Topics

31

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Bats are Back in SD 4/11/17

« on: April 12, 2017, 04:31:33 PM »

So I fished solo too last night. I also got the sunset bat curse. As soon as the sunset, I get a hit that looked very 7gill like (Slow bounce and run). The conditions were good, maybe 1-2 feet waves with little to no salad.  I was hoping to get one more shark to tie Mike on the list, but it wasn't gonna happen. I stayed until after the high tide 10:30pm. Gonna hit it again Thursday, hopefully my sand hand can make it.


 40"

32

Fishing Talk / Beijing Report

« on: April 09, 2017, 04:11:52 PM »

Just got back from a week in Beijing chaperoning my students. We had a blast seeing the the sights such as the Forbidden City, Tian'ammen Square, the Great Wall, Temple of Heaven and the Bird Nest stadium. Besides seeing some great historical places I got a few hours to check out some fishing shops too. Beijing isn't near the ocean, so the fishing is all river/ stream fishing. I was hoping to find some cool unique fishing lures and items that I couldn't find in the states. All of the fishing tackle shops where pretty small.




I was surprised to see that most of the fisherman don't use reels. They use a long pole with a fine string attached to the tip. I didn't see any one or two piece rods at all, they are into the telescoping rods that extend out 12-13 feet. I believe the bite must be really soft and they need the long rod to feel the bite and to quickly set the hook.





Most the fish I saw landed were small carp like fish. I realized that most of the fishing gear made in China is for export and not much of that stuff is used by the local fisherman in Beijing any ways. It was a great trip, but I'm glad to be back in CA where I can pull on some real fish. 

33

Fishing Talk / Drone video of GW stalking a surfer

« on: February 26, 2017, 10:58:06 AM »

Check out this video of a drone catching a GW stalking a surfer. Lots of great footage of rays too.
https://youtu.be/TyDlME_7EL0

34

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / couple of singles at SD Batting Practice before the rains.

« on: February 26, 2017, 10:08:39 AM »

I decided to get in a quick session in before the rains came on Sunday. Went to the asian market and found they are stocked again with squid.

I found the label on this box funny since, I'm not aware of any farmed raised squid. Is it me or is the price of squid increasing? (I paid 10 bucks for 3lbs.)

Got to the island at 6:30ish and found our HQ occupied with guys drinking beer. Can you imagine that, beer drinkers on the island. 

The high tide was scheduled for 9pm so I was hoping for a couple of hours of incoming water. I set up in front of the fire pits and fired a double squish out as far as the buoy. I wasn't very happy with the distance I was getting last night, but I'm gonna make some 6oz cannon ball rigs this weekend. (I was throwing 4oz last night)

Ten minutes into the session I get a nice run and get it tight and I can feel it's a juvenile bat. I was having no problems reeling in this little guy.

Taped out to be 30"

About twenty minutes later I see my rod tip bouncing, but the fish wasn't pulling out any line. (I had my reel in free spool-I love fishing in the bay) I take my rod off the holder and waited for a nice tug to see if I could snag this little guy. I get the tug I was looking for and I set the hook the little bait stealer. It is amazing how small fish try to take down such a big bait.

Little smooth hound (the squid is as big at the fish)

At about 8:30pm I get another nice run and set the hook. It's another juvenile bat at about 25". The picture is blurry but you can make it out.


I didn't have my sand hand Mike last night, so I had to do the solo picture and release. Hence why all my pictures are of upside down fish. 

I'm hoping the big girls show up soon, or L.A. might actually win a bat fight.       (You can have our chargers tho.)

35

Fishing Talk / SD Bating practice tonight at 2016 HQ (2/25)

« on: February 25, 2017, 03:10:49 PM »

If your thinking of doing some bating practice tonight before the rains arrive on Sunday I'll be fishing at last year's SD HQ from 5-9ish tonight.

36

Fishing Talk / What ate this shark?

« on: February 21, 2017, 07:52:02 AM »

Check out this story about this shark in Florida.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/60f9511f-8197-37fc-ac69-91aba538c5a6/ss_mystery%3A-half-eaten-shark-on.html

37

Tackle Talk / Penn 535 Mag2 Review

« on: February 17, 2017, 09:48:21 PM »

After much research and polling of guys on this board what conventional reel they use and reading some of the Pros and Cons of the various reels I realized that there were some aspects I knew I wanted in my next reel. The must have for me was Magnetic Cast control, +300 yards of line capacity and around $200. As some of you might know I currently have the Penn Squall 15. This little reel has served me well, I love the cast-ability of this reel and the price point (<$115). The big drawback was the line capacity, I have 50Lb braid backing and 25lb mono top shot on this reel. I would say I have approximately 250 yards of total line on this reel. When I cast this reel out and get it back to my rod holder some nights I might only have 100 yards of line on the reel. (Depending on how far back I have my sand spike planted) I've never been spooled on this reel, but it makes me kinda nervous. 

