Sitting at home on Monday, I read the Sunday reports and said, "I gotta go!". So deciding around noon, no time to charge bait tank or fish finder batteries.
Packed up and left at 1:30. After a necessary stop, launched around 3:00pm.
Smallish waves, saw two guys paddling in, one had nothing, one had one YT, and said making bait was hard. I could see in the distance lots of birds circling. It did take some time to make bait, with no fish finder. Finally got one Spanish, then another, and then 4 mini-bonito, trout-sized on the line, thrashed sabiki #1. Then finally one more Spanish, and then, finally, two greenies. Now, absolutely nobody in sight, one PB came and went twice, one kayaker trying for calicos, and I literally had all of LJ to myself.
So with 3 Spanish, two greenies, and one micro-bonito, headed out to all those birds.
After about a half hour, classic "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz", had two lines out, and a challenge to avoid a tangle, but long story short, YES, got it. Gaffed, and on clip, weighed 18 pounds.
Thinking, "well, one is enough, but still have bait, may as well fish some more". Nobody in sight, water calming down, just a gorgeous afternoon, and not many seals.... then a half hour later, I get the sound of a seal bite, "zz....zz...zz, pause, etc...". Thinking, "oh well, time for a seal", then I get a stronger pull, then the line just starts going down... and I am thinking, "wow, maybe a WSB, since no power boats in sight". Anyway, after long battle, kelp, maybe 20 minutes, I see color, and ended up at 27 pounds.
Very sweet day, back to launch for early sunset time, and home before dark.
In the larger one's belly, there were two mackerel, a bunch of red pelagic crabs, and one perfectly good-looking prawn/shrimp. It was so full, it sure should have left my bait alone!
Again, thanks to the Sunday posters!
