A Life Lister on this Double holiday (4/20)

[Latimeria]

I stopped at the church of Sandy feet this morning to celebrate this double holiday.  I actually got a parking spot on the free beachfront parking and was a little amazed. 



I armed myself with a slightly heavier spinning set up armed with the bigger YoZuri jerk bait.

I actually brought a silver one I caught mahi and yellows on and this beautiful yellow one.  I really wanted a big halibut or WSB from the surf. (I did bring a small C-Rig with some crack just in case to quickly change it out)



It wasn't the best of tides as it was dropping but there was plenty of clean water. I didn't see a ton of people out there yet, but it was wide open shoreline for casting.  This stick bait casts a mile!

I got a few bumps but I wasn't sure what was happening... then I get a hook up and know it's small, but a fish none the less. 

Hey, My first corbina of the year and not much bigger than my bait!  lol



There were a ton of crab out there, but it was the swarming hayseed type.  The entire beach was just crawling!



I then tied up the C-Rig just because my arm was starting to hurt from all the casting.  I made a few casts and thought I had a really good bump but missed it.

Next cast and I'm on!  HOLY Smokes! What a great fight!

My first Zebra Perch!  I've seen you guys showing them off before, but this one has eluded me for almost 30 years!  It was a stud too!





I rebait and cast out again... This time to get snagged.  No way of getting it out but wasn't sure what I was snagged on and busted off my only C-Rig.  I tied the silver YoZuri back on and made a few casts really fast.  Last cast and f@ck!  Snagged on something again!  I tried my heart out to get it loose and float up but whatever it was stuck on was giving nothing back.  King Neptune gets his due.

Now I tie that yellow one on, but I walk about 50 yards down as to keep the hell away of the rig eating reef or whatever it was. 

As I was casting and walking I had a good slam, but it missed it!    I kept casting and got slammed with a blistering run.  I for sure at firt from the heavy thud of the hit that it was going to be my halibut.  Then it was dogging me and not giving me any ground, so my mind went to BSB...  I really couldn't tell what it was since it was putting on a huge fight. 

Then I get it into the skinny...  and see exactly why it was fight so hard.  Foul hooked right in the NADS!



Sucker really took the air out of my sail, so I kept moving north.  Then I was in crazy packs of big guitarfish!  They were almost beaching themselves and I could almost hand grab them.

Then another hit, but I saw this one early and it was another snagged wiggles and probably 8" smaller than my first one so I moved another 50 yards down the beach.... 

I then get a bite, but it was more like my lure just stopped.  I started cranking faster and I had a fish on!  There wasn't much of a fight, but an occasional big head shake and I see a halibut at the end of my line!  16" or so and not very big but very bright and colorful!  I started reaching for my phone before I slid him on the beach and a quick shake of the head and it was a sportsmen's release.  Only bummed I jined myself, but almost near some reef and pretty sure i could get one there.

I cast my way to the reef but felt something in my pant leg sinking down and realized I missed the pocket with my phone and it was sliding down my waders into my boot!  WTF!  As I was reaching down to try and grab it I kept feeling my rod tug so I thought I had snagged some of the kelp and grass that was getting thicker up here, but nope!  It was a fish!

I got him in hand and it was a 13-14" sand bass!  Now I'm in a predicament... Phone in my wader boot I can't reach, rod under my arm that is injured, and a bass trying to throw some big sharp ass hooks in me.  It was a cluster, but I got away with any major injury except for a little blood from the hook.

That was it...  Sun was booming and my shoulder was a mess, so I made the long walk to the truck.  I needed to get home and cook the ham anyway...

On the walk back I passed a few live chovie that beached themselves from something!  I made some more casts, but nothing and the surfers were really starting to group up in the no wave zones.



In any case, it was a great morning and just felt great getting out into the surf again!



I'll be back Torrey Pines!



Happy 4/20 and Easter!  Or both if like!

[jrodda]

Happy Easter! That's a real nice day in my opinion. Golly, thick shovels sounds like fun right now.

And that zebra perch is a real prize, congrats on that. I notice almost every time I see one it's fouled, did that one get mouth hooked?

[Tim524]

Quite the eventful morning, nice way to begin a Surf Session   I have never caught a Zebra Perch, they look very cool 

Hope you had a nice Easter !

[Pinoyfisher]

I would've pinned on that chovy!