4/19/12. I didn't launch until after 9:00am. Overcast and pretty large waves crashing, but after watching the first tourist get rolled, figured I could make it out. I took out my 13+ year old Cobra Tandem, just for fun. First drop, 5 nice macs, perfect size.
I only took one trolling rod, no weight. Just pinned on one mac, trolled about a half hour, three times he got caught in kelp. Then after a little while, sure enough, a solid bite, stopped, ran again, twice, and then after the count to seven, line getting low, put in gear and fish on.
I knew it was big, and figured it wasn't a YT, due to the strike.
Fought awhile, a couple seals
came around and I was scared to lose whatever it was. Then it got tied up in kelp. Wow, looooooong time pulling on kelp, with no headway, but I kept feeling it pull now and then. One guy came by, and said, "patience". I had 50lb braid and 25" flourocarbon, and that braid is strong! I ended up after about an hour, literally, of tugging on kelp, just about as hard as I could. I even spent time reading the brand of my rod, praying to spirits, hoping the kelp would eventually break, and sure enough, after about an hour some line came in, and I pulled up a whole stringer of kelp, with this guy attached.
My personal best WSB before was only about 15 pounds, (only two before in my life), and the last one was about 7 years ago! (Heads go to Hubbs SeaWorld)
This guy was driven down to Dana Landing and weighed in at 60.2 pounds! Oh my god.... it feels good to FINALLY land a big one!
Yee-hah!