Almost the Trifecta, Soup-N-Seven (6/23)

[Latimeria]

Pics and story tomorrow, but I got lucky tonight.  The beach looked great, but hidden under that false cleanliness was kelp hell... and almost a little bit of heaven.

I'm way to tired to post right now as I have to get up in a few hours to go to work, but I had to rely on my old OptioW30 as I forgot my good camera and had some issues on landing the two fuggers...  I took probably 20 pictures, but only 2 or 3 came out as the OptioW30 is a HORRIBLE night time camera... and I ran out of room on the card which is a story unto itself...  I need to get some sleep.

***Work is going to be horrible today as I can barely keep my eyes open, but here is the adventure of the evening...

I wound up having to pick my daughter up after work and bring her to her swim class.  No biggy since the summer is in full effect and Steve went out scouting beaches to fish.  In each case I kept getting a text letting me know how bad it was.  I finally get my chance to leave at 7pm which is a late start, but I only have 2 macks on me and didn't plan on a long session.  Steve texted me that he was about ready to quit as he couldn't take the weeds anymore, so I changed up plans and decided to hit a beach he didn't check.  I got there just at sunset and saw a beautiful beach with little to no weeds and what looked like clean water.  How wrong I would be...

I get out and set up.  The kelp was sunken out as EVERY cast I would hook a huge ball of regular and ribbon kelp. what a pain in the ass that ribbon kelp is!
I kept reeling in clean baits with 100 pounds of crap on the end.  This was going to be a quick night.

Around the time that the tide about hit the low, I noticed the downhill current slowed and I finally got a bait to stay in one place for more than 10 minutes.  It was a start. 
I get what looked like a bass bite and found no bait on the retrieve.  Next cast and I see what looked like a big ball of kelp on the line, but it looked different.  It felt like a fish for a few minutes, then felt like a ball of kelp.  My back was sore at this point from dealing with all the kelp all night.  I get it to shore and holy crap!  Target species in a mass of kelp and all rwisted up.  I ran to grab the ruler and camera just to find that I forgot my good camera.  I had my OptioW30, but as Steve can attest what a pain in the arse camera it is for night fishing.

I took a bunch of quick pics (as far as this camera is concerned) and a tape of 70".



I had to untangle her and get her back in as It was taking more time than I liked and she was wrapped up in kelp and leader.  It took her a while, but I got her swimming and she swam off before the bigger sets came in.  I almost was going to call it quits at this point and go home victorious, but my gluttonous side stayed.
Unfortunately the kelp returned and I was at it again with quick 10 minute soaks before having to reel in and clean my rig.  The problem was every other cast I would get a ripper that was definitely fish, but couldn't get the hook sunk because of the blob of kelp on my line each time. 

2 hours later and I was just f@cking done as it was almost midnight and I needed to leave.  I started reeling in and felt something moving on the other end.  It all of a sudden woke up and I wasn't sure what it was.  The surf sucked as it would be super small and then get huge for a few sets on me, so landing it was a pain, but damn!  The dynamic Duo!

69" Sevengill! Shake and bake style and unfortunately the only real picture that came out of her...



The camera settings must be on something other than auto as they would just come out black or super blurry.  Then it said "Card Full".  Crap!  I wasn't going to keep this girl out of the water any longer just to erase some pics and try again, so I drug her back and thankfully she wasn't as hard to release and swam off.  I looked at the pics on the card and there was 300+ pics from my Cabo trip last year!  UGH... I never erased them off the card...

Home by 12:50.  Short post by almost 1:00am and up at 4:45 for work...

Oh well, I can't complain at all except my back hates me for pulling in all that kelp, but it was worth it.  How in the hell am I going to be able to work today?  No clue, but I am armed with mucho coffee in hopes it all evens out.

Thanks for reading.  Be persistent.  It could pay off.

[WheresMyBeer]

Nice TOM~!!

Back on the boards again. Nice pair!

Kelp fights suck. 

[raychavez91]

Well,  I'm irked since I didn't catch jacksh!t last night, and I didn't get home till 1:30, but regardless I still do like seeing catches being made, even if it's not by me;)
Glad you payed your dues and it payed off, I'm still waiting to see the surf slam, is it a bat, leo, soup and 7?
All this post did was fire me up again, and now I gotta go tonight after work for round 3 this week. Once again congrats on the solo session, they seem to be paying off for those Rollin alone lately

[j.rasta]

Killed it! Glad you got on da right kines boss!

[sasquatch]

Staying out late sure paid off. Congrats.

[Pinoyfisher]

Hell yeah!!

[vdisney]

Damn Tom, I'm retired and I couldn't keep your sleep schedule. Don't know how you do it, Verne

[Eric H]

Nice pair of grinners

[SevengillTheVC]

Sweeet! I still need a soupie, any size soupie!

[Pinoyfisher]

Putting in that work!! Hoping my sesh tomorrow is half as successful!

[Latimeria]

Well,  I'm irked since I didn't catch jacksh!t last night, and I didn't get home till 1:30, but regardless I still do like seeing catches being made, even if it's not by me;)
Glad you payed your dues and it payed off, I'm still waiting to see the surf slam, is it a bat, leo, soup and 7?
All this post did was fire me up again, and now I gotta go tonight after work for round 3 this week. Once again congrats on the solo session, they seem to be paying off for those Rollin alone lately

I think a So Cal Surf Shark Slam is a 7, Soupie and Leo.... A SoCal Big Game Slam would be any two of those three plus a bat ray. 3 of the 4.  A Grand Slam would be all 4 in a trip.  That's just how I read it and compare it to the IGFA style of slams being in groups of 3 and grand slams being in groups of 4 or 5 depending on the type of quarry you seek.

[shoresurfer]

Great story.
It a great feeling I'm sure when you fight the elements all night and get paid with 2 nice fish.
I'm still in search of 1 of those bad boys.

[HalibutJoel99]

Tom, great read. It's all about the passion, you know. Nice job.  Putting in the time while most are at home. I do it, and it sure pays off. Nice catches!

[SurffishingSean]

i think i lost my first soup the other night. i saw a big fin a ways out. could have been a big leo. there was so much kelp on my line it eventually broke off. bummer. congrats on your epic catches as always1

[Tim524]

Making an epic recovery comeback, cool sharks I am going to try my luck in San Onofre on Sunday.