Topics

151

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / The Good Lake. 2/27/16

« on: February 27, 2016, 02:37:55 PM »

Had barn duty as usual this morning. Turns out I was excused from staying and thus had a block of free time in the middle of the day.

Didn't expect much. Moved around trying to find a bite. Crowded, so not many options in my preferred zone.

Noticed a spot open up so I set up shop.

Missed a couple light bites, then I stuck one.

Good hard fight, over, around and under rocks. I could feel the line rubbing. Nice guy with a net missed once, fish dove under a rock. He thought it was off and apologized profusely.

I got it out from under the rock and he nailed it on the second try. Thanks, man.

Had to split soon after.

If you're only going to get one, it might as well be a nice one.

152

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / You Call That a Bass?

« on: February 24, 2016, 09:15:40 AM »

This is a Bass.



Kept moving around to get away from the bass. Then the weeds. No shark love, but I didn't fall in or get hurt, so I got that going for me.

153

Fishing Talk / Ouch

« on: February 10, 2016, 04:31:29 AM »

My finger hurts. Oh, and now it is blistering. Awesome.

154

Fishing Talk / Leopard Sharks Smell

« on: January 08, 2016, 04:40:36 AM »

 Interesting.
http://news.discovery.com/animals/sharks/sharks-navigate-by-nose-160107.htm?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SharkWeek&sf18291626=1

155

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Broke in the License 1/3/16

« on: January 03, 2016, 09:59:07 AM »

 Got out on NYD, but it doesn't really count since I went to Lake Dixon and no license is required.

 Small surf and good intel led me to a local beach. Worked a nice hole all morning, getting just enough taps and tugs to make me hang around hoping. Fished a smelty swimmy as I heard smelt were being caught. I decided to see what the small taps were and tied on a teaser grub. They were smelt, as I suspected.

 Finally got a nice thump and the line tightened up and I felt a wiggle so I knew it wasn't a rock. Worked it in and saw a brown shape and then got a nice drag screaming run. Felt nice on the light gear.

 Got it in again and it went back out again. Finally landed it and it was a nice surf halibut. Fellow fisherman busted out a tape and we got 23". He snapped a picture of me, thanks, and I told him he should toss his LC in the hole to see what happened. Well, he nailed a sub legal butt out of the edge of the hole I had deemed to shallow. Lesson learned, I hope.

 Anyway, it was a nice morning and a great way to get some mojo on the license.

156

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / Success and Failure. 1/1/16

« on: January 01, 2016, 12:54:01 PM »

Had to get out for a New Years session. Tradition demands.

Headed to Dixon. Did the usual. Got two bites. Landed one and broke the other off grabbing the leader.



This report is about as exciting as trout fishing.

157

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Grover Beach 12/31/15

« on: December 31, 2015, 08:47:27 AM »

One last session for the year.

Little warmer and lots dryer. Not sure if my waders are leaking or still wet from yesterday. Suspect pinholes in the calf area.

Plenty of quantity but not the same quality as yesterday.

Great way to close out the year. Hope 2016 license gets broken in well tomorrow.

Happy new year everyone. Sons friend has big fireworks for tonight. Whoo hoo.

158

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Grover Beach 12/30/15

« on: December 30, 2015, 04:55:38 PM »

Up at the central coast again. Slept late. Got to Pismo pier at sunrise.

Little chilly.



Fished up and down the beach for nothing but numb fingers and decided to make a move.

Hit the beach at the second spot and saw four guys, two sets of two, fishing. More than I've ever seen at one time. Chatted with a couple older guys who reported no luck.

Gave them some room and started working my way down the beach. Hundred yards later I got bit.

Nice one.



Continued catching nice perch. 12 fish in 25 casts. All good fish. The dinks were 11 inches, most were 13-15 inches.

Then I got hammered.  Pulled drag on 10lb line. Got it in and it was the biggest perch I've ever seen. I was in waist deep water so I headed to shore to get a pic. On the way I was trying to get the hook out when I should have been paying attention to my path.

Stepped in a hole and got pushed by a wave. Down I went. Tackle bag unsnapped, rod and reel went swimming. Caught myself with one arm. Sprained my thumb. Water in the waders. Complete fail.

Luckily the hook was still in the fish, the only thing I didn't drop, so I pulled my rod in, grabbed my tackle, and released the fish.

Called it a day and went home. Told the four guys I got a bunch of fish as I walked past. They are pretty sure I'm a liar.

