Poseidon: "I raise you a PB Halibut." Wingnut: "I call!" 7/23/09

[Wingnut]

This has been one heck of a week for me... Monday, Wingnut Pug got an ear infection, had to take her to the vet. Tuesday, got rear-ended in the Hybrid, major damage and undrivable. Wednesday, we decided to postpone the long awaited "Hunting Giants" Team 57 Surf Event due to the high surf warning for this weekend. Thursday (this morning), I had to let go of an employee due to a failed drug test. Then by lunch time, I got news that a major client had cancelled a sizeable order.

That did it... I decided to break one of my golden business rules, "Never ditch work to go fishing or golfing." Lead by example, Rule #1 in the business world. Those who know me personally, knows that I rarely deviate from this rule. But today calls for a much needed exception.
Gave Dana (Fisherman57) a call to see if he was free to fish... nope, The Godfather was busy as usual. Called Mike (Bones) and guess what...? He's already out in the Northern surf with Lucas (Big Red).

I guess this was gonna have to be a "One Man" show. I didn't need to fish today... I HAD to fish today. Left the office, went home to grab my gear and hit the road at 4:30pm for an afternoon/evening surf fishing session. Smack in the middle of the primetime commute, it took me two hours to drive less than 30 miles to a local spot. I almost turned the car around on several occasions, but told myself... I don't care, I'm fishing today no matter what! Something told me just to keep on driving...

Got to the spot and as I was walking down to the surf... I witnessed a wonderous sight. Baitfish jumping clear out of the water within casting distance. 4-5 inch baitfish flying everywhere along with Flatties going airborn after them! I ran full-speed into the surf and let the LC fly...

First cast... BAM! A legal Flattie greets the LC with a savage strike. Forget the measuring tape during a hot bite. I know for certain that it was a legal.


A few more casts... thunk, Fish on! A nice short. Released it right in the surf and cast back out again... fish on! Another legal. Pic courtesy of a passerby.


Then the action stopped as the Baitfish vanished... Kept moving down the beach and nailed this short Butt.
Please excuse the pink measuring tape.


About half an hour later and a couple more shorts... more baitfish comes flying out of the water along with a Hali acrobatic summersault. I shuffled over about 20 yards in the surf and casted sideways toward the boil... got hit immediately but the fish didn't hang on, on the next cast, it came back with a vengeance! Another legal hit the sand.




Stuck a couple more shorts... didn't bother with the pics. I have loftier aspirations in mind. Moved back to the original stretch and coaxed the FOURTH legal to take the LC.




Then a long stretch of only a bunch of shorts... It was now getting late past 8:00pm and the sun is rapidly sinking. Just as I was thinking to myself, "Damn, this has been one heck of an evening session..." and preparing to wrap things up... out of the corner of my eye, the water erupted with baitfish. You wouldn't believe it unless you were standing right there looking directly right at it. I would say the boil on the baitfish school was at least twenty yards wide... I should have taken a pic of it. I have never seen a surf boil of that magnitude. Needless to say, I jumped in and was right on top of the action. I caught short Flatties on SIX CONSECUTIVE casts! It was absolute mayhem... Once I realized that it was only a short, I was horsing them in and releasing them as fast as I could standing in the surf and casting back out again.

Then it happened... on one of my casts, I watched as the LC hit the water. At that instant, a HUGE Flat Boy came flying out of the water with the LC in its mouth. It came crashing back down and took off with a blistering drag run. I held on for dear life during that first burst of energy from the surprised and pissed off fish. Then the tug of war game began... back and forth we go, the fish take line, I gain it back, it takes line again... I turn it back... this went on for probably about a good five minutes or so.

Funny, the things that runs through your mind when you're on a quality fish. Will my knot hold...? Is my #10 line strong enough...? I hope the LC hooks are burried in the hardest part of the mouth and won't bend out. I hope the fish don't take me into the kelp or around a boiler rock... It's human nature to come up with excuses to why we might fail. When what we should think is... Stay calm, you are doing everything right, take your time, whatever happens, happens... it's in God's hands now.

The big Flattie was tough and smart too... it would not let me use the incoming surf to ride it in towards the end of the battle. It kept bolting as soon as it got into the shallows. After a few tries, I decided to go after it in the surf with the Boga Grip. Guided the fish straight to me with mouth open and set the clip on the lower jaw on the first try. The prize is secured!

After I released the big girl, I just stood there, staring into the sunset... the boil was gone, all was quiet except for the Seagulls in the distance and the sound of the crashing surf. It was time to go home.

I was happy to be able to take advantage of the calm before the storm... the swells were already starting to move in.

My personal best 34" Hali (previously 32").
Just shy of 20 lbs on the built-in scale of my model 130 Boga Grip.
Pics courtesy of a beachcomber.












