Topics

31

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / Afternoon Santee PB (3/12)

« on: March 12, 2024, 08:56:44 PM »

Getting out even for a short time was addicting and I needed an afternoon fix.  My wife decided to join me to keep an eye out in case I did something stupid to hurt myself out there.  She grabbed a c*cktail and just chilled while I just chilled and fished.  14 days without a drink for me and I'm pretty stoked.

Well, I got hammered, but I had to get to my rod at "Dave" speed  in order to prevent any surgical complications.  I felt something at the end of the line and it was gone just like that.

A few casts later and the same thing, only after the bite there was nothing.  I reeled in a bare hook, so I got robbed!

30 minutes later and I see my strike indicator take a fast drop!  As I waited for the rod to load up, i felt the fish drop it.  Ugh... 0/3.

My wife had enough, so went home to get dinner ready.  I stayed until the last possible minute and packed up everything except for one rod I left for last.  I even pulled the SI off it.  As I was putting the net in the back of the truck, I heard a screaming reel!  WTF?  On the last second of the last cast!

I knew it wasn't a catfish, trout or turtle.  I thought bass, but that didn't feel right either.  New virgin reel was singing and it was a lot of fun!  Then I see it.  My personal Santee Lakes PB Red Ear! (I measured it against the rod and have to double check, but it was 12-13 inches from eye balling it. 



Well, time to hit the road and get some shut eye.  I'm going to try and go int work for a half day tomorrow since my work is getting so far behind.  Not having anyone else in my department sucks because no work gets done when I'm out, (I'm also not a real good 'work from home' type of guy).  Well, it's nice to see something new from here.  I've only caught Bluegill here, so this is also my first Red Ear from the puddles!  Great way to end it.

Thanks for reading and still looking for the 10# trout.

32

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / Morning Stretch (3/12)

« on: March 12, 2024, 01:49:29 PM »

I haven't fished in a week and this surgery has not been as chill as they led me to believe prior to scheduling it.  I've been working from home the past two days, but the pain meds have slightly interfered with the documents I've been writing.  Thus, I have to ice my stomach and take a 30-minute rest before coming back to read what I wrote again before submitting it.  lol

One thing my doctor said was to walk around so I wouldn't get blood clots... great.  I can walk around a bit, but I swear I can feel the mesh in my stomach moving around.  Not a really comfortable feeling.  I decided to take a two-hour break in the morning and see if I could handle the trout gear without any issues.  Good thing is I'm about 3 minutes away from the house, so can get back in a heartbeat if something doesn't feel right.

I got there when the lake opened and the only damn spot someone was fishing in the lake I like, was exactly where I fish.  As I rolled by, I recognized the kid(s) fishing as the ones who watched me reel in the 9.31# rainbow (I'm sure he'll only be fishing here for the rest of the trout season).  One of the downfalls fishing in the puddles is everyone on all sides of the lakes can see what everyone is doing... or just drive around asking every single angler if they caught anything.

I decided to try another spot out that has been on my radar, but I just haven't gotten down to.  It was raining and there were no hills to slip and bust my stitches open, so looked perfect.  I don't recall seeing rain in the forecast, but it was definitely heavy drizzling out.



At this point after setting up the rods, I really only had an hour to fish before I needed to run home and jump online for a few meetings.  I wasn't sure what to expect as other trucks rolled up and now I had company on both sides of me, but thankfully there was still plenty of room.

Well, I saw my strike indicator drop and knew I was on.  I was thinkig catfish as I slowly meandered down to the rod (Running is not an option).  Soon as I grabbed the rod, I was like "Oh Trout!".

Little guy, but really dark and colorful.  Definitely from the last plant on Friday.



Well, before I knew it, I had to run home for the meetings.  Not much time out there, but no skunk either so I can't complain!

Well, back to work... Then Rest....  Then maybe round two later today?

33

Contest & Events / Saturday Night Bat Fight Summary after 17 years....

« on: March 10, 2024, 10:31:41 AM »

In the annals of fishing lore, there exists a tale that binds anglers together in camaraderie, competition, and the pursuit of monstrous bat rays. It's a story that harks back to 2007, echoing through the waves and sands of coastal California, where the Saturday Night Bat Fight was born.

