Just show me a sign...

[THE DARKHORSE]

Today started off pretty standard with the goal of catching Yellowtail, and take in the beautiful warm glassy conditions on a floating piece of plastic. Good thing the car was packed already, because by the time I make a couple of sandwiches and brew some coffee I launch as some guys are heading in. I like to launch late and soak up whatever info the morning crew has to offer, not to mention I love to sleep in. The truth is I'm a little lazy, but my theory about launching in the dark and killing myself to do so doesn't exactly work in my favor most times. I'd prefer to get a full eight hours of sleep and make sure I'm alert when that sign I'm looking for presents itself. That one fish who makes that mistake, a little surface disturbance in the distance, or that perfect meter mark on the sonar. Sure, sometimes the bite is early, pre-greylight hours can be wide open, and most all squid bites are over by eight in the morning...no sign of squid yet. Thank goodness the squid haven't shown up, and who knows if they will. As much as I love catching a fish everytime I drop a live squirt to the bottom, that parking lot of boats and huge tangles of lost fish I can do with out. Today was nice, perfect glassy warm conditions with tiny surf and a nice crew of kayaks. Two boats quietly patrolled the area all morning, and it was starting to look like a dead day. I went way out west, then way north, then back west, and to the kelp a couple of times. I stayed focused (coffee), and kept my eyes in the bino's most of the day. I just kept thinking "show me a sign", just one sign is all I ask for.






















Then I found it.
I was so focused looking around that I wasn't looking on the meter, and by the time I looked at my screen a perfect school of Yellowtail had swam through. I made one drop with the yo-yo, but I knew they had passed and kept moving. I was ready for battle now, and made a loop back in that same direction with my yo-yo rod in hand. I watched the sonar with my hand holding the spool, and waited for those beautiful marks in the perfect depth. Five minutes later the screen went from blank to heavenly, and I watched my iron drop down to the fish and I'm rocked on the sink!