NPB Morning Session

[jplee3]

Hey all,

Decided to hit up NPB again and decided to try getting out there by 5am. Well, I made it but it was kinda hard to see LOL - almost an hour in I hooked up on something pretty big but it busted me off (ughhh this PLine 4lb fluoro feels like 2lb test!!!). I picked off a dink BSP in the dark as well. Then things sorta went quiet for a while... the fishing starting picking back up closer to 7am (better gray-light) and was consistent but scratchy through 10am or so when I left. Lots of short bites and bait-stealing going on. I was throwing the Gulp Camo Sandworms and also got to use my new All Star AST rod (paired with my 153h) to toss the LC110s. No luck with the LCs but I think I got a short bite (probably a BSP) one time reeling it in.

On the fish crack I ended up catching a couple mid-grade BSPs, a few dinks, and a walleye surf perch (my first, I think!). Throughout all this action, but closer to 10, I'd say, I hooked onto something big, and it busted me off, AGAIN! Arghhhh... I think the culprits that busted me off may very well have been YFCs because they were making some scrappy runs. Unfortunately, my drag was buttoned down too much (both times I'm sure), and my fluoro probably was slightly frayed or what not. Would've been nice to reel em in but such is fishing... at least I got the skunk off my back (last time, which was a couple weeks back, I was down at Coronado and skunked bad)

Sorry I didn't get any pics - was too consumed with fishing and not catching [much]. I did happen to get some *decent* video on my Contour Roam 2 though. I bought a GoPro pole mount and adapter (so the Contour could work on it) off Ebay but the darned cheapo pole mount snapped in half last night as I was rigging up. Ughhhh.... anyway, I had to revert back to the hat mount, which doesn't give the best perspective especially because the brim is in the way.

Oh well, hopefully I'll get out there again.

[jplee3]

I actually have a question pertaining to the Gulp sandworms. When you guys fish these, how do you rig them? And is it just me or do the fish often easily rip/bite off sections of your worm?

I typically rig a 'modified' wacky rig - it's kind of a cross between a wacky rig and texas rig. Not sure if that's just unorthodox or what but I do end up losing my bait most of the time.

I read that hammer hooking is a really good way to rig but I think I've tried that and the fish just rip the worm right off the hook. Unless that's just a 'fault' with the 6" worms, which appear to be thinner in diameter than the 2" worms. Anyone have input?

[Slickwill43]

I was actually there from about 9-1030 and had the same experience, a ton of small bites and lost half of about 6 small camo worms.

Landed one thornback ray on squid off a dropper loop, then with the skunk off got no action on the LC and no action on a gulp minnow carolina rigges

:(

I have been finding the fish there bite off more of my worms, not sure if they are more aggressive on the bite or if the worms have gotten weaker???

[jplee3]

I was actually there from about 9-1030 and had the same experience, a ton of small bites and lost half of about 6 small camo worms.

Landed one thornback ray on squid off a dropper loop, then with the skunk off got no action on the LC and no action on a gulp minnow carolina rigges

:(

I have been finding the fish there bite off more of my worms, not sure if they are more aggressive on the bite or if the worms have gotten weaker???

Hey Slickwill43, yea those short bites (where you lose half a worm or more) are so annoying. I've these 6" worms for a while now - just never had the chance to put them into action until recently, so maybe the quality has degraded over time even in the sealed packaging? I don't know...

[skunked4life]

Jplee3,

First, thanks for the report. That AO is my home turf but I haven't gone out there in quite some time. I am glad there are still reports trickling in for that area.

Second, that BIG mystery fish was likely a really big SNGF or a decent sized halibut. That area does not produce a whole lot of other big fish than those two species, so I would just think to myself that it was a SNGF, less heartache that way. :Smile:

Last, when I fished the crack, I tried many different rigs. My experience is that the wcky rig or hammer set up will yield you some better quality hook ups but no matter how you rig them, the number of bites should not matter. Crack just kills no matter what. I have caught perch on a 1cm piece of crack. My personal preference though was to simply thread the sw through most of its body. I tend to lose less worms that way and it discourages the curious fish a little more since they have to go for the inhale. Just remember to set the hook faster since this method tends to end up gut hooking more often than the other methods.

Just go with the LC, trust me, you WILL get quality perch from that AO with the LC.

Keep the reports coming!

Skunked4life

[jplee3]

Jplee3,

First, thanks for the report. That AO is my home turf but I haven't gone out there in quite some time. I am glad there are still reports trickling in for that area.

Second, that BIG mystery fish was likely a really big SNGF or a decent sized halibut. That area does not produce a whole lot of other big fish than those two species, so I would just think to myself that it was a SNGF, less heartache that way. :Smile:

Last, when I fished the crack, I tried many different rigs. My experience is that the wcky rig or hammer set up will yield you some better quality hook ups but no matter how you rig them, the number of bites should not matter. Crack just kills no matter what. I have caught perch on a 1cm piece of crack. My personal preference though was to simply thread the sw through most of its body. I tend to lose less worms that way and it discourages the curious fish a little more since they have to go for the inhale. Just remember to set the hook faster since this method tends to end up gut hooking more often than the other methods.

Just go with the LC, trust me, you WILL get quality perch from that AO with the LC.