It all started innocently enough, as banter often does, on a local fishing forum where two intrepid fishermen, Donfish and Latimeria, engaged in friendly discourse about the size and prowess of bat rays lurking in the depths of the Pacific. They debated fervently, each championing their respective counties and fishing grounds. And so, a challenge was born, a challenge that would ignite the passion of anglers far and wide.
What began as a mano y mano showdown quickly morphed into a county-versus-county tournament, fueled by the competitive spirit and the desire to claim the title of bat ray fishing supremacy. As more anglers joined the fray, the Saturday Night Bat Fight took on a life of its own, transcending its humble origins to become a legendary event in the fishing community.

In the early years, there were no grand logos or elaborate shirts to mark the occasion. Instead, anglers arrived armed with nothing but their big gear and a determination to tackle the mighty bat rays that roamed the coastal waters. It was raw, it was rugged, but above all, it was about the thrill of the chase and the pursuit of bragging rights.

Each year brought new challenges and triumphs. From the inaugural competition where Donfish and Latimeria set the stage with their epic showdown, to the emergence of Team San Diego, Team LA, and Team OC as perennial contenders, the Saturday Night Bat Fight evolved into a spectacle unlike any other.

Through the years, tales of monstrous catches and narrow victories filled the airwaves, shared among anglers and enthusiasts alike. From the iconic spray-painted chair seat logo to the debut of the coveted Pocketed T-shirts, each iteration of the tournament left its mark on the fishing community.

Memories were made, friendships forged, and legends born under the starry skies of Saturday nights. From the heart-stopping moments of last-minute victories to the bittersweet defeats by mere inches, the Saturday Night Bat Fight became more than just a competition; it was a celebration of the indomitable spirit of the angler.
As the years rolled on, the Saturday Night Bat Fight endured, weathering the ebbs and flows of time and tide. From the giants of yesteryears to the dwindling numbers of recent battles, the essence of the tournament remained unchanged—a testament to the unwavering passion and camaraderie of the fishing community.
And so, as the sun sets on another Saturday night, and anglers gather once more to cast their lines into the unknown, the spirit of the Saturday Night Bat Fight lives on—a beacon of hope, adventure, and the enduring thrill of the catch.

Saturday Night Bat Fight I.  February 9th, 2008
Latimeria's  52"   (SD)

Saturday Night Bat Fight II.  April 11th, 2009
Donfish 49”   (LA)

Saturday Night Bat Fight III  March 13th, 2010
The OC bastages (& Dagodfaja) 49”  (OC)

Saturday Night Bat Fight IV.  March 5th, 2011
Latimeria 51.5"  (SD)

Saturday Night Bat Fight V. March 10th, 2012
Pierfisher  49.5"  (SD)

Saturday Night Bat Fight VI. March 9th, 2013
Jaws197  56.5"  (SD)

Saturday Night Bat Fight VII. March 15th, 2014
JWells  55.5"  (SD)

Saturday Night Bat Fight VIII. March 7th, 2015
JWells Bro  54”  (SD)

Saturday Night Bat Fight IX. March 12th, 2016
Sasquatch  50.25"  (SD)

Saturday Night Bat Fight X. March 11th, 2017
Jim Murtagh  50.5”  (LA)

Saturday Night Bat Fight XI. March 31st, 2018
Pinoyfisher   49”  (SD)

Saturday Night Bat Fight XIIn March 09th, 2019
Matt Pierce  20.5"  ( OC)

Saturday Night Bat Fight XIII. March 07th, 2020
Jerry Luce  30”   (SD)

Saturday Night Bat Fight XIV. April 10, 2021
Sasquatch   49”   (SD)

Saturday Night Bat Fight XV. March 12, 2022
Bat Fight Ben   34"   (OC)

Saturday Night Bat Fight XVI. April 15, 2023
Ethansauce  35”   (VC)

Saturday Night Bat Fight XVII. April 27, 2024
TBD….

34

Contest & Events / S.N.B.F.-XVII Official Sign Up

« on: March 08, 2024, 09:13:38 AM »

Saturday Night Bat Fight - XVII - Rules and Sign Ups

Well, we are now on year 17! This has continued to be a fun and successful event throughout all the years and hopefully this year won't be any different. This is a fun and free event that only has bragging rights at stake and great for anglers of all ages. The rules are listed below. Try your best to follow the rules which will make it easier deciding the winner.
This year’s event will take place on April 27th, 2024... rain or shine!

