I'm Not Sure How To Title This Post (11/19)

[Latimeria]

I have a bunch of stuff going on Saturday, so planned on spending Friday enjoying catching some fish.  Boat was packed Thursday Night and I didn't even drink to make sure I'd be alert.

Plus Side - Boat Ramp was empty.

Down Side - Some young guy ran down saying to "just drop the boat in the water and I'll park your truck for you"... (Yeah, Right).... This young guy... well did everything in his power to try and get me to take him out fishing.  Wasn't going to happen... and then he kept trying to have a conversation and all I wanted to do was just launch and get out there.
Finally I got my opening and off I went... albeit a bit late.  Not the way I wanted to start my morning.

Got some intel on a few areas to try since there were some "Preferable Species" being caught here and there.  Nothing... Not even a single pixel of bait on the sonar.

Ran spot to spot, dropping the yoyo iron and just got a sore shoulder from reeling.

Made a location change to try and find any mackerel and finally found a few, and I mean few.  I spent an hour with sabiki and small iron, but they preferred the small iron.  Only caught 6, but I was stoked for that.  As I was casting the iron, I thought a nice sized cuda hit the iron!  It smashed the metal at the surface and was really a fun fight on light spinning gear... HOLY SCHNIKEYS!! 18.5" Topsmelt!  (*edit:  Probably a Jacksmelt*)



I finally switched up to a nice plastic.  I brought smaller ones this time since they were the hot ticket for Steve the last time.



I swear the fish had a "Rubber Hook" remote control, as I got whalloped quite a few times by nicer bass, but half way in they would fall off.  I wound up catching 10 assorted small calico and a nicer turd roller, but nicer was only a better way of saying 4" bigger.  I still can't figure how the smaller ones stuck and the bigger stuff always pulled the hooks...



Now for the bad news... like news that pretty much almost ruined my day....  I had spotlock on and noticed I was moving.  In a short time, I realized the motor runs, but the motor doesn't turn it, so basically it's burned out... the only certified repair shop is the shop that f@cked me the last time I was there and I'm definitely not bringing it to them....  Ugh, fishing the old fashioned way now...

I decided to put on one of the mackerel and slow troll it in the area.  I was just opening a beer (Since I needed it at this point) when my clicker started screaming!  I had it in gear with the clicker, so it was big enough to inhale that bait!  I had to turn the boat to catch up with it, but it felt weird.  A lot kile heavy weight that would make a screaming run every now and then in a single direction, no zig zagging.

I was trying to undo the bungee on my bigger gaff as I saw a huge footprint from whatever it was.  In hindsight, I should have been trying to get my phone on and camera operating.
It took about 15-20 minutes and I had him close, but saw a shadow that my brain didn't register at first.  It came up nose and mouth first with all it's gummy teeth showing my hook placement!  My hook was on the outside of the lip of a 6' Great White!!!!!!!!  I dropped the gaff and grabbed the phone.  f@cking wet hand and my fingerprint scanner wasn't recognizing it and I had to enter my code with one hand while holding the rod in the other.  It felt like an eternity, but was probably closer to 10 seconds and the shark flopped slapping my boat with its tail!  It was so loud and left scrapes on the boat, but my 40# mono had enough.  No pic achieved, but my first Great White.  If they were legal, I would have had him gaffed and tail roped, but I was taken down by a new phone instead.  Oye-Vey!  I have to just laugh I guess.  I tried for another 2 hours with only minimal luck and I could only manage one more live mackerel for the tank.



I decided to head back to where the "Trophy Fish" have been caught trying to dropper loop fish for them on the big rod and dropping a small squid tipped iron on the the other rod.  Along the way I passed a super-pod of dolphin!  I videoed them, but don't know how to attach videos here for some reason.

I managed some small rockfish, of which a couple I threw in the cooler.  Not big, but totally inflated and dead meat anyway.



I then ran iside for the "Micronita" that Skrilla was talking about, but nothing.  I picked up a few fish here and there before deciding on using the other macks on the reefs for Lingcod or Halibut.

Skrilla-bars



Lots of Gophers today..



Started heading to the halibut grounds and saw something really white in the distance...



Closer...





BIG Bastard!







I videoed it for a bit and it kept checking out the boat and eye balling me.  Finally left him to float around and look for halibut since the ling didn't want my offerings.

I caught 5 Browns and a few other Oobly Gooblies, and then my Halibut Rod went off!  This time it felt very shark like... Not sure what kind, but it had that sharky feel to it and I never really got it hooked.  I reeled up the and the mackerel was gone, but the leader was all frayed and curly cued to the hook.  I'm fairly certain that was it.



With that, It was almost 2:00 and time to head to the barn.  10 fish in the cooler, so something to bring home along with some shark baits for the next surf session.

Great day because I got my first GWS, but bummed that I didn't get the money picture.  Also got that beast of a smelt... but lost so many nicer grade bass in the mix.

Finally, the apparent death of my Spot-Lock Trolling Motor.

So, I didn't know how to name this post, but it was a rollercoaster of a trip.

Thanks for reading.

[Tim524]

 The Tax Man visit had to be worth all the bad luck of the trolling motor and then some Nice way to start the weekend, fish for the BBQ and bait for shark fishing Are you going to buff out the slap or leave it as a battle scar ? Thanks for the good read, maybe Santa will bring you a new Trolling Motor

[jrodda]

Congrats on the white! Very very lucky to get it on 40#. Too bad no pic but that's a perfect DFW friendly release.

Is that a topsmelt or a jack smelt? I have a pretty hard time distinguishing the two. I always thought the big boys like that were jacks.

Good luck with the spot lock.

[vdisney]

Best morning read I've had in a while Tom, awesome write up.  Bummer about the trolling motor, but at least it wasn't boat motor....................

[Latimeria]

Are you going to buff out the slap or leave it as a battle scar ? Thanks for the good read, maybe Santa will bring you a new Trolling Motor

When I washed the boat, the coloration went away, but the scrapes are still there.  I think the coloration was there because of all the dermal denticles were dark which imbedded in the gunnel, but keeping it.

Santa is too broke to buy me a new trolling motor.   

[Latimeria]

Congrats on the white! Very very lucky to get it on 40#. Too bad no pic but that's a perfect DFW friendly release.

Is that a topsmelt or a jack smelt? I have a pretty hard time distinguishing the two. I always thought the big boys like that were jacks.

It actually didn't pull as hard as you would imagine.  Maybe it just didn't know it was really hooked and I chased it with the boat a bit, so it probably didn't know what was going on.  Just got lucky on hook placement.

As for the smelts, I called it a Jacksmelt, but my buddy said it's a Topsmelt.  He has no background in Ichthyology, but has been a captain in the fleet for a bit.  I think It's a Jacksmelt as I don't think Topsmelt get much over 14".

[Latimeria]

Best morning read I've had in a while Tom, awesome write up.  Bummer about the trolling motor, but at least it wasn't boat motor....................

Thanks Verne and true, but a new one will cost $2K.  I got really spoiled having it.  hahahaha

[Pinoyfisher]

Great post!! Also, I call BS without pics 😉

[sasquatch]

Friday boat fishing? Lame. Lol.

Trolling motor down? Lame. No lol.

Guess I know where you fished.

[Latimeria]

Guess I know where you fished.

Probably the same one.... Or most likely.

[skrilla]

Nice tarpon Tom!

[KogaHead]

BS w/no pics.

Also lame not getting a picture, you are an expert using your hands. One hand holding the porno mag and the other holding . . . well you know what.

We are both 91-72 in the football pool.