LJ 9-10

[kurt]

Launched at about 1/2 hour before sunrise. Paddled out with Randy and made bait (all spanish) easily enough. Paddling farther out, it sounded like a stockyards with all the bleating going on over the radio. Little Bo Peep may have lost her sheep, but Adi found them. Got out to the corner and it seemed pretty quiet. Kept trying to make some greenies, but got lots of big spanish. Some of the earlier fish were on big greenbacks, so I put on a 10" spanish and paddled back to the pasture. Was around some of the usual suspects when the clicker goes off. Give the fish a good 10 count to eat the bigger bait, and I'm on. The fish finds a stringer real quick. I'm able to gain line slowly, and then the fish takes it back. After a couple of rounds of tug of war, I feel a pop, and the line goes slack. &^&^$%$&*&*^(&%^^$$##. Wait, he's still on, that was just the kelp breaking. The fish tows me around in some circles and we have a protracted fight from color to the surface with many short runs. Finally he came aboard after what seemed like a 1 1/2 year battle. Looked like 25 lbs in the water, 20 in the kayak, and went slightly over 16lbs on the beach.

A nice sealion tried to relieve me of my fish on the paddle in, luckily I wasn't dragging it in the water. I think the best part was all the people who gave me encouragement and congratulated me afterwards. Thanks.