Unlike in years past where we planned it on big tidal movements and the time change, we're going to try something different this year (If it works, we’ll continue with this updated format). For a long time, we've always had jumbo bats to catch and they were a bit of a nuisance when you weren’t looking for them. Since we have not done very well the last 5 to 7 years and attendance has gone down, we are going to put restrictions on the size of bat ray entries that can be submitted. If the minimum requirement is not met, we will use sharks as tie breakers by the representing county. The bat rays have seemed to have vanished over the years and may (or may not) correlate to the surge in Great Whites and other shark species in the surf zone. I don’t want to continue having really small bats win the tournament when this is supposed to be a Bat Fight and not a Whiffle Ball Fight.

The rules below will only be for SNBF-XVII. If this proves to be a success, then it may possibly be used for future Bat Fights (minor edits may happen to improve the system). The updated rules are as follows:

The Rules:

-The fish that counts toward the ultimate winner is Myliobatis californica… aka the Bat Ray. The minimum size restriction for a team to enter is 28” from wingtip to wingtip. The only way a smaller one will be able to be submitted for the contest is if no other tiebreaker is caught (See tiebreakers in this section)

-Widest wingspan measured over the top of the Ray (Taut Tape) with corresponding pictures. No loose or flat laying tape on the entire body and wings. (Loose tapes will be prone to losing some inches)

-Tiebreakers. (Probably not the proper term, but being used here) There will be two categories of tiebreakers, both which include sharks if a 28” bat isn’t landed.
• First Tiebreaker:
Long Rod / Casted Baits: Soupfin, Sevengill, Thresher, Mako, ETC. The larger models of shark that come close to shore (All protected species are off limits to this competition. ie, Great Whites).
This is the first tiebreaker and will supersede the second tie breaker no matter on the size of the shark caught. (Hound shark, Dogfish, Shovelnose, and Leopard Shark are excluded from this contest)
• Second Tiebreaker:
Paddled Out / Droned Baits: All shark species except any protected species such as the Great White and Greater Rays (Pelagic Ray, Bat Ray, Diamond Ray). These sharks may be bigger than the casted bait tiebreakers but will be limited to taking a back seat to the long rod. This Tiebreaker is in case no minimum sized bat is caught AND no qualifying surf shark is caught on casted gear.

-Widest nose to tip of tail measured directly next to the shark with corresponding pictures. The judge (myself) will make a call on length if any questions arise in the actual length submitted with the corresponding picture.

-CPR (Catch-Photograph-Release) only. No gaffs or landing tools that cause direct injury to the fish permitted.

- The main area for each county will be picked by the Team Captain (if available) and any satellite groups must make sure they post their results by the given time of 11:59pm on April 27th, 2024.

-Buddy System – For many reasons, it must be on a buddy system. There are going to be a bunch of satellite groups out there, but there must be two fishermen at every location. Unless you have 4 arms to hold the tape taut over the bats back and take a picture… you need two people. To keep ‘em honest and to add as another safety factor.

-Fishing from the shore only. No Jetty’s, Bulkheads, Piers, Bridges etc. Boat Ramps are OK only as long as you are allowed to fish there and/or not impeding any boat traffic. This is for the safety of the fish and the angler since handling and measuring these critters on anything but a shoreline without obstacles could have sever harm to one or both.
There are a few reasons for this, but the most important reasons are for YOUR Safety and the Bat Rays Safety. Fishing the rocks during the day or at night for Mud Marlin is not a safe bet for you or the fish. You can fish for them 364 days a year that way if you like, but on the Bat Fight, it’s all about safety and all of these structures have a high danger limit to them when dealing with big gear, rods and fish. It was never allowed for SNBF in the past and will not be allowed in the future Bat Fights.

-You can fish in any county you’d like, but the fish you catch will be recorded for the county you caught the fish in. (example: If you are from LA fishing in SD, the bat will count for SD).

-Start time for the event is very dependent on when you want to get out and fish. The opening gun will sound at 6:00am on the day of the tournament and will end at 11:59 that night. This is just the window of time that the tournament will count for any bat rays. This will allow people who work or have prior engagements to get out and participate in the event in a generous time window.

