Ol' SWAT Guy's Maiden Voyage + A Legal

[SP Dan]

My Maiden Voyage,

A few months back, my SWAT Brotha Jason offered to take me float tubing and to help me catch my first Spotted Bay bass.

Well after a couple of months of planning, I purchased a new float tube and all the gear, fabricated a rod holder and purchased lighter fishing gear .... the day finally arrived this past Saturday in NPH at 0630 hrs!! I'm pumped!!

Jason gave me a map with an X on it to mark the spot and I was able to make it straight to the spot in 45 minutes.
Needless to say ... Jason was ready much faster than I was ... with much practice .... I call it my ... "breaking-in-period".
We hooked up at 0600 hrs and launched by 0630 hrs.

Saturday, 3-18-2016
`
Sun Rise: 0655 hrs, Sun Set: 1902 hrs
Air: cool to mild 57 deg - 66 deg, Water Temp: 61 deg, Sky: AM cloudy with late morn clearing, Wind: 2 - 3 MPH off shore
Predicted Surf: 1 - 2 ft , Swell: .07 ft, Sec Intervals: 16 sec's
Moon Phase: waxing Gibbous.
Conditions: Early morning slight off shore breeze with an incoming tide, the water was mostly clean and clear with barely any salad or grass, 98% clean retrievals ... Thank you Poseidon!
Tides: 0630 hrs 4.8 ft, 0733 hrs HT 5.1 ft, 0830 hrs 4.8 ft, 0930 hrs 4.1 ft, 1030 hrs 2.9 ft, 1130 hrs 1.8 ft.
Isolunar Forecast: Major Period: 0848 hrs till 1148 hrs.
Bait Presence: some presence. Bird Presence: scarce. Water Dogs: none
Session Duration: 0630 hrs to 1130 hrs.
Assault Tactic: 1/4oz Big-Hammer sexy smelt
AO: NPH

Once in the water .... I was in clumsy control of my tube for the first hour of our float ... but once I learned to relax and kick less ... it was all becoming very natural. My tube is a Super comfortable tube which I really like and highly recommend! (Fish Cat 4 Deluxe).

Jason and I had our sites on Spotted Bay Bass as our targeted species for today's session.
Jason had me all lined-out with his recommended 1/4oz lead-head and a 3" Sexy Smelt Big-Hammer swimmie and a Drop-Shot stix.
The first 40 minutes was a bit slow as far as a bite but it was allowing me time to become familiar with my new St Croix Inshore stix.

Jason is floating behind me and I noticed how dental he was being with getting his bait way back in some very tight spots .... skill!
The next thing .... we are both getting thumps with no serious takers.
At about 0800 hrs Jason's rod goes B E N D O with the first SBB of the day.



He follows it quickly with a 2nd and a 3rd ....



and then my rod goes B E N D O with my NS .... a 10" Spotted Bay Bass!!!! YAHOO!!! New Species! Baby!!!! No longer on my bucket list!!







In no time I had landed my 3rd and last SBB of the Day. What a great day!!!



So I see this wall and I think to my self .... that looks fishy ... I cast against the wall .... doing a slow retrieve and then my rod slowly starts to load up ... load up ... load up and BENDO .... ZzzzZzzzZzzz goes my reel!!! ... as it started the first of many huge runs!!

I loosened the drag a bit and let it start to tire it's self out .... after maybe a minute, it finally drifts up to color .... oh yeah baby!! ... a nice fat healthy legal Hali!
I got the lip gripper on it and it was super pissed ....
I got it calmed down on my lap, i got a good measure on it and immediately released it.
Here's a video clip of the action!



Well ... we managed to get a tape on it and it measured out 25".





Jason totaled (6) SBB with (1) one being legal and a Short 12" Hali.
Dan (3) SBB (no legals) and (1) one 25" legal Halibut.

"That it folks!"

Thanks for checking out my "Maiden Voyage" report,

SP Dan <"))><

[Jaysuuun]

Dan, congrats on breaking in the new tube in excellent fashion! What a success! It was fun watching you spin around in circles in the beginning, but you seemed to get the hang of it by the end of the day. Kudos to you! Casting to the docks takes a lot of practice and lost lures. Ask me how I know!

I was really excited for you when you hooked into that flattie. Although we managed to complete our mission and cross a SBB off your list, I was hoping for some larger models for you. So our next mission is to get you on a thumper sized bass!

The bass fishing should only get better in the months ahead.

Jason

[bones]

Great job Dan. I used to tube every weekend. Santa Barbara Harbor was the preferred spot but Newport was the backup. I just got tired of the cleanup and drive to either spot. Alamitos bay, Cherry beach and Naples can be good as well. Just depends on the time of year. I didn't have a fish cat because they weren't on the market yet so I had a Caddis and had to tow around my little floatilla cooler with my lunch in it and I always just dragged my PFD as well. I never wore waders either because I only float tubed during the spring, summer and fall. I was always paranoid that some boat would come along and thump me into the water or a seal would capsize me and my waders would fill up with water...LOL Tubing in shorts with only neoprene socks on was how I always rolled 99% of the time.
One tip I can give you when it comes to tubing any harbor especially one that has a very deep inland area like Newport and it's back bay is to pay real close attention to the tide swings. A big swing during the full moon or new moon cycle can really crank up the bite but also the current as well. A few times during my earlier learning curve I had a very hard time kicking back to my original launch spot when the tide was ripping so plan your assaults accordingly. Big Red and I used to park one vehicle at our launch spot and one much further near the outer harbor and just ride with the outgoing tide. Made things much easier and we could cover a ton of structure.
Anyways...... Great job on your maiden voyage. NPH is also second to none when it comes to EYE CANDY....LOL
Glad you got you first spottie...What they lack in size is sure made up for by their attitude and of course...congrats on the legal flattie as well!

