Shortfin Corvina Top Water Strike AM NC Report 3/22/15

[HalibutJoel99]

Woke up this morning, had the coffee already made and debated whether to hit the surf at 5:20 for the low tide. Since it wasn't first light till about 6:30 AM I decided against going to the surf.

Arrived at the A/O and conditions were just perfect. No wind and overcast skies. There was baitfish everywhere. Terns were all over the place. A nice slow incoming tide. Decided to try the LC first and after 5 casts I changed it up.
So I just recently started practicing the top water lures. i was at the bat fight and I saw Jerry had a Chub bug, it had a feather tail and looked like it would be fun to use. I asked Jerry if I could try it out, and from there I was addicted. Also, in the past I have seen many reports on here with people having some good success with the walk the dog style retrieve. I just started practicing it and it's a lot of fun.

Using my Daiwa coastal on the Sahara 4000 and 12lb pound P-line Mono I started chucking this morning.

About a half hour in the water explodes. WHAM! Fresh retie and drag set just right, the fish takes me for the ride of my life. Trying to keep up with this fish on the slippery rocks was tough, praying to the fish gods that i don't lose this fish, i knew it was a good size. Didn't know if it was a Corvina or WSB. After a ten minute battle wrapped in kelp, I reel in and beach my prize for the morning.


24 inch Shortfin Corvina.  The fish was foul hooked the whole battle, no wonder it wasn't to easy reeling in.  :lol:

Where's My Beer, you are so right dude! Addiction is on!

Here is the pics.




This was a battle I'll remember for awhile, and the drag peeling sound is something I can get used too.

Shortfin.



This is the lure i used, and where I hooked it! I kept the fish as I didn't think it would survive, after reading reports on these fish I hear they are like WSB and die easily. After the long fight the fish was exhausted, plus with the big gash in him. Had one treble in him and it was pretty deep.



24" Corvina




Very cool looking Croaker. Weighed out at 6 pounds at PCBT.



Thanks for reading and good luck out there.

Lines tight.

Tagged! 



Joel

[Eric H]

Very nice fish 

[j.rasta]

Nice work Joel! Definitely a short fin, idk why they have orange mouths but I've caught quite a few that looked like that, possibly from eating ghosties? Real Orange mouth vina in cali are only found in the Salton sea I'm pretty sure...

Congrats on ur 1st TW vina, wait til u get ur 1st Hali on one! That's when the real addiction begins!

[sasquatch]

Nice tag job on that one.

[Latimeria]

Definitely shortfin.  Nicely done boss!

Enjoy that tasty tagged and bagged croaker!

[HalibutJoel99]

Edited. Thanks guys.

[raychavez91]

Awesome stuff man!!! I definitely wouldn't mind adding a Corvina to species list soon!!

[WheresMyBeer]

Good stuff ..!!

Throw that thing during a grunion run 

[SevengillTheVC]

Wish they were this far north, interesting fish.

[1morecast]

Congrats..Joel. The topwater action will definitly get the adrenaline pumping for sure. Nice size vine for your first one too. 

[Jaws]

Very cool catch!

[BackBayMan]

 

[HalibutJoel99]

Congrats..Joel. The topwater action will definitly get the adrenaline pumping for sure. Nice size vine for your first one too. 

It sure did man, it was so quiet too, then Wham! With the foul hook, I don't know if the fish changed it's mind at the last minute or just went crazy and missed it. I'll take it though. =)

[faster u fool]

Nice one....We do have orange mouth in the bays around here along with the short fin.  They both have orange colored mouths.  The way to identify the different species is the orange mouth will have a pointed tail. (meaning the rays in the middle of the tail are longer than the rest) and the short fin will have an s shaped tail.  also the orange mouth have 10 to 11 anal rays and the shortfin will have 7 to 8. Dont quote me on those numbers but i think thats what they are.  best way to tell is the tail.

[HalibutJoel99]

Nice one....We do have orange mouth in the bays around here along with the short fin.  They both have orange colored mouths.  The way to identify the different species is the orange mouth will have a pointed tail. (meaning the rays in the middle of the tail are longer than the rest) and the short fin will have an s shaped tail.  also the orange mouth have 10 to 11 anal rays and the shortfin will have 7 to 8. Dont quote me on those numbers but i think thats what they are.  best way to tell is the tail.

Thanks for that info. Now I won't get them confused again.