-Photos must be posted by no later than 11:59pm Saturday, April27th, 2024. Any Photos posted later than that time will be disqualified from their entry. (So be VERY time conscience)

The only Online Locations that will be monitored for bat ray entries will be:

1) Prehistoric Soul Forum... all posts will be monitored. https://www.prehistoricsoul.com/forum/index.php
2) SNBF Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/144022729051913
3) My Instagram Page: the_og_latimeria https://www.instagram.com/the_og_latimeria/

-This is a picture/honor system, please no fudging or cheating. A few times now, the winner won by a half an inch. This made for a great photo finish and great trash talking.
-Everyone is required to have a good time!

All of the rules are pretty straight forward, and I will answer any questions you may have (or need clarification) before the Bat Fight.
The summed-up History of the Bat Fight (work in progress and will continue to evolve into the full story): http://prehistoricsoul.com/forum/index.php?topic=8.0

35

General Board / When Life Gives You Lemons

« on: March 04, 2024, 05:59:06 AM »

Well, I'm not sure if that title matches the body of this story, but I guess it's close. 

It's funny how things work out.  I get sick before the weekend and not allowed to take any medication because of the surgery coming up.  I passed on some trips to fish this weekend as not to have any setback with my recovery with all of the rain and cold.  No boat trip and no lobster trip.

Went "Truck Cab" fishing instead to stay warm and dry while still actually "Old Man" fishing.

Turns out the lobster weren't crawling too good for my buddy.  Got 8 legals and 100 shorts (not bad I guess, but not good for 3 people)

Wind and rain was howling which would have made for a bad boat trip....

Truck Cab Fishing in comfort and I got an 18# stringer with a 9.31# PB local trout (My biggest was a steelhead at 24#, so I have to differentiate local vs actual)

No booze in 6 days now either which is always a tough one, especially over a successful weekend.

Things turned out Okay I guess.  Now I hope to get one more Truck Cab trip in this week, but Thursday I go under the knife.  I'll find out what I can/can't do afterwards but hopefully some trout fishing will keep me from busting my stitches open.  My wife is absolutely tired of all of the trout though, but she just has to deal.  She'll be saying it with Bluefin hopefully soon. lol

36

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / Came Back for More (3/3)

« on: March 03, 2024, 03:30:49 PM »

Had some plans with the family today, but found a few hour window in the morning to run down really quick to the Puddles.  Tried 2 spots, but the second spot had a a few opportunities.  First fish hit the long rod and it felt pretty heavy!  I was a little taken back by the mere thought of a possible beast!  Unfortunately, it rolled and ran towards me and the hook just popped out.  I've noticed that happening a few times with the entire crawler on.

I kept fishing and getting close to having to run back home when I see the long rod double over again!

Not the weight of the last one, but felt really scrappy.  Turns out to be another cookie-cutter 18" bow for the stringer.



I made on last cast out for glory, but nothing.  I saw a turtle making his way out to where I cast, so decided to call it at this point. I can't complain since I've been getting trout pretty consistantly this year. 

Another bow for the smoker!

Thanks for reading!

37

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / March Madness (3/2)

« on: March 02, 2024, 06:00:46 PM »

The plan for today was to take Steve out on a bay trip, come home then head out on my last lobster trip of the season with my buddy on his boat.  Unfortunately this week I caught a bug and was sick as a dog.  Since I have Sx coming up on Thursday, I'm not allowed to take any meds or vitamins all week. It's not been easy trying to knock this bug down without any meds.  I still wasn't at full strength this morning, so decided to cancel fishing in the rain.  If I was going to fish in the rain, I was going to be inside a truck cab with the heater running!

Dave fished yesterday for 2 missed trout and a pond chicken.  I didn't have a lot of hope for a stellar day, but it was better than sitting on my recliner all day.   

I ran down to the puddles at the opening and set shop at spot number one.  It wasn't long before I was hooked up and with a Good one!  I got him close a few times and a solid 3.5# class fish!  I got it turned for the 7th time and heading towards the net when the hook just pops out!  Oh No!  It was a pretty nice grade fish, so I was a little bummed losing it.

About 30 minutes later and I see both of my strike indicators dropping!  I then realized it was one trout that wrapped around my other line, Great...  I figured it out and cut the empty line and got the little 1.5# to the net.



Then it was crickets... So I moved to another lake and go on a hunch I was having.  Started out great and in short time, I was on!  This trout was a better grade fish around 2.5#.



