Newport provides! 3/24 report

[Gleaspoon]

What’s up everyone, long time lurker, first time poster (been waiting for that one big catch for my first post).
Went out to Newport harbor 3/24, launched out of the coast guard station with my boy @stuck20 and his pops at roughly 630 just as the sun was rising. Weather was perfect, water conditions were unreal with a damn near perfect drift and absolutely no boat traffic, which was nice for once.
Stuck got out on the water a few minutes before us and by the time we got past the rocks at the launch he was already on his first legal calico. Pretty much set the mood for the day. Scattered around the docks south of the Launch @stuck20 landed a total of 13bass (10 spotted with 3 being legal, and 3 calico with 1 legal) all within 3 or so hours. Luck wasn’t on my or his dads side so much. Pops got a few bass, don’t recall his count. I picked up one legal sandy and a barely legal calico. The real fun was when we decided to move up to the boats right below balboa. Headed Inbetween the boats and within 15 minutes hooked a feisty halibut (around 14”) and through out a few more casts a few boats over. Then, BAM, my light action ugly stick with 8lb braid went full bendo. Cranked up the drag and started fighting. Few minutes later I pulled up a 32” halibut, set the gaff and been living off that high ever since. All fish Stuck got were with calico colored kietech and war baits white underspin jig head. All fish by me including halibut were caught with minnow kietech and big hammer white jig head
Big boy provides 8lbs of meat, which is currently being put on the grill.
Newport can be hit and miss for a lot of us, but days like this make it all worth it.