Marina del rey Presidents day
Hit Marina Del Rey for a Change of pace..
Though I was looking for some solid action, I wasn’t expecting the bite to be off the hook given the recent storms and subsequent conditions that follow.
But surpriseingly the bite wasn’t bad at all and the water temps were much wamer than I anticipated..
Surface tempt in the harbor was a balmy 60 degrees…
Water clarity out by the jetty’s was a little dingy but not bad…probably eplains the warmer temps (light refraction).
Anyway, my Gulp alive minnow was greeted by 9-10 Calico bass most of which were about 10’ but I caught 4 ranging from 15” to 17” – I didn’t bother taking too many photos unless something in a grander scale happened (wait for it…)
A real nice fat Cabezon was laid out….Gulp alive again..
I also landed 2 short halibut which is what more of my time was spent on..
(only photographed 1-nothing to get excited about)
Barracuda came a calling on my gulp on the ride up….TWICE they ripped the plastic clean off my jighead…
So my other rod was cocked and loaded with a LC….I casted….Whammo…
Hookup….followed by 5 more….I stopped fishing for the cuda after 6 o them slimesticks…a couple were in the 23”-24” range…not bad for a cold weather patterened harbor bite.
I could have slayed many more if I wanted to..wherever I found the bait, they weren’t far behind……but it was off to search for more flatties and to leave the slimestick fields behind..
P.S.
This is what could potentially happen whith a shaking cuda(it’s in the shirt not the skin)
No more flatties came to be but I found some more activity of a mixed variety..
2 spotted bay bass (1 about 3 lbs and 1 about 13”) –sorry didn’t photo..
About 20 real fat and yoked Yellowfin croaker…(didn’t bother photo’ing)
2 Grumpy Sandbass about 17”& 16”
1 Smelt about 17”
THEN….it happened……bouncing the Gulp alive minnow on a ¼ oz jighead…..
Thump !
...Hoookup !
Bendo !
…….BENDO DELUXE !
Zzzzzzzzzz……ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz….followed by more Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..
A long 40 yard run was peeling away…..sheeeesh !....I don’t want to get spooled !
So….
I get on the trolling motor at high speed !
I start chasing him !
After a nice thrilling chase, I stop and battle it for 10 minutes….
He drags me 50 yards or so through the channel in the harbor…
MAN….I only got 8lb test seaguar invisX….
on a 7.2 crucial Medium heavy action SPINNING ROD to boot !
30 to 40 minutes into the battle….boats begin to gather….father’s wifes with their kids on their boats…watch…wait…..in amazement as I have time to tell them the story of what I’m using…how I’m fishing it….and how light the line is that I’m using…
I speculate that this fish has to be at least 50 lbs the way it’s exhibiting it’s power so tremendously ! AND towing me around..
60 to 70 minutes into the fight…
MAN…my arms are TIRED….and with each pump of the pole as I strain the crucial pole to breaking point….
My arms are shaking ! weak from the prolonged battle
I don’t know how much more I can give !
I don’t know how this fish hasn’t been bested yet
He’s STILL WAY Strong !
I don’t know how my gear has held up THIS long !
This fish has battled me in what I’d guess has been more than 3000 yards in the harbor…
I was towed from spot to spot
and sometimes I’d chase him down for a ways to gain line !
Some folks in their boats still remained but many moved on after a 30 min or more wait for me to land it.
At one point I was in 17.5 foot of water and the fish was straight down…
I started metering the fish on my graph !
I say to the onlookers …
IT’s a TOAD !
Not that I didn’t know that already ! by the elongated battle
By now people gathered on the jetty and were watching too !
He headed for shallow water towards the inner channel on the northwest jetty..
I HAD to drive him out deeper in fear of him sawing me off in the rocks…
I powered the boat deep and changed my angle on him…
IT WORKED !
He turned and peeled out deeper !
This happened twice and I did the same thing with success!
The 3rd time he went shallow I couldn’t turn him with my 8 lb test..
SO…now I’m in 5’ of water…battleing away….
He pulls me even shallower..
My boat motor is in the sand but I can see theres no rock…just a sand bar…
SO…I make an executive decision and decide I’m better off landing him on foot…
I have a pair of people in Kayaks pull my boat out deeper and I jump into the water with net in hand…
After another 10 minutes or so….
I LAND IT !
AND…it’s a bat ray….I know…I know…
A bat ray….!
But a Bat Ray on Gulp alive minnow ?
On 8 lb test ?
Whew…what a battle….that battle went on for OVER 1 ½ hours !
My arms are STILL sore today !
I struggled to lift him out of the water for pics but it was REAL difficult and the kayaker took these pics for me which could have had a little better angle but at least I landed it !
AND my rod didn’t break and my line held up (Whew !)
I’d guess he went in the 70 to 85 lb class judging by the sheer girth and I have caught many of those beasties in my day…
Whatta battle…whata battle…even though it’s just a Bat Ray, I still feel quite victorious having bested him on that very light gear
Good times…till next time
Gary
Originally Posted by bowler
