A fish is a fish...
 

Here's hoping you made it out this weekend. Conditions were about as good as it gets. Well, if ample sunshine and light wind is what you're after, anyway. There was plenty of that to go around. Sheet glass conditions, clear/cold water and bait a' plenty. Did I mention that it was flat as a lake, too? I suppose you could have safely launched from just about anywhere on the West Coast, but The Pond was in fine form. Looking like something out of a postcard; but, I have no doubts you could have made it dangerous out there if you really tried. Like fishing alone in the dark without lights or something crazy---that's just nuts. If you're a rebel, though, go on with your bad self! I suppose you could of stood up in your Pro Angler while hovering in two feet of water and performed a Swan dive into the sand, too. Maybe chummed for Mako's with baby Sea Lions, dangling your feet in the water the whole time. Perhaps, get some aggression out while in the midst of some mescaline induced giggling rage---while swinging wildly with your jig-stick at the Sea Gulls as they passed. Anything's possible, I guess.

Nothing of the sort was going in my neck of the woods this weekend, though. The word mellow comes to mind. I made the pilgrimage all the way out of the reserve on Sunday, made bait, then had a long look around with the Lowrance HDS. Either my sonar is a bald faced liar, was intent on hiding the truth or what I was looking for just never swam beneath the boat. All of which is entirely possible. I couldn't find my original target; or at least one willing to play. One little lady made a suspicious innuendo, but that was as close as I got to getting lucky. Which is understandable considering someone probably would have gotten hurt. And I don't mean me! They certainly weren't jumping in the boat; that's for sure. I gave the White Sea Bass a good looking over, but never really found the right conditions. Good for them. I suppose if they ate the paint off the Revo every day there wouldn't be any around. And there's always next time, right?

In the afternoon, I changed to the back-up plan. A distant back-up plan at that. Not being one to fight the Ocean, all the signs seemed to point in the same direction. The White Sea Bass were apparently hunkered down tight, the Yellowtail never made a noticeable presence and man, I was starting to get hungry. I was intently focused on my dual beam sonar, but my chart-plotter was sending me subliminal messages. Something along the lines of: go to #215, hit up #172, check out good 'ol #21, remember that one place where we...? I couldn't really get a clear message from her. It was muddled at best; but, she was clearly trying to tell me something. Eventually she wore me down and while I'm embarrassed to admit it---I gave in.
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http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...P1030346-2.JPG
Even more embarrassed to admit she was right the whole time. My first drop produced a beautiful specimen. That solid thump had me giggling like a school-girl!

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/P1030355.JPG
Apparently she had a twin sister, too. Which is always a bonus.

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/P1030358.jpg
I'll tell you what, there was giggling a plenty going on. I kept throwing darts at targets. Some hit the bullseye; and some clearly missed by a mile without so much as a nibble. Surprisingly enough numbers 215 and 187 were entirely void of life; and before I knew it darkness had made a triumphant return.

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/P1030370.JPG
Which was a Godsend in and of itself; I forgot one of the biggest weaknesses associated with the streamlined Hobie pedal crafts: where in the hell do you put the fish?

I guess you figured that one out!
I'm glad I'm not a La Jolla fish!

I think the big fish of La Jolla just recognize your silhouette Josh.
I also think they have a bounty out on you and are fighting to see who can pull you down into the deep...
Stupid fish

Todays score=
DARKHORSE: 7
Bounty hunting fish: 0

will they ever learn?

:cheers1:

Wow, I really need to get a fish finder installed and find a rock pile. That's a he'll of a grab bag

Nice haul, amazing color

Ohhhhh yeeeahhh!!! I love that!!! Nice cod!!!!!

DAYUMMMMM!!!!!!

There's one or two tacos there. Nice job.

JOSH nice catch , but was wondering why do you were a dress shirt in many of your photos i see you in that type of shirt???

1 Is it a lucky shirt
2 Your at work so you dress up
3 your just a baller and thats how you ride

what ever it is it's working:)

Beautiful fish Josh. I have not seen any that size for a while. I guess maybe you found the honey hole. If memory serves, those are pretty tasty critters.

Well done.

Bob

"Pop that collar!!!!"

:luxhello:

Taco Time :p

WTG! Josh ;)

WOW :eek::eating: Nice haul.

:reel:Hell yeah. Nice color.

Those are some nice reds

P.S.
My GPS does not have 252, 187 or 867 5309.

I want some of those..:cheers1:

Now those are some BIG reds :cheers1:
While I do think that breaking down and dropping for cod is admitting defeat, I actually do enjoy it, and its a quick way to bring home some dinner. I keep telling myself "Yellows breeze through here too" :cool:

Now where did the lings go :drool5:

Sounds like you were playing the lottery! 215, 187, 21... And the lucky numbers were...

Looks like you hit the jackpot. Nice haul.

Nice rockies. Your reds are bigger then most peoples yellows. :D

Well yeah!! That's what real men do! ;)

Those are sum big AZZ reds! I wouldn't hate if I caught some of those too.

Carry on...

I have a Hobie and someday I hope to have the problem of "where do I put all my fish." Awesome catch!

rockfish and goats
 

Excellent Job Josh!!!

Nice. Beautiful colors indeed.

nice reds!!:eek:

Those damn HDS chart pages are some silver tongued wenches. Every time a mark comes up on mine, I feel myself leaning towards it like the call of the sirens. Just wish mine was leading me to a bounty like that.

I'm thinking there's a group of us who would pay you for a fresh weekly update...just remember who first mentioned this idea.

Daaang reds! Nice!

"Lowrance back pain" - My bro got it recently too :)

:cheers1:

Those fish would make some mighty tastey fish tacos!

I went out that day, and all I did was fight the south ripping current

Beautiful reds Josh big gal looked about 4ish (edited after reading steves post, Im gonna say 8ish)?.... :cheers1:







Im surprised you would need any updates seemed like your were roping in trophies last year on your own pretty well, uhhh oh, wait a minute...........


Josh do me a favor don't so much as tell this clown where a greenback is for twenty bucks....

WHAT!!

A DH photo with a sonar shot and jigs a showing :eek:
What was that - "0" ft :)

Nice haul there Josh!

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Rockfish---it's what's for dinner!
 

You got me! All the above. You missed one major factor, though; and it's a big one. A disease that's probably effected every family known to man: Cancer. If you spend a couple hundred days a year on the water you learn to COVER UP! Long-sleeves, waders and religious sunscreen application.


And it never will. :D

Oh, don't worry, I remember who thought of that idea quite well. It was, me, four years ago when I started my guide service. That exclusive group of people who pay for, 'hot off the press', weekly updates are called clients. Just look for the guys with giant fish strapped to the back of their kayaks.



Thanks, Bob. One of the biggest challenges with the internet is people can't exactly see you when you speak. So I hope what I'm about to say doesn't come across as condescending. That's certainly not my intention. I'm often puzzled, though, when guys say something like "I haven't seen any that size in a while". Or, here's a good one, this one really made me chuckle last year: "this is the year of toad-flatties". Which if you think about it is, well, hilarious! Again, this isn't directed at you specifically, but I'd think it's common knowledge that the larger models---whether we're talking about fifty pound Halibut, ten pound reds or giant Sheepshead for that matter---took quite some time to get that big in the first place, right? It's not like they fell out of the sky. In essence, these larger fish in particular have been here a very long time. Right under our nose.

If we're talking about rock fish specifically. I'd say the biggest reason you don't see beautiful pictures of what would be considered, for lack of a better word, trophies---is from lack of interest. It's not that I don't find them interesting. If done right, rock-fishing is sick! From a business perspective, my clients only care about trophy White Sea Bass, Yellowtail and Halibut. If they want to go mess around one day and catch a boat load of, quality, rock-fish (with a six-pack of beer, of course), that kind of stuff is on the house.

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall.../GOPR19121.JPG
For example, here's a ten pound red I caught right before the rock-fish season came to a close. This was on one of the last days of December; when the Yellowtail slowed down to a grinding halt. I changed gears and would be lying if I said it wasn't a blast! It's a terrible photo, actually. It's the polar opposite of how one should hold a fish to highlight the size. But, you can clearly see my arms are not pointing towards the camera and aimed straight up. If you've caught nice reds before it should be fairly obvious---this one's huge!

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...PC150029-7.JPG
It's the same thing with the trophy-goats. It's not like I don't have a ton of places chocked full of them on my G.P.S.

Personally, I think they're bad-azz. And fun as all hell to catch, too, but nobody cares! :alberteinstein:

Josh, great haul, as usual...

Once caught my biggest red testing a new lure (for me) and before it hit the bottom, it got inhaled and I pulled in my biggest ever...unfortunately, not in season and in shallow enough water I was able to release it, watched it swim away...

But you will never be the Goat Master, Knott has that distinction...;)

Dang, March already and still haven't been out this year, between you and Steveooo, you guys are killing me...:notworthy:

Nice reds Josh!!! :cheers1:

I'll say one thing that is wisely observed - Josh's movements out in a field seem to be affecting general kayak traffic in Da Jewel. :biggrinjester: