LOL

Quote from: jrodda on March 12, 2026, 04:48:15 PMCongrats on the win, that is a huge one. Sounds like some good consistent fishing, too.

Me and Dave struggled immensely in Newport. In the first hour, a couple decided to take their WEDDING PHOTOS UNDER OUR LINES.



Never got so much as a crab to claw at our baits.

The Groom already wanted to strangle himself

Congrats on the win, that is a huge one. Sounds like some good consistent fishing, too.

Me and Dave struggled immensely in Newport. In the first hour, a couple decided to take their WEDDING PHOTOS UNDER OUR LINES.



Never got so much as a crab to claw at our baits.

It was so cool of Jerry to let Myles reel in his bat, he was really stoked !  

The 2 YOOTS were so hyped about your big 53" Bat, they are going back Friday to try their luck again

It's nice to know The Bats are in there and you and Roger proved there are some big ones to be caught 

Myles was robbed of the title but he took it like a man !    

Glad to see someone else Break Dancing on the sand beside me   Hope Jerry's shoulder recovers after the Tuck and Roll 

Sorry I've been so slow on getting a report up but the new job is taking over my entire day.  I actually like the job, but have a boss who is the biggest micro-manager I have ever worked for.   I'm talking even jobs that I had as a teenager weren't this bad.

Well, I'll just skim through the day and post pics.

We met at the bay spot we had success last year.  The weather was nice so you would have thought it was a Saturday in the summer there was so many people.

Fishing was SLOW!

Max had a big bat run early, but like Squatch, decided he wouldn't retie his hook that was sitting on the rod for a year and the line snapped 5 seconds into the run. 

Tim's Max got a Butterfly, so at least we were on the board.

Then Jerry had a screamer and we knew it was on!  Until he lost it....

Then Steve had a ripper, but his ambling nature got to the rod just in time to drop it as he grabbed the rod.   

I was taking stock in all of the losses at this point and then proceeded to lose one myself as I was tangled in about 50 yards of loose braided line that was just randomly out there.  lol

I saw a shirtless man on the other side of the bay so I sent the drone over to investigate my hunch.  Yep, it was Roger trying another spot and taking some gummies.
About an hour or two later, we thought someone was swimming in front of Roger and then we thought it was a sealion from all of the splashing.  He came by the meeting spot to tell us he lost the biggest bat ray he's hooked in decades!  Easily over 50"...  Well Roger just went on my list also.  I was starting to think we wouldn't see a bat caught this bat fight.

There was about 20 people fishing SD... 6 up in the OC....  20 in LA... and 20+ in VC.  Finally, VC started getting some 3' model bats and the pressure was on.

Then we had someone cop a squat behind Steve and I.  We didn't look back for a few minutes but I finally looked and it was REID!!!!  Old school EDC guy!  Man, it was great seeing him.

Then Max grabs a rod... Jerry's rod since he was too far away.  Max was stoked and he landed his new PB bat at 45.25" !!!!  Legit bat and leaderboard fish!

A little while later I get a screamer run and it was the right type!  I fought it for a while and my shoulder was a wreck.  I finally beached it and it was a 47.5" bat!  All everyone could say instead of nice job was... Nice, taking away the kids chance of winning the bat fight....  Fuggers.

Then Tim was on and it was definitely a bat!  After a nice fight, Tim reels in a healthy 41.5" batray!  On a streak now!

Well, everyone started packing up but the twins and Reid.  I told Reid I was reeling in at 10:00 and it was 9:56...  Then the reel started screaming!!!!  Oh boy, this was a real one. 
It took a long time to subdue, but thankfully the two "YOOTS" stayed behind to help since the two old dudes (Reid and I) would have most likely had a bunch of issues subduing it. 

Max and Miles grabbed it and both let out a WHOA!  Biggest bat they have ever seen in real life and PREGNANT!  She was 11" thick according to Myles and it was 53" wide!  It's been a LONG time since I've seen or caught one like that.  Reid was texting Steve and he was throwing shade since he thought we were just messing with him, but NOPE!

What a way to end it and a big thanks to Max and Myles for sand handing for me!  Big props to those two guys!

Well, that is it in a nutshell.  I'm sure I forgot something, but at least the post is made.  The following pics below are some of the sights of the day, and not in any particular order.

This work stuff is killing me!  It took me 18 minutes in the morning to get to work and 2 hours and 11 minutes to get home for the SAME EXACT DISTANCE!  UGH

I'm uploading photos and trying to figure out the videos, so I haven't spent much time on the post.  I will upload the pics to Imgur so I can post something and have the pics already to go.

Thanks Tim, it was a really quiet day and I wasn't sure there would be a bat caught... to Bats galore!  LOL

I need to puta post up here this week.  I just finished my taxes, so I should have a little more time to get something up.

Jeremy, thanks for getting out to rep the OC.  I'm amazed that there are fish in the OC but you remind me maybe not.  LOL
I have an order coming your way soon, BTW. 

Glad somebody caught, and the boys had fun. Totally whiffed with my co-worker but at least we tried.

Speaking of sand blasted gear, one of my nicer spinning reels on standby ate it twice into dry sand from the wind. Seems okay now but holy heck, you're right to point it out...

 Well, we all had a great time as usual. Cheez came out on Thursday, we BBQ'D and then hit The PCS Show on Friday. Got up Saturday and headed to Mission Bay. The kids were there early and we set up Shop with The Crew. A gusty breeze showed up for a bit, then it all mellowed out which was nice. I really thought it was going to be another uneventful day as not much was happening till Myles landed a nice Bat on Jerry's rod ( Thanks, Jerry !) Then the bite turned on and Tom was The Hot Stick for a while with a couple sharks and a bigger Bat. I finally got hooked up and it felt good to finally tug on something other than a hand rail in a handicap bathroom stall Nice chit chat around the fire and things were slowing down so I figured it was time to head home. Of course I get a call from Max before we even get to the freeway that Tom is on with a Monster !  We could hear the excitement over the speakers in the car, Max was worked up more than Tom I think   A 53" Bat hit the sand for the GRAND FINALE !!!  My boys have progressed from playing the sand, to out-fishing Dad most of the time, they put lots of time and effort into it and it shows! Thanks again,Tom for putting this event together !  Hope your shoulder isn't wrecked too bad but at least San Diego can carry the Torch for another year while the other teams up North are cleaning their sand blasted gear

The wind tomorrow is gonna make things interesting.