Then the bass guys showed up... and about 20-30 bird watchers all hanging around my truck.  I saw I had another bite and went to run down, but all of the birders were in the way and it popped off before I got there.  They seemed aggravated with me for trying to run through them to get the rod, so I decided to pull out my crowd dispersion.  Everyone was on the gray hair side, so I threw in some Corrosion of Conformity and blasted it with all of the windows open!  Wow, it worked out so much better than I hoped, and they scurried away like roaches in a kitchen after the light was turned on.

I think I had another bite, but I really wasn't feeling it here anymore either, so decided to spend the last hour at another spot.  It wasn't long and I was on again!  As I was fighting it, I noticed my other rod was doubled over too!  different fish!  I worked the one I was fighting to the net and turned to grab the other rod, but that fish was gone.  Almost a double header! 

Then my strike indicator goes off again and it was another nice cookie cutter trout.  By now, I had a few people casting the Walmart White rods with big yellow and orange bobbers over my way.  Ugh, this was starting to become a little bit of a chore.

I only needed one more and got rocked, but all it did was tear my nightcrawler in half, so I replaced it with a pinched crawler.  Well, my strike indicator dropped and then literally flew off the line!  I was there in seconds and knew right away it was a REALLY NICE fish!

I could only put so much pressure on 4# test, but it was spooling me!  Literally like a bat ray at the bay!  I finally turned it and it jumped.  At this point I got a little weak at the knees since I saw how big it was but finally started gaining line back.  Well, that didn't last as it turned to the middle of the lake and ran everything except 10 yards of line off my little reel!  80 yards of 4#is now out in the lake and I'm sweating it!  Thankfully after another jump, it landed with its head towards shore, so it came running towards me and I got line back.  Now it's a take 10 yards, lose 10 yards deal.  This was the toughest local trout fight by far I've had yet.

After a bit, I finally got it to jump again and try to semi-circle by the shore before it would have made a big run again, but came close enough for me to get a net under it...  WOW!



I had a bunch of people now checking it out and not believing this thing was swimming in here.  It was my 5th trout on the stringer, so instead of staying around for some catch and release, I decided to pack it in.  Everyone that saw it now swooped in to take up every square inch of space I had.

I took a few pictures of the stringer before finally putting up the tailgate and heading home.



I got home and put it on the scale.  My previous record was the 7.93# Lightning Trout I caught last week with Dave, and I got a 7.3# Lightning Trout earlier this week.  Now when the scale stopped, I saw a 9.31# Chunky Rainbow as a new PB!  Hole crap!

25" and over 18" in diameter!  It was a butterball!



Just the normal nice 17-18" trout are usually a treat, but I could have fit all 4 in here with maybe room to spare!



The fillets were out of this world, but my wife said "I'm pretty much done with Lobster and Trout for a while".... That means she's ready for some land mammals again.  lol



Well, I stayed warm and dry and had a great day of catching trout.  I still have the bug, but at least I feel I didn't make it any worse by staying out in the elements.  Well, I still can't believe what a year for Trout and Cats I've been having.  All I know is this is one for my personal record books and I'm digging the convenience!

Thanks for reading and until next trip!

38

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / Thor is Drunk (2/27)

« on: February 27, 2024, 08:06:13 PM »

Yesterday I found a really nice Rainbow that filled the void that needed filling.  Today I was hoping to fish with Sasquatch and do some catching up, but life likes to throw its curveballs, and I ran down solo today.   I saw everyone all packed together in the second lake, so I was not desperate to catch a bunch of small stockers over a quality fish.

It was pretty slow as expected, but as I walked the shoreline, I saw some nice trout in the 2–3-pound range.  I literally tried most of the tricks I had in my book, but when the bass guys showed up, they (The trout) took off from their close shoreline spots.

I wound up losing one 2# model but later decided to live or die at this spot.  I so wanted to move, but just decided to go with patience and a proven system to end the day.

I then had a Little Cloey spoon fish that got off at the last second and now expectations were pretty low.

I then just sat back to clear my mind from the day, when I saw the SI go erect!  Well, it kind of bobbled at first, but you knew it wasn't a turtle!  LOL

I spent a good 10+ minutes fighting this thing when I finally got the net under it!  OMG!!!!  (This is this is the side that Squatch would usually fish... so I got the win. Just ribbing you Squatch lol)

My guess was 8# at first, but it did seem a little smaller than the one I got with Dave.



