The end of a long grind.

[rossman]

My annual local WSB hunt normally starts in mid April and by mid June I generally have one in my freezer. This year they have been avoiding me and it is not of lack of trying. I have been fishing the local OC waters at least twice a week since April and I concentrate almost exclusively on trying to lure one of these ghosts into my yak. Finally stuck one today.
My son Zed and I decided to hit San Onofre this morning. He had caught a nice 30 lb YT there a week and a half ago so I figured I would give that a try while the surf was manageable, and before the next swell later this week. We got out to the grounds at 6:45 and found a good variety of bait. I had one flylined mac and one halibut rig with a mac. About 8:00 I get a pickup on my flyline and the fight was on. He bulldozed into the kelp but the spectra did it's job and was able to drop a nice 50 pounder into my rod pod.





About a half hour later I got bit again but this time on the dropper loop and again the battle in the kelp was on. I was able to get him to about 15 ft below me in a massive kelp tangle. He was thrashing around and ultimately broke my 25 pound Floro at the threeway. Looked to be about the same size as the first one and I'll just call it a premature release since I would have let him go anyway.

I have hooked and or caught WSB in almost every month of the year but to have it happen in 74 degree water is simply unfathomable. What a crazy year.

So there you have an very current fishing report but be warned that the swell and a nasty shore break was already building and it was pretty dicey.

Go get em boys.

[cabojohn]

Just Outstanding Rossman.
Congratulations on a helluva fish...AGAIN!
That's a PIG of a fish!! CHIT.

[steveooo]

Insane! You were overdue

[ful-rac]

Nasty shore break...I got a video on that!


Congrats by the way!

[Bert Vega]

I have only dreamed about getting a ghost. Well done sir!!!

[GregAndrew]

Very nice Ross. I can't tell you how much more I respect someone that does not believe that every fish must be gaffed. Anyone can come up with an excuse to take another fish.

[YakHanded]

Legendary! congrats sir well deserved!

I about lost my shit in the surf on Sunday....

[tamddo714]

awesome catch man!! im still waiting to catch me one like that. thanks for the report

[wiredantz]

Nice FisH!

[JeffB]

Pig!!!

[makobob]

You really worked for that one, Congratulations Ross. That is a heck of a reward for your hard work. Looking forward to Asuncion again this year.

[Deamon]

DUDE!...

[roby]

Fatty in the house!!

[katchfish]

Killer!

[dmrides]

Persistence pays off!! Nice catch for any month, but in 74degree water in September? That's epic!

[iethinker]

That persistence paid off! Awesome!

[svendawg]

Wow, nice fish. Look like a real pig.

[FISH11]

Wow that's a pig Ghost! Congratulations.

[Zed]

Nice fish. She looked like she had a Summer weight loss program. Few months ago she woulda really filled that frame.

The other side of the coin I had a slow day. The conditions varied and by the time I was considering the conditions getting fishier he was on the radio with one on board.

The conditions were greener cloudier, less birdier and totally dissimilar to my birthday trip, but like that day overall it was slow for my friends and I except for 1 good fish. Lots of bait still. Swell was a peaky mix w some W in it too. It wasnt an average straight forward SanO launch/land.

[blitzburgh]

HOLY COW!