9/20 La Jolla AM

[skrilla]

Cat's out the bag. On the sand at the low tide hour. Plenty of parking with plenty of plastic lining up and down the beach. Caught up with familair faces and met new ones. Sporty launch but was prepared for it. Shot through the breakers, mounted electronics, and off to the bait grounds.

Tons of bait. Tons of lockjaw. Bait would just pop up everywhere but very few takers. Took awhile to find a school that would actually bite. And when they bit they were gone just like that but not before making a workable haul. Pinned one on and went searching for gold.

Lots of skiffs out in the distance. Birds working bait schools popping up along the kelp. I stopped on some surface bait action, tangled my sabiki, and decided to retire it. As I was packing it away the bait rod doubles over.

Circle hook stuck for once, game on! As my ears hear the long forgotten sound of drag singing I settle in for that first run. Short sleigh ride later I feel nothing buy heavy weight. Backed off the drag and let the braid do it's thing. Run, pop, run, pop, run, pop... like riding a bike. Small gains here and there until it breaks free from the kelp stringers. Fought it about 20ft then it runs into the loose kelp that popped and floated up during the start of the fight. Get it into gaff range, I think... all I see is a kelp paddy with a tail pushing it. I try sticking it but only gaff vegetation. Swing a little harder to penetrate through the salad and stick it. I don't know where, but who cares it's on board now. School size jack with adult size salad. Dry spell over.

Clean off the deck and reset. Another skiff is hootin and hollerin not too far away as they put one on the scoreboard. A few paddle strokes later my line takes a run. Doesn't stick so I let out some line. Another tug and that's it. Missed another chance.

As I rebait here comes the half day boat throwing chum 100 yards away and bringing all the dogs. I set a heading as fast as I could and get the hell out of there. As I'm scramming a skiff is working on a triple. I believe they got all 3. Nice!

Paddled around looking for more but by this time the circus is in full effect and shutting down the bite. A bone here a bone there. Snag a couple whitefish on a random rockpile. Bird activity mostly dead by now so back to the barn I go.

Sporty landing conditions at the high tide hour with a packed beach. Timed my landing perfectly and came in with a dry beard. Not the same story for everyone else. Times like this I appreciate the surfabiity of the Trident. That and years of actual surfing LOL. Talked story real quick with more new faces, played photographer, then back on the road.

Smoked YT collars tomorrow with pulled pork on the side. Or is it pulled pork with YT collars on the side? Either way just stoked to finally break the streak.

[Latimeria]

Yesszsssssssss !!!!!

[sasquatch]

Well earned. Congrats.

[skrilla]

Damned things come with ghillie suits now.

[Latimeria]

Holy crap!  Did you get any of those evil kelp bugs on you?

[BenCantrell]

Congrats on the yellowtail!

[skrilla]

Holy crap!  Did you get any of those evil kelp bugs on you?

I don't know... I was more concerned about the mosquito fleet following the cattle boat to the AO. 

[vdisney]

Great read, congrats on the YT