The end of a long grind.

[rossman]

My annual local WSB hunt normally starts in mid April and by mid June I generally have one in my freezer. This year they have been avoiding me and it is not of lack of trying. I have been fishing the local OC waters at least twice a week since April and I concentrate almost exclusively on trying to lure one of these ghosts into my yak. Finally stuck one today.
My son Zed and I decided to hit San Onofre this morning. He had caught a nice 30 lb YT there a week and a half ago so I figured I would give that a try while the surf was manageable, and before the next swell later this week. We got out to the grounds at 6:45 and found a good variety of bait. I had one flylined mac and one halibut rig with a mac. About 8:00 I get a pickup on my flyline and the fight was on. He bulldozed into the kelp but the spectra did it's job and was able to drop a nice 50 pounder into my rod pod.





About a half hour later I got bit again but this time on the dropper loop and again the battle in the kelp was on. I was able to get him to about 15 ft below me in a massive kelp tangle. He was thrashing around and ultimately broke my 25 pound Floro at the threeway. Looked to be about the same size as the first one and I'll just call it a premature release since I would have let him go anyway.

I have hooked and or caught WSB in almost every month of the year but to have it happen in 74 degree water is simply unfathomable. What a crazy year.

So there you have an very current fishing report but be warned that the swell and a nasty shore break was already building and it was pretty dicey.

Go get em boys.