Headed up to the north la area that has been producing for me with a buddy to fish casted baits. We got to the spot near the peak low, some salad on the beach but none in the water so it was very fishable.
Baits were out at low tide and since bait pickers hadn't been too bad i gave mine a longer soak. At about hour in to soaking i get a screaming run and then it stops. Wind into it to pick up the slack and it's still there. Fighting pretty hard and made a couple good runs before i got into the surf. After a few attempts to tail grab it i got the fish into ankle deep water and it's by far my biggest soupfin and probably the biggest I've seen in person. At least 6.5ft and ridiculously fat. Definitely pregnant so we took only 2 or 3 pics and sent her back.
Got another bait out and after another 40ish minute soak I'm bit again. My friend has never caught a soupfin and I've caught quite a few so i decide to hand him this one. Once it's in the surf i go to leader it and i was pretty surprised when i see it's a small black seabass. Kept it in the wash while handling it and got a not so good picture of my friend with it. Took a while to release because when a wave would come in, the fish would turn around and charge the beach with the wave. Finally got it to swim off after a few minutes but releasing sharks is much easier.
Soaked for a few more hours for no biters. Both fish came withing a couple hours of low tide once the tide started coming in. Also learned my lesson to never hand off a fish again.
10/29/2022, Soupfin, *78 inch approx, female, mackerel, 2-4ft surf, 66 degree water, low incoming, waxing crescent, los angeles county
