Raneman
07-20-2014, 10:12 PM
Day 1 Saturday 7/19
I get a text from my good friend Alby who's on baby leave and he's in need of some surf therapy. I decided on a spot that I've only been to once before this weekend. Last time I was here I got outfished by the Commander and Peter (PTN). I ended up skunking that day, Arthur with 2 legals, and Peter with 1 legal. I had to redeem myself so the spot was chosen.
We arrived to the spot at about 5:15AM to overcast skies, mostly flat water, and super weedy conditions. Our lines hit the water and we find out quick that it's going to be tough to get a clean retrieve. We had to work hard to find any kind of clean pocket to fish but the fish were definitely there.
Alby with the first strike
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/74CFAE78-DE90-489A-972B-C1092E6D0AC7_zps1zhihlgs.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/74CFAE78-DE90-489A-972B-C1092E6D0AC7_zps1zhihlgs.jpg.html)
We make our way down the beach and we both notice a really nice trough down the way. We picked off 4 more shorts, 2 for me and 2 for him while heading to that trench. We get close to the trench and I instruct Alby to go ahead and work it first. Alby hasn't caught a legal halibut yet in his short time fishing so I gave him first dibs on the spot. He's fan casting the area and working it pretty hard and all of a sudden he sets the hook. He yells, "I got a good one"! His rod goes major bendo, his tip is dancing, and I'm thinking this is it. Well, it turns out he snagged a submerged rock and there was a nice clump of seaweed on his line. That would explain the bendo and tip dancing lol. I tried to help him get his LC back but he insisted that he would get it out himself, even if it meant diving in to get it. I let him do his thing to get his lure free from the rock so i cast my LC out, slow roll it in, and THUMP! Oh no I think Alby just got "rock blocked". The fish doesn't pull any drag or feel heavy while I'm retrieving it in. I yell out, "hey man no worries, it's a little guy." I continue to reel it in and it surfaces with a splash. I get a glimpse of where the tail ends and where the head is and I can tell that this is actually a nice fish. I yell over to Alby to drop his reel and get his butt over here! The fish comes in relatively easy until it hits the skinny. I time the next wave, drag it up the sand, Alby makes the tail grab.
First reaction, man this thing might hit the 30 inch mark which would beat my PB of 28".
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1577_zpscdfab711.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1577_zpscdfab711.jpg.html)
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1578_zpsba3256b4.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1578_zpsba3256b4.jpg.html)
Grabbed the tape out my bag and lay it across
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1579_zps51cc3e04.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1579_zps51cc3e04.jpg.html)
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1580_zpsba225340.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1580_zpsba225340.jpg.html)
Barely clears 30"s!!! YEAH BABY I got a new PB and am now a proud member of the 30" club!!!:Dancing Banana:
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1586_zps250ec4fe.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1586_zps250ec4fe.jpg.html)
White Side
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1589_zps1e79dd2a.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1589_zps1e79dd2a.jpg.html)
Alby with the photo op
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1594_zps8a5fe9ad.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1594_zps8a5fe9ad.jpg.html)
Alby asked me if I was going to keep the fish and I let him know about the S.W.A.T. tradition. I'm sorry brotha but I have to release my PBs. The look on his face was that of total shock :Shocked:
The release
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1597_zps7b2d84aa.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1597_zps7b2d84aa.jpg.html)
1
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1604_zpsea4736cb.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1604_zpsea4736cb.jpg.html)
2
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1605_zps275c480f.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1605_zps275c480f.jpg.html)
and gone!
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1609_zpsdcec2e32.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1609_zpsdcec2e32.jpg.html)
Bent my hooks but that's okay, I'm going to retire this LC
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/8E01FEC9-86A2-44FD-BEB9-288FE1031AEC_zpsmaypntqk.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/8E01FEC9-86A2-44FD-BEB9-288FE1031AEC_zpsmaypntqk.jpg.html)
So after releasing the fish we try for another hour around that area for nothing else. We make our way back home and I send a text to Arthur letting him know how the sesh went. We're texting back and forth and he says he wants to head out to that spot tomorrow. Everything is pretty much a go until Arthur gets wind of the weedy conditions. Well he tells me that he hates that and he might stay local. I get home and I know I'm going to hear it from everyone. "What, you let that go? What a waste! You're kidding me!" is pretty much the reaction I got when I showed them the pictures and had no fish to physically show. My girlfriend was craving some halibut tacos so she set me out on a mission to bring one home tomorrow!