The release. Surf fishing Karma rule #1 "NEVER kill your personal best fish."


Poseidon really knows how to make me forget my troubles. This is why I love surf fishing or any kind of fishing... it washes away the dust of everyday life. I get dirty during the week, and come clean in the surf on the weekends.
I'm really glad that I made the off the wall decision to hit the surf today... I may have to break my own rules more often in future.

I accomplished a few "personal best" today... all in a 2 1/2 hour surf session. It goes to prove the saying, "It's not the hours that you put in, it's what you put in the hours that counts..."

Personal Bests:
1. PB Halibut - 34 inches.
2. Most Halibut in one session - Nineteen (19) Flatties total.
3. Most legal Halibut in one session - Five (5) 22", 23", 23", 25" 34"
(All fish released)

Dana & Mike, I wished that you guys were with me today and be a part of this amazing experience. It was a great outing, my only regret that I didn't have anybody to share it with.

Marc (BSP), the "Spot" was on FIRE! I didn't catch your WSB, but I got the one that got away from you last time!

Please be careful if you're heading to the surf this weekend. High surf warning has been issued with swells up to 10 feet PLUS!
I'll be hitting the lakes this weekend instead.

Thanks for reading everybody... until the next tide, PEACE!

Arthur (Wingnut)

"One angler practicing Catch & Release is better than fifty preaching it."

Bonus:
Meet the new "Death Dealer"


Weapons, ammo and Team 57 apparel.


Parting shot:
Wingnut Pug says, "I'm sad that I couldn't meet my Team 57 friends this weekend, but I'll see you guys at Legends III"

Confirmed "Hunting Giants" Participants - Please see the Team 57 Private Section for the rescheduled date for the surf event. The show will go on!

[bones]

Arthur,

Nobody deserves a day like this more than you buddy. Bigred and I played hooky today in anticipation
of the major swell due in tomorrow. To make a long story short......We blanked for the day and I could hear
the disappointment in your voice when I called you with the news. When you told me that you also were going crazy with the idea that you were not going to be able to hit the salt this weekend and were thinking about heading on out for and evening bite.....I thought to myself.....He has that "Little Voice" telling him something GOOD is going to happen. When I got your call.....I already knew something was up when your first word was "DUDE......"...LOL
You work so hard Arthur and you NEVER take time off of work to fish.The dedication to be successfull in the surf has not come easy my friend and I for one know how hard the "Desire" was today. A two hour drive in the middle of rush hour to a remote spot that is a pretty decent walk to the honey hole combined with somewhat sketchy and turbulant conditions is not the most favorable scenario to say the least but...........Karma rewarded you once again !
Congrats on an EPIC few hours in the surf and your PB flattie.
What a beautiful fish and talk about timing.......Even the odds of another person comming along in that spot at the exact time that you needed a picture taken......WOW......You are truely blessed.
Days like this are few and far between but the memories will last a lifetime!

Something tells me that when you are sitting in a boat with Bob this weekend your mind REALLY won't be on "Striper Fishing" but rather WHEN you are going to be able to hunt the giants again in the surf !!!!

Good Job Arthur!

[Porkchop5420]

WTG wingnut! Setting 3 PBs during one session is mind blowing. I bet it was definitely worth taking the day off.
Again Congratulation on the excellent day on the water.

[BIGRED KILLA]

WOW.. Arthur nice job on ALL the Hali's ESP your PB congratulation's you deserve it that was a toad you got. That must have been crazy to see it in the water and trying to boga grip her glad you did not pull a ''Bones'' and lost her you did great. Today was a tough day up north for Mike and I with a few lost fish and terrible water conditions and no bait to see. You made the right choice to go to that area that must have been crazy to see all that bait in the water and fish slamming them from below i would have goofed up for sure trying to cast to the boils lol. Thanks again for the Pics and report Art, and Great job on your PB Big Girl and all her younger Friend's.



Bigred


You were not fishing alone.

[CAPT'N]

Arthur,

great report, great pictures, unbelievable afternoon in the surf!

Really sounds like a tough week, you deserved that time at the surf.

You might not have been fishing with anyone, but I guarantee you were not alone.

Scott

[bman90278]

Great thread and pics. Thanks very much for sharing them with us.

Brian

[boxl0bster]

epic day arthur!! i think if you didnt warn about the high tides i'd be heading out there this weekend. lol. thanks for the report!

[DCCTrouserTrout]

Way to go on the PB. That girl is a beast...

[fisherman from long beach]

now that is a bad *** day of fishing congrats on the personal best.and the good karma of letting the pb go.

[hbomb]

Monster Hali, thanks for the great report. Awesome job.