Payin' Poseidon

[City Dad]

Splurged a bit on some new gear this year. Figured it'd serve double-duty fishing hard baits in the surf and casting from the local moo moos. Never really fished too much with the LC and my only resolution was to get in more work with this venerable bait.

Arrived in Malibu area 6:30am. No waves - mirror flat. Started casting around some boilers and before long hooked up my first surf checker. I could grow to dig this.

Of course, two casts later my 2015 cover charge was rendered up to Poseidon there is one metallic sardine in the rocks for some lucky bloke to find at low tide. This was soon joined by a second LC in smelt color. (I can see this becoming a pretty expensive habit if I'm not more cautious.)

Speaking of smelt, I ended up with two of those - one of them a PB. And I gotta hand it to the pacific jacksmelt - that fish is a real go-getter. The plug they tried to eat were not much smaller in diameter than the smelt's mouth. The only way they coulda eaten a baitfish that size is if they sorta gulped it down Jenna Jamison style. A marvelous gamefish.

That was about it once the sun hit the water.

I don't know if I'm more excited about my PB surf bass or my PB smelt.

Here is a crummy picture taken from my phone.

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb225/timmeinhart/IMG_2074.jpg (http://s205.photobucket.com/user/timmeinhart/media/IMG_2074.jpg.html)

Peace.

[skunked4life]

Hi City Dad! First, let me give you a long overdue welcome to the brother/sisterhood! I have been out of commission and not very good at replying to all of the wonderful reports including yours. I apologize. Second, let me empathize with you...my first year of SWAT, I lost over 20 LC's. Thankfully, I only lost a couple this last season! You will learn to fish more prudently with them over time but as mentors always say...big risk equal big rewards...sometimes. Last, congrats on the checker! They are great fun on the lc! Hope to meet you in person sometime this year!

Ken

[bones]

Dude.....This report has all of the aspects of a draumatic .....ummmm....errrrr.... I mean Traumatic surf adventure. It was like I was there feeling your excitement and PAIN:ROFL:

First of all ... congrats on DIGGING the checker. Actually a rare catch this time of year because the water is chilling down and they are moving back out to the kelp beds that have begun to grow again. I don't think I've ever seen you use a baitcaster in the surf before Tim..... I'm proud of ya man!

The pic is FUZZZZZY but is that a Luna and a Crucial?

The only bit of advice I can give you as far as minimizing your LC losses is to never swing on a ROCK:ROFL:
Seriously Bro.....Over time you will get tuned in and be able to tell what is a grab and what is a rock. When you hit a rock you have to pause for a second because a 110 flash minnow is a suspending bait and the odds are you just bumped into the rock with the lip of the bait so just a pause on a high stick and a gentle pull will deliver the bait back to you. Usually if you are using a minimum of 12 lb test you can pull your bait free. Not all of the time but ....Most of the time.
Anyways...Awesome way to start off the New Year my friend. May I be the first person to congratulate you on achieving the SWAT lead for lost soldiers in 2015:ROFL:

P.S.

As far as Jenna Jamison and her SKILLZZZZZ........ Ummmmm..... I'll leave that conversation for later when I see ya on the sand:ROFL:



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[anchor3n1]

Wow Tim you got yourself a bait caster and LCs. Welcome to the "dark side, Luke":LOL:

Good job on catching your first checker side.

Nick

[bachiboy]

Very nicely done Tim! Great new toys to nail those PBs. Sorry to hear about the casualties though...been there, done that. Great first report for the year and looking forward to many more!!!

Don

[exfactor]

Ahhh sooooo!!!!!!!! Bone's reply made me laugh! But, so true lol. I WON'T use anything less then 15# LOL. As a matter of fact, I hung a nice ROCK when we were up north, and considered going swimming brrr, but, after trying to pull it off from the far left, and far right, started see sawing my rod until I broke one of the trebles off about 10 minutes later. But i got it back! When I see you and your girls hunking the LC at HG-7, I'll know your converted!

[City Dad]

Thanks for the replies, fellas. Really looking forward to summer and decorating more coastline with expensive Japanese hard baits.

Bones, Crucial and a Calcutta 200. (Even when I'm splurging, I'm cheap!)

[simijab]

congrats on the PBs. New gear is always fun. Sort of cool seeing the swat memeber title under your name. You have been putting in the miles for a while.
Well deserved!!

[simijab]

Now its time to buy a better camera:LOL:

[bones]

Thanks for the replies, fellas. Really looking forward to summer and decorating more coastline with expensive Japanese hard baits.

Bones, Crucial and a Calcutta 200. (Even when I'm splurging, I'm cheap!)

Far from cheap Tim. Crucials retail for over 200 bucks now and I'm not a Calcutta guy but I know they are not cheap as well. Main thing is that you are using a baitcaster in the surf.....OMG
Maybe "Bachiboy" Mr Don can give you a few pointers on the P.O. technique:ROFL:

[SP Dan]

Hi ya Tim,

Congrat's on your PB surf bass and PB smelt.

Lost soldiers (LC's) will happen at times with courageous throws in the battle trenches. It just happens. I've lost my favorite soldier already this year.

Thanx for the fish report with pic. Nice looking Cali!

SP Dan ~~~~~ <"))><