Troughs & Bars

[LONGCAST JOE]

Decided to give it a go during the daytime yesterday since the evening tide looked so dismal. I knew I was going to be up against the summertime Saturday beachfolk crowd situation most everywhere so it was going to take some doing to avoid that. Cast out from one roadside close spot first stop and got a SNGF , a -1, salad issues, and within an hour, here they started to come...the kids with boogie boards, the people with dogs letting them pee on my pole holder and get into my bait, the curious 300lb middle aged women passing by who stop & try to strike up conversation, etc.etc...I can't do this all day I said to myself, packed it up, and rolled down the highway with 15' & 13' rigged rods extending up over the cab of my truck...I thought of a spot that I knew was going to be a bitch to access, but with the help of my friend Google Earth mobile (cell battery drainge  ), scouted out a direct looking path in. Found a turnout on the highway in a small stretch without any "no parking" signs and decided to give it a go...Worst case, I know if can get to the mean high tide line and seaward, its public domain, by law.

The entry and approach-


Ah-oh, more signs...


Ahh I'm there....Set up shop here...

Didnt see one one person or one piece of salad the rest of the day

If I didn't know otherwise I would have thought I was in NorCal ,as even on this day of low surf, the swell, current and turbulance were very strong and just had that big feeling to it, that photos can't capture properly

This fool was anchored in the giant trough in his bahma bass boat, but he knew what he was doing, as I watched waves break out past him with a wall of whitewater approaching, lay back down into a swell again as they passed under him time and time again. I'm guessing this trough was 20' deep and 50yds across, just massive, with a huge sand bar on the far out side.
I found the trick here was not to use a sputnik and have your bait anchored but to use a 6oz flat and let the current and swell push it around until it would drift into and find a sweet spot by itself to rest in and would get picked up shortly there after.


Got some really big models of these after my cell phone battery died  5 for the day

and the bats here felt like they were supercharged or on steroids, imagine fighting bats in a big river, thats what it was like. Got 7 of these on the day ,all in the 40s except for a 53" brute on which was to be my last soak.

I know better from experience and should have had it well covered,but when I had to walk with the big bat down the beach 100yds or so, I look back and see a damn seagulls swoop down and pirate the last of my bait, I yell and wave my hands to chase them off, but too late, bags were empty, they gobbled down what squid and mack I had left >:
Was forced to call it quits before 6pm but all and all a great 10+ fish sesh considering it was all during midday as well. Got back to my truck which was still where I parked it without a ticket on the windsheild.Was home before it was dark, unheard of when I go fishing, so much so the GF came out in a panic wondering what went wrong.
Woke up this morning sore, sunburt and satisfied with still a little regret about the dying cell battery and thieved session ending bait but, it was a good fun day overall....
JOE

[1morecast]

Nice, glad to hear you found some solitude and a new spot to put into the memory banks. That might be the honey hole when the bat fight comes around this fall.  Good enough for second place any ways. 

[xjchad]

Nice Joe! Glad you found a killer spot!
Wonder what the dude in the boat was after??

[LONGCAST JOE]

Nice Joe! Glad you found a killer spot!
Wonder what the dude in the boat was after??

Me too, I didnt have my binocs with me but I was thinkin halibut. He was right on the inside of a massive sand bar and was there for a few hours so must have been into something decent

[LONGCAST JOE]

Right before I got my bait thieved,I was almost getting bored and was about to spool up the spare spool on my AeroTechnium with about 800 yards of 8lb Ande I had brought along and go for a PB line class record bat or sngf. The drag on that thing is so smooth I know it could handle it and there isn't any structure or finger jetties within sight at this place.

[Eric H]

Nice secluded spot you found there joe

Wonder why they don't want people there?

Lots of life, I'd hit it again when the sharks start pickin up.

Might be a good place for throwing iron and plastics.q

I've had my bait stolen as well.

Had a sea gull fly off with an entire pack of frozen squid.

Also had a dog run up and eat a couple 12 inch macks.

[Latimeria]

That's one hell of a day, Joe!  Bummer about the battery.  Is there apps running in the background to drain the power on it or did you just see it low and it was possibly using GPS to use up the battery quicker?

Anyway, back to the surf.  That is one awesome trough with some deep water.  I's expect something big lurking in there or at least bigger stuff that would eat 50' bats!
It looks like you made it all work out pretty good.  I was getting so annoyed yesterday with all the people showing up so early.  I can't wait for fall and daylight savings time to end!

[vdisney]

Dang Joe, you are the master at finding weird spots.

[BackBayMan]

Sounds pretty epic