A long hard Monday the 19th

[sitinsidejim]

6:00 a.m. lanch to small shore break surf. Went to the pier to make bait made a dozen green backs in a half hour. I started working again so I do not get to fish as much. Today was one of those days I fished long and hard and it paid off. Got to the kelp off the hotel and noticed some fish rolling on the surface. Threw the iron. Of course, the first cast was a bird's nest. Wound it in, threw out again and halfway to the kayak I am on. I had to horse him out of the kelp a bit. That yellow was about 12 pounds. About dang time! Then I worked my way to the NW corner and south. Nothing happening there. Talked to a few kayakers that were out today. They had nothing either. Gave up on bait and I started trolling the fast-track. Picked up a firecracker yellow about 7 lbs. which was released. Went back to bait and worked my way to the inside towards the hotel. I noticed some boils right next to the kelp. Chucked the iron and I was on again. This one took me down into the kelp and just came off. About this time I met a guy named Dan and he saw that I was hooked up and he was trolling a Yozuri plug and he was hooked up next to the kelp. He worked on that fish for probably half an hour to get it out. He did an excellent job considering he was using a wippy rod and a spinning reel. He landed one about 15 lbs. in the kayak. By then I had looked off and saw some more boils off the kelp. I hauled butt over there and chucked the iron, but it was too late. Started drifting the area and throwing the iron and got bumped twice and kept yelling, "come on man, eat it!" Finally got one on the iron. Was working it in when this one came off too........grrrrrr. When I was reeling it up I got hit again on the way up, woa! Worked him for a bit and he came off...........by now I was pretty upset, I had farmed two yellows after a long, dry spell. I kept throwing the iron and finally got hooked up again, had to pull him out of the kelp, but he stayed on. Got him in the kayak and he weighed about 15 lbs. Kept up with throwing the iron and while I was doing that, my bait rod went off. I could tell it was a bigger fish this time. Babied him and kept him away from the kelp this time. Got him up to the kayak and he weighed about 18 lbs. Worked the area for about an hour more, no other takers. With three yellows in my kayak, I decided to call it a day and get my lucky butt home. Met Brad on the beach around 4 p.m. and hopefully he will have some pictures of the fish to post. Boy, I was a lucky SOB today. Good luck out there - Jim