Day 2
I hit my friend up to come out with me because he had been wanting to go for a while now. He's down to go but I see a text message when I wake up on my phone and he informs me that he's way to drunk to go haha. Oh well no worries. As I'm getting ready to head out I hear the door to my brothers room open up and it's Jonathan coming back from a late night. "Hey little bro, you wanna go on a mission?" He's super tired but he mans up and got his butt in the car. We head to the same beach and conditions were almost exactly the same as yesterday.
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/52625DDB-BF0A-420D-82D6-432EB64FB0CD_zpswcrquois.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/52625DDB-BF0A-420D-82D6-432EB64FB0CD_zpswcrquois.jpg.html)
Today was a little less weedy but it was still super annoying. Jonathan and I fish for a good 45 minutes before one of us gets a bite and it's Jonathan with a skunk buster baby leo. We continue on for another 45 minutes for nothing and I tell Jonathan I'm going to head straight to the hole that I caught my 30"er yesterday. As i'm fishing my way to the spot, I jerk my rod and I notice my reel handle on my Stradic ci4+ is reversing. I'm no reel mechanic but damn, I think my Anti-reverse bearings just went out. This is going to be tough if I hook onto a nice fish. I keep a spare in my car but if I was going back to my car it was to home at this point. I make a cast and I get that familiar THUMP on my line. I go to set the hook and the reel handle slips off my fingertips and reverses:EyePop: Oh no, I better not lose this fish! I gain my line back and immediately the fish takes off peeling drag. This one is fighting much better than the one yesterday. I yell over at Jonathan to come over and help me land this thing. I knew it was a good one, I finally get a glimpse of the fish and tell John to grab it as soon as it touches the sand. I get it to the sand, he reaches for the tail grab, and the fish gives Jonathan a nice sand bath:LOL:. This goes on for 3 more attempts but he eventually lands it for me.
Sand Bath aftermath
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/63C3FDF7-1141-4662-811A-1D4E6D99F371_zpsdik5bt77.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/63C3FDF7-1141-4662-811A-1D4E6D99F371_zpsdik5bt77.jpg.html)
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/0FD13143-9610-413E-BFED-F0FC6AD267A7_zpsy7wgms9l.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/0FD13143-9610-413E-BFED-F0FC6AD267A7_zpsy7wgms9l.jpg.html)
This LC was part of the S.W.A.T. care package, Thank Arthur!
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/B0FF43F6-2602-442D-9947-653CB5ABEA99_zpsvwgsonl0.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/B0FF43F6-2602-442D-9947-653CB5ABEA99_zpsvwgsonl0.jpg.html)
Justace Shore Winder Rod and faulty Shimano Stradic
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/6127F22D-519B-49A2-8F7D-BC6BDFF1113B_zpsfef5clw7.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/6127F22D-519B-49A2-8F7D-BC6BDFF1113B_zpsfef5clw7.jpg.html)
I'm calling it 28 1/2"s
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/62CC8B2E-C262-44C1-BB08-523468397805_zpst57mdi1d.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/62CC8B2E-C262-44C1-BB08-523468397805_zpst57mdi1d.jpg.html)
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/9F2CDD2A-55F8-42B2-9714-4CFEDCC153B9_zpsmnx3mbpa.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/9F2CDD2A-55F8-42B2-9714-4CFEDCC153B9_zpsmnx3mbpa.jpg.html)
We fished for another 15 minutes and called it a day. I got it home and tried to surprise my girlfriend with it but my bro had already posted a spoiler on the interweb. Needless to say but she was super happy with the delivery.
I'm texting Arthur about another successful trip and he congratulates me and tells me that he didn't get to fish this weekend and should have got his arse up to join me. I told him it would've been real cool to fish alongside him again in a spot where he totally outfished me. He says if he was there he might have stolen my last fish. The scarey part for me is, he's probably right :Embarrassed:. So Wingnut, I'm glad you didn't show up to take my fish haha. Just kidding bro, it's always nice to share the sand with you brotha.
Remember folks HG6 is around the corner, don't forget to register! I'm excited to see everyone again and I'm sure it's going to be a blast!
