i'm not kidding about that fish market thing Brad... set up a both at the farmers market in solana beach... or let me know and Ill give you my fedex # if you need to open up some room in your freezer!!!

Here's the full tale. Went out for the first time in 2weeks to make sure the boat was still working before a trip this weekend. Spent 2 hours looking for bait so I wouldn't have to ball bounce. Never found it so tried ball bouncing for a while but so much crap in the water made it a pain. Saltist drag switch got screwed up so I moved the ball rig over to the saltiga. Epic conditions. Finally I hear a commotion....bonies charging micro-bait. Get 2 real fast on the sabiki and toss one on the flyline and convert the ball rig back to a trap rig for the other fat one (about 1#). Hang out with the little bonies for a while. Something big boiled on the flyline but I guess the quick little sucker got away. See some birds and find sardines thick. Catch a pair and go to replace the big bonie on the deep bait. Start reeling in and it feels heavy. Thought I was snagged in kelp yet again, but close to the boat it starts twitching. Felt big and flat right away, and at first color I saw it was good. Didn't have anything ready and my flyline had drifted over my neck, but I got everything out of the way as best I could and tried to line up the gaff. Didn't extend the gaff so I whiffed my first shot. Fish was energetic and kept running but was hooked solid in the jaw and the gill plate with the trap hook. Finally got it gaffed in the belly and tried to beat the crap out of it with my beer bottle. Thing went apeshit. Did that a couple more times before I finally stunned the critter, then straight into the hatch. Long and wide, but not super thick. Went over 40 on the beach and 39.8 today at OEX. Thick and narrow, but no big roe sacks. Few belly worms but not bad (set that piece aside for Jim...j/k :D).

Good luck to everyone that braves the weekend chaos this holiday weekend.

:luxhello: Sweet beer bottle battlin' beaver:luxhello: I wish I could have seen that!!!:cheers1:

Congrats Brad! Very nice Halibut!!:you_rock:

Bonita fer bait? That's a good one! If I wore a hat I'd tip it to ya!:cheers1:

That's so typical of you Brad!

Good job on the flatness.

"Tried to beat the crap out of it with my beer bottle" lollol

Awesome 11th hour slam.

Very nice fish to complete the slam Brad!!!

:luxhello::cheers1::luxhello:

Really nice fish!!

Big baits catch big fish... 'course I've seen big baits catch really little fish on occasion...

I think the rest of us in (WCW) should change our strategy. Does anyone remember the Nancy Carrigon story.:the_finger:

son of a b#$%^ nice feesh

Yeah, but looks what happened to Tonya Harding. Former world class Olympic ice skater turned washed up female boxer. I think I'll pass.

lol lol lol lol lol lol [quote=gary sullivan;17490]Yeah, but looks what happened to Tanya Harding. Former world class Olympic ice skater turned washed up female boxer. I think I'll pass.

Another reason to have a bottle of beer on deck:you_rock:

Nice:notworthy:

Can we finally get a F'N BRAD icon??!!

Just saw this!! Big flatty congrats! :notworthy:

I thought this was the Fn Brad icon... ------> :the_finger: no?


Chris :D

Wow! That's what I was looking for that morning. Congrats on your (third?) halibut of a lifetime.

I thought this one was.... :reddy:

lol lol lol


Seriously.. Nice barn door there, Brad...

That is indeed a toad. VERY nice again.

Nice flatty, I bet you had a wide stance pulling that one in!!

Ken