Keep the reports coming!

Skunked4life

Thanks dude! I really like it down there. Not sure why I didn't head out there more often before.... I used to hit up CDM all the time - I'm still sick of it! LOL

Hmm, well, the mystery fish that busted me off didn't actually *feel* too huge. Maybe it was a halibut. But probably not a legal... yea I'll just keep telling myself that :D Never caught an SNGF and never want to LOL!

"Crack just kills no matter what" - truth! I cannot get off it man!!! Haha! I'm going to have to up my collection of LCs if I want to go rogue with those. I only have Aurora Black (and all chewed up on the sides) and Ghost Minnow. I have some Rapalas as well. I guess I could always 'practice' with those before investing in more LCs.

[bachiboy]

I read that hammer hooking is a really good way to rig but I think I've tried that and the fish just rip the worm right off the hook. Unless that's just a 'fault' with the 6" worms, which appear to be thinner in diameter than the 2" worms. Anyone have input?

Nice going on the light line piggies. I like to use the 6" worms cut in half cuz they do give a little more "wiggle" since they are thinner, but, yes, they do rip off easier too. I seem to get more bites on them though. If the bite is pretty much wide open, I'll use the 2" worms because of their durability. I usually thread the worm up the shank of the hook, but again, you'll get the tail bit off by small fish a lot. Hope that helps.

Don

[SP Dan]

Hi ya jplee3,

It sounds to me by your report that you already know how to identify and or catch fish and that you are just going thru a fine tuning of your gear period ....
which never ends for some of us! Ha ha ha! Heck .... I still doing it this week with some of my gear! :)

I've had a lot of success in the past with the Gulp 6" CSW by cutting it into 2" lengths and nose pinning them on about 3/8th of an inch on a #6 hook, allowing them to wiggle a bit in the suds. I've also purchased and used the 2" with the same success .... I personally prefer the 2" model.

Good luck out there in the trenches solider and keep those reports a coming!

SP Dan <"))><

[jplee3]

Nice going on the light line piggies. I like to use the 6" worms cut in half cuz they do give a little more "wiggle" since they are thinner, but, yes, they do rip off easier too. I seem to get more bites on them though. If the bite is pretty much wide open, I'll use the 2" worms because of their durability. I usually thread the worm up the shank of the hook, but again, you'll get the tail bit off by small fish a lot. Hope that helps.

Don



Hi ya jplee3,

It sounds to me by your report that you already know how to identify and or catch fish and that you are just going thru a fine tuning of your gear period ....
which never ends for some of us! Ha ha ha! Heck .... I still doing it this week with some of my gear! :)

I've had a lot of success in the past with the Gulp 6" CSW by cutting it into 2" lengths and nose pinning them on about 3/8th of an inch on a #6 hook, allowing them to wiggle a bit in the suds. I've also purchased and used the 2" with the same success .... I personally prefer the 2" model.

Good luck out there in the trenches solider and keep those reports a coming!

SP Dan <"))><


Thanks guys! I think the surf bug has bit once again :O

Speaking of "tuning of gear" I just gave away a few older spinning setups and tackle bag to a buddy yesterday. I figure since he has a nephew who he'll probably end up taking more, it would make sense anyway. I think I've paired down my main surfing setups to my trusty 7ft St Croix + Sedona 2500 (a Sahara or higher would be nice of course, eventually) and my Allstar AST + Daiwa 153h. I have a Luna 203 and I've just been hating it - for some reason I can't make a decent cast on that thing without it birds nesting or what not. Super annoying so I just gave up on it and it's sitting in a drawer. I might as well Ebay it soon. Anyway, I was practicing casting LCs at an LBC beach yesterday with the casting setup - 7'6 really makes a difference in terms of getting the lure out there (at least when it's not windy! LOL). Anyway, I need to "purge" more of my gear - I just have way too much, and most of it's not very high quality stuff either.

Thanks for the tips on the Gulp! I should probably pickup a pack of the 2" ones for the 'durability' aspect.

[spiceguy]

Hi ya jplee3,

It sounds to me by your report that you already know how to identify and or catch fish and that you are just going thru a fine tuning of your gear period ....
which never ends for some of us! Ha ha ha! Heck .... I still doing it this week with some of my gear! :)

I've had a lot of success in the past with the Gulp 6" CSW by cutting it into 2" lengths and nose pinning them on about 3/8th of an inch on a #6 hook, allowing them to wiggle a bit in the suds. I've also purchased and used the 2" with the same success .... I personally prefer the 2" model.

Good luck out there in the trenches solider and keep those reports a coming!

SP Dan <"))><

X2...Hi guys.:-)

[ErikAllen17]

I hooked up on something pretty big but it busted me off (ughhh this PLine 4lb fluoro feels like 2lb test!!!).

I hooked onto something big, and it busted me off, AGAIN! Arghhhh... I think the culprits that busted me off may very well have been YFCs because they were making some scrappy runs. Unfortunately, my drag was buttoned down too much (both times I'm sure), and my fluoro probably was slightly frayed or what not. Would've been nice to reel em in but such is fishing...

Make sure your knots are solid... it's been my experience in reading and personal experience that 9/10 times the knot fails before the line snaps.