It was a 2-footer and 7.34# on the scale.  So NOT my biggest, but pretty damn close to the 7.89# one from last week.



Well, I got home to realize that I didn't accomplish anything I hoped to when I got back home from fishing.  I also didn't take in consideration that I would get another Lightning Trout over 5# this year!

What a day!  Time for bed and i'll elaborate tomrrrow.  What a 2 hour session!

39

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / Post-Work Puddle Pimping (2/26)

« on: February 27, 2024, 05:57:58 AM »

So a few years ago at a SNBF event, I was talking to Pinoyfisher about my new position at a new company and he gave a cringe saying something along the lines of "Dude, that place is a mess".  Well, he elaborated more, but I have to say was spot on.  I literally went from one position I was escaping from to the EXACT same situation...

In any case, after a close nervous breakdown, I stopped at the puddles for a quick 2-hour session.  $10 for 2 hours of unwinding is a pretty good price these days for easy entertainment.

(I'll get pictures up when I get home, but my work has blocked all of the picture sharing sites, so I'm dead in the water with pics until I get home)

First hit and I saw my SI (Strike Indicator) in the water!  I ran down and reeled up 15 yards of slack with no one home, not even a crawler.

There's 45 minutes left before they kick everyone out and I see my SI pinned to the guide!  Rod bending and screaming drag!  I saw a glimpse in the distance, and it definitely was bigger than the average 2.25 pounders I get there.  I even thought I saw yellow, but my mind is always playing tricks on me these days.

I get it up and it was a beautiful rainbow with all of its fins in perfect shape!  I was amazed more at the fins and colors than the fish actually being a 3.28# model.  I thought it was bigger than that but the scale don't lie... Still another quality trout from here and the meat was about as red as the lightning trout!  I am so impressed with the quality of these trout.



I actually changed lakes and saw everyone fishing catching which looked like 1.5# trout, but everyone was fishing so close together.  To be honest, my one 3+ pounder was way worth more to me than a bunch of smaller banana sized ones.

Well, the Ranger was giving everyone the boot and I saw my line moving sideways, but the strike indicator wasn't doing much.  Fish on!  No wait... Hmmmm... What a weird fight and then I realized it was another pond chicken.  Thankfully, this yellow-bellied slider only barely got hooked in the corner of the mouth, so it was an easy hook removal and release.

That's it.  Ended with a turtle and stress was gone at least for 2 hours of the day.



Thanks for reading and I'll get pictures up later.

40

General Board / My East Coast Friends are Also Funny

« on: February 23, 2024, 05:14:58 PM »

They hate Hawaiian Pizza.... I hate Deviled Eggs and let the cat out of the bag one day.

Before I leave for Lobster fishing, I get a knock at the door.  It was a delivery guy looking for me....  I accepted and looked inside to see all of the things that I usually talk to them about.  Deviled eggs, Pickles, Pineapple, and beer.  It had a note from my friend Cat saying, "Happy Birthday".  My wife was in on it, so she got to eat the deviled eggs, but the rest was for me!  LOL

41

Saltwater Boat Fishing Reports / Birthday Bugs (2/22)

« on: February 23, 2024, 05:09:29 PM »

I powered through and loaded the boat with all of my lobster gear.  Solo trip to clear my mind and do some reflection.

I get down to the ramp to see some tweeker dragging a branch back and forth along the ramp and a few kids on the dock fishing.  One of the drawbacks of going solo, but I took care of business.

Just then I realized I forgot all of my lights... No Headlamp... No Spotlight... f@ck me.

I dropped my 5 hoops for 5 sets over a couple of spots...  Man, It was really tough hooping out there.....



I've been spoiled this year since I'm usually weeding through triple digit counts and getting a bunch of lobster.  Tonight, I only caught 6 lobster total... Good god, what a tough go at it.



The good thing, is I found 2 legal bugs... Not bad considering, so I got home at 2:30am satisfied.  I can't believe this was all the same day with everything I did, but today I'm paying for all of that running around.  At least I have a lobster dinner to grill up!  LOL



I did catch sculpin, swimmer crabs, octopus, snails, and sea hares, so there was at least something else to look at.  LOL



Well, thanks for reading.  I definitely got the birthday I was planning for. 

