2. Regardless of whether you are pulling in perch or WSB, I love reading and imagining your sessions. Amazing first session with the new LC!

3. Bones - ugh, that must have felt terrible to lose the mystery monster! At least you got a souvenir (scale). I think that is a sign that the LC needs some MS! I guess the only thing worse than losing the fish is having the Commander next to you while doing so! :ROFL: JK Commander!

4. Furiwa! I love that place! Great seafood!

Thanks for being an inspiration to us all!

Skunked4life, aka Corporal Croaker, aka Ken

[PONTOON]

Arthur,

It is a really good feeling to read a report from the two top S.W.A.T. brass! :Cool: I'm glad the two of you had time to hit the water together and do some serious fishing with the new L.C. I have no doubt that pattern is going to produce! :Wink:

I'm still holding firm with keeping my first S.W.A.T. Series lure on the wall (Sorry Roberto :Envious: just got too attatched to it) I can assure you that once the lures hit the shelf I'm going to stock up and make 'em work! :Thumbs Up:

Great job out there guys and Mike, I'm sorry about the lost fish but if I know you it just made you more determined to get back at it.............Good things come to those who "pay it forward" like you have! :Thumbs Up:

[Dawn Treader]

Nice session guys ! That must have had Bones rev’n on high octane !
I guess a loss ode to bent hooks is better than snapped or spooled line .

I got a chance to throw the grunion lc over the weekend out on sandspit , Water was really clear . Maybe too clear for the hali’s …none found . It was high tide and Dave was nailing the perch right up against the wall . The breakers were shooting up high over get’n us wet !!!

Ready to find some new AO’s , getting bored with same spots . Road trip !

[DockRat]

That LC looks great. Next year Grunion runs ? Bet you can't wait ? Bummer on the WSB Bones, get next time.
DR

[iLLest]

The LC looks good on the surf guys, cant wait to test mine out.
It looks like a variety of fish are interested on it, sweet!
Arthur and Mike, another great session in the books, but man, what a bummer about the WSB. We know that feeling too
well and although losing a fish is part of fishing, it still sucks! lol
You'll get em next time Mike, you always do. :Cool:

Catch u guys on the surf.
-Frank

[frankjz]

Hey Arthur,

Great blessings and thanks. I'm looking forward to new surf series from LC. Please announce it to the troops. Cool looking halibut, too. I'm sure Bones is still smarting from that near miss.0

fz

[jerryG]

Sorry Mike.. I know the feeling all too well an epic battle that ends with slack line followed by the discovery of bent mangled and or broken hooks on the LC with Seabasstion's calling left behind in the form of (a) big scale(s). Yeah it hurts but defeat is what drives us even harder to get back out there for another shot at the grey ghost. We got some scores to settle with that guy.. Looks like you guys caught plenty and as always it was good times.. Well done guys.

Jerryg

[bachiboy]

Man that is just painful!:Shocked: Sorry for that one Mike! Kinda curious...stock hooks or were those switched out for ST-46's?

I was hoping you guys had found better conditions than Nate and I did. Knowing where you guys were heading, initially, I was a little worried that the swell was gonna hammer you guys. Looks like you guys made a nice day of it, minus the casualties. Wish I coulda joined you for the evening session Boss, but the Boss-LADY was having none of that. Great little bonus catch there with the short gar.:Wink: Looking forward to tossing that new LC...NOT!!!! It's a wall decoration. Looking forward to seeing you both again soon!

