S.W.A.T Solo and Couple Sessions - 2 Day Report 5/2 - 5/3

[Jaysuuun]

5/2 Friday

Lately, I haven’t been doing much surf fishing because I’ve been tinkering with our new kayak. Just installed some rod holders and it’s slowly turning into a fishing machine. The night before, I felt the nice cool down in air temp and started to get the fishing itch. Hmmmm… looked up conditions and it looked ideal for one particular AO I haven’t been to for some time.

Got to the spot around 6am and was disappointed to see no fog or marine layer. I really hate clear days for fishing, but I was here and began fishing from one end to the other. I felt a little out of my element since I hadn’t been here since last year, but I was soon greeted by a nice Calico Bass to start my morning. Skunk Off!

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss284/Jaysuuun/DSC02733a_zps69e4a9aa.jpg (http://s584.photobucket.com/user/Jaysuuun/media/DSC02733a_zps69e4a9aa.jpg.html)

And another

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss284/Jaysuuun/DSC02727_zpsa1fc50a5.jpg (http://s584.photobucket.com/user/Jaysuuun/media/DSC02727_zpsa1fc50a5.jpg.html)

The sun was coming up fast so I started combing the area a little faster. I finally get a nice solid hit and the fish immediately begins to thrash around at the surface of the water. Had only caught Calicos up until now so I thought I had on a hefty bass. To my surprise, I see my first flattie of the morning. Some of these shorts have more fight than their big brothers!

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss284/Jaysuuun/DSC02734_zpse56d3b9f.jpg (http://s584.photobucket.com/user/Jaysuuun/media/DSC02734_zpse56d3b9f.jpg.html)

I scrounged up a few more shorts, but was still looking for my first surf legal of the year. I make a move into some nice clear water, cast and I get another nice solid hit. I feel a good amount of weight, but no headshakes. I’m wading about chest deep and as I’m working the fish closer to me I see the silhouette of a legal but coming my way and its barely hooked by one treble! I usually don’t mess with my drag during the fight, but seeing the one hook attached I had to back off and finesse the fish in.

26.5 Inches (Released) :Dancing Banana:

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss284/Jaysuuun/DSC02736_zps2dca95e9.jpg (http://s584.photobucket.com/user/Jaysuuun/media/DSC02736_zps2dca95e9.jpg.html)

Need to invest in a tripod. This was difficult. :Neutral:

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss284/Jaysuuun/DSC02738_zps546a1697.jpg (http://s584.photobucket.com/user/Jaysuuun/media/DSC02738_zps546a1697.jpg.html)

I was pumped and made another cast to the same spot. As I was about to take my LC out of the water I see another legal following my lure and pecked at it before turning back into the depths. I quickly cast again into the same spot and immediately get slammed. WOOHHOOO! Fish on! 30 Seconds later BOO HOOO!! Fish off! AAAAHHHH! :Angry:

I continue to fish the spot for nada, until I make the trek to another spot and finish the day with a couple more shorties.

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss284/Jaysuuun/DSC02740_zps9d2ceb6d.jpg (http://s584.photobucket.com/user/Jaysuuun/media/DSC02740_zps9d2ceb6d.jpg.html)

Total Fish Count- All fish released!

3 Calico Bass

5 Short Butts

1 Legal Butt 26.5 Inches


5/3 Saturday


I told Tess about my outing and we decide to do a follow up session to see if we can get her on a legal. She's been waiting to wear her new "Fishing Hat" so she was excited. That hats that I have aren't cute enough so she ordered one of her own. LOL That's Tess, always looking to girlify the sport. :Sissy Fight:

Anyway, we get to the spot around the same time and work the beach from right to left. Within the first 15 minutes I hook and land 2 nice Calico Bass to start the morning. Tess got a few taps but nothing stuck. Wow this morning is looking very promising already.

