Valentine's Day Butts

[klocked]

Nice job on the Valentine butts Gavin!!

I too had the same problem with P-line.... from looking at the picture of your reel, it looks like you might have too much line on it. P-line is very stiff when its new but it softens up with time. But when it's new and there's too much on the reel, you'll get tangles all the time. Try removing about 50-60 feet of line and then try it. It should start getting softer after about 10 trips.

Once again good job on the butts during the winter

Klocked

[bergie berg]

great job, major props on the release!!

[smitty99]

Nice work Gavin! Thanks for the report and pictures!

[Wingnut]

Well done Gavin... first surf fish of the year and it's a legal!
I hit the surf today but didn't do nearly as well.
Here comes more rain!

[gavin310]

Nice job on the Valentine butts Gavin!!

I too had the same problem with P-line.... from looking at the picture of your reel, it looks like you might have too much line on it. P-line is very stiff when its new but it softens up with time. But when it's new and there's too much on the reel, you'll get tangles all the time. Try removing about 50-60 feet of line and then try it. It should start getting softer after about 10 trips.

Once again good job on the butts during the winter

Klocked

Ya know you're right. That totally makes sense. It must have begun to tangle right after it left the spool and by the time it made it past the eyelets and into the air it was probably tangled. Thanks for the tip!!!

[gavin310]

Well done Gavin... first surf fish of the year and it's a legal!
I hit the surf today but didn't do nearly as well.
Here comes more rain!

Wingnut... I just read your report. As much as it sucks to break a rod and lose a LC......................... you broke your rod battling a huge shark in the surf I'm jealous as hell!!!!! Seeing that thing surface would have scared the bejesus out of me. I'm already nervous of the ocean cause Jaws damaged me as a child, so if I saw a 6 foot plus shark that close to me, while i was standing in the water, yeah... man... i don't want to think about that.

I just imagined standing in the surf and seeing a 6 foot shark swim past my feet. Just the thought made me lose my breath. Maybe surf fishing isn't for me?

[bsp]

I just imagined standing in the surf and seeing a 6 foot shark swim past my feet. Just the thought made me lose my breath. Maybe surf fishing isn't for me?

Nah, surf fishing is for you. Maybe wading up past your chest isn't for you? In all seriousness, leopard sharks are harmless and it is really unlikely that you will see any dangerous shark close to shore in California. On the other hand, there are always round stingrays.....

Good job on getting a legal halibut as your first surf fish of the year! With that kind of luck, a 30in halibut is only a trip away.

[gavin310]

Nah, surf fishing is for you. Maybe wading up past your chest isn't for you? In all seriousness, leopard sharks are harmless and it is really unlikely that you will see any dangerous shark close to shore in California. On the other hand, there are always round stingrays.....

Good job on getting a legal halibut as your first surf fish of the year! With that kind of luck, a 30in halibut is only a trip away.

I can see the news headlines now... "6 Foot Leopard Shark Thought To Be Harmless Attacks Malibu Fisherman"

Thanks man, I was pretty happy when I got my first glimpse of that legal. I'm pretty comfortable in the surf, my only challenge is to work on "surveying" the area... finding areas that should be holding fish. Hopefully I'll run into some of you out there and I can get some help with that.

[bsp]

I'm pretty comfortable in the surf, my only challenge is to work on "surveying" the area... finding areas that should be holding fish. Hopefully I'll run into some of you out there and I can get some help with that.

Two words: Google Earth

Get on there and find spots that look similar to where you caught fish today. Then, fish them and see which are productive.

[gavin310]

Two words: Google Earth

Get on there and find spots that look similar to where you caught fish today. Then, fish them and see which are productive.

I've been doing that man. Although not on this last trip The main problem I have though is seeing the good spots while I'm in the surf. Sometimes I can spot a good riptide, but I know the water and waves are showing me a lot more than I can see.