Here's the full tale. Went out for the first time in 2weeks to make sure the boat was still working before a trip this weekend. Spent 2 hours looking for bait so I wouldn't have to ball bounce. Never found it so tried ball bouncing for a while but so much crap in the water made it a pain. Saltist drag switch got screwed up so I moved the ball rig over to the saltiga. Epic conditions. Finally I hear a commotion....bonies charging micro-bait. Get 2 real fast on the sabiki and toss one on the flyline and convert the ball rig back to a trap rig for the other fat one (about 1#). Hang out with the little bonies for a while. Something big boiled on the flyline but I guess the quick little sucker got away. See some birds and find sardines thick. Catch a pair and go to replace the big bonie on the deep bait. Start reeling in and it feels heavy. Thought I was snagged in kelp yet again, but close to the boat it starts twitching. Felt big and flat right away, and at first color I saw it was good. Didn't have anything ready and my flyline had drifted over my neck, but I got everything out of the way as best I could and tried to line up the gaff. Didn't extend the gaff so I whiffed my first shot. Fish was energetic and kept running but was hooked solid in the jaw and the gill plate with the trap hook. Finally got it gaffed in the belly and tried to beat the crap out of it with my beer bottle. Thing went apeshit. Did that a couple more times before I finally stunned the critter, then straight into the hatch. Long and wide, but not super thick. Went over 40 on the beach and 39.8 today at OEX. Thick and narrow, but no big roe sacks. Few belly worms but not bad (set that piece aside for Jim...j/k
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Good luck to everyone that braves the weekend chaos this holiday weekend.