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss284/Jaysuuun/DSC02743_zpse85bdab3.jpg (http://s584.photobucket.com/user/Jaysuuun/media/DSC02743_zpse85bdab3.jpg.html)

We continue to comb the beach and hit a few spots that produced some fish for me yesterday, but for the next hour we get no love. What the heck! Tess is starting to give me the stink eye that silently says "There's no fish here!" and I tease her by saying her hat is bad luck. LOL

We make another move and a few casts later Tess finally hooks up! She's got a nice bend in her rod and I immediately call out "Legal". Unfortunately, it turned out to be a shovel nose that ended up shaking off in the wash. Minutes later, I get hooked up and it feels like solid weight. Could it be? Nope. Just a fowl hooked stingray. 2 Flat Fish of the wrong kind! What a tease! :mad:

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss284/Jaysuuun/DSC02745_zps044e29dc.jpg (http://s584.photobucket.com/user/Jaysuuun/media/DSC02745_zps044e29dc.jpg.html)

Well, no flatties yet, but those fish got our blood pumping. We work the area where I caught my legal the day before and Tess gets the skunk off with the first flattie of the morning. No skunk for the girly hat! Woo hoo!

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss284/Jaysuuun/DSC02747a_zpsd6c45973.jpg (http://s584.photobucket.com/user/Jaysuuun/media/DSC02747a_zpsd6c45973.jpg.html)

We work the area hard, but all we could scrounge up was 2 more shorts.

One of the shorts.

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss284/Jaysuuun/DSC02748_zps6665f966.jpg (http://s584.photobucket.com/user/Jaysuuun/media/DSC02748_zps6665f966.jpg.html)

We were wading pretty deep so we could get our lures into the kelp but the tide was rolling in. Tess, being a shorty, caught two back to back swells that soaked her from hat to socks (inside her waders). Time to go home. :LOL:

All in all it was a fun 2 day outing. I'm really glad I finally got my first surf legal of the year and the wifey was happy she didn't get the skunk. We hope to get her on a legal soon. :Wink:

Total Fish Count- All fish released

Tess - 2 Short Buts, 1 Shovelnose

Jason- 2 Calico Bass, 1Short But, 1 Stingray

[Tesserz]

good job on your first surf legal of the year! it's a nice size too, bigger than your harbor one. and nice calicos too. i was hoping to get my first legal too... back to back legals, that would've been cool. oh well maybe next time. i'm just happy i wasn't skunked because yes, you're right, i was definitely giving you the stink eye! :LOL: anyway, it was nice to get back out on the surf... even though i ended up soaked from head to toe. :Rolls Eyes: but it happens. just glad i didn't get rolled. :Shocked: looks like we're off to a good start. hopefully there will be a legal for me in the near future. let's stick to our routine... first you find them, then you take me to them. :Envious:

[murrieta angler]

Congrats on your first legal of the year Jason...:Smile:
It's good to see the two of you in the surf again...:High Five:
That area has been decent recently, I thought for sure you two would have pulled in another legal or two.
I was hugging the kelp on the left, when I caught my 26 1/2".
The others were right in front or to the right of "Halibut Lane".
It's also where Don caught his last legal.
I might do an afternoon session, at Halibut Hotel. Conditions look okay, but I need to get out and think about things...:Head Bang:
Thanks for sharing your memories with the rest of us,
Robert
<><



Tess,
Nice hat...:Big Grin:
Robert
<><

[bachiboy]

Nice going and congrats on a nice couple of sessions! Glad you were able to get that first legal under your belt J. I was sure you two were gonna lay the wood to them yesterday, or at least hoping you would.:Wink: Dan and I ventured there today but conditions have rolled a bit. We still managed to scrounge out a couple fish each but I'll let Dan tell the tale.:Big Grin: looking forward to more reports from the "first couple" soon!

Don

[SP Dan]

Hey Jason,

"Congratulations" to you are in order Brotha ... for your 1st Legal Hali of the 2014 Season! YAHOO!!!! :Dancing Banana:
Great report! :Thumbs Up: Loved the pic's and the write up :Envious: ! It's always special to see the 1st Couple of SWAT out there pounding the salt together! :Big Grin:

bachiboy aka: Don sent me the ...."So am I gonna have the pleasure of fishing with you tomorrow?" text last night.
I felt like I had received a text request from the GodFather of surf fishing .... "How could I resist such an offer"! :LOL: ha ha ha!

Thanx for the fun read with all of the family pic's included! :Cool:

SP Dan <"))><

[yakfish51]

Looks like two good days Jason. Glad to see your wife involved. That's special

Tim

[bones]

Awesome session for you two Jason. You both have proven that you are a team to reckon with whether it's from a yak or on the sand that's for sure. Hey.....I know that spot ... I figured it was one of the few places that would be a productive AO considering the drained conditions at greylight recently. I've been doing the sundowner thing up in my area recently until I came down with the flu Friday night. Really knocked me on my azzzzz if ya know what I mean but I'm bouncing back and I might even give it a shot this afternoon.
Keep it up out there you two and thanks for the inspiring report!

