Congrats to all that got em. PM your email Tman and I'll forward a pic.

Simply AMAZING!! Congrats to all!

Let's all have a moment of silence for the 15 fallen Pacificos that Tman killed. F'n La Jolla, what a place. I'm amazed. What the hell am I sitting here typing for, i don't know......

Congrats Guys...Super Jealous right now. I had my stuff ready for Monday morning but I F*cked my back up helping my Mom move furniture. I went to the ground for 20 minutes and couldn't get up, it's the worst pain I've been in since I lost my gear in Dana Point :cry: . I thought 2006 would be a much better year, boy was I wrong. I hope the bite stays around for awhile, no telling when I will be able to YAK again. Go get em!

Moyer

Bummer Matt... Hope you get better!
-D

Foamin' WSB! Wow!!!

Incredible - boy did I pick the wrong time for the family vaca. Great pics and happy paddlin' faces. Congrats once again.
Arne

My Story
 

Thanks for the photo, Ken. :D

I made bait easily off of the pier at about 8 am. Worked the NW corner for a while for nada, then trolled across to the kelp. Saw a bunch of people all bunched up in a spot further out so I decided to check it out. I'm deaf so I don't have the luxury of listening in on reports. I thought maybe there was a BBQ going on and maybe I could get in on it. As I get there, I see a guy bendo and then I notice that there's a a bunch of kayakers with WSB's on their decks. :shock:

Some birds start diving a bit to the north and I see boils, so the fleet and I headed in that direction. It looked like summertime in LJ when the YT bite is hot. I decided it was a bit too crowded for me so I kept paddling further out with a flylined and a weighted mac while others started throwing their irons. I get out there and start wondering if the Mac is even alive and unmolested afer the long tow. I look back and start reeling it in. About 40' behind me, there's a big boil and I go "Hmmm, isn't that about where my bait should be?" Seconds later, I'm bendo and the line's screaming out!

All my reels except for my crappy old Jigmaster and Sponge Bob Combo with 50 lbs spectra are in for repairs, and my third rod/reel was a loaner spinning combo with year-old 20 pound line. Guess which one got hit. :shock: No, it wasn't the Spongebob, but I think I would have preferred it at that time.

I'm like, "Oh crap, it's on the wrong reel. Damn, damn. I don't think I'm gonna land this one. I give this 10 more seconds."

10 seconds later, it's still there and pulling line out and I'm getting towed through the fleet and towards the kelp. As Im towed by, I ask for a gaff (forgot mine) from my buddy, but I don't get it because he's too busy throwing an iron trying to hook one up. I wasn't too upset though as I was positive I was going to lose it in a matter of seconds anyhow. I tried to turn it a couple of times with minimal success. There's not much you can do with a small set-up. A few minutes later, it's towing me into a powerboat which just barely gets out of the way. My fishfinder starts reading kelp all over, but amazingly, it hasn't wrapped up yet.

Several long minutes go by, and my buddy finally comes over and I ask him again for the gaff just in case. Just then, the WSB surfaced next to me. Buddy tried to get close enough to gaff it, but couldn't manuver close enough, and he went to make another pass (peddle boat). I didn't want to wait for that so I moved in closer, grabbed it by the gills and hauled it aboard.

:D :D :D

Then I realized how much my hands were hurting. :o Damn, those gills sure are rough. Needless to say, I didn't learn the first time around - I kept putting my hand in there for photos because it was the only way I could hold the fish. The game clip kept bending and popping open. I could barely pick it up anyways. At the beach it weighted in at 49.something pounds I think. Next time I'm putting on gloves first, or even better, remembering my damn gaff.

Muy Excellente.

I saved the head because I remember reading about sending in stones to help with WSB restoration/research - Where can I get some info on that, and where are the stones. More than one?

-Paul

Paul,
Sorry for gaffing you off :lol: , my gaff is short (12 inch) so I have to get real close to the fish to get a good shot on it, and with the monster you hooked, thrashing about, I couldnt reach it. It's a good size for gaffing my own fish but not long enough to really get someone else's. I may have to get a longer one, or sprinkle some Enzyte on it :P

I knew in the morning you were in for a "big-fish day" when you said you left your camera and gaff at home, I said you'd get a big fish (leave your camera and gaff home next week too).

At first I didn't think you were hooked up, I thought you were stuck on the bottom--until you started heading South at the rapid rate. I told you that was my "lucky rod." Last year it killed a lot of fish, even though I got a bunch of crap for using a "coffee grinder."

All in all a great day on the water, I doubt we'll see another day like that for a long time--at least until the YT start biting.

Steve

Sure didn't repeat the same performance today (Monday - 4/10).

Spent the morning shaking off bottom critters from the sabiki rig.

The only Toad Croaker I saw was ADI's. That guy had a shet eatin' grin from rear to ear while he paddle back to shore with that slab off white meat in his lap. 8)

No such luck today. Hope they didn't blow through all together and just decided to take a day off from the agressive feed.

gotta love those gill raked hands...

Ok, that's it! Kids are on spring break...I'm making the 3hr drive down in the next couple of days.

:lol: Yes sir. Thanks for helping with the filleting afterwards. I'm eating some right now as I type this. I had WSB for a early dinner, and a late dinner yesterday, today's breakfast, today's lunch, and a early dinner. Better be no mercurcy in these things.

-Paul

Re Pics

If you need a copy of a photo I took, please PM Brad. He has copies of the group shots.

The scientists over at Hubbs Sea World Research Institute would love to have your WSB heads to check for coded wire tags. The tag data is invaluable. Click the link for a PDF listing of drop-off locations.

http://www.hswri.org/files/pressRele...9.05806667.pdf

That was a blast...and uh, Dan? Only brought 4, and the last one was nice and cold, tasted great after subduing my WSB..if your nice I'll let you look at the fillets :lol:
And Cabo, you my friend are an arsehole :wink: sellout beyotch.
Keeping track of the days...man that is just wrong.
Payback will come one day...and it will be ice cold.... :shock:

Can we do this again in a couple weeks?

Sunday Bloody Sunday...

EPIC!!!! 8)

What a day for my first time out and my first time on a kayak...... too bad I had no idea what I was doing.... It would of been pretty smooth to go bendo my first time out.

Hubbs it is...thanks for that post Pal, will be dropping mine off manana...as soon as I get them dang stones out... :shock:

What are the stones for and why do people seem to want them? :? I'm planning to donate the entire head to Hubbs.

-Paul

Nice fish everyone. Way to go.

Are the "stones" the cheeks? Cheeks make for some good eats :lol: I totally forgot about cutting them out yesterday, sorry Paul.