Raney
I get a text from my good friend Alby who's on baby leave and he's in need of some surf therapy. I decided on a spot that I've only been to once before this weekend. Last time I was here I got outfished by the Commander and Peter (PTN). I ended up skunking that day, Arthur with 2 legals, and Peter with 1 legal. I had to redeem myself so the spot was chosen.
We arrived to the spot at about 5:15AM to overcast skies, mostly flat water, and super weedy conditions. Our lines hit the water and we find out quick that it's going to be tough to get a clean retrieve. We had to work hard to find any kind of clean pocket to fish but the fish were definitely there.
Alby with the first strike
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/74CFAE78-DE90-489A-972B-C1092E6D0AC7_zps1zhihlgs.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/74CFAE78-DE90-489A-972B-C1092E6D0AC7_zps1zhihlgs.jpg.html)
We make our way down the beach and we both notice a really nice trough down the way. We picked off 4 more shorts, 2 for me and 2 for him while heading to that trench. We get close to the trench and I instruct Alby to go ahead and work it first. Alby hasn't caught a legal halibut yet in his short time fishing so I gave him first dibs on the spot. He's fan casting the area and working it pretty hard and all of a sudden he sets the hook. He yells, "I got a good one"! His rod goes major bendo, his tip is dancing, and I'm thinking this is it. Well, it turns out he snagged a submerged rock and there was a nice clump of seaweed on his line. That would explain the bendo and tip dancing lol. I tried to help him get his LC back but he insisted that he would get it out himself, even if it meant diving in to get it. I let him do his thing to get his lure free from the rock so i cast my LC out, slow roll it in, and THUMP! Oh no I think Alby just got "rock blocked". The fish doesn't pull any drag or feel heavy while I'm retrieving it in. I yell out, "hey man no worries, it's a little guy." I continue to reel it in and it surfaces with a splash. I get a glimpse of where the tail ends and where the head is and I can tell that this is actually a nice fish. I yell over to Alby to drop his reel and get his butt over here! The fish comes in relatively easy until it hits the skinny. I time the next wave, drag it up the sand, Alby makes the tail grab.
First reaction, man this thing might hit the 30 inch mark which would beat my PB of 28".
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1577_zpscdfab711.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1577_zpscdfab711.jpg.html)
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1578_zpsba3256b4.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1578_zpsba3256b4.jpg.html)
Grabbed the tape out my bag and lay it across
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1579_zps51cc3e04.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1579_zps51cc3e04.jpg.html)
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1580_zpsba225340.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1580_zpsba225340.jpg.html)
Barely clears 30"s!!! YEAH BABY I got a new PB and am now a proud member of the 30" club!!!:Dancing Banana:
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1586_zps250ec4fe.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1586_zps250ec4fe.jpg.html)
White Side
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1589_zps1e79dd2a.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1589_zps1e79dd2a.jpg.html)
Alby with the photo op
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1594_zps8a5fe9ad.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1594_zps8a5fe9ad.jpg.html)
Alby asked me if I was going to keep the fish and I let him know about the S.W.A.T. tradition. I'm sorry brotha but I have to release my PBs. The look on his face was that of total shock :Shocked:
The release
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1597_zps7b2d84aa.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1597_zps7b2d84aa.jpg.html)
1
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1604_zpsea4736cb.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1604_zpsea4736cb.jpg.html)
2
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1605_zps275c480f.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1605_zps275c480f.jpg.html)
and gone!
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/IMG_1609_zpsdcec2e32.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/IMG_1609_zpsdcec2e32.jpg.html)
Bent my hooks but that's okay, I'm going to retire this LC
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/8E01FEC9-86A2-44FD-BEB9-288FE1031AEC_zpsmaypntqk.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/8E01FEC9-86A2-44FD-BEB9-288FE1031AEC_zpsmaypntqk.jpg.html)
So after releasing the fish we try for another hour around that area for nothing else. We make our way back home and I send a text to Arthur letting him know how the sesh went. We're texting back and forth and he says he wants to head out to that spot tomorrow. Everything is pretty much a go until Arthur gets wind of the weedy conditions. Well he tells me that he hates that and he might stay local. I get home and I know I'm going to hear it from everyone. "What, you let that go? What a waste! You're kidding me!" is pretty much the reaction I got when I showed them the pictures and had no fish to physically show. My girlfriend was craving some halibut tacos so she set me out on a mission to bring one home tomorrow!