42

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / Birthday Bows (2/22)

« on: February 23, 2024, 04:59:56 PM »

Man, my dumb ass really tied one on Wednesday night and I called out Thursday.  I already had Friday off, but everyone in the world was trying to ruin my vision of what I wanted to do this weekend. 

I went down to the lakes really late just to soak a line and shake off this nasty headache.  All of my usual AO's were occupied and I believe they had a trout plant, but I didn't want to talk to anyone.  I just went to the lake they haven't stocked in 5 weeks instead for some quiet time in the truck.

Bass guys were everywhere also, but I only brought one rod this time and was going to let fate dictate the day.

An hour in and I can hear people complaining about the fishing when I see my strike indicator drop.  Fish on!

I can't believe I'm still getting trout out of here!



It looked like it escaped a few cormorants but a 16.5" in the cooler!

Now people were pissed from the stocked lake to see me catch a trout in an unstocked lake.  They didn't come up, but I could feel their frustration.

Then a bass guy starts fishing right next to me rod.  Just then I saw my bobber drop and wasn't sure if it was his lure or a fish.  I ran down anyway and realized it was a Bow!
I reeled in the trout and the bass guy was like "WTF, they put trout in here?"  LOL

Better model at 17.25"



Anyway, the "day after" bathroom trip HAD to be made soon, so I called it at 1:00 and ran home to attend to my hungover state. 

Birthday Bows have been secured!

43

General Board / My Wife is Funny

« on: February 23, 2024, 04:47:05 PM »

I opened one of my birthday gifts and was like WTF?  I've been working out for 6 months now, but not at a Bolo Yeung sort of way, so I knew she was being funny until I read further down on the cover.  I laughed and opened it to seeing exactly what it said it was, a daily planner.

I'm leaving this thing on my desk at work now!  lol

44

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / Lightning Strikes Three Times in 2024 (2/19)

« on: February 20, 2024, 05:50:54 AM »

I'm leaving this as a place holder since I didn't get around to putting a post up yesterday but took Dave to Santee Lakes (His first time I think) and we both caught a few nice trout.  Well, one was my PB!  I'll get the post up when I get home from work today.

Okay, here we go.

I was a little surprised when Dave mentioned about fishing the puddles on Monday.  Hell, I've known Dave for 24 years and never remember hearing him even talk about fishing there let alone actually hearing about him fishing there before.  How could I have said no after all of the success I've been having. 

I met Dave at the entrance, and we decided where to fish.  I wanted to go to my cat/trout spot, but Dave wanted to hit one of the puddles that was stocked lately, so I was game. 

There wasn't many people fishing since it's been 2 weeks since the lakes were stocked last.  Hell, it's been well over a month since Stockzilla happened with some monster Lightning Trout in the Mix.  I already pulled a 5.7# Lightning trout out a month ago and that was even a week after the big one.

Well, we set up and I can be honest, I was hoping to see Dave catch at least one.  He's been on a bad trout streak lately.... like a few years of skunk type of bad.  Well, we set up and I think I could even see a smile under his mustache when all of a sudden his rod doubled over!

Boom!  First one on the board with a nice 18" 'Bow!



Now I'm getting a little twitchy since I can DEFINITELY see him smiling under that mustache!  lol.  I put on a entire crawler and inflated my favorite side.  I gave it a good trout dip and lobbed it the distance I saw Dave cast.  I walked over to change/check the bait on my other rod when I saw my strike indicator on the rod I just casted acting weird.  I walked over to the rod when I knew I had one on!  I set the hook home and knew this was huge!  First instinct because of the weight was a catfish... Then it started to feel like a trout..... AND THEN IT SURFACED!!!!  Holy sh!t!!!!

One of the best parts was hearing all of Dave's adjectives he was using everytime it came to the surface!  That brought a smile to my face!  LOL

Dave's back is in bad shape and he doesn't have much reach in those arms, so I grabbed the net from him.  By now, it was a lengthy fight and I drew a little morning crowd.  When I netted it, everyone was like "What the hell is that!?!?", yet I still heard Dave over their chatter going "Holy f@ck... that's a Lightning Trout!".  lol



I didn't have a scale or tape, but I also didn't want to alert every trout rat in a 20-mile radius about this thing!  I knew right away, it was way bigger than the last two I got.  Hell, it's the third BIG Lightning trout in less than 2 months, where I've only caught 2 in 27+ years prior!