So I was looking at the bigger reels that had magnetic cast control such as the: Abu Blue Yonder 7000, Akios 757 CTM, Abu TSR 6500 and the Penn 535.

I ended up find a good deal on Ebay for a new Penn 535 Mag2 ($125).
Here are the specs on this reel:


Here is the reel side by side with the Penn Squall 15.


Right out of the box the Penn 535 had a great free spool spin. The Mag 2 control seems to have more fine tuned settings compared to the Squall. The clicker is also much loader then the Squall 15. Which was a big problem I've had trying to hear the clicker over the sound of the surf. When I spooled it with 50lb braid I was able to load approximately 300 yards of line by the time it reached the second ring of the spool indicator. I filled the rest of the spool with 30lb mono up to the top. I would say I got about 150 yards.

This reel is basically a Penn Squall 25N with a Mag control. It's not sold in the US for some reason. It has the British flag on the box. (You can see that in the photo above)





I hope to get out soon to see how this reel will cast. I'll post review updates periodically.

38

Fishing Talk / What's the conditions like at Casino or Kitchen?

« on: February 15, 2017, 08:54:04 AM »

Planning on hitting up the SD surf tonight. Anyone have any conditions report at either beach?

Thanks,
B

39

Tackle Talk / What type of conventional reel do you use?

« on: February 05, 2017, 09:49:37 PM »

So I need some opinions on your choice of conventional reels. Looking for a reel that has enough line capacity and drag that will handle bats and sharks. What do you use? What are some pros and cons about your reel?

Currently I'm using the Penn Squall 15, but it's line capacity has me worried on those out going tide nights. I love the adjustable mag cast control and the price point.

40

Fishing Talk / Casino before the rains (12/20)

« on: December 20, 2016, 11:28:14 AM »

Hitting up the Casino tonight before the rains come this week. Gotta get my fix, regardless of the tide conditions. Hope to see some of you fools down there.

41

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / December in Southern California only means one thing...

« on: December 03, 2016, 03:25:43 PM »

Trout fishing.

So the weather was suppose to be nice today and I noticed my local lake had just stocked over a thousand pounds of trout, so I broke out the ultra light gear and hit the shore. I arrived at the lake entrance to find a 12 car line at the gate a little before 6am, so I knew I would have lots of company today. I brought two setups, a 5.6ft ultra light with 4lb test line rigged with the mini-jig and the 7ft light rod with 6lb main line to a C-rigged trout worm. I get to the spot and see the old timers beat me to my go to location. I find a spot a little further down from the old timer and setup. I look up to see the old timer hooked up to a nice trout, so I know I'm in the right place. He's using a c-rigged yellow powerbait. I'm no expert trout fisherman, but I've been reading up on the technique, so I go with the dark mini-jig and cast it out maybe 20 feet from shore. I do the rod tip twitch and retrieve for 5 minutes and then I get a follower. Yes, I'm getting somewhere, I throw it out again and do the twitch and retrieve and then I look over and see the old timer hooked up again. Dam Powerbait! I'm determined to catch the fish on an artificial and so I resist breaking out the powerbait.  About 30minutes into the session I get a nice strike and I set the hook good. I'm surprised how hard it is to reel in a nice size trout on 4lb line. I get assistance from a kid fishing near by with the net landing.



The fished weighted 4lbs on the scale at home.



First trout of the year and I'm stoked. I can see why people dig fishing for trout. I start working the c-rig trout worm and get a nice strike and battle with similar size trout, but it pulls the hook 3 minutes into the fight. Not a whole lot of action, but it was fun. I have an online order for some 2lb line and lip ripper mini-jigs coming from BPS. (Thanks Tom) So I'll be back to see if I can catch my limit next time.

Hopefully, the Bay and Surf picks up soon. 

42

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Mother of all Sea Monsters. 10/19

« on: October 20, 2016, 02:29:34 PM »

If your thinking of Long Rod fishing the surf in SD county...Don't! I made a quick trip down to the surf last night hoping the salad situation had improved. First cast out with less then a five minute soak and my rod is getting pulled south with a massive ball of kelp attached to it. I was lucky to get my rig back, the kelp ball was at least 80lbs. The low tide made for a long walk to the surf zone too. My screen name maybe 1Morecast but it only took one cast for me to realize this was a no win situation.

43

Saltwater Boat Fishing Reports / First String 10/10

« on: October 11, 2016, 09:17:57 PM »

I had this past Monday off from work and the kids were in school, so I took the opportunity to jump on a overnight trip out of H&M landing. I asked Mike which boat was better the Producer or First String and he gave thumbs up to them both. I ending up picking the First String since it was cheaper of the two fairs. When I got on board I was surprised how big this boat was. It had about 8 tables on the sundeck and air condition bunk rooms. The galley was nice and large with plenty of room for the 28 anglers on board this trip.



