Quick trip, glad you got to check it out

Turd sign was pretty funny

I was going to go next week but had to postpone till April 22nd   Fishmas will be fun

Looks like the snow is melting fast

Those Convict Trout are always there, fun to watch and sometimes they bite   

Now Tom needs to make the Trek, a week is necessary to explore and find fish   

 I got checked last trip up there, luckily I used a Dremel tool on my hooks and I keep a small file in my Tackle Box, Mr. Ranger was impressed 

The weather is nice up there right now, I'm going in a couple weeks but keep in mind most areas are closed for fishing until last weekend of April (Fishmas) Lower Owens is open but most Lakes are still closed. Enjoy, it is beautiful with all the snow capped mountains The Regulations are posted near the water as far as barbless hooks and take limits, they do check

Yeah, I would think San Diego would draw a bigger crowd too   Oh well, we still had a good time and it was a nice day to be out and about.

Steve's buddy, Max said hello to us, looks like he and his girlfriend were enjoying the show too 

Well, The PCS Show in Del Mar was ok at best   Not as big, and to me it didn't have the "vibe" or excitement of the Costa Mesa Show. Some of the vendors were not there but some deals were still available. I picked up a Ditch Bag and an ACR brand PLB for my boat, saved some money on that purchase It was fun but still spent money like it was Janie's Birthday at Bass Pro     Oh yeah, eyeballed some Pontoons too 

One way to clear out a crowd, walk on the beach with a Bow 

  We went to the Show in OC, it was cool and this is the first year at Del Mar this Thursday thru Sunday. Great deals on everything, cool T-shirts and just a fun overall event. We are going on Saturday, anyone else going ?

What do you do with them ?  Garden fertilizer? 

Vitamin D and relaxing on a warm sunny day = Win Win

 Well, Max was so AMPED after helping Tom land his monster Bat last weekend that he wanted to redeem himself and actually catch one, since he only got a Butterfly Ray at The Bat Fight. Yesterday (Friday the 13th) he and his buddy, Van hit De Anza Cove and set up shop at 6am I had PT for my knee so I couldn't be there till close to noon and I invited Jerry to join us too   We were all soaking Yellow Tail and Jerry's rod goes off, solid hookup and a nice fight. The Bat flew out of the water and did a huge Belly Flop infront of a Pontoon Boat that was anchored up....The kids swimming around the boat got out of the water really quick After a few good runs, the hook pulled out and we were all bummed



I never got bit but it was cool to sit and watch Max and Van catch a few fish on the lighter rods



 
They both got a  small Halibut too




Max was chumming the water with my Chum Tube and catching Smelt, then using them for bait, Van hooks into a small Shovel




Jerry left and I lit a fire cause someone left some wood and all of a sudden a group of Middle Eastern people show up and start lining up 30 candles on the sand right behind Max's rod Then they fill up a bunch of helium balloons and create some sort of Memorial right next to his rod... WTF!!! The whole beach was open all the way to the Bathrooms and they set up Shop 5 feet from us   Then they made some Hot Air Balloons and sent them up while catching fire and finally falling back down, again, WTF !!! Apparently the fire I made was now theirs to use for cooking their potatoes so I called it quits and packed up and left for home !





Max didn't get Redemption this time but he will eventually 

Quote from: jrodda on March 12, 2026, 04:48:15 PMCongrats on the win, that is a huge one. Sounds like some good consistent fishing, too.

Me and Dave struggled immensely in Newport. In the first hour, a couple decided to take their WEDDING PHOTOS UNDER OUR LINES.



Never got so much as a crab to claw at our baits.

The Groom already wanted to strangle himself

It was so cool of Jerry to let Myles reel in his bat, he was really stoked !  

The 2 YOOTS were so hyped about your big 53" Bat, they are going back Friday to try their luck again

It's nice to know The Bats are in there and you and Roger proved there are some big ones to be caught 

Myles was robbed of the title but he took it like a man !    

Glad to see someone else Break Dancing on the sand beside me   Hope Jerry's shoulder recovers after the Tuck and Roll 

 Well, we all had a great time as usual. Cheez came out on Thursday, we BBQ'D and then hit The PCS Show on Friday. Got up Saturday and headed to Mission Bay. The kids were there early and we set up Shop with The Crew. A gusty breeze showed up for a bit, then it all mellowed out which was nice. I really thought it was going to be another uneventful day as not much was happening till Myles landed a nice Bat on Jerry's rod ( Thanks, Jerry !) Then the bite turned on and Tom was The Hot Stick for a while with a couple sharks and a bigger Bat. I finally got hooked up and it felt good to finally tug on something other than a hand rail in a handicap bathroom stall Nice chit chat around the fire and things were slowing down so I figured it was time to head home. Of course I get a call from Max before we even get to the freeway that Tom is on with a Monster !  We could hear the excitement over the speakers in the car, Max was worked up more than Tom I think   A 53" Bat hit the sand for the GRAND FINALE !!!  My boys have progressed from playing the sand, to out-fishing Dad most of the time, they put lots of time and effort into it and it shows! Thanks again,Tom for putting this event together !  Hope your shoulder isn't wrecked too bad but at least San Diego can carry the Torch for another year while the other teams up North are cleaning their sand blasted gear

Relief for you and for the fish at The Puddles    Congrats on the new job !

Make the drive and Join Team San Diego, we have dogs, horses and topless girls on boats to look at when the Bats aren't biting