Take Care,

Mike

[murrieta angler]

Brotha Dan & Jason!
Good to see you guys getting out and having some fun in the harbor.
Congrats on your first, of many, SBB Dan and also your first legal flatty of the year...
Jason knows that harbor pretty well and I'm sure you hit up halibut island.
Have a Nice Easter and tell Rhonda Hello!
Robert
<><

[TUNAVIC]

Very cool report and detailed,you look like you were sitting in an easy chair,love the video of the halibut!

Cya Tuna Vic

[Wingnut]

Nice job Brothers...
I dunno about float tubing, something about my feet dangling above the abyss worries me... lol

[SP Dan]

Dan, congrats on breaking in the new tube in excellent fashion! What a success! It was fun watching you spin around in circles in the beginning, but you seemed to get the hang of it by the end of the day. Kudos to you! Casting to the docks takes a lot of practice and lost lures. Ask me how I know!

I was really excited for you when you hooked into that flattie. Although we managed to complete our mission and cross a SBB off your list, I was hoping for some larger models for you. So our next mission is to get you on a thumper sized bass!

The bass fishing should only get better in the months ahead.

Jason

Thanx Jason ... I had a great time fishing the harbor with you. What a Maiden Voyage!!!

Big thanx to Sista Tess for issuing so many hall passes to her deserving hubby! Tess you're the best!!!

Dan

Great job Dan. I used to tube every weekend. Santa Barbara Harbor was the preferred spot but Newport was the backup. I just got tired of the cleanup and drive to either spot. Alamitos bay, Cherry beach and Naples can be good as well. Just depends on the time of year. I didn't have a fish cat because they weren't on the market yet so I had a Caddis and had to tow around my little floatilla cooler with my lunch in it and I always just dragged my PFD as well. I never wore waders either because I only float tubed during the spring, summer and fall. I was always paranoid that some boat would come along and thump me into the water or a seal would capsize me and my waders would fill up with water...LOL Tubing in shorts with only neoprene socks on was how I always rolled 99% of the time.
One tip I can give you when it comes to tubing any harbor especially one that has a very deep inland area like Newport and it's back bay is to pay real close attention to the tide swings. A big swing during the full moon or new moon cycle can really crank up the bite but also the current as well. A few times during my earlier learning curve I had a very hard time kicking back to my original launch spot when the tide was ripping so plan your assaults accordingly. Big Red and I used to park one vehicle at our launch spot and one much further near the outer harbor and just ride with the outgoing tide. Made things much easier and we could cover a ton of structure.
Anyways...... Great job on your maiden voyage. NPH is also second to none when it comes to EYE CANDY....LOL
Glad you got you first spottie...What they lack in size is sure made up for by their attitude and of course...congrats on the legal flattie as well!

Take Care,

Mike

Thanx Mike for all the great intel.

I will definitely keep an eye on the moon phases and plan my float accordingly to the currents.

Now I'm working on figuring out how tubers are getting in n' out of the water where there are no ladders on the docks nor beaches to launch and land.

Dan

Brotha Dan & Jason!
Good to see you guys getting out and having some fun in the harbor.
Congrats on your first, of many, SBB Dan and also your first legal flatty of the year...
Jason knows that harbor pretty well and I'm sure you hit up halibut island.
Have a Nice Easter and tell Rhonda Hello!
Robert
<><

Hi ya Roberto,

Jason has guided me down this new avenue of addiction and I may never find my way back!!!!
I've heard and seen so much chatter and activity on the SBB in the harbors ... that I had to see what all the commotion was about ... and now I'm hooked!!!

This is a very relaxing and comfortable form of fishing .... and a very satisfying alternative to surf fishing.

Thanx for checking my report out Brotha!

Dan

Very cool report and detailed,you look like you were sitting in an easy chair,love the video of the halibut!

Cya Tuna Vic

Hi ya Vic,

It was super comfortable to sit in all day!!! I never got sore.
It was also the first time that I had ever thrown a legal Hali on my lap ... on purpose!!!

Thanx for checking out my float report.

Dan

Nice job Brothers...
I dunno about float tubing, something about my feet dangling above the abyss worries me... lol

Hey Brotha Arthur,

I sorta said that too ... when I followed you into surf that was breaking 3-4' over my head or going chest deep and pushing the limits of the top of my waders with you .... but that's how we get it done!

I had the same reservations at first .....
but then I totally forgot about it, I totally got over it and I totally enjoyed the rest of my day relaxing and float fishing.


Thanx for checking out my float report.

Dan