Now Dave got a little more pep in his step and he checked and changed out his crawlers.  It wasn't more than 10 minutes after his recast, and he goes bendo again!  Now I definitely KNOW I saw him smiling! 
This one was a healthy 18" of jumping 'Bow!





Man, that was a fun little run we had before things went quiet.  The next few hours, not even a sniff until I saw my strike indicator getting a bite.  Nothing stuck, but I reeled in a tiny piece of worm with everything else chewed off.

I cast out again and ordered a Detroit Pie from Angry Pete's online.  I walked over to pick it up and they greeted me with "We're out of pizza"....  I'm like "You know your a pizza place and you just opened for the day.... You ran out of pizza?".  Just when I thought that was bad enough, I asked for a refund and they said "You need to take it up with the app service to get your money back...".  This is where I responded, great... You have an Angry Pete and now you just met "Angry Tom".... f@ckers... No business from me anymore, not even an apology.

I got back to tell Dave I don't have any pizza for him and explained the event.  I was hung over and really looking forward to that pizza, but was denied, so I checked out the lightning trout and it kind of cheered me up a little bit. 

I set my 15-minute timer and 5 minutes left, I see the indicator drop and trout on!  It came belly up at first so I thought it was another Lightning Trout but turned out to be a chunky normal one.



Of course, I had to cast out again, but after another 30 minutes just called it the day.  I cooked up a frozen pizza at home, and it did the trick.

I measured it out at 24.25" and 16.8" around!  I put it on the scale and weighed 3 times.  It came out exactly at 7.89 pounds each and everytime.  Just WOW!



Look at all that belly fat!?!?!  I'm not even sure what I'm actually looking at.  hahaha



As I went through the belly, I found my Nightcrawler... and a big old Sluggo!  hahahaha



Some bass guy out there thought he had his double digit bass that he never saw!  I can't believe this thing slurped down such a big bass bait.... especially with that little head on it. 

Man, these things have sensational meat!



Well, that was it.  I was super happy and took a much-needed rest when I got home.  I tied one on the night before and stayed up until 1:00 before hitting the sack.  Two late nights from me are rare in a month, let alone a week, but well worth it.

Thanks for reading and I can't believe the Puddles are finally treating me well!

45

Saltwater Boat Fishing Reports / Las Cucarachas (Segunda parte) 2/16

« on: February 17, 2024, 05:29:25 PM »

Planned on a bug hunt with Shaun after work on Friday. Unfortunately, he had no bait but I had plenty.  I pulled it out on Thursday to make sure it was defrosted by the time I got home.



I got home from work and started the process of making the special lobster recipes. 



He's been having some good trips of late, so confidence was high.  Only issue was he lost 2 nets on the last trip, so I brought my two eclipse nets to fill the 10-hoop max.  I had some repairs to do as all of my nets were shredded from something.  Wear, Mice, Sun.... maybe all 3.  Not ideal, but Dacron made for ggod repair thread.



We get down to the bay later than expected, but there was a hell of a lot more people than anticpated.  Probably 8 boats in close proximity and a few kayaks.  For the most part, everyone was civil and there wasn't a lot of dropping on other nets.



It was super cool out there as the Bioluminescence was nuts!  Watching dolphin and huge schools of macks swimming in it around the boat made for some spectacular viewing while we waited to pull hoops.

It was a really slow start, and it was hard finding any bugs, so we decided to zig a bit and get away from everyone.  Well, we slowly picked up a legal here and there with SOOOOO many bugs being a C-Hair short!  I'm talking If I had a few beers in me, I could have been talked into them being legal, but they all went back.  At least the legals were DEFINITE legals and surprisingly big for this time of year.



Also, I was shocked on how many rock crab were crawling!  We probably picked up about 80-100, but only a handful were worth keeping.

We had 10 in this net and 7 were 1/10th of an inch short with 1 legal and a few easily smaller ones.



We hooped until 2:00 am and called it quits.  We only ended up with 8 legal bugs and 120 shorts.  Still, the quality made it all worth it.



I have to say I'm sore as sh!t today.  I probably didn't do my hernia any favors, but thankfully have my Sx date set for March 7th.  Time to increase my cholesterol.



I hope to get one last trip out and make sure the freezer is filled before my Sx.  Light duty will prevent any more trips before the end of the season, so strike while the iron is hot!



Thanks for reading and today was a wash for me.  I can't believe how sore I am.  LOL