Don

PS - Taking Nate down south in a couple weekends to try and get his induction fish...maybe with his new LC? That is, if he doesn't lose it...dang guy has lost every LC I've ever customized for him, the last one left as an offering this past weekend.:Rolls Eyes::LOL: I need to get him out more, if nothing else to take the lost LC lead from me. His loss to session ratio is worse than mine!:ROFL:

[bones]

Yup......Lt Bones was demoted to Private Farmer Buckwheat in a matter of minutes...LOL
The loss of that mystery behemoth wasn't as painful as my commander raising an eyebrow and saying "Ya know.....I would have put her on the sand".....thing is....He probably would have! :ROFL:
That is the SECOND time I have had my arse handed to me by a big girl in that spot and boy oh boy I have a score to settle.
All of that being said it was overall a great session and it's always cool venturing into uncharted territory with Arthur with anticipation of what is to behold on every cast. When we started SWAT many years ago it was born out of our countless determined adventures into the unknown. We hit the sand when it was dark and hustled as fast as we could to a remote spot that took about 30 minutes to walk to and instantly we found ourselves in an all too familiar situation with our backs against the wall ..... a fierce incoming tide and that teasing 15 second south swell. The steepness of the beach also made the whole situation very sketchy but hey....No guts....NO GLORY. That was our motto when SWAT was in it's infancy....and it still is!
Now we just have to hit it when it's flooded and on the out going and I'm reasonably sure that new spot will pay off in a big way!
The new pattern LC was perfect on a day when the water was clear as gin as greylight teased us with anticipation and as always it did not disappoint us but to answer Don's question about the stock hooks....It's a difficult situation. If you swap out the hooks for ST46.....Your gonna break your line before your hook straightens out. It's a delicate balance between line strength,hook strength,line capacity and of course LUCK!
I pretty much had everything lined up but......Poseidon decided to toss a pretty good surprise set at me as you can see in the pics with all of the changing water depths and outgoing current that the scales were instantly tipped in my opponents favor!
Oh WELL....Just another fish story :ROFL:
Hopefully before the winter is upon us I will have another chance to settle the score in true SWAT style with victory!
One thing that never lets me down though is the adventure of hunting the big prey with a friend who always seems to help with words of encouragement when it comes to the battle.
Good times as always Arthur!

[connordoyle]

Wingnut,

Awesome read! Thanks for all the posts. Ive got to come to you for some advice I absolutely love fishing the LC. I've had countless amazing sessions throwing the flash minnow, my only problem is that I keep losing them and the cost of re-buying them all the time is very discouraging. I throw it on 20 pound braid with a 7'6" baitcasting combo. What are your recommendations on the best set up to save your LC's??? Knots, Line, quick snaps??


Would love to hear your feedback.

Thanks!
Connor

[5150fishn]

Great to see the new SWAT series broken in by the paint master on a beast Hali!:Applause:
I tried really hard to earn one of those at HG5 but the salad won that battle that day. Lol
Bummer about the lost ghost Bones.:Angry: But at least you got the LC back.

Thanks for the report and pics Arthur! As always, great report!:Big Grin:

[pargo lsb]

wingnut and bones,
it was great to see you guys on the sand again, and what a fight that was. i tried to double up from 300yds away so i could attend the glorious beaching ceremony. you gents will get the the monster that got away, especially mike already got a piece of him... hahaha.

perch bite was decent but nothing to write home about, hope to see you gents on the sand again soon

richard

[fishshep]

Great Catching and good to see you and Bones proved that new LC

to be very Successfull :Big Grin:

[murrieta angler]

Best part about this report....................THE SMILES :Big Grin:
Good to see you guys getting out and getting on some fish.
To bad about the loss, I think Tess might have taken up SCUBA and attached your LC to a rock...:ROFL:
SHE ISN'T GIVING UP THAT TITLE FISH, TO ANYONE...:Envious:
Hopefully I'll be able to fish with the both of you, before the year is through...:Rolls Eyes:
Work is keeping me away from the surf...:Sad:
Thanks for sharing Brotha,
Robert
<><

[SP Dan]

Mi Bromigo Arturo!

Brotha Arthur (my teacher :Not Worthy:) .... Damn! ...... it seems like every session shared with the Maximo Brotha's is always an adventure rewarded with either trophy fish and or stories of grand hook-ups!! I can't believe it ..... you beached a stove pipe (Cuda) on the LC! That one is for sure on my LC to catch list!

