Newport blocked

[Ljs089]

Alright, if the signs that are blocking the parking spaces by the Coast Guard stations are legit than that's one thing, but based on prior evidence when we all called in to verify these signs earlier this year no legitimate authority was tracking.

Whoever the asshole is that keeps putting up these unofficial looking signs with yellow tape around them is a really salty bastard.

I'm going to find out if they're legitimate and if they're not i'm going to stack up all those signs and toss them in the dumpster.

Anyways, parked on the main street around 620am, bait barge was gone. Made enough bait by 8am and had a tank full of small and really big mackerel. I was about two miles offshore and i seen another kayak fishing farther out. The day was the nicest i've ever been on the water, it was like glass all day, i never been in open ocean with no wind or swells it was amazing.

Double dropper looped size 3/0 j hooks with a squid on one hook and a live mackerel on the bottom hook. Dropped down until i hit bottom and cranked up a turn and started trolling, about an hour later i got hit really hard and was almost spooled, i tighten the drag down just a bit and the line popped. My guess was some sort of shark.

In between then and 11am i was catching undersized sand bass, ugly ass lizard fish, a croaker which was really random for me, and tons more mackerel. At around 11am i got hit hard although not as hard as the first time, it did put up a good fight. Low and behold MY FIRST SHEEPHEAD, and at Newport what the hell? I was targeting rockfish cause i've caught vermilion out here before but i was super stocked with a 19 3/4 inch Sheephead that i cleaned today and vacuum sealed for a meal later.

Gear i was using was 80lb braid (i know overkill, it was meant for a small bft charter) but i slapped on 40lb fluoro leader and it still worked great. 8 oz torpedo sinker, 25-40lb super seeker rod and an avet raptor mxl.

Image of the fish below.