The overnight counts were high in YT but I was hoping for YFT to fill the freezer. I spoke to a couple of guys getting off the pervious night's trip and they said the YT were small with only a few YFT in the mix. Not what I was hoping to hear, but I was prepared to make the best of the situation. I picked up some 15lb fluro and size 4 hooks at the dock. I plan on using my 400s Calcutta paired with an 8' medium action Teramar rod if the rat yellows was what was biting.

When I got down to the bunks I scored one of the staterooms with A/C and only four bunks inside. The seas were pretty calm with maybe 2 foot rollers all the way out to the fishing grounds. (We fished a little south of Ensenada.) Although the ride was fine I just couldn't sleep very well, I heard the engines cut off at 4am and we drifted until sunrise.



The plan was to look for patties and any other signs of life out there. We found a nice size patty around 7am and pulled up to it nice and slow. I was on the bow all by myself and was ready with the surface iron. I was surprised that most of the guys on the boat were fishing live bait. I was able to reach the patty first with my cast and started a nice steady retrieve and within 5 cranks I get multiple YT blow up on it. I get tight with the first fish and make short work of the first of many 3lb YT. I was able to land four cookie cutter size YT on that first drift by the pattie. (Mike would have been proud, no live bait ) I think we must have landed 30-40 YT on that first drift.

We reset on the pattie, but the fish got smarter or we cleared it out but the second drift we get maybe 10 more YT for the boat. We moved on looking for more signs of life. We encountered schools of porpoises. but no fish hanging with them. The next few patties we encounter it was wide open rat YT again. This was about 11am and the sun was in full effect. The YT were not interested with Surface Iron, so I switched to the colt sniper and was jacking YT left and right. As soon as the jig hit the water it was swarmed by 3-4 YT. We hit our YT limit for the boat by 12pm and switched to looking for Dodos or YFT. (Which was great by me.) We looked and looked, but it wasn't meant to be. The captain said we would need to steam for home by 2pm, so we all packed it up. On the way back two of the trolling rods go off and we reel in two token YFT, but that was it. 



Here is a pic of the crew putting our catch into the chilled water below deck.

Overall, I had a blast practice catching fish on the surface iron, so it was a worth the trip. The boat was great and the crew was good. I would definitely ride this boat again.
 

44

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / New Spot

« on: September 17, 2016, 02:08:33 PM »

Fished a new spot on Friday 9/16. The conditions were great, waves were 1-2 feet with very little current. I did not see any salad at all. As soon as the sunsets I launch a bonito head out and within 10 minutes I get a nice knock down, I pickup the rod and set the hook. The fish runs for a 1 minute but then I feel the line go slack. I reel in the the rig and see a empty hook. Oh, well I put on a mac head and send it out right away. Before I can put the rod into the holder I get another hit, this time the fish sticks and I'm on with a nice 45" Leo.


Although not an exotic species it was nice to pull on something since I haven't fished the surf in a few weeks. Pretty quiet the rest of the night. I'll be back here again.

45

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Ahh.....Salad Free

« on: August 18, 2016, 07:54:01 AM »

So, Tom's near shark sighting and water conditions report inspired me to give the surf a try last night. I hit up the A.O. at 7pm with plenty of light left. I knew it would be busy with people, but I wanted to setup with light for a change. When I arrived the conditions were ideal, small 2-3 foot waves and Salad Free. Once everyone took their sunset picture the few grommets in the water got out by 7:50pm. I had fresh macs from that mornings trip to the bay. I was feeling good about tonight and I wanted to try out my new backpack. (Mostly to take on boat rides, but I wanted see how it felt on a walk to the beach)


I put my bait in the water by 8pm and a boy comes over and asks, "How do you know you have a bite?". I tell him when the clicker starts to scream and the rod bends over then you know it's the right kind. He stands there watching the rod for five minutes and says that my rod tip is bouncing. I tell him those are critter bites and not what I'm after, but then the tip goes down for a good 1-2 seconds. I take the rod off the holder and tighten the drag, I wait to see if the fish is gonna make another pass, then the fish takes off with the bait. I put my thumb on the spool and set the hook. I feel the weight on the line and can tell it's not a big fish, but I also feel head shakes too. There is still a little light in the sky and I see the fish go airborne a couple of times in the white water but I couldn't make out what type of shark it was. The boy standing next to me calls his buddies over and I have three boys following me down the beach giving me encouragement. 

After a couple of minutes, I time the next wave and walk this fish back onto the sand. I jokingly tell one of the boys to tail grab this shark. None of them volunteer, so I drag this 55" leo onto the hard pack.


The boys were excited to see a shark and I was glad to see some action again. Did I mention there was no salad in the water.
As soon as it got dark the full moon started to rise and light up the beach like a spot light. I really didn't even need a headlamp last night. The next bait I threw into the water was picked clean, by lobsters. The bugs were out in force last night with everything getting picked clean within 5-10 minutes of hitting the water. I called it at 10pm without any other grinners. The water seemed cooler to me then it has been, so I'm hoping the sharks will make a return to the shore.

Good luck out there guys!