Mother Ocean finally gave me a YT

[czar]

Been fishing LJ semi-regularly for years and despite many hook ups / screw ups, never had landed a big yellow. Like most of us, landing a YT was high on my bucket list. My buddy Rob and I met at the shores at 4:45 last Friday. Spanish macs plentiful but greenies were hard to come by but eventually managed a few and some sardines too. Started trolling around 7. By around 11 and after fighting sea lions all morning, I was starting to feel a bit discouraged that the day would end like so many previous. I put my last fresh big greenie on the #1 rod with 60 lb braid, 40 lb fluoro and new Torium 50 yds back. On the other, back-up rod, 2 year old 30 lb mono, 20 lb fluoro on an older Diawa sealine, I fly-lined a tired sardine 30 yds back. I was trolling slowly while working a sabiki for more bait when I heard a splash close behind and the Diawa was buzzing. I knew right away what it was and counted thousand one, thousand two and set the J-hook. Line was still peeling off as I tightened the drag. I fought hard to control the line loss and clean up the mess with the sabiki and other rod. The fish was pulling really hard and still taking too much line dispite progressively tighter drag application. Soon I the mono was gone and I am down to white backer line and starting to see some bare spots on the reel. In a panic I add more drag and start thumbing the spool and cranking and lifting when possible. The boat is being drug sideways and I I finally manage to get the line out front and pedal away from kelp. After some more agressive cranking mono is back on the spool and things are going well. 5-15 minutes (not sure) more fighting and a couple more runs line is straight down and fish is getting close. Finally color shows, wrapped in some loose kelp vines, a nice yellow. I bring it to the surface and make a clean gaff to the head which ends up a bullseye, right in the eyeball. Lifting the critter into the boat was heavy but all of a suddden I felt the weight of catching that elusive YT being lifted from my shoulders! What a beautiful fish and incredible experience. Definitely worth the wait.

I got the YT on ice right away and home and into the chest freezer for a few hours which got it really cold, just barely above freezing. It spent the rest of the night in the fridge door (wife was gone for the weekend and my brother visiting from Colorado). Filleting went easy the next morning. Also discovered new puppy loves the smell/taste of YT and especially the fins which I saved for her chew treats. Toro belly meat was eaten directly off the bones, soo good!

No freezing for the meat, Sashimi & teriyaki BBQ party on Sunday, Monday, Poke on Tuesday, BBQ again tonight!

Can't wait to get out again. Still need a ghost!