Omar just dropped to the bottom on the invite list... sleeping through his alarm to go fishing.... almost cause for a ban.  lol

Quote from: jrodda on June 08, 2026, 05:36:36 PMDo you have a written or typed inventory? I'm super curious about what you've decided to keep.

Even though that sounds like something I would do, it isn't something I do.  I actually kept track about 10 years ago but that quickly faded when I realized how often I switched up setups and never updated that pencil written list.

Launched 0530 in Newport. Was supposed to meet Omar but he slept through his alarm. Boooooooooooo

Got on the board quick with the dropshot.



Broke off another on a pillar, then got a similar size in short succession.

Got quiet for about an hour then pulled a micro spotty.

Decided to cross the channel to an area I had yet to fish. Spent an hour over there not getting any bites.

Fished the middle of the channel over a presumed drop-off. Got a sand bass on board and the brunch cruise boat that I used to work on, biggest ship in the harbor, was getting ready for the morning brunch. The captain saw it in my hand and honked at me in approval, waking up everyone in the harbor. I do appreciate the attention.



Caught another shortly after. Looks like the ones I find around heavier structure, but not much structure in the channel.



Got off the water before 10, 5 to hand. Better than 4.


Also tried Huntington harbor on Friday and got a few bites but wore the skunk. Saw a big sea turtle which was cool.

I have a note on my computer for my up to date inventory, along with potential combos to consider. Always entertaining some things, letting ideas age, and dropping the unnecessary stuff. To be precise, I can't justify over 47...it was 46 and then I brought home an ice rod combo on a whim today...I'm really at 27 right now. I know Alicia doesn't believe me when I say I'm a minimalist.

Do you have a written or typed inventory? I'm super curious about what you've decided to keep.

It's also a regular exercise of mine in that same note to list all the rods I would bring for any given trip, and recognize which combos ultimately get ignored all the time. I get ideas for niche combos then realize most days I will still only ever need a jigstick, a dropper loop rod, light mackerel rod, and maybe a troller or two. Or just a medium rod or two for the bays/bass.

Sounds like a cool little trip. Hope the arm gets righted soon enough.

So, I was at about 110 rod and reel combos.  Many of which were well usable, but more like loaner outfits or retired combos.  The one's that have made my "Hall of Fame" were placed in the shrine and the others were slowly sold off (or given away).  I didn't want to get rid of so many, but it was time.  I also wanted to get to a good core of combos that I can grab at the drop of a hat and know it's from my A-List and not having to check if my line or drag was good anymore on this rod or reel.

Amazingly, I dropped my count to 60 set ups.  Many reels were put in the "spare parts" bin which I didn't want to sell and many of the rods were basically given away that were unsellable.

I am really happy with my current quiver and ready to fish for about everything now.  LOL

Then "someone" came along and offered some deals that I couldn't pass up on gear I really wanted and needed.  So I am back to 80 set ups now and have a new issue.  I want to bring them all on every fishing trip so that means I'll be spending more time trying to figure out what rod combos I'll be bringing on board than actually getting the boat ready for the fishing trip!

Well, I finally had someone come over (Thanks for Jorge's number, Tim).

It looks like I have one viable option... and it will be a little pricey.  I need to have a mechanic unhook all of the steering, throttle, electrical and plumbing in the console.  Once I pay the mechanic, then Jorge will raise the center console to clean and prep the bottom of the console to get 5200'd back to the deck along with 10 small screws to pin it while the 5200 adheres.  Apparently, I have a plastic gas tank and that makes him really nervous drilling and screwing anywhere near that.

Then I pay him and then have to pay the mechanics to re-attach all of the steering, batteries, throttle and bait pump plumbing.   Bring On Another Thousand.... or more.

I'll bring my electric Daiwa if we go deep dropping.  LOL

I was so mad at losing so many bass on the whippy rod, I stopped at Turners to take advantage of their Father's Day sale... and now have another bay bass rod.  lol

I needed to get out and fish a bit since I didn't want another weekend slipping by without wetting a line.

I grabbed my bay gear and got down for the dropping tide.  First thing I noticed was my shoulder starting to hurt almost right away which means another PRP shot will be coming soon.

The hooksets sent a stinging pain up my arm and possibly the reason I farmed so many, but I also found most of the fish in the heaviest grass beds which posed its own special issue as that is the spotties forte on escape.

I managed 4 spotties, a sand bass, and dropped one trying to lift up the rocks.  On the other hand, I probably hooked 10 which all shook the hook.  Most of the bass were small, but I did have one legal spottie up to the rocks, but a roll and a tail slap knocked the weedless hook right out.  I also was using a whippy rod which made the hookset with a weedless set up much harder especially with my bum shoulder.

One of the cooler things that happened was I was talking to Dave on the phone and looked down at this sandy spot between the grass and saw an outline.  Damn, it was (probably) a legal halibut!  I got off the phone with Dave really quick and rolled that swimmy right in front of it's nose, but all it did was slowly swim off into the grass.  Damn!   50 more casts and I gave up on it.

Then I see a shark swimming along the fringes of the grass beds.  I didn't see any saddles and it was dark, so I am guess a big smooth hound.  Didn't get him either.

Oh well, still a fun time but my shoulder is still hurting this morning which isn't a good sign.

I'll put pics up later, but until then, have a great day everyone.