Quest for the ONE - S.W.A.T. Mission Accomplished? BONUS PICTS/REPORT added
So, back in May, I was set out on a mission to solidify a membership to S.W.A.T. Having success over the past few months, I felt somewhat (over)confident that I could get it done in a fair amount of time.The biggest problem, I felt, was going to be finding the time to get a line wet. With summer coming up, my work load was expected to increase and put a halt to the amount of sessions I had been putting in earlier in the year. Fortunately, work never got overbearing and I had my weekends to try to “get ‘er done”.
I work in graphics and deal with photoshop files from 5gigs on up to 30gigs. This gives me a lot of time, while files process or save, to browse the net. So, what do I do...go back and read every post in the Surf section of FNN...at least the ones that had a fair amount of replies and dealt with the surf (rather than harbors and bays). This fueled my visions and fantasies of catching that glory fish...the ‘‘barn door” flattie or toad WSB. I also got to read how guys had completed there missions in “grand” fashion...SP Dan with the glory striper, Mr. Dunev with a beast of a WSB, Ramiro not only winning HG2 but doing it with his induction fish, or even the epic saga of Pontoon’s long journey to success. I even got to witness first hand, earlier this year, Nipple Twister’s seven month struggle culminated with a capture of a coveted monster legal WSB.The stories of other successes got me all worked up...Murrieta Angler putting the wood to the ghosts all of last year, Bones and his multi-WSB weekend as well as his 41” mammoth flattie earlier this year, and, of course, all of Wingnut’s 50 million PB’s and new species since he started hitting the sand.
Needless to say, the adrenaline was pumping and the trigger finger was itchin’.
BSP landed a striper last year which lead me to where I ended my quest today (or yesterday, I should say)...although not in such grand fashion.
I’ve pretty much posted my past trips, at least the ones worth talking about through June and early July, and I had some great trips...hell, getting out of the house already makes it great. So, this starts in late July. I’ve been requesting ‘hallpasses’ from ‘the boss’ to go out on Sunday mornings with the stipulation that I return in time to take my son to swim lessons at 10:30. Getting out and on the sand in the dark was a must to make the most of few hours I’d been given. Here’s the log of what’s been going on...
July 22 - Hit a local beach with primo conditions. The beach I chose had been a salad bar for the previous month or more, but the previous week had brought the promise of clearer waters. That previous week brought a flatfish-of-the-wrong-kind bonanza. SNGF were littering the area and a couple of times had me thinking I had hit gold only to see that tail fly up in the white water to rain on my parade. At least there was life there and I figured to give it another go. When I arrived, I could see birds diving and thought it might be “the day”. What it turned into was a thornback extravaganza. I ended up with four (sorry no picts, too busy hunting for the “right-kind”), but I musta stepped on about 15 of those damned things. Good thing I wore the waders that day even though it wasn’t that cold. I look back now and realize that it was an “LC” new species for me. I’ve been fishing the surf for over 40 years, but only started flinging the LC and truly started targeting flatties at the end of at the turn of this year. So, I consider any LC caught fish a new species of sorts. Not a glorious outing that day, but at least I got something to wipe the stripe...even if I’ve had kelp that fought more than those things did.
July 29 - I decide to revisit the area that I had caught my first “LC” WSBs and that Jinbow had beached a behemoth calico. I get there at dark as intended and see that the conditions were right. Low surf, good tide, lots of small baitfish...just like last time.I worked the beach for a couple of hours for NOTHING. Finally I get close to the area that Jinbow scored and get locked into a good fish. It’s not taking line but feels like a decent fish. After a quick battle, dodging all the structure littering the shoreline I land a fat calico.
The fish measures right around 16”...a new LC PB.
I start making my way down and, wouldn’t you know it, right where Jinbow scored, I get NAILED. This thing has weight. It’s dogging at first and I look out and see a tail slap, leaving a BIG hole in the water where it had surfaced.After letting out a war cry that can be heard 50 miles away, I turn and see a bait-n-wait guy watching the agony. He asks what happened and I tell him my sob story. The tail I saw looked dark, so I’m figuring it was a pig calico, but only Poseidon knows (my friend Nate said I'm just trying to console myself cuz it was a huge WSB...thanks a lot Nate
). After working the beach a ways down, the hourglass starts to run out of sand and I start working my way back to my starting point, the whole time just concentrating on the task at hand. When I get back to the bait guy, he says, “did you see that out there?” I reply “what? shark?” He said he saw about a 14’ great white breach 3 times like it was chasing something. I didn’t see anything but after we parted ways I come across a couple guys gearing up to go paddleboarding. I told them, “I’m not trying to scare you guys outta here, but the guy down there said he just saw a 14’ white breach. I didn’t see it, but thought I’d give you guys a heads-up to keep an eye out”. They thank me and, relunctantly proceed out. There’s another paddleboarder out there and, of all things, a guy in a float tube. I work the beach for another 15 minutes, the whole time watching the float tuber to see if he gets boiled on. I keep thinking I’m gonna have to scramble to get my phone out and call 911 if it happens. Fortunately nothing happens and I get on home before the time on my hallpass runs out. I didn’t hear anything on the news so I guess that shark never came back out to play after I left...thank God.