Brotha Mike ..... you are one of the best (my teacher :UDaMan:) in this sport of surf fishing and I know that you've analyzed this WSB encounter over and over again in your head and that it's just a matter of time; due to your determination, before you make this encounter happen again with a more satisfying result for you! Knowing you as I do Mike ... nothing less than being at the top of the SWAT Leader Board with an amazing catch will do!

"Congratulations" to you John Kim for breaking-in the new SWAT Grunion LC on the lips of a monstrous 35" Halibut! You are an amazingly talented artist Sir! :Envious: And you're not so bad at catching trophy Halibut neither Sir! :Not Worthy:

Arthur .... I like the new Grunion LC so much that I just don't have the heart to throw it .... well at least not until I can replace it any ways! :Big Grin:

Thanx for the adventuresome read with pic's! :Cool:
I've been reading your posting for years and with each new posting, your words leave me in absolute :OMG!: awe Sir!

SP Dan <"))>< "The Danimal" aka: "The Grasshopper"! :UDaMan:

[Tesserz]

Wow, jkim, congrats on the monster hali! :Applause:

Nice session guys, way to break in the new LCs. :Razz: We should be giving it a try soon. :Wink:



This fish could have taken the Leader Board lead back from Tess. :Wink:


To bad about the loss, I think Tess might have taken up SCUBA and attached your LC to a rock...:ROFL:
SHE ISN'T GIVING UP THAT TITLE FISH, TO ANYONE...:Envious:


OUCH, I'm hurt! :Crying: As much as I wouldn't want to lose my lead, I would never wish losing a fish like that on anyone, especially a S.W.A.T. brother. :Sad:

Mike, I'm sure you'll reel her in next time... just as long as it's 38" or under ok? :Envious:


Til we meet again,
Tess :Fishing Catch:

[Wingnut]

Commander,

1. Years of hard work and patience paid off big time! Initially, my response was how lucky we were to have Lucky Craft recognize us. After much thought, luck had nothing to do with any of this and I am happy to report to a leader who will take us on the right path. There is a saying about "a lamp on my feet and light on my path..." It's from some best selling book :LOL: You were blessed with the light, let us follow!

2. Regardless of whether you are pulling in perch or WSB, I love reading and imagining your sessions. Amazing first session with the new LC!

3. Bones - ugh, that must have felt terrible to lose the mystery monster! At least you got a souvenir (scale). I think that is a sign that the LC needs some MS! I guess the only thing worse than losing the fish is having the Commander next to you while doing so! :ROFL: JK Commander!

4. Furiwa! I love that place! Great seafood!

Thanks for being an inspiration to us all!

Skunked4life, aka Corporal Croaker, aka Ken
Mike and I always give each other grief whenever we farm a fish in each other's presence, lol Keeps you on your toes... :LOL:
It was fun hitting the surf with you and Don this morning. You guys are one of the very few that have seen me go down in the surf. :Wink: :Embarrassed: :Big Smile:


Arthur,

It is a really good feeling to read a report from the two top S.W.A.T. brass! :Cool: I'm glad the two of you had time to hit the water together and do some serious fishing with the new L.C. I have no doubt that pattern is going to produce! :Wink:

I'm still holding firm with keeping my first S.W.A.T. Series lure on the wall (Sorry Roberto :Envious: just got too attatched to it) I can assure you that once the lures hit the shelf I'm going to stock up and make 'em work! :Thumbs Up:

Great job out there guys and Mike, I'm sorry about the lost fish but if I know you it just made you more determined to get back at it.............Good things come to those who "pay it forward" like you have! :Thumbs Up:
Put that lure in action Terry... I'll replace it if you lose it. :Wink:
Hope we can fish together soon my friend... whether in the surf or at the lake. :Wink:


Nice session guys ! That must have had Bones rev’n on high octane !
I guess a loss ode to bent hooks is better than snapped or spooled line .

I got a chance to throw the grunion lc over the weekend out on sandspit , Water was really clear . Maybe too clear for the hali’s …none found . It was high tide and Dave was nailing the perch right up against the wall . The breakers were shooting up high over get’n us wet !!!