Thought I was done for the year but my thumb feels sort of ok so I'm taking one last shot tomorrow before I hit the road.

159

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / Dixon Again 12/20/15

« on: December 20, 2015, 02:47:01 PM »

 Thought maybe the rain overnight would liven up the bite. Nope.

 Grabbed a spot near where I hooked up yesterday. Tossed out some power bait and started casting around. Kastmaster, spinners, mini jigs, a tiny rattle trap, trout worm on a jig head. Used everything at some point during the day.

 About 45 minutes after I got there, three guys in a rental boat anchored three feet from the shore just opposite me and proceeded to cast around. We only got tangled twice in three hours. Not too bad, really. Funny to rent a boat and anchor one step from shore.

 They started watching fish do loops around them but couldn't get anything to bite. I heard them say one had a white roostertail hanging from its mouth. Told them if they hooked up I wanted my spinner.

 Finally after two hours anchored, one guy had to pee. Instead of stepping out of the boat and using the Caseys in the parking lot, they pulled anchor and headed to the dock. Cool.

 I launched a power bait to where the boat was and soon hooked up my only bite for the day.





Didn't see or hear of any other fish caught, but I stayed put and didn't see too many other people.

Hope I can do some salt water fishing pretty soon. At least one bite soaking bait is a little more exciting.

160

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / Dixon 12/19/15

« on: December 19, 2015, 11:55:28 AM »

Decided to give trout a shot this morning.

Pretty slow. Saw one caught and heard of one more.

Soaked powerbait and threw a silver kastmaster, then switched to a spinner.

With twenty minutes left on the clock I get bit on the spinner. Total shock.

Got the fish in sight, maybe 2.5 lbs, and handed it off to the three year old fishing next to me with his aunt and uncle.

He pulled on it for just a bit and the trout put on a nice show thrashing the surface and broke off.

Kid went back to playing with worms, I tied on another spinner.

I count it as a success.

161

Fishing Talk / You may finally be safe at sea, Tom.

« on: December 07, 2015, 10:19:13 AM »

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/04/the-worlds-most-popular-banana-could-go-extinct/

162

Fishing Talk / Late November Tuna Run

« on: November 22, 2015, 04:47:46 AM »

Starting now.

Got a text from a friend. Wants to make a run. Fish are there. Hope we find them.

163

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Bankers Hours 11/21/15

« on: November 21, 2015, 11:56:08 AM »

 Woke up this morning and sat around trying to decide what to do. Well, I decided to fish.

 Got to the beach late, around 7, and set up. Great conditions. Light breeze offshore, water pretty clean and surf on the small side.

 Tossed a chunk of Spanish into some deeper looking water and waited, not expecting much.

 Nice retired guy from Florida came up and we talked awhile. Visiting his daughter, saw me fishing from the road and made her stop so he could talk. Cool dude. We swapped trophy pics and talked bait and rigs.

 All of a sudden I was bit. Out of towner brought me luck. He was stoked. Snapped a nice pic for me. Told me sorry it wasn't very good but at least the fish looked good in it. Joker. My kind of people.



His daughter called him back to the car, getting late for his train for LA. He left, so did my luck. Stuck around a couple more hours for nothing.

164

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Paying Dues 11/19/15

« on: November 19, 2015, 09:17:38 PM »

 My driveby beach check looked so tempting this afternoon, and it was mid 70's at the pad when I got home from my second trip to SD today, I just had to take advantage.

 Loaded the gear and some firewood and headed down to a local beach. It was dark when I arrived so I skipped my usual recon glimpse and started to lug everything down to the water.

 When I got there I was bummed to see the sand was gone and a 20 foot wide cobble field up and down the beach right at the waters edge. I found a sandyish spot behind it and got a bait out. Then I started a fire to keep warm and pass the time.

 The dropping tide made it difficult to reach productive water. I could only go so far on the cobble with bare feet.

 Surf was perfect, weeds were absent. I got one possible bite that loaded the rod like a big kelp stringer and pulled clicker for about 5 seconds. I hadn't pulled in even a single piece of eelgrass until then, and when I reeled up I had no bait, so I'm sure it was a bite, but never felt the fish.

 Tide kept dropping so I split. Glad I took a shot.

165

Fishing Talk / Looks Good Out There. 11/19/15

« on: November 19, 2015, 01:15:25 PM »

Had the opportunity to do a driveby in Carlsbad this afternoon. Looked very fishable. Might get out there this evening.