Tale of Two Harbors - No not that Two Harbors

[Fish Dog]

Yeah...not the Catalina Two Harbors...

Well today I had a couple meetings I needed to attend in Newport Beach but there was a 2 1/2 hour break in between them so I figured I'd bring along a fishing rod since its been quite a while since I wet a line. Just before the first meeting ended I get a text, the second meeting is canceled. Okay, since I'm here and free now guess I'll fish it and I won't have to worry about the time.

I hit one of the public docks off Balboa Island first. Threw a Big Hammer swim bait and first cast, let it sink, take two cranks and "Bam!" I'm on with something. It starts pulling line real slowly for a few feet then stops. Some big head shakes and I'm not gaining anything for a couple minutes and then, slowly I gain a few feet and then its off. Just pulled the hook loose. Damn! Felt like a pretty substantial fish, whatever it was. Maybe a WSB? Large Halibut? A Bat Ray? (Although the Bat Rays I've caught usually take a big first run - this fish didn't) so who knows what it was. Now it seems like I've got the "first cast" curse. I fish for maybe a half hour with nothing more and then snag the BH on something and have to break it off. So I switch to an old standby, a yellow Scrounger. First cast with that and I'm on again. Not the big guy I lost before but come up with this...


About 8 inches or so, C&R of course. Nice to beat the skunk anyway. After a while longer I decide to run up to Huntington Harbor and try there. Fished a few spots there but come up with nothing more. Still nice to get out as its been way too long. Hopefully will be back out sooner then later.

[Edgar]

My guess would be halibut from your description of the fight , thats what the flat ones do.