Ready to find some new AO’s , getting bored with same spots . Road trip !
Getting bored with pulling out legal Halibut from that spot already Brad?!? :Wink: :Shocked: :LOL:
Great job leading your team to victory last month my friend. :Big Grin:


That LC looks great. Next year Grunion runs ? Bet you can't wait ? Bummer on the WSB Bones, get next time.
DR
We're not waiting for the Grunion run martin, lol


The LC looks good on the surf guys, cant wait to test mine out.
It looks like a variety of fish are interested on it, sweet!
Arthur and Mike, another great session in the books, but man, what a bummer about the WSB. We know that feeling too
well and although losing a fish is part of fishing, it still sucks! lol
You'll get em next time Mike, you always do. :Cool:

Catch u guys on the surf.
-Frank
Thanks Frank... but I woulda put that fish on the sand... :Neener Neener:


Hey Arthur,

Great blessings and thanks. I'm looking forward to new surf series from LC. Please announce it to the troops. Cool looking halibut, too. I'm sure Bones is still smarting from that near miss.0

fz
Thanks Frank... it was good seeing you and the wife at HG5. :Big Grin:


Sorry Mike.. I know the feeling all too well an epic battle that ends with slack line followed by the discovery of bent mangled and or broken hooks on the LC with Seabasstion's calling left behind in the form of (a) big scale(s). Yeah it hurts but defeat is what drives us even harder to get back out there for another shot at the grey ghost. We got some scores to settle with that guy.. Looks like you guys caught plenty and as always it was good times.. Well done guys.

Jerryg
Poseidon is sending some Big Guns to do battle with S.W.A.T. brother Jerry. We're gonna take down his Generals one at a time... :Twisted:


Man that is just painful!:Shocked: Sorry for that one Mike! Kinda curious...stock hooks or were those switched out for ST-46's?

I was hoping you guys had found better conditions than Nate and I did. Knowing where you guys were heading, initially, I was a little worried that the swell was gonna hammer you guys. Looks like you guys made a nice day of it, minus the casualties. Wish I coulda joined you for the evening session Boss, but the Boss-LADY was having none of that. Great little bonus catch there with the short gar.:Wink: Looking forward to tossing that new LC...NOT!!!! It's a wall decoration. Looking forward to seeing you both again soon!

Don

PS - Taking Nate down south in a couple weekends to try and get his induction fish...maybe with his new LC? That is, if he doesn't lose it...dang guy has lost every LC I've ever customized for him, the last one left as an offering this past weekend.:Rolls Eyes::LOL: I need to get him out more, if nothing else to take the lost LC lead from me. His loss to session ratio is worse than mine!:ROFL:
Nothing wrong with the stock Saltwater LC trebles Don... they will hold up. Mike didn't have a choice, he had to put extra pressure on the fish because of the area that it was in, too many boilers. :Evil: It was fun fishing with you and Ken this morning, you had the hot stick for sure! :Envious: When I got home and took a shower, there was sand coming out of my ears, lol :LOL:


