2/22 Calitoads,PB Hali, Perch + Febuary Cabrilla Grouper & 2 Exotics
First Off! on the 20th my friend John had hooked up with a Cabrilla Grouper on an LC off a jetty. He had texted me asking what type of fish it is. I knew it what it was right away. I called him and he told me the story. He saw the take as he was rolling along the rocks and saw the fish come from the rocks and strike his LC! Epic rare species John! Many congrats, what a beauty!!!
Haven't posted a report in what seems like forever. I've been meaning to put up a report for a while but i was having difficult sending pics. February has been an interesting month in my surf fishing shoes. After a bad foot slice i've been still managing to hobble around, animal style. This report will feature about 5 reports from different days. I did have a 2 skunk days or mac/smelt days. It was a great month for me despite the small windows of opportunity. The bite has shut down in most places with occasional halibut here and there. That resulted in my doing what i do best. Here we go.
Today 2/27
Arrived at spot one with great conditions. Fished hard with some friends and it was dead. We worked a ways for about an hour and a half. Arrived at spot two with a bit more grassy conditions but i knew there was a much better chance at fish here. We all threw swimbaits religiously and rick was the first hook up with a shot about 15". dead for the next 45 minutes. i switch tactics and throw on the floater and first cast i get hammered. great fight and the fish had me pumped. everytime i catch one a surf checker over 18" it gives me the special feeling. The surf has been claiming many of my lures but it has been well worth it. another fat 19" hits the sand. Rick had a video and took a pic of an epic bendo shot as i was about to beach the fish. 
Another friend was next to hook up with a decent shorty around 18". I'm going to my floater minnow off walking towards ricks. He says " i think i'm on" i just see his rod slowly load up and he set the hook. He saw the take but wasn't sure about it at first. Fish was on and i was a nice flash 25' out. I knew it was his first legal after the few he had farmed over his fishing days. I knew he was going to land this one. It hit the sand and measure 25" Many congrats on the first legal! Now lets catch more.
His fish took about 4-6 nice runs. this halibut was going crazy. none of the legals fought like his did. he had back off the drag as it got close and work it for a bit more before landing it.
We both work the section for a few short bites. I side cast and i swear i had a nice halibut. It was calico that choked my swimbait and was a suttle pick up. It as bleeding a bit from the gills. Hopefully it made it. It went about 16"
We hit up AO 3 and first cast a nail a .... Perch! i thought it was a big mac. guess i forgot how they fight...
Rick closed the day out with his 3rd short of the day. Great day you Definitely deserved that legal and glad you CPR'ed it!
Feb 3rd: Tough fishing but was able to manage a nice 18" calico on the SP minnow and a sandie.
Feb 10th:
Fished for a few hours and didn't get a fish till the second AO two hours in. 2 short halibut a Fat YFC, and a sublegal calio. Rick pulled a nice 17" calico out of the rocks that had frayed up his leader.
Feb 17th: fished for a bit a stuck it out. Its been tough fishing so with some AO swapping i stuck with my roots. Scored 2 sub legals a 19" calico that hit the SP minnow and a 17"
Feb 21st: i had some things to do and didn't plan on going out this day. Rick went on a lobster dive earlier that morning and said conditions were decent. I originally said no and then he called me an hour later and i gave in. Glad i did I got a crazy story out of it. We arrived about 3pm and planned to long rod at night with the crew again.
Anyways i end up on a boiler way out there. worked the area for a bit then decided to throw a cast over this half car sized boiler sticking 4' out of the water and 6' across that was about 30' in front of me. On the right of that big boiler i was casting over was a smaller rock stick about 2' out of the water. I was swinging my swimbait over the boiler as i ended my retrieve. What was i thinking.... Anyways i hook up 10' in from of the big boiler. Right when i did i thought i hooked a seal because one surface right by my line. It swam off. I tried to pull my fish over the boiler but my line caught the top of the rock. I immediately free spooled and jumped from rock to rock walking across some structure that extended out and i was straight on the side of the rock where my line was snagged. I gave it a few high arched swings and it was free. Fish still on. I pulled right in between a 1' gap between the big boiler and small boiler. reel the fish up 30' to me and it was landed. One of my most epic calico catches just because of the situation. measured 16"
20 mins later i get slammed close up in brown water. Taking good drag. landed another Hog. my 7th biggest calico and it made me super stoked! just over 20". It hit a weedless hammer. Rick pulled out 4 rat calicos on a funky looking purple/chart tail swimbait lol.
Long rodding was sc Also managed an Octopus and Rick scored his PB hornshark! Congrats Rick. This thing was a tank! measured 35" and probably preggo. Top section bigger than a 2 liter bottle. i'd say around 12-15lbs.
Also had a few long rodding sessions with the crew. Over all it was slow but I pulled out another surf sculpin! I don't care what no one says, i'm stoked off this little guy from the sand!!
Thanks for reading guys. I hope you all enjoy!
:D