Aug 4 - I’m tossed on where to hit next. The tides weren’t favorable for the spot that I got the calico and there was supposed to be a grunion run (though I haven’t caught squat this year trying to follow a run). So I ask permission for a double hallpass to do a Sat and Sun run. It’s granted, but I shoulda never pressed it, cuz it came back to bite me in the ***.I head out to a sandy beach and I get nothing but a couple more thornbacks. Even the bait-n-wait guys using crabs were striking out. I had gone there more to do recon on what to do for Sunday. I told the boss that I’d be back by 8, which I made easily considering the lack of action.
Aug 5 - I decide that the sandy beach wasn’t gonna work so I’m gonna head over to the spot where I lost the mystery fish on the previous week's outing, even though the intel was that the tide was against me. I shoulda listened to that intel cuz I caught the stripe...kelp fiesta and all. I tried the LC, dropshot and swimbait for nada.
The following week felt the wrath of asking for a double hallpass. I got the “can you please not go fishing and spend some time at home so I can get some things done!” speech. Yeehaw.
Aug 15, today (or yesterday, by the time I finish writing this dang thing) - I have a ton of work coming in but am waiting on top-brass approval to start working over the images needed. I pull a last minute decision after dropping my son off at preschool to hit a beach nearby...partially cuz I had just read about Marc’s striper score from that spot early last year. Now, I’m not completely delusional and realize that it’s HIGHLY unlikely that I’m gonna score that fish, but it is the same spot that I got my first LC halibut earlier this year...short, but a nice 20 1/2” fish. So, I hit the beach and no sooner do I fire off my second cast and my phone starts going off. It’s work and the word has come in to proceed with the file builds that we need to finish. Luckily, I’m given the ‘ok’ to do the work from home. So, I decide to continue on and give it an hour or so. Conditions weren’t great, but there was some bait presence and, what the heck, it was a nice day to get out...especially cuz I had gotten ‘grounded’ over the last weekend. And, no, the boss didn’t know that I had gone out and done this.I work the beach and get to a point where I’m about to call it a day, when a land butt starts jogging toward me in the distance.
Right around 18”
I work my way back to my starting point and on my last cast, stick another fat YFC. Not as big as the first, but a nice little fatty.
I load up the car and start thinking about the ‘Challenge List’ that I was PM’d by Arthur earlier this year. I start thinking, “OH SH*T, that might be a qualifying fish! Crap, do I want that to be my qualifying fish?”All those dreams of the GLORY fish and I’m gonna qualify with a YFC? I’ll be the laughing stock of S.W.A.T.! Then again, I’ve always made an easy target for trashing...S.W.A.T. comic-relief fits.
I PM Arthur and tell him my dilemma. He says...Take it and run baby! You can't control what Poseidon decide to hand you as an induction fish. But be ready for for some Bachi-bashing,
I also didn’t want to seem arrogant or ungrateful for my opportunity here. There a ton of people that would love to be offered a spot with this group. If I pass because I didn’t catch a ‘glory’ fish, that would border on down right rude...not to mention Poseidon would probably have that 14’ great white bite my casting arm off on my next outing for passing up on his gift. He was probably having a good laugh on this one...”watch, I’ll give him a fish, but it’s gonna make his head spin!”
So, there you have it...I made it in. Not with the fantasized 40” WSB, 30” flattie or even a 5+ lb. calico...but an 18” YFC.
Let the Bachi-bashing begin!!!!
Ha ha ha ha! 
Remember..."You have earned your bragging rights!" 
Many more I hope
) it doesn't matter to me. You were given a SWAT Challenge, you committed to the mission and you made it happen. I've followed your reports along the way and even had the opportunity to cross paths with you in my home turf along with John, on one of our morning sessions, and you fished your tail off. I wanted it to happen that day but Poseiden decided he was going to wait to see just how bad you wanted it and through your persistence and determination Poseiden said it's time.
Originally Posted by SP Dan
So, it comes to no surprise that you request my tutelage. I've been asked many a day to give seminars and speak of my heroic feats. Because I admire your determination and perseverance, I will gladly share my patented techniques with you.