Yup......Lt Bones was demoted to Private Farmer Buckwheat in a matter of minutes...LOL
The loss of that mystery behemoth wasn't as painful as my commander raising an eyebrow and saying "Ya know.....I would have put her on the sand".....thing is....He probably would have! :ROFL:
That is the SECOND time I have had my arse handed to me by a big girl in that spot and boy oh boy I have a score to settle.
All of that being said it was overall a great session and it's always cool venturing into uncharted territory with Arthur with anticipation of what is to behold on every cast. When we started SWAT many years ago it was born out of our countless determined adventures into the unknown. We hit the sand when it was dark and hustled as fast as we could to a remote spot that took about 30 minutes to walk to and instantly we found ourselves in an all too familiar situation with our backs against the wall ..... a fierce incoming tide and that teasing 15 second south swell. The steepness of the beach also made the whole situation very sketchy but hey....No guts....NO GLORY. That was our motto when SWAT was in it's infancy....and it still is!
Now we just have to hit it when it's flooded and on the out going and I'm reasonably sure that new spot will pay off in a big way!
The new pattern LC was perfect on a day when the water was clear as gin as greylight teased us with anticipation and as always it did not disappoint us but to answer Don's question about the stock hooks....It's a difficult situation. If you swap out the hooks for ST46.....Your gonna break your line before your hook straightens out. It's a delicate balance between line strength,hook strength,line capacity and of course LUCK!
I pretty much had everything lined up but......Poseidon decided to toss a pretty good surprise set at me as you can see in the pics with all of the changing water depths and outgoing current that the scales were instantly tipped in my opponents favor!
Oh WELL....Just another fish story :ROFL:
Hopefully before the winter is upon us I will have another chance to settle the score in true SWAT style with victory!
One thing that never lets me down though is the adventure of hunting the big prey with a friend who always seems to help with words of encouragement when it comes to the battle.
Good times as always Arthur!
Mike, remember the first time we hit the surf together? It was in Santa Barbara... we fished hard that day and by the end of it, we were both soaked from head to toe. I knew right then that I met somebody that equals my passion and intensity for the surf. :Big Grin:
Over the years we've gathered some great memories... and there will be many more to come.
See you tomorrow for the recon of the new spot! :Wink:


Wingnut,

Awesome read! Thanks for all the posts. Ive got to come to you for some advice I absolutely love fishing the LC. I've had countless amazing sessions throwing the flash minnow, my only problem is that I keep losing them and the cost of re-buying them all the time is very discouraging. I throw it on 20 pound braid with a 7'6" baitcasting combo. What are your recommendations on the best set up to save your LC's??? Knots, Line, quick snaps??


Would love to hear your feedback.

Thanks!
Connor
Connor, tell me... where are you posting your reports nowadays? Nobody there that can give you solid advice? :LOL:
Anyways, we miss your "contributions" around here. :!!!:
In order for me to answer your question and give you advice, I need to know how are you losing your LC's... Snapping them off while casting? Breaking off at the knot? Snapping off getting hung up on structures? Line abrasion? Shoot me a PM and I will respond. :Wink:


Great to see the new SWAT series broken in by the paint master on a beast Hali!:Applause:
I tried really hard to earn one of those at HG5 but the salad won that battle that day. Lol
Bummer about the lost ghost Bones.:Angry: But at least you got the LC back.

Thanks for the report and pics Arthur! As always, great report!:Big Grin:
Thanks Dan... when I get the next shipment of the S.W.A.T. LC, I'll send you one... send me your mailing address. :Wink:


wingnut and bones,
it was great to see you guys on the sand again, and what a fight that was. i tried to double up from 300yds away so i could attend the glorious beaching ceremony. you gents will get the the monster that got away, especially mike already got a piece of him... hahaha.

perch bite was decent but nothing to write home about, hope to see you gents on the sand again soon

richard
Richard, didn't we meet one time at Castaic while I was Striper fishing with Bob? :Wink:
You guys were killing those Perch that morning... :Shocked: Good to see you out there and I wish you continued success on the sand. try to make it to HG6 next year. :Big Grin:


Great Catching and good to see you and Bones proved that new LC

to be very Successfull :Big Grin:
So far so good Daniel... you probably would have won one if you made it to HG5, lol


Best part about this report....................THE SMILES :Big Grin:
Good to see you guys getting out and getting on some fish.
To bad about the loss, I think Tess might have taken up SCUBA and attached your LC to a rock...:ROFL:
SHE ISN'T GIVING UP THAT TITLE FISH, TO ANYONE...:Envious:
Hopefully I'll be able to fish with the both of you, before the year is through...:Rolls Eyes:
Work is keeping me away from the surf...:Sad:
Thanks for sharing Brotha,
Robert
<><
I think Tess's WSB might hold up for the rest of the year Roberto... but then, maybe NOT. :Twisted:
Gives the rest of us something to shoot for anyway...
I know you've been busy with the business, but I hope you find some time to hit the surf bro. :Wink:


Mi Bromigo Arturo!

