A Little Night Fishin' in SD Bay

[JeffB]

Well I got a wild hair up my butt yesterday to do a little night fishing. I had college all day, so I wanted to get out on the water afterwards and take advantage of my wife having the night off. As soon as I finished up with my last class around 6ish, I head over to my buddy's house to pick up the yak. I loaded up the yak once I got there and had a short conversation with ReelAnxious, then I was off. I got to SI around 7ish, started fishing about 7:30pm. Right away I started hooking up with really fat sand bass. I was having a blast. I was catching about a 2lb average, a few 3's here and there through out the night. I did not catch an true giants though, however I caught 30+ fish. From about 10pm-1am it was totally dead. I went over to a spot where I catch a lot of sand bass during the slack tide. I managed to catch a handful of small spotties, nothing special. I also caught a small WSB, he was about 16" long. He had some real pretty stripes on him. Once the current started moving good again, I made my way west of the pier. I started catching some more decent size. At the this time I decided I had caught enough small fish and then pulled out a 6" swim-bait and got serious. Very first cast I had a fish break me off. About 30min went by and caught a couple small bass on it, and then hook up with another nice fish. Once again I got broke off. I tied on another 6" swim-bait and went at it again. about an 1hr past by and nothing really. Threw my 4' bait and started catching smaller ones and went back to the 6".At this time, about 3:30am the current was kicking out hard. I made one last very long drift over the structure I was fishing and hook up in another big one. Fight him for a bit while getting towed around. Then all of a sudden my line went slack. What do you know, I broke off again. At this point I am some what frustrated, however I have a hunch that the fish breaking me off are halibut.

I tied on my last 6" swim-bait of the color I poured myself. I told myself that this is it, once it is gone, I am headed home. I moved back up towards the spot where I started. I was throwing the crap out of that big ole swim-bait. I caught a couple decent sand bass on it and decided it was quitting time. So at 5am I made one last cast. I hit the bottom and start bouncing my bait hard. I kind of drug out my last cast a little by drifting down a little ways. I pick it up off the bottom for the last time and it gets TKO'd. My rod tip get pulled straight into the water. I almost had my pole pulled out of my hands. I tell myself that the mystery fish is back! I fight him for about ten minutes. Dumb fish pulled my kayak up current and whore out pretty fast. I get him to the top anxious to see what it is. What do you know, big ole barn door. At this point I realize that my gaff is in my wife's car. I start swearing a little bit. I babied him at the kayak while I tried to figure out how to get him in the boat. I tried getting under his gills, but he was not having it. So I had this bright idea to grab his tail. I somehow managed to get a hold of it, but he shot right out of my hand. He dove down into the water with my rod following him. Luckily I was able to grab it before it went all the way into the water. So I grabbed my net and tried to half way net him while I pulled on him to get him into the boat. I had my mag light standing by for the bashing in my lap. I was able to get a hole of his tail again somehow, but I could not get the net over his head.

I was literally sitting in my kayak at one point with my rod in between my legs, while one arm was all the way in the water trying to reach the halibuts head. The halibut was officially long than my net. I managed to get his head inside after attempting this about 10 times. finally he had enough of it and soaked my butt and swam around on the end of my rod. I pulled out my nail clippers and was about to give up. About that time he freaked out and swam away with my last lucky bait. I consider this a caught fish in my books. He was at least 20lbs I know it. Once I loaded up my kayak, I then pulled out my tape measure and measured my net from the end of the rod to the tip of the net. Came in at 42" and I had to reach past him to get him in the net. He was just a little longer than my net was. So since I could not officially measure him, I calling it 42"/ Still yet a new personal best. Hopefully next time I will be able to get a picture and some steaks out of the deal.

Needless to say I had a very good night fishing and plan on going back out again tonight!

PS. not a good idea to try the net thing on big fish like that. My net finally buckled under the pressure. I think i will have to JB Weld it in the open position to be able and use it again.