The Bass Slam and Then Some (3/10)

[Latimeria]

So, with 2 whole weeks off before I start the new job and I only got the boat out twice.  Once with Roger and once with Steve in the pouring rain.  Otherwise it was wind and waves or I just had something else going on that day.
As of Wednesday Morning, Thursday looked like a terrible day with Small Craft starting in the morning.  By Wednesday night, everything got pushed back about 10 hours and I decided to take advantage.  With that being said, I mean just bay fish as the south winds, wind waves, swell, and swell period were just horrific.  I needed to get back early enough to get some things ready for Donfish's visit and the Saturday Night Bat Fight random stuff that needs to be done.  All I did was pack my bay pack, two 8# rods, a 10# rod and a 12# rod.  I wanted to make sure I didn't do anything stupid.

I launched at 6:30 and it was breezy, but nice and calm where I was launching.



I stopped and cast a bit, but only a couple of short bites and got bored within 10 minutes.  I decided to run out to the inlet and take a look.  Things didn't look to bad until I kept getting closer to the mouth of the inlet and the outgoing tide with all the wind waves made for a mess!  I passed the point of no return, and just got through that mess and bounced my way to some local rocks.

Pics didn't do it justice, but the waves were coming from 3 directions and the south wind was a constant 10-15mph.  I put a gulp shrimp on a 3/8oz lead lead and just tried to get it to the bottom.  I went 3 for 5 on my first 5 drops!  No trolling motor either!  My sonar was showing a huge cloud of fish and I soon realized it was a big school of Johnny Bass!



My super light 8# rod made it hard hooking them as the stretch in the 8#, noodle rod, bow in line from the wind all contributed to losing something on every drop.



I got 3 Johnny Bass before getting a big old Rattler!



I then hook what I thought was the bottom, but this rod was not what I should have been using out here.  I could feel thumps and it really wasn't fighting, but I could tell it didn't really know if it was hooked or not.  I get it to deep color and WOW!  A legal sized LING!  Maybe only 23-24", but the fugger woofed down that Gulp Shrimp!  I get it to the top and the lead head comes shooting out of it's mouth like a bullet!

I dropped the trolling motor at this point, but also put on my life vest as things were really rocky and rolly out here!

I found 2 more nice Rattlers, well one was nice and the other was only just a keeper.



I bounce around as the fish were moving really quick down there and I always had to refind them.  As I was moning in this small area, a friggand Dive Boat comes up and anchors right next to me!  I wasn't on a wreck, but just some hard bottom and have no idea what they were doing, but the took over half of the hard spot, so I had to work with what I had. 

I get a big hit and pull up a REALLY nice Treefish on the bay gear!  I was seriously testing this bay gear to the limit dropping down for these things!  They actually fight on light gear.  hahaha



Things start to slow down and the fish finder is empty.  Every time I get a bite on an empty fish finder, it always seems to be a sculpin!



I get slammed on a drop and know right away it's a bass.  Nice calico just at the 14" mark, but right on the mark, so back it went.



I kept jogging my position hoping I was keeping up with things and found a small school of Turd Rollers!  I caught 4, but the other 3 were only like 12", with this being the biggest at 14".



I caught about 3 smedium sized Gopher rockfish and kept one because it inhaled the hook.  I then get a nicer hit on a Gulp Sandworm and pull up a nice Kelp Rockfish!



Not long after a drifted a tiny bit and got a decent Calico.  Now all I need is a Spottie for the Slam!



Things got a little too hairy and I was afraid to take a piss without falling overboard, so decided to spend the last hour in the bay.
It didn't take long before I got the slam!  The spotties were biting pretty good too!



I got 8 of them in about 40 minutes which was pretty fun on the little gear that I brought.



Definitely have a more painful bite than the calico and Sandies.  This was probably the smallest one of the bunch.



Most were only in the 11-13" range or so.



I was ready to head in and decided to try my old live bait halibut spot in the bay hoping I could muster one up on the plastic.  Nothing happening, so I started casting the LC pointer 110.  I've owned this one for 5 years and never caught a thing on it, but then again, it mostly sat in my box during all those years... I thought I snagged on some grass, but OH Yeah!  Finally got teeth marks in my LC.  LOL



It's a 22" round landing net, so this guy was probably 20".  Super fun way to close the morning out!

I was on the trailer by 12:30 heading home and had a few dozen fish under my belt and even took some great Taco Meat home for my first harvest of the Rockfish season!

Thanks for reading and now need to prep for the SNBF!  I might even have to go out in the morning and try for some trout since it's the last stocking of the year.  Not sure when Don's going to be here, but I'm just down the street from the lakes, so I can be home in a jiffy!  Next week I start my new job, so back to the grind!

[vdisney]

Awesome session on the light gear.  Have fun this weekend and good luck with the new job........

[Tim524]

Looks like you had a nice outing even in bumpy conditions. I hope I can join you sometime, today is the big day for me as it is sea trial day with the new boat. See you guys at the Bat Fight

[jrodda]

Really nice session!

[BenCantrell]

Nice mix of fish Tom!

[KogaHead]

welcome to the BS club