Day 2
I hit my friend up to come out with me because he had been wanting to go for a while now. He's down to go but I see a text message when I wake up on my phone and he informs me that he's way to drunk to go haha. Oh well no worries. As I'm getting ready to head out I hear the door to my brothers room open up and it's Jonathan coming back from a late night. "Hey little bro, you wanna go on a mission?" He's super tired but he mans up and got his butt in the car. We head to the same beach and conditions were almost exactly the same as yesterday.
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/52625DDB-BF0A-420D-82D6-432EB64FB0CD_zpswcrquois.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/52625DDB-BF0A-420D-82D6-432EB64FB0CD_zpswcrquois.jpg.html)
Today was a little less weedy but it was still super annoying. Jonathan and I fish for a good 45 minutes before one of us gets a bite and it's Jonathan with a skunk buster baby leo. We continue on for another 45 minutes for nothing and I tell Jonathan I'm going to head straight to the hole that I caught my 30"er yesterday. As i'm fishing my way to the spot, I jerk my rod and I notice my reel handle on my Stradic ci4+ is reversing. I'm no reel mechanic but damn, I think my Anti-reverse bearings just went out. This is going to be tough if I hook onto a nice fish. I keep a spare in my car but if I was going back to my car it was to home at this point. I make a cast and I get that familiar THUMP on my line. I go to set the hook and the reel handle slips off my fingertips and reverses:EyePop: Oh no, I better not lose this fish! I gain my line back and immediately the fish takes off peeling drag. This one is fighting much better than the one yesterday. I yell over at Jonathan to come over and help me land this thing. I knew it was a good one, I finally get a glimpse of the fish and tell John to grab it as soon as it touches the sand. I get it to the sand, he reaches for the tail grab, and the fish gives Jonathan a nice sand bath:LOL:. This goes on for 3 more attempts but he eventually lands it for me.
Sand Bath aftermath
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/63C3FDF7-1141-4662-811A-1D4E6D99F371_zpsdik5bt77.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/63C3FDF7-1141-4662-811A-1D4E6D99F371_zpsdik5bt77.jpg.html)
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/0FD13143-9610-413E-BFED-F0FC6AD267A7_zpsy7wgms9l.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/0FD13143-9610-413E-BFED-F0FC6AD267A7_zpsy7wgms9l.jpg.html)
This LC was part of the S.W.A.T. care package, Thank Arthur!
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/B0FF43F6-2602-442D-9947-653CB5ABEA99_zpsvwgsonl0.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/B0FF43F6-2602-442D-9947-653CB5ABEA99_zpsvwgsonl0.jpg.html)
Justace Shore Winder Rod and faulty Shimano Stradic
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/6127F22D-519B-49A2-8F7D-BC6BDFF1113B_zpsfef5clw7.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/6127F22D-519B-49A2-8F7D-BC6BDFF1113B_zpsfef5clw7.jpg.html)
I'm calling it 28 1/2"s
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/62CC8B2E-C262-44C1-BB08-523468397805_zpst57mdi1d.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/62CC8B2E-C262-44C1-BB08-523468397805_zpst57mdi1d.jpg.html)
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h355/SaiyajinxRC/Fishing/9F2CDD2A-55F8-42B2-9714-4CFEDCC153B9_zpsmnx3mbpa.jpg (http://s1105.photobucket.com/user/SaiyajinxRC/media/Fishing/9F2CDD2A-55F8-42B2-9714-4CFEDCC153B9_zpsmnx3mbpa.jpg.html)
We fished for another 15 minutes and called it a day. I got it home and tried to surprise my girlfriend with it but my bro had already posted a spoiler on the interweb. Needless to say but she was super happy with the delivery.
I'm texting Arthur about another successful trip and he congratulates me and tells me that he didn't get to fish this weekend and should have got his arse up to join me. I told him it would've been real cool to fish alongside him again in a spot where he totally outfished me. He says if he was there he might have stolen my last fish. The scarey part for me is, he's probably right :Embarrassed:. So Wingnut, I'm glad you didn't show up to take my fish haha. Just kidding bro, it's always nice to share the sand with you brotha.
Remember folks HG6 is around the corner, don't forget to register! I'm excited to see everyone again and I'm sure it's going to be a blast!
Raney