Brotha Arthur (my teacher :Not Worthy:) .... Damn! ...... it seems like every session shared with the Maximo Brotha's is always an adventure rewarded with either trophy fish and or stories of grand hook-ups!! I can't believe it ..... you beached a stove pipe (Cuda) on the LC! That one is for sure on my LC to catch list!

Brotha Mike ..... you are one of the best (my teacher :UDaMan:) in this sport of surf fishing and I know that you've analyzed this WSB encounter over and over again in your head and that it's just a matter of time; due to your determination, before you make this encounter happen again with a more satisfying result for you! Knowing you as I do Mike ... nothing less than being at the top of the SWAT Leader Board with an amazing catch will do!

"Congratulations" to you John Kim for breaking-in the new SWAT Grunion LC on the lips of a monstrous 35" Halibut! You are an amazingly talented artist Sir! :Envious: And you're not so bad at catching trophy Halibut neither Sir! :Not Worthy:

Arthur .... I like the new Grunion LC so much that I just don't have the heart to throw it .... well at least not until I can replace it any ways! :Big Grin:

Thanx for the adventuresome read with pic's! :Cool:
I've been reading your posting for years and with each new posting, your words leave me in absolute :OMG!: awe Sir!

SP Dan <"))>< "The Danimal" aka: "The Grasshopper"! :UDaMan:
Brother Dan... I don't think that Mike and I are teaching you anything anymore... you have achieved Jedi status my friend. :Razz:
I'm glad that you and Lt. Bones had a good session this morning... that spot is nice isn't it? :Wink:
Hope to hit the sand with you sometime soon my friend. :Big Grin:


Wow, jkim, congrats on the monster hali! :Applause:

Nice session guys, way to break in the new LCs. :Razz: We should be giving it a try soon. :Wink:


OUCH, I'm hurt! :Crying: As much as I wouldn't want to lose my lead, I would never wish losing a fish like that on anyone, especially a S.W.A.T. brother. :Sad:

Mike, I'm sure you'll reel her in next time... just as long as it's 38" or under ok? :Envious:


Til we meet again,
Tess :Fishing Catch:

Hey Tess, how does Jason's MVP trophy look? :Big Smile:
Well, if our team would have won... you certainly would be a prime candidate for MVP yourself. :Wink:
It was really nice to see you guys at HG5 and thanks for everything! :Big Grin:

[Homefish]

Good job boys. Looks like u had a great time of there!
Thanks 4 the report.
Homefish

[dlmoo312]

That Halibut is a beast! :EyePop:
I was able to break in the new LC in the harbor and the paint job looks great in the water!
I was able to hook a few bonita with it, and I feel like we're going to see some real monsters landed with it soon :Big Grin:
Mike you came so close! A huge halibut and a giant WSB to be the first fish to be landed with the new LC model would've been awesome!
I have no doubt you'll get em next time :Wink: Any chance you guys got a glimpse of it in the surf during the fight?
Great outing commander! Can't wait to see what else that new LC will bring up in the future :Big Grin:


-Daniel

[Wingnut]

Good job boys. Looks like u had a great time of there!
Thanks 4 the report.
Homefish
A great time indeed! :Big Grin:


That Halibut is a beast! :EyePop:
I was able to break in the new LC in the harbor and the paint job looks great in the water!
I was able to hook a few bonita with it, and I feel like we're going to see some real monsters landed with it soon :Big Grin:
Mike you came so close! A huge halibut and a giant WSB to be the first fish to be landed with the new LC model would've been awesome!
I have no doubt you'll get em next time :Wink: Any chance you guys got a glimpse of it in the surf during the fight?
Great outing commander! Can't wait to see what else that new LC will bring up in the future :Big Grin:


-Daniel
Mike got that fish in pretty close, but the washing machine condition made it hard to see what it was. Definitely a WSB though and a big one too... even if it was fouled hooked.
I was a little bummed for you when I got your text yesterday Daniel. Losing a big Calico with the spinner bait is a heart break. :mad:
Go back out there and do it again! :Wink: