Late report 7/26 and 8/2
 

Hey all,
Wanted to post a report even though it's late.
7/26: Went to the pier to get bait even though someone at the launch said there was bait around. As I was working on my livewell and looking for a bait, I saw something approaching from a ways away. I figured it was bait so I just kept working on priming the livewell. Got it going and looked up and it was a school of like 50 yellows on the surface dorsal and tails poking out of the surface in 40 feet right by the pier! Couldn't fish for those guys though so I caught some bait and moved out. Mix of big sardines and macs.
I moved out to 150ft west of the pier and trolled my way toward the kelp. No love for a while. I watched a parking lot of boats on the edge of the kelp with lots of birds working around but didn't see anyone hooking up so I moved into the kelp and kept trolling. At some point another finning school popped up in front of me so I pitched a mac at them but it ran into the kelp and got tangled. Tried the stickbait but landed it just a bit too close and spooked the school. Rerigged a fresh mac real quick and started trolling faster over the kelp and 2 minutes later a giant yellow was on! I fought it near to gaffing range and as I reached for my gaff it surged to the bottom again! I popped a few stringer and got it back to the surface and went again for the gaff. This thing was huge, probably a 50 and definitely my biggest. Anyway as I grabbed my gaff it surged again and pull my line into the parting line of the lynx and broke off:mad:
I had to retie and started trolling again quickly over the top of the kelp and a few minutes later a 40# WSB erupted on the surface eating my mac and it was on! After a quick fight, I stuck it and rode it home cause it was too big for my fish bag.

8/2: everything looked good for a repeat of the week before and I know I should have changed tactics and fished deep but I didn't want to haha. Only excitement was a bite off by what I can only assume was a mako because of the speed my bait took off with and the angled cut of my leader when I got bit off.

Yah Buddy. Those images will get seared into your mind forever. . . . But sounds like you made up for it! Went out yesterday, up hill current, south winds, littered water, it got chopped out and some white caps early. Water temp 68. Cheers.

Congratulations on the :wsb: ! Must have been awesome to see the big school of breezers :yt: Vicariously enjoyed - Thanks.

That sounds like a couple of great LJ trips, Shane. I still haven't caught a nice WSB like that, but been fishing next to guys that did, while we're both drifting a Mac the same way. Tight Lines!
Hey Sully, it was great seeing you at LJ yesterday. Yeah when that wind picked up and made it a washing machine, I thought about making it a short day also, but I didn't want to fight the incoming tide after landing. I stuck it out and sometime later is mellowed out. Had made some bait 6 Spanish and 1 nice 12" greenback that I drifted and trolled the rest of the trip until just after 1:15 pm. Even with many areas especially shallower near the point having some great FF marks, the only other thing I caught was a sunburned face, forgot to put on a hat because it was so overcast. Tight Lines!

Thanks Mark,
I hadn't been out to LJ in over a year so it was great to get back out there. It's funny, the last two years, I've caught more seabass than yellows and I want the yellows haha. Even tried to trade my seabass with a guy that had a yellow at the landing but it was his first and he declined so I just congratulated him haha. It's been a while would be great to bump into you out there.
Cheers

Sounds like an interesting outing. One of these days I'll have to try LJ again, stopped going many years ago due to the number of boats and seals.