[sidified]

Nice first fish, Jason! Chunky too. I'm sure your turn, Tess, is just around the next wave. Really sorry about the soak. It's never fun, but the water temp now is definitely too cool. But then, you're too cool!
Continue having a great time together, kiddos.
Sid

[PTN]

Congrats on getting on the board with your first legal of the year. I've been glued to my kayak but I'll be hitting the surf soon if I can't dedicate the whole day to fishing :Sad:. Great report!

-Peter

[Which Way Out]

Tess, being a shorty, caught two back to back swells that soaked her

Jay that's Vertically challenged.. kinda of like Arthur..:LOL: Sorry your day ended early.
Loved that water you two were standing in. Looks like just about anything could be there. You did well and had a great time, what more could anyone ask for.

Take you two.

WWO

[jinbow]

Nice catches Jason, and well done on the self photo with that butt..Hope Tess gets better luck out there next time with her new fishing apparel.

:Fishing Catch: Great report and thanks for sharing.

[DockRat]

Great Pics J&T. WTG on the legal.
DR

[basshole1]

Cool report, those are some beautiful calico's. Congrats on the legal too. :Thumbs Up:

[Raneman]

WTG Jason! Congrats on your first legal of the year! Good job on the photo with that butt. It's always nice to read your couple's reports. I'm also very vertically challenged and i'm still trying to get a hang of jumping those surprise waves. Keep up the good work guys!

Raney

[Jaysuuun]

good job on your first surf legal of the year! it's a nice size too, bigger than your harbor one. and nice calicos too. i was hoping to get my first legal too... back to back legals, that would've been cool. oh well maybe next time. i'm just happy i wasn't skunked because yes, you're right, i was definitely giving you the stink eye! :LOL: anyway, it was nice to get back out on the surf... even though i ended up soaked from head to toe. :Rolls Eyes: but it happens. just glad i didn't get rolled. :Shocked: looks like we're off to a good start. hopefully there will be a legal for me in the near future. let's stick to our routine... first you find them, then you take me to them. :Envious:

I found them for you, but I think your new hat was scaring them away. :LOL: j/k I like your new hat cause you like your new hat and that makes you a happier fisherwoman :Thumbs Up:. I'll keep searching so you can get on board with your first legal. We have some titles to defend! :Wink:


Congrats on your first legal of the year Jason...:Smile:
It's good to see the two of you in the surf again...:High Five:
That area has been decent recently, I thought for sure you two would have pulled in another legal or two.
I was hugging the kelp on the left, when I caught my 26 1/2".
The others were right in front or to the right of "Halibut Lane".
It's also where Don caught his last legal.
I might do an afternoon session, at Halibut Hotel. Conditions look okay, but I need to get out and think about things...:Head Bang:
Thanks for sharing your memories with the rest of us,
Robert
<><



Tess,
Nice hat...:Big Grin:
Robert
<><

Wuttup Robert, long time no see. The kelp on the left is exactly where I caught that legal. I wish I had that place dialed in like Danimal. I think I woulda found more fish. Hope to see you on the sand sometime brotha :Cool:


Nice going and congrats on a nice couple of sessions! Glad you were able to get that first legal under your belt J. I was sure you two were gonna lay the wood to them yesterday, or at least hoping you would.:Wink: Dan and I ventured there today but conditions have rolled a bit. We still managed to scrounge out a couple fish each but I'll let Dan tell the tale.:Big Grin: looking forward to more reports from the "first couple" soon!

Don

Don, it seems easier to find more legals once that first one is out of the way. Glad you guys were able to pull a legal between the both of you.


Hey Jason,

"Congratulations" to you are in order Brotha ... for your 1st Legal Hali of the 2014 Season! YAHOO!!!! :Dancing Banana:
Great report! :Thumbs Up: Loved the pic's and the write up :Envious: ! It's always special to see the 1st Couple of SWAT out there pounding the salt together! :Big Grin:

bachiboy aka: Don sent me the ...."So am I gonna have the pleasure of fishing with you tomorrow?" text last night.
I felt like I had received a text request from the GodFather of surf fishing .... "How could I resist such an offer"! :LOL: ha ha ha!

Thanx for the fun read with all of the family pic's included! :Cool:

SP Dan <"))><

Dan, congrats on adding another legal under your belt! Glad you were able to find some fish despite the less than favorable conditions. You definitely know that hole like the back of your hand. Hope to see you in the surf soon my friend. :Cool:


Looks like two good days Jason. Glad to see your wife involved. That's special

Tim

Thanks Tim. Tess and I make a good team. I find them and she catches them. :Neutral:


Awesome session for you two Jason. You both have proven that you are a team to reckon with whether it's from a yak or on the sand that's for sure. Hey.....I know that spot ... I figured it was one of the few places that would be a productive AO considering the drained conditions at greylight recently. I've been doing the sundowner thing up in my area recently until I came down with the flu Friday night. Really knocked me on my azzzzz if ya know what I mean but I'm bouncing back and I might even give it a shot this afternoon.
Keep it up out there you two and thanks for the inspiring report!

Mike, I hope you get better soon. Still haven't ventured out on our yak to chase after the big fish, we're hoping to get onto a few kelp beds for some bass or rockfish before we chase some yellows. :Wink: I got a text report from the commander about your afternoon runs. Keep it up brotha! Looks like it's gonna be a good season. :Cool:


Nice first fish, Jason! Chunky too. I'm sure your turn, Tess, is just around the next wave. Really sorry about the soak. It's never fun, but the water temp now is definitely too cool. But then, you're too cool!
Continue having a great time together, kiddos.
Sid

Thanks Sid. Tess was surprisingly a pretty good sport about the salt bath. :LOL: Luckily it was a nice warm day, so she was able to somewhat dry off.


Congrats on getting on the board with your first legal of the year. I've been glued to my kayak but I'll be hitting the surf soon if I can't dedicate the whole day to fishing :Sad:. Great report!

-Peter

Thanks Peter. Congrats on your new yak! It's definitely the ultimate fishing kayak out there. Can't wait to join you sometime for a yak session. Keep me updated. :Wink:


Tess, being a shorty, caught two back to back swells that soaked her

Jay that's Vertically challenged.. kinda of like Arthur..:LOL: Sorry your day ended early.
Loved that water you two were standing in. Looks like just about anything could be there. You did well and had a great time, what more could anyone ask for.

Take you two.

WWO

Bill, how are things in SB County? I hope the fishing is heating up for you over there. Although Tess, IS vertically challenged :LOL:, her getting soaked just shows how determined she is to pull in some fish. She refuses to settle for a skunk! :Skunk: :Angry:


Nice catches Jason, and well done on the self photo with that butt..Hope Tess gets better luck out there next time with her new fishing apparel.

:Fishing Catch: Great report and thanks for sharing.

Thanks Jinbow. I think took that self shot 5 times before I called it quits on the selfie.


Great Pics J&T. WTG on the legal.
DR

Thanks DR.


Cool report, those are some beautiful calico's. Congrats on the legal too. :Thumbs Up:

Thanks basshole. I love them calicos! Still waiting to land a bruiser bass.


WTG Jason! Congrats on your first legal of the year! Good job on the photo with that butt. It's always nice to read your couple's reports. I'm also very vertically challenged and i'm still trying to get a hang of jumping those surprise waves. Keep up the good work guys!

Raney

Thanks Raney! Conditions were perfect that day for wading out. However, every now and then a 2-3ft swell would come rolling by and I had no choice but to just take it like a man! LOL The things we do to catch fish. :Fishing Hole:

[Wingnut]

Congrats on you first legal Hali of the year Jason. :Big Grin: Good to see Tess back out there in the surf too. :Razz:
I haven't hit the surf in over a month... :Neutral:
As soon as this crazy business project is over, it's game on! But I hope I don't miss the entire Spring bite. :mad:

[skunked4life]

Sorry for the late reply guys. Jason, great job leading your master to the prey! Congrats on your first legal from that AO. You and Tess seem to be on track to become the king and queen of surf and yak fishing! What next? You gonna buy a big boat and conquer the deep too? :LOL:

Tess, I told Jason last week, I am 6 feet tall and still get dunked there so it is no big deal. A right of passage for that place. Could be worse, you could have taken a BIG hit like